The role of perceived self-transcendence values in forming functional relationships with professionals.
The British journal of social psychology July 1, 2025 Adi Amit, Shani Oppenheim-Weller, Yuval Karmel
Relationships with professionals such as therapists and managers are stronger when the professional is perceived as prioritizing self-transcendence values (e.g., benevolence, universalism) over self-enhancement values (e.g., achievement, power). Three studies show that client-therapist and employee-manager relationship quality increases with perceived self-transcendence, even beyond the effects of personal values or value similarity. Perceptions of warmth explain this link. The findings suggest that how others view a professional's values matters more for relationship formation than the individual's own values or value alignment.