Values have long been considered important for psychology but are frequently characterized as beliefs, goals, rules, or norms. Ecological values theory locates them, not in people or in objects, but in ecosystem relationships and the demands those relationships place on fields of action within the system. To test the worth of this approach, we consider skilled coordination tasks in social psychology (e.g., negotiating disagreements, synchrony and asynchrony in interactions, and selectivity in social learning) and perception-action (e.g., driving vehicles and carrying a child). Evidence suggests that a diverse array of values (e.g., truth, social solidarity, justice, flexibility, safety, and comfort) work in a cooperative tension to guide actions. Values emerge as critical constraints on action that differ from goals, rules, and natural laws, and yet provide the larger context in which they can function effectively. Prospects and challenges for understanding values and their role in action, including theoretical and methodological issues, are considered.

长期以来，价值观一直被认为对心理学很重要，但经常被描述为信念、目标、规则或规范。生态价值理论将它们定位在生态系统关系中，而不是在人或物体中，而这些关系对系统内的行动领域提出了要求。为了测试这种方法的价值，我们考虑了社会心理学中的熟练协调任务（例如，协商分歧、互动中的同步和异步，以及社会学习中的选择性）和感知行动（例如，驾驶车辆和携带孩子）。有证据表明，一系列不同的价值观（例如，真理、社会团结、正义、灵活性、安全和舒适）在合作的张力中起作用以指导行动。价值观是对不同于目标、规则和自然法则的行动的关键约束，并提供更大的环境，使它们能够有效地发挥作用。考虑了理解价值观及其在行动中的作用的前景和挑战，包括理论和方法问题。