“What Matters to Us”: An Adaptation of the Portrait Values Questionnaire to Measure Couple Values

Values are a topic of great interest in several areas of psychology, and they have been predominantly conceptualized and operationalized as an individual, organizational or cultural construct. To date there is a lack of studies that have analyzed values as qualities of proximal microsystems, such as the intimate couple and the family. The couple is an entity, with a unique identity that cannot be reduced to the sum of the two individuals it comprises. Considering partners’ perceptions of being part of a couple system characterized by specific value priorities pave the way to the conceptualization of couple values. This contribution analyzes relevant psychometric properties of the Portrait Couple Values Questionnaire (PCVQ), adapted from the 21-item Portrait Values Questionnaire originally aimed at measuring personal values. Five hundred and forty-six Italian respondents (54.1% women; Mage: 41.52 years, SD=7.19) filled in an online anonymous self-report questionnaire. Results of the Multidimensional Scaling and of the CFA Magnifying Glass Strategy confirmed the existence of the four value dimensions of conservation, openness to change, self-enhancement and self-transcendence when measuring couple values. Theoretical and practical implications will be discussed.