Selected Ongoing Projects
Universalism versus Benevolence: not all prosocial values are created equally
In several projects we focus on two prosocial values: universalism and benevolence. Both types of values are defined in Schwartz's theory of personal values as involving a concern for others. However, whereas benevolence expresses the motivation to promote the welfare of concrete others with whom one has a personal contact, universalism represents a concern for abstract entities and outgroups. Universalism therefor relies on a more global and integrative representation of the other and involves a higher level of abstractness than benevolence. In addition, universalism values are more related to differences in political worldviews than benevolence. These differences are important when we try to explore if and when these values become more or less important to the self and more or less important as motivators. In one major project (with Yaacov Trope), we explore the idea that a correspondence between the type of prosocial value and distance from the prosocial situation enhances the relevance of these values for persuasion, decision making, and value transmission. In another line of studies (with Yael Naveh-Kedem) which draw on the Terror Management Theory, we explore the impact of existential threat on individuals' prosocial values among left-wing and right-wing voters.
How do personal values affect the subjective perception of reality? (with Shaul Oreg)
This new project tests the various mechanisms through which values are associated with perceptions. Using Schwartz's theory of personal values and incorporating a recent taxonomy of psychological situations we aim to uncover the role of values in predicting how situations are perceived, and to explore how values and situation perceptions interact in predicting behavior.
Values, Religiosity and Moral Conduct (with Eyal Rechter)
In this project, our focus is on the moderating role of religiosity on the relationships between personal values and morality. We suggest that religiosity moderates the predictive role of values on perception of morality, moral disengagement attitudes.
Internal Conflicts and Ambivalence
In this stream of research, I aim to understand the experience of internal conflict and the factors that determine it. In previous projects we focused on the role of personal values and other dispositions in predicting the content of inner conflicts, social-dilemmas and ambivalence towards imposed change. In a recent new line of research (with Maor Wolf and Ella Daniel) we are planning on using psychophysiological and neurological measures to assess the experience of inner value conflicts.
Individual and cultural differences in reactions to change (with Shaul Oreg)
In this stream of research, we focus on individual and cultural differences in people's orientations towards and reactions to change. At the individual level we conducted several sets of studies that focus on the role of values and type of change (imposed versus voluntary) in the prediction of reactions to organizational changes. At the cultural level we developed a taxonomy of cultural change orientations, distinguishing between different ways in which societies preserve stability and routines.
