Values in Action (VIA) – Discover Your Character Strengths

When it comes to understanding what makes us tick, the Values in Action (VIA) Inventory of Strengths offers a refreshing perspective. Instead of focusing on what’s wrong with us, like traditional psychology often does, VIA shines a light on what’s right. Developed by positive psychology pioneers Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman, VIA helps people identify and build upon their character strengths, making life more fulfilling.

What is VIA?

The VIA Inventory of Strengths is a psychological assessment tool designed to uncover an individual’s unique profile of character strengths. Unlike the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which categorizes mental health issues, VIA classifies positive human traits. This tool helps people recognize their inherent strengths and learn how to leverage them in their daily lives.

* We use the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) for our testing approach. It’s a collection of items managed by the Oregon Research Institute, freely available to the public. This tool helps us assess personality traits, and because it’s open-source, it promotes broad research and practical use.

The Six Core Virtues

Peterson and Seligman identified six core virtues that are valued across cultures and time:

1. Wisdom: Creativity, curiosity, judgment, love of learning, perspective
2. Courage: Bravery, perseverance, honesty, zest
3. Humanity: Love, kindness, social intelligence
4. Justice: Teamwork, fairness, leadership
5. Temperance: Forgiveness, humility, prudence, self-regulation
6. Transcendence: Appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude, hope, humor, spirituality

How It Works

The VIA-IS consists of 96 questions that participants answer on a scale from “very much unlike me” to “very much like me.” These questions gauge 24 different character strengths, such as curiosity (“I find the world a very interesting place”) and forgiveness (“I always let bygones be bygones”). Based on the responses, individuals receive a ranked list of their strengths, highlighting their top traits, known as “signature strengths.”

Practical Applications

Understanding your character strengths can be incredibly empowering. Here are a few ways VIA can be applied:

• Personal Growth: By knowing your top strengths, you can focus on activities and goals that align with these traits, leading to greater satisfaction and happiness.
• Career Development: Leveraging your strengths can help you excel in your career and find more joy in your work.
• Relationships: Recognizing and appreciating the strengths in others can improve personal and professional relationships.
• Education: Teachers and students can use VIA to create a more positive and strengths-based learning environment.

Global Reach

VIA has been tested and validated across various cultures, showing that the core virtues and character strengths it identifies are universally valued. Studies have shown that certain strengths, like kindness, fairness, and honesty, are commonly endorsed across different regions and countries.

Limitations and Future Directions

While VIA provides valuable insights, it’s important to remember that it’s not a tool for diagnosing mental health issues. Instead, it’s a way to highlight positive traits that can lead to a more fulfilling life. Ongoing research continues to refine and validate the assessment, ensuring it remains a robust tool for understanding human strengths.

Conclusion

The VIA Inventory of Strengths offers a positive, strengths-based approach to personal development. By identifying and cultivating our inherent virtues, we can lead more satisfying, productive, and happy lives. Whether for personal growth, career development, or improving relationships, VIA provides a valuable framework for discovering and leveraging our best qualities.