The process and motivations of individual values internalization: a qualitative study

Values influence various aspects of an individual's life. Current theories on values internalization primarily consider from the observer's perspective, lacking information from the subjective perspective of the individuals internalizing these values. To understand the process of values internalization in real-life contexts, this study employed qualitative interviews, conducting semi-structured interviews with 20 interviewees. The interview data were coded using thematic analysis. The results indicate that: (a) the process of values internalization includes four stages: ignoring-resisting stage, understanding stage, attempting to practice stage, and integration stage. (b) These stages exhibit distinct characteristics in terms of cognition, behavior, motivation, emotion, self-relevance, importance, and priority. And (c) the primary internal factors influencing values internalization are achieving positive outcomes and avoiding negative consequences, while major life events and peer behavior are the main external factors. This study reveals the process and characteristics of values internalization from the individual perspective, expanding and supplementing the observer's perspective on the theory and research of values internalization, and providing a more comprehensive theoretical foundation for measuring.