Character strengths in 75 nations: An update

Abstract

AbstractThis study represents an extension of Park, Peterson, and Seligman, who found substantial convergence across 54 nations and all 50 US states in the self-report of character strengths. Though their overall sample was substantial, some countries were represented by as few as 20 cases. The present study updates their work, using a sample of 1,063,921 adults who completed the Values in Action Inventory-Inventory of Strengths online between 2002 and 2012. The results for 75 nations each represented by at least 150 respondents suggest substantial cross-cultural similarity in endorsement of the strengths. The most highly endorsed character strengths were Honesty, Fairness, Kindness, Judgment, and Curiosity, while the least endorsed were Self-Regulation, Modesty, Prudence, and Spirituality. Though the participants probably represent a biased sample for many of the countries examined in the study, these results suggest grounds exist for cross-cultural dialog on how to advance the development of good character.Keywords: character strengthsVIA-IS (Values in Action Inventory)cross-culturalView correction statement:Corrigendum AcknowledgementsI am grateful to the VIA Institute for providing access to the data used in this study. This article is dedicated to the memory of Christopher Peterson.NotesI am grateful to the VIA Institute for providing access to the data used in this study. This article is dedicated to the memory of Christopher Peterson.1. Standard deviations for the strength scores for each country are available upon request.