Construct/Factor Analytic
Peterson and Seligman (2004) also reported evidence from an exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation
suggesting five factors labeled as follows:
Strength of restraint (fairness, humility, mercy, prudence).
Intellectual strengths (e.g. creativity, curiosity, love of learning, appreciation of beauty).
Interpersonal strengths (e.g. kindness, love, leadership, teamwork, and playfulness.
Emotional strengths (e.g. bravery, hope, self-regulation, zest).
Theological strengths (e.g. gratitude, spirituality).
Noftle et al. (2010) conducted confirmatory factor analyses but conclude that none of the models of character
strength fit the data well. In a study comparing the VIA and the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ),
Steger, Hicks, Kashdan, Krueger, and Bouchard (2007) found that the MPQ accounts for up to 26% of the total vari-
ance in individual character strength scores. MacDonald, Bore, and Munro (2008) using factor analysis found a size-
able overlap between the VIA and Big Five dimensions. The largest correlations were between Extraversion and the
‘positivity’ factor (.71), Openness and the ‘intellect’ factor (.68), Conscientiousness and the ‘conscientiousness’ factor
(.71), and Agreeableness and the ‘niceness’ factor (.57). Noftle et al. (2010) expanded upon these findings in a later
study, and found that the Big Five, ‘predicted more than 20% of the variance for each of the individual strengths’
(p. 213), suggesting that the VIA does share some variance in common with personality constructs.
Criterion/Predictive
Additionally, Peterson and Seligman (2004) found that the NEO-PI-R facets explained between 30% and 49%
of the predictive variance in participants’ VIA character strength scores. Those who identified as conservative
were more likely to have high scores for Spirituality. Unlike many of the other strengths, Wisdom and
Knowledge did not correlate with life satisfaction ( Peterson & Seligman, 2004 ).
Location
Peterson, C., & Seligman, M.E.P. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification.
Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Results and Comments
The VIA project has made some progress in developing assessment tools for the empirical study of character
strengths. With a preliminary objective of creating a multi-method strategy that can be employed among English
speakers in the contemporary Western world, four measures are currently in different stages of development: the
Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IA), the Values in Action Rising to the Occasion Inventory (VIA-
RTO), the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths for Youth (VIA-Youth), and the Values in Action Structured
Interview. Of these, the VIA-IA has been revised five times, and has been administered to over 150,000 indivi-
duals. It is a 240-item face-valid self-report questionnaire, and all scores obtained from it have substantial
test/C0retest correlations ( ..70) and alpha coefficients ( ..70).
Relatively few studies have examin ed the relationship between the VIA character strengths and basic per-
sonality traits. This is surprising given that understanding this relationship would result in a better under-
standing of the basic traits associated with each stre ngth, and a more precise understanding of how the VIA
increases understanding of personality above and beyond the Big Five ( Noftle et al., 2011 ). However, the VIA
has received some criticism, particularly over its stru cture, conceptual framework, and overlap with other
measures ( Noftle et al., 2011 ).
VIA SAMPLE ITEMS
Instructions: Please choose one option in response to each statement. All of the questions reflect statements that
many people would find desirable, but we want you to answer only in terms of whether the statement describes what
you are like. Please be honest and accurate! We cannot rank your strengths until you answer all of the 240 questions.
(Response options: Very much like me, Like me, Neutral, Unlike me, Very much unlike me)
1.I find the world a very interesting place.
2.I always go out of my way to attend educational events.523 ‘NORMAL ’ PERSONALITY AND MORAL PERSONALITY
V. VICES AND VIRTUES