The Axiogram - Part 1

Masterclass Part One: Understanding the Foundations of the Axiogram

This first masterclass in the three-part Axiogram series takes members back to the foundations of the Hartman Value Profile and the original Axiogram. Art Ellis draws on his long-standing work with Hartman and the Institute to explain where the information found in HVP reports and other interpretations ultimately comes from.

The session begins by placing the Axiogram in context. While members may encounter the HVP in many different formats, with scores translated into percentages, language, or other visual presentations, the underlying information originates in the same place: the person’s scores and their deviation from the axiological ideal. As Art explains, “Even to 50 years later, it all has to originate in the deviations of the person's scores to the axiological.”

Understanding the Axiogram

Art walks through the principal columns of the original Axiogram, beginning with the three dimensions:

• Intrinsic (I): the capacity to discern individuality in others, in the world, and within oneself.

• Extrinsic (E): the capacity to discern practical values and situations in the world and understand one’s relationship to them.

• Systemic (S): the capacity to discern system, order, organization, and the intellectual or theoretical.

An important point throughout the session is that the Axiogram’s scoring system works differently from what we might intuitively expect. Lower numbers represent better scores, because they indicate less deviation from the formal axiological positions. This can be particularly important when comparing the original Axiogram with later HVP reports where scores may have been presented in a different format.

Art then introduces the integration scores, which show how well a person sorts out what is important within the complexity of each dimension. The key definition is “development of the capacity to discern the important within the complex.” The individual I, E, and S integration scores provide more useful insight into the dynamics of a profile than simply looking at an overall composite score.

The discussion also introduces the idea of axiological astigmatism. Drawing on the analogy of vision, Art explains how someone may see certain dimensions more clearly than others. These differences can affect concentration, perception, and how a person deals with situations. Importantly, this is considered in a relative sense: a dimension that appears less clear on an otherwise strong profile may still represent a high level of perception.

From Scores to Interpretation

The session continues through distortion, VQ, SQ, and composite scores, showing how these are derived from the underlying profile. Art emphasizes the distinction between quantity and quality. Quantitative scores reflect the capacity or potential indicated by the profile, while qualitative scores provide an indication of how effectively that capacity is being used.

The Axiogram’s final quadrangle brings these ideas together, illustrating the relationship between potential and its actual use. A person may have significant capacity reflected in their quantitative scores but not consistently use all of that capacity.

A central reminder is that the scores themselves are not a description of behaviour. They provide indications of how capacities may be manifested. Interpretation requires moving beyond the numbers and returning to the individual person.

Key Takeaways

This first part provides a foundation for understanding what lies beneath the HVP reports and interpretations members may already be familiar with. It encourages us to look beyond the final report and understand how the underlying scores, dimensions, deviations, integrations, and composite measures come together.

Most importantly, the Axiogram is not simply a collection of numbers. It provides a structured way of understanding value perception, capacity, balance, and potential, ultimately allowing the numbers to be translated back into an understanding of the individual and their relationship with the world and themselves.