The need for a new projective instrument for use with low-income, disadvantaged populations is postulated in this study, and the development of such an instrument, the Value Orientation Test (VOT), is undertaken. With a theoretical foundation drawn from the "culture of poverty" school of thought, the test is related to the implicit hypotheses of this concept. Exploration is made theoretically of the culture of poverty thesis, and findings from administration of the VOT are compared with it. Examination is also made of the study of values and the use of projective tests in the social sciences. The culture of poverty thesis is found lacking in empirical support, and the data here gathered lend added weight to doubts of its validity. It is concluded that the VOT has many potential uses in training and work-placement programs for the disadvantaged worker, as well as theoretical value to testing the culture of poverty thesis. A new scoring system has been developed, and a manual with complete instructions for administering and scoring the test is appended to the report. A related document is available as ED 057 256. (Author/MF)