ABSTRACT
To understand the nature of values and how they affect thought, feeling, and action, we must examine them jointly with other motivational forces. According to Rokeach (1973) "A value is an enduring belief that a specific mode of conduct or end state is personally or socially preferable relative to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end state of existence" (p. 5). In my view also, values involve preferences. However, I stress more the motivational nature of values. The essential defining element of values is preference or desire for certain outcomes or end states or, more commonly, for classes of outcomes or end states. Associated with these preferences are networks of cognitions or modes of thinking, which include beliefs and reasons that make the desired outcomes preferable. However, this cognitive network may be more or less elaborate, and at times quite limited.
