VIA Character Strengths
The VIA Classification of Character Strengths and Virtues, developed by psychologists Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman around 2004, identifies 24 positive character strengths organised under six broad virtues. It sorts people by which strengths they most naturally and authentically express, known as their signature strengths. Our free course traces the idea from positive psychology through the full map of virtues and strengths, and shows how to put your signature strengths to work in daily life.
The VIA Classification is grounded in peer-reviewed psychology research, and its self-report survey shows acceptable reliability, though debate continues about its factor structure and the exact number of underlying virtues. Set out by Peterson & Seligman (2004). (Christopher Peterson & Martin Seligman, 2004)
Groups
- Creativity — Wisdom virtue: thinking of novel and productive ways to conceptualise and do things.
- Curiosity — Wisdom virtue: taking an active interest in ongoing experience and finding subjects fascinating.
- Judgment (Critical Thinking) — Wisdom virtue: thinking things through, examining evidence from all sides, and not jumping to conclusions.
- Love of Learning — Wisdom virtue: mastering new skills, topics, and bodies of knowledge for their own sake.
- Perspective (Wisdom) — Wisdom virtue: being able to provide wise counsel and see the larger picture in life.
- Bravery — Courage virtue: not shrinking from threat, challenge, difficulty, or pain, and acting on convictions.
- Perseverance — Courage virtue: finishing what one starts and persisting in a course of action despite obstacles.
- Honesty — Courage virtue: speaking the truth and presenting oneself in a genuine and sincere way.
- Zest — Courage virtue: approaching life with excitement and energy and living it as an adventure.
- Love — Humanity virtue: valuing close relationships with others and being capable of giving and receiving care.
- Kindness — Humanity virtue: doing favours and good deeds for others and caring about their welfare.
- Social Intelligence — Humanity virtue: being aware of the motives and feelings of oneself and others and knowing how to fit in.
- Teamwork — Justice virtue: working well as a member of a group and being loyal and committed to the team.
- Fairness — Justice virtue: treating all people the same according to notions of fairness and justice.
- Leadership — Justice virtue: encouraging a group to get things done while maintaining good relations within it.
- Forgiveness — Temperance virtue: forgiving those who have done wrong and giving people a second chance.
- Humility — Temperance virtue: letting one's accomplishments speak for themselves and not seeking the spotlight.
- Prudence — Temperance virtue: being careful about one's choices and not taking undue risks or saying things one might regret.
- Self-Regulation — Temperance virtue: regulating what one feels and does and being disciplined over one's appetites and emotions.
- Appreciation of Beauty & Excellence — Transcendence virtue: noticing and appreciating beauty, excellence, and skilled performance in all domains of life.
- Gratitude — Transcendence virtue: being aware of and thankful for the good things that happen.
- Hope — Transcendence virtue: expecting the best in the future and working to achieve it.
- Humor — Transcendence virtue: liking to laugh and tease and bringing smiles to other people.
- Spirituality — Transcendence virtue: having coherent beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of the universe.
References
- Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification. Oxford University Press & American Psychological Association
- Park, N., Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Strengths of Character and Well-Being. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 23(5), 603–619
- McGrath, R. E. (2014). Scale- and Item-Level Factor Analyses of the VIA Inventory of Strengths. Assessment, 21(1), 4–14
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