Finding Your Life Compass: A Detailed Guide to William R. Miller’s "Personal Values Card Sort," Key to Motivational Interviewing

“Why do I keep engaging in unhealthy behaviors?” “I’m lost about my life choices”—behind such actions and anxieties often lies a discrepancy (gap) between the values you genuinely cherish and your current behavior. The Personal Values Card Sort, explained in this article, is a powerful psychological tool devised by Motivational Interviewing (MI) authority William R. Miller and his colleagues to clarify one’s core values. Through the process of sorting approximately 80 value cards and prioritizing them, participants discover the true principles that guide them.

Let’s explore the purpose, procedure, and clinical applications of this Card Sort, examining how it encourages behavior change and leads to a richer, value-congruent life.

Overview of the Personal Values Card Sort
Personal Values List
Usage and Process
Clinical Applications

Overview of the Personal Values Card Sort

Category	Description
Purpose	To help participants identify the values most central and important to them, and to explore the discrepancybetween those values and their current behaviors (especially problematic behaviors, such as alcohol use).
Creator	Developed by Dr. William R. Miller and collaborating researchers at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Miller is known as one of the founders of Motivational Interviewing (MI), a client-centered counseling approach aimed at eliciting behavior change.
Structure	The tool uses a set of cards (typically 70 to 80+ unique cards) with different personal values written on them (e.g., “Family,” “Friendship,” “Honesty,” “Achievement,” as shown in the list below).

Personal Values List

Value	Explanation	Value	Explanation
Acceptance (受容)	To be accepted as I am	Accuracy (正確)	To be correct in my opinions and beliefs
Achievement (達成)	To accomplish something important	Adventure (冒険)	To have new and exciting experiences
Attractiveness (魅力)	To maintain physical appeal	Authority (権威)	To have the power to direct others
Autonomy (自治)	To make my own decisions without reliance on others	Aesthetics (美的)	To appreciate beauty in the environment
Caring (庇護)	To look out for and take care of others	Challenge (挑戦)	To tackle difficult tasks or problems
Change (変化)	To have a life full of variety and change	Comfort (快適)	To have a life that is pleasing and comfortable
Commitment (誓約)	To make and keep unbreakable promises or vows	Compassion (慈愛)	To be concerned about and help others
Contribution (貢献)	To do things that benefit the world	Cooperation (協調)	To work with others to achieve something
Courtesy (礼儀)	To be polite and civil toward others	Creativity (創造)	To produce new and original ideas
Dependability (信頼)	To be trustworthy and reliable	Duty (義務)	To fulfill my obligations and responsibilities
Harmony (調和)	To live in accord with my surroundings	Excitement (興奮)	To have a life of thrills and stimulation
Fidelity (貞節)	To be faithful and truthful to my partner	Fame (名声)	To be famous or recognized
Family (家族)	To have a happy, loving family	Fitness (体力)	To be physically healthy and strong
Flexibility (柔軟)	To adjust easily to new situations	Forgiveness (許し)	To live by forgiving others
Friendship (友情)	To have close, mutually supportive friends	Fun (愉楽)	To play and enjoy myself
Generosity (寛大)	To give my possessions to others	Genuineness (真実)	To act according to what I believe is right
God’s Will (信教)	To act according to a higher power’s will	Growth (成長)	To maintain change and progress
Health (健康)	To live in a healthy, fit condition	Helpfulness (有益)	To be useful to others
Honesty (正直)	To live without lies and be truthful	Hope (希望)	To be positive and optimistic
Humility (謙遜)	To be modest and unassuming	Humor (笑い)	To see the funny side of life and the world
Independence (独立)	To live without relying on others	Industriousness (勤勉)	To work hard at my job
Inner Peace (平安)	To maintain my internal peace	Intimacy (親密)	To share private experiences with others
Justice (正義)	To treat all people fairly	Knowledge (知識)	To learn or produce valuable knowledge
Leisure (余暇)	To relax and enjoy my own time	Loved (寵愛)	To be loved by those close to me
Loving (愛慕)	To give love to someone	Mastery (熟達)	To become proficient in my usual work/tasks
Mindfulness (現在)	To focus on the present moment	Moderation (適度)	To avoid excess and find a middle ground
Monogamy (単婚)	To find one loving partner	Rebellion (反抗)	To question and challenge authority or rules
Nurturance (配慮)	To attend to and care for others	Openness (開放)	To be open to new experiences, ideas, or choices
Order (秩序)	To have a neat and organized life	Passion (情熱)	To have deep feelings for an idea, activity, or people
Pleasure (快楽)	To feel good	Popularity (人気)	To be liked by many people
Power (権力)	To control others	Purpose (目的)	To have meaning and direction in life
Rationality (合理)	To follow reason and logic	Realism (現実)	To act in a realistic and practical manner
Responsibility (責任)	To act responsibly	Risk (危険)	To take risks to gain opportunities
Romance (恋愛)	To have an exciting and passionate love	Safety (安全)	To be or feel secure
Self-Acceptance (受諾)	To accept myself as I am	Self-Control (自制)	To control my own behavior
Self-Esteem (自尊)	To have confidence in myself	Self-Knowledge (自知)	To have a deep understanding of myself
Service (献身)	To devote myself to someone	Sexuality (性愛)	To have an active and satisfying sex life
Simplicity (単純)	To have a simple, minimalist life	Solitude (孤独)	To have time and space to be alone, apart from others
Spirituality (精神)	To maintain spiritual growth and maturity	Stability (安定)	To have a life that is steady and unchanging
Tolerance (寛容)	To respect and accept those who are different from me	Tradition (伝統)	To respect patterns inherited from the past

Usage and Process

The general procedure for administering the Personal Values Card Sort is as follows:

Value Sorting : The participant receives the deck of cards and quickly sorts the values written on each card based on how important they are to the individual, usually into 3 to 5 piles (e.g., “Not at all Important,” “Somewhat Important,” “Important,” “Very Important,” “Most Important”).
Identifying Core Values : From the most important piles, the participant selects the 5 to 10values that are most central to them (Core Values).
Prioritization : The selected top values are then ranked from most important to least important.
Dialogue and Exploration : After sorting and ranking, the counselor or facilitator engages the participant in a deep discussion using open-ended questions about the meaning of the chosen values, why they are important, and how these values are reflected (or not reflected) in their daily life. This dialogue stage is critical and is used to enhance the participant’s self-understanding and their motivation to align their behavior with their values.

Clinical Applications

The Card Sort is widely utilized, particularly in the following areas:

Motivational Interviewing (MI): Used to facilitate the process of raising a client’s motivation for behavior change (e.g., reducing substance abuse, adopting healthier lifestyle habits) by clarifying their personal values.
Self-Awareness: Deepens understanding of the principles and priorities that guide one’s life.
Decision-Making: Provides guidance for making choices that are congruent with one’s core values.