The objective of this research was to validate to Brazil the Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ) developed by Schwartz. The PVQ was translated into Portuguese using the back-translation procedure and was applied to a sample of 614 students from primary, high and college education. The data were analyzed by means of the multidimensional scaling technique using a bi-dimensional structure. The spatial configuration obtained offers a positive indication for the construct validity of the instrument. The regions found were: Conformity, Tradition, Security, Stimulation, Universality/Benevolence, Power/Achievement and Self-Determination/Hedonism. The last three regions were composed of adjacent motivational types. Descriptive and comparative results converging with international findings also constitute a set of important elements that supports the validity of the instrument.
basic human values; value theory of Schwartz; scale validation
