VALS ("Values, Attitudes And Lifestyles") is a proprietary research methodology used for psychographic market segmentation.
Market segmentation is designed to guide companies in tailoring their
products and services in order to appeal to the people most likely to
purchase them.
VALS was developed in 1978 by social scientist and consumer futurist Arnold Mitchell and his colleagues at SRI International.
It was immediately embraced by advertising agencies, and is currently
offered as a product of SRI's consulting services division. VALS draws
heavily on the work of Harvard sociologist David Riesman and psychologist Abraham Maslow.[1]
Mitchell used statistics to identify attitudinal and demographic
questions that helped categorize adult American consumers into one of
nine lifestyle types: survivors (4%), sustainers (7%), belongers (35%),
emulators (9%), achievers (22%), I-am-me (5%), experiential (7%),
societally conscious (9%), and integrated (2%). The questions were
weighted using data developed from a sample of 1,635 Americans and their
partners, who responded to an SRI International survey in 1980.[2]
The main dimensions of the VALS framework are primary motivation (the
horizontal dimension) and resources (the vertical dimension). The
vertical dimension segments people based on the degree to which they are
innovative and have resources such as income, education, self-confidence, intelligence, leadership skills, and energy. The horizontal dimension represents primary motivations and includes three distinct types:
- Consumers driven by knowledge and principles are motivated primarily by ideals. These consumers include groups called Thinkers and Believers.
- Consumers driven by demonstrating success to their peers are motivated primarily by achievement. These consumers include groups referred to as Achievers and Strivers.
- Consumers driven by a desire for social or physical activity, variety, and risk taking are motivated primarily by self-expression. These consumers include the groups known as Experiencers and Makers.
At the top of the rectangle are the Innovators,
who have such high resources that they could have any of the three
primary motivations. At the bottom of the rectangle are the Survivors,
who live complacently and within their means without a strong primary
motivation of the types listed above. The VALS Framework gives more
details about each of the groups.
Psychographic segmentation has been criticized by well-known public
opinion analyst and social scientist Daniel Yankelovich, who says
psychographics are "very weak" at predicting people's purchases, making
it a "very poor" tool for corporate decision-makers.[1] VALS has also been criticized as too culturally specific for international use.[2]
Researchers faced some problems with the VALS method and SRI developed
the Vals 2 programme in 1978 and significantly revised it in 1989. VALS2
puts less emphasis on activities and interests and more on a
psychological base to tap relatively enduring attitudes and values.
VALS2 has two dimensions. The first dimension –Self orientation,
determines the type of goals and behaviours that individuals will
pursue, and refers to pattern of attitudes and activities which help
individuals reinforce, sustain or modify their social self-image. This
is a fundamental human need. The second dimension- Resources-reflects
the ability of individuals to pursue their dominant self orientation
that includes full range of physical, psychological, demographic and
material means such as self-confidence, interpersonal
skills,inventiveness,intelligence,eagerness to
buy,money,position,education,etc. According to VALS2, a consumer
purchases certain products and services because the individual is a
specific type of person. The purchase is believed to reflect a
consumer’s lifestyle, which is a function of self –orientation and
resources.
