Long-term value changes initiated by computer feedback.

To determine whether value change can be induced by a computer rather than a human agent and whether value change can be induced even when target values are not preselected for experimental treatment, subjects first filled out the Rokeach Value Survey and then obtained information from a computer enabling them to compare their own value rankings with those previously obtained for various reference groups. Experimental subjects exposed to computer feedback showed, first, significant changes in value systems 2 months afterward whereas control subjects showed no such changes. Second, value system change was significantly greater among those experimental subjects whose value rankings were on the whole more discrepant from those of positive reference groups. Third, rankings of certain values concerning achievement, peace, and egalitarianism were affected in a 2-month period following the treatment. These findings are interpreted within a broader theoretical framework about the conditions leading to long-term cognitive and behavioral change.