Worries and values

Relations of individuals' value priorities to their worries are investigate d in seven samples from four cultural groups (N = 1,441). A social-cognitiv e analysis suggests that value priorities influence worries by increasing a ttention to and perception of threats to valued goals. On this basis, we ge nerate hypotheses relating two types of worries, micro (about self and its extensions) and macro (about society and world), to 10 types of values. As predicted, giving priority to self-transcendence values (universalism and b enevolence) is associated with low micro and high macro worry whereas givin g priority to self-enhancement values (power, hedonism, and-to a lesser deg ree-achievement) is associated with high micro and low macro worry. Meaning ful associations are also found for other values. Values account for substa ntially more variance in macro than in micro worries.