Dark Values and Bright Values : Universal Values Generated by Callousness and Empathy

Bright Values: There is an increased emphasis on self in today’s generation, while empathic concern for others has shown to be decreasing. This study set out to analyze empathy’s (empathic concern and perspective-taking) relationships with the 10 classic universal value types (Schwartz, 1992). In the first study, we controlled for the Big Six personality traits, to separate the influence from emotional and cognitive empathy on values. The results showed that the accounted additional variance from empathy was small and only found on self-transcending values (benevolence and universalism). In the second study, the findings were replicated and extended with an international sample. The interplay between affect and cognition on universal values was reported with a structural equation model (SEM-analysis). Furthermore, mediation analyses showed that the personality traits of Agreeableness and Openness mediates the relationship between empathy and self-transcending values. The discussion questions the need for the construct of empathy and suggests than when predicting values, the five or six factor models of personality are sufficient.