Openness to Change of Ukrainian and Romanian Students

• Author: Romanyuk, L. - Dimitrova, R
• Position: Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine - Tilburg University, the Netherlands
• Pages: 173-178

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov

Series VII: Social Sciences • Law • Vol. 6 (55) No. 2 - 2013

OPENNESS TO CHANGE OF UKRAINIAN

AND ROMANIAN STUDENTS

L. ROMANYUK 1 R. DIMITROVA 2

Abstract: This study makes use of Schwartz’s Portrait Values

Questionnaire (PVQ; Schwartz, 1994; Schwartz et al., 2001) to examine the

psychometric properties of Openness to Change (OC) factor in large student

sample from Romania and Ukraine. Additional purpose is to examine value

differences across cultures by applying a one-factor model focused on OC as

salient process of personality development. Participants were 383 students

aged from 18 to 45 years from Romania (n = 183) and Ukraine (n = 200).

Results support for the generalizability of the one-factor model on openness

to change in Ukraine and Romania. Implications for the study of personality

value across these two national contexts are discussed.

Key words: values, openness to change, Ukrainian and Romanian groups,

PVQ.

1 Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine.

2 Tilburg University, the Netherlands.

1. Introduction

To live in a modern and rapidly changing

world, it is important to have an internal

core values that ensure coordinated actions

and planned behaviours. This co-

ordination involves values as supervising

principles of human life that can operate

people’s activity. Values are the point of

reference for all actions embedded in daily

experience and behavior [5, 10]. Values

have been traditionally studied by

employing the Portrait Values

Questionnaire (PVQ) [11- 12] which is a

commonly used self-report questionnaire

based on Schwartz Values Theory [14].

The PVQ is often used to compare

individuals and groups and is applied here

to explore values of Ukrainian and

Romanian students’ space of socialization.

However, in order to be valid across

different cultural groups, the questionnaire

must measure identical constructs with the

same theoretical structure across groups.

Stated otherwise, the factor structure (i.e.,

factor loadings, and intercepts/thresholds)

should be identical over different groups,

which is called measurement invariance.

When measurement invariance is not

demonstrated, groups or subjects respond

differently to the items [17]. Consequently,

factor means cannot reasonably be

compared across groups. Yet, it is unclear

whether the PVQ and Openness to Change

factor (OC), which is the core interest in

this study, shows measurement invariance

across different countries. Openness to

change emphasizes independent action,

thought, feeling and readiness for new

experience. Openness to change has also

been defined as support for change and

positive affect that people experience