g to this theory, inconsistency between cognitive elements ù beliefs, attitudes, and so forth ù leads to dissonance. This dissonance, in turn, leads an individual to change one or more cognitive elements, in an attempt to eliminate the unpleasant state (Jones & George, 1998).
The nuclear family is a major influence on the development and formation of values by an individual in early life. Religion also exerts a significant influence on the development and formation of schema-relevant values. Highly religious individuals, as opposed to other individuals, tend to place a strong emphasis on moral and relational values, and a lesser interest on personal - extrinsic, competency, and egoistic values. This difference does not indicate an absence of one type of value in highly religious or less religious individuals. Rather, it indicates a tendency to emphasize certain value types (Strange, 1998).
Social factors also influence value development and formation. An interaction of cultures, however, generally has a greater impact on the modification of behavior than it does on changing core values (Smelser, 1998). In this context, it is important to consider some research findings from a different perspective. Rokeach and Ball-Rokeach (1989) reported what they described as a disturbing shift in American values in the 1980s away from equality, and toward racist and illiberal values. In fact, core values may not have changed either during the 1980s, or in the preceding decade, when a shift in values toward equality was observed. What in fact may have occurred in each instance was a shift in behavior that reflected the influence of the political-social leadership of the day, with no change in the underlying core value structure. Rokeach (1973) concluded that beliefs are the best indicators of the decisions made by individuals in the course of their lifetime.
While family, religious, and social factors affect the development and f...