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National Valuing of Character Strengths and Indicators of National Development: A Pilot Study

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Abstract

Character strengths are personal qualities that have communal value and have been linked to personal happiness and well-being. Little research has investigated the degree to which strengths are valued across nations. Similarly, while certain strengths have been associated with indicators of well-being on an individual level, it is yet to be explored which strengths are associated with indicators of national development and well-being. The present study examined the relationship between perceived national valuing of character strengths and key national indicators. A sample of 2119 adults from 84 countries were asked to rate the extent to which each of 24 character strengths is valued by their country. Strength ratings were then compared to indices of national functioning: happiness, freedom, corruption, and gross domestic product per capita measured at purchasing power parity (GDP). The strengths the participants perceived as valued by their countries differed from their self-evaluations of their character strengths. Bravery was the most valued strength across all geographic regions and countries, and humility was the least. Valuing of humor was most consistently and strongly related to happiness. GDP was associated with less prudence, kindness, fairness, and honesty, and more bravery, perseverance, and spirituality. Greater honesty was reflective of less corruption. Freedom was inconsistently related to valuations of strengths. This study should be considered a pilot given its limitations, but it suggests the degree to which a society values certain socially important person variables does not appear to affect individual expression of character strengths, but may be related to national functioning.

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Data Availability

Some of the data are proprietary to the VIA Institute on Character, but the authors can make it available upon request.

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The authors will also make code available upon request.

Funding

This research was funded in part by a grant from the VIA Institute on Character.

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Author notes

  1. Michelle A. Pievsky

    Present address: Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, CT, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, Newark, NJ, USA

    Michelle A. Pievsky

  2. School of Psychology and Counseling, Fairleigh Dickinson University, T-WH1-01, 1000 River Road, Teaneck, NJ, 07666, USA

    Robert E. McGrath

Authors
  1. Michelle A. Pievsky
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  2. Robert E. McGrath
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Correspondence to Robert E. McGrath.

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IRB approval was received from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

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Conflicts of Interest/Competing Interests

Robert McGrath is a Senior Scientist for the VIA Institute on Character, the copyright holder for the VIA Inventory of Strengths.

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Pievsky, M.A., McGrath, R.E. National Valuing of Character Strengths and Indicators of National Development: A Pilot Study. Applied Research Quality Life 17, 703–721 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-021-09938-2

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