PSY 180: Lecture 8, Character Strengths
Values in Action (VIA) Institute
Started by Peterson and Seligman in 2000
Goal: to focus on ______in light of ongoing societal concerns with the topic
What does good character mean and how can it be measured?
History of the “character” research
Gordon ______said that character was more of a philosophical matter
He urged the study of objective entities stripped of moral significance and linked to adjustment
Other psychologists ______
______believed that psychological methods could inform discussions of character and value by philosophers
Character strengths
The components of good character
______of each other
Concerned that this might get preachy
But, we need to study traits of healthy people somehow!
Some are ______
Punctuality is valued in cultures with wide access to time keeping devices
Some are universal- these should be addressed most
Surveyed world societies and religions
Found core virtues
______
______
______
______
______
______
Decided that they needed to be more specific than these six to really be able to measure things properly
ie. Humanity breaks down into kindness and love
How to find character strengths?
Surveyed many ______
Psychiatry, ______, character education, religion, ______, organizational studies, psychology
______, greeting cards, bumper stickers, obituaries, testimonials, mottoes and credos, personal ads, art, tarot cards, Pokemon character cards, ______books
Characteristics of a strength
______
Widely recognized
______
Contributes to individual fulfillment, satisfaction, happiness
Morally ______
Valued for itself, not for outcomes it may produce
Does not ______
Produces admiration, not jealousy
Has obvious “______” opposites
Characteristics of a strength
Is ______-like
Has individual differences, but some stability within an individual
Is distinct from other strengths
Has paragons and prodigies
Can be ______
Has enabling institutions
Wisdom and knowledge
Related to the acquisition and use of information in the service of the good life
Strengths include:
______
Love of ______
______/open-mindedness
Creativity/______
Perspective
More about these strengths
______
Related to intelligence
Need to be above average for intelligence to really be able to be creative
Possibly linked to ______
Certain manifestations of creativity are associated with depression and antisocial behaviors
______
Linked to many things
Positive affect, perceived control, excitement, decision making abilities
Accounts for 10% of academic learning and performance
Possibly linked to greater health in elderly populations
Can lead to ______when paired with low self-control
More on the wisdom strengths
Open-mindedness
Thought of as having less “myside bias”
Associated with better performance on ______and higher scores on general cognitive ability tests
Love of Learning
Linked to less ______(so possibly greater physical health)
Possibly linked to less cognitive impairment later in life
Don’t forget perspective
Thought of as the more traditional definition of ______
NOT only owned by ______
Linked to well-being of older people more than objective life conditions
Distinct from ______as measured by IQ
Courage
The exercise of will to accomplish goals in the face of opposition, external or internal
Strengths include:
______and bravery
Persistence/______
Integrity
Vitality/______
More about the strengths of courage
Bravery
May be linked to sustaining quality ______
Need to be brave to allow oneself to be vulnerable to another person
Workplace bravery (whistle-blowers)
May have ______
Depression, declining physical health, financial decline
Increases ______though
Persistence
Linked to many benefits; attaining goals, enjoying success more, improves resourcefulness, enhances self-efficacy
Can also ______when the person doesn’t know when to quit
Integrity and Vitality
Integrity
May have positive social impacts at workplaces and interpersonally
Liked to positive mood, ______, empathy, self-actualization
Linked to increases in self-concordant ______and their attainment
Vitality/Zest
Strongly linked to health and positive outcomes
Associated with ______
Humanity
Positive traits manifesting in caring relationships with others
Typically ______relationships
Strengths include:
______and allowing oneself to be loved
Kindness and ______
______intelligence
Strengths of Humanity
Love
Studied mostly as ______in psychology
3 types: child to parent, parent to child, romantic
Related to better coping during stress and overall health
Kindness
Measured by volunteerism
Linked to ______and longevity
What about social intelligence?
Social intelligence: interpreting and responding to ______
______intelligence is also part of it
Understanding the self and its abilities
______intelligence too
Perceiving and using emotions appropriately
Most of the research is on emotional intelligence
Linked to better social functioning and lower levels of drug and alcohol use
Justice
Broadly social, relevant to the optimal interaction between the individual and the group or the community
Focuses on ______relationships
Strengths include:
______, duty, teamwork, loyalty
Fairness and ______
______
The strengths of justice
Citizenship
Being involved in the ______of the community
Linked to increased trust and positive views of community members
Linked to increased ______
Fairness
______reasoning
Justice theory- what is fair and equitable
Care theory- compassion and empathy for others
The strengths of justice
Leadership
Is it a strength or just a set of behaviors employed?
Probably a ______
Charisma
It is ______important
Success of businesses are ______to the leadership there
Temperance
Positive traits that protect us from ______
Many things can be bad in the ______(even pleasures)
These protect from excess, but not from action
Forgiving is good, but don’t be a pushover
Modesty is good, but doesn’t require falsehood
Strengths include:
______/mercy
Self-______
______/discretion
______and modesty
Strengths of temperance
Forgiveness
Key to many ______ideologies
Important for some forms of therapy
Possibly linked causally to ______
Modesty and Humility
Difficult to ______
Opposite is narcissism
Narcissists report high self-esteem and few interpersonal problems but are reportedly the least liked by their peers
Strengths of temperance
Prudence
Cognitive reasoning to achieve one’s long term goals
Linked to less ______, increases in compulsive personality disorder
Linked to ______
Had lower rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and violent injuries
Self-control
Linked to ______(and thus success)
Less likely to eat poorly or take drugs
Transcendence
Allows individuals to forge connections to the larger universe and thereby provide meaning to their lives
Strengths include:
Appreciation of ______and excellence
Gratitude
Hope/______
______/faith
Playfulness and ______
Strengths of Transcendence
Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence
______well
Similar to openness to experience, which has been studied some
Not linked to much- linked to being liberal
So why is it a strength?
Many ______and religions value it
Gratitude
Linked to ______feelings and outcomes
Correlates with religiousness too
Seen as more supportive by ______
Discussed this previously
More strengths of transcendence
______- similar to optimism, which we have spent a large amount of time on
Humor
There are different types of humor: ______, sarcasm
Many people believe it is linked to ______and health
Few actual studies have found this- it is mostly theory so far
And finally…
Spirituality
Linked to positive relationships, less negative behaviors, increases in well-being and physical health, increases in community well-being
Also linked to dispositions to be ______, authoritarian personality styles (it is my way or no way- why? Because I said so), and correctional punitiveness
______appear to score higher than ______
Seligman’s thoughts
The more you use your signature strengths every day, the ______you will be because you will engage in ______more often and thus engaged more in gratifications
Talents vs strengths: What’s the difference?
Talents are thought of as something one is ______
Strengths are more of a ______to use or not use
We tend to value strengths more than talents
All people can aspire to strengths, but not talents
Talents are valued more for their consequences (making money or fame) than for the talent themselves
Measuring strengths
VIA Inventory of ______
Questionnaire that has 10 items per strength for self-reporting
VIA Inventory or Strengths for ______
5-9 items per strength
Meant for 10-17 yr olds to self-report
VIA ______
30 minute process
Asks how the person would act given a situation
Strengths ______
For children 3-9
Asks parents to describe their children
Codes the responses into the strengths
Findings about the strengths
Similar across most ______
Similar across US ______and ______
Although less similar than US adults and adults of other nations
Strengths “______” like zest, gratitude, hope and love correlated most strongly with happiness than other strengths (like love of learning)
Other findings
Asked people about their ______, ______, ______
Found that the bests seem to focus on the character strengths
People pick a job, friend or hobby that allows them to use their ______
During times of crisis (e.g. after health problems) certain strengths are reported by the survivors more than in other populations
It is possible that finding ways to increase these strengths may help people battling the ______
Also found that some strengths are likely to co-occur and others may be trade-offs
Open-mindedness and religiousness seem to have a bit of a trade-off relationship