Exploring the Manifestation of Schwartz’s Basic Human Values in Large Language Models

Abstract

This study investigates the manifestation of Schwartz’s Theory of Basic Human Values (STBV) within a pre-trained Large Language Model (LLM) by evaluating how persona prompting influences the model’s responses. Specifically, we use prompt-based persona induction to represent Schwartz’s ten broad value types e.g., Universalism, Achievement) and measure their effects using the model’s responses to the Portrait Values Questionnaire Revised (PVQ-RR). A neutral persona and human baseline serve as control conditions to assess the influence of persona prompting. Prompting strategies are also compared. Results show that value-based persona prompts systematically shift the model’s PVQ-RR response profiles, indicating that LLM questionnaire responses can be steered along Schwartz value dimensions under controlled prompting conditions. These findings suggest that value-based persona prompts may be useful for studying and configuring the expressed response profiles of LLM-based agents. Using Schwartz’s values as a structured measurement framework provides a way to evaluate how LLM responses change under persona prompting and offers a basis for future studies of value-conditioned agent behaviour.- Anthology ID:

- 2026.nlpaics-1.21
- Volume:

Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Natural Language Processing and Artificial Intelligence for Cyber Security- Month:

• June
• Year:
• 2026
• Address:
• Alicante, Spain
• Editors: Ruslan Mitkov,Rafael Muñoz,Elena Lloret,Tharindu Ranasinghe,Ernesto L. Estevanell-Valladares,Salima Lamsiyah,Andrés Montoyo,Saad Ezzini- Venue:

[NLPAICS](/venues/nlpaics/)- SIG:
- Publisher:

• Department of Languages and Information Systems, University of Alicante

- Note:
- Pages:

• 189–203

- Language:
- URL:
[https://aclanthology.org/2026.nlpaics-1.21/](https://aclanthology.org/2026.nlpaics-1.21/)- DOI:
- Cite (ACL):

• Ryan Hyland, Lewis Newsham, and Daniel Prince. 2026. Exploring the Manifestation of Schwartz’s Basic Human Values in Large Language Models. InProceedings of the Second International Conference on Natural Language Processing and Artificial Intelligence for Cyber Security, pages 189–203, Alicante, Spain. Department of Languages and Information Systems, University of Alicante. - Cite (Informal):

[Exploring the Manifestation of Schwartz’s Basic Human Values in Large Language Models](https://aclanthology.org/2026.nlpaics-1.21/)(Hyland et al., NLPAICS 2026)- PDF:
[https://aclanthology.org/2026.nlpaics-1.21.pdf](https://aclanthology.org/2026.nlpaics-1.21.pdf)