Assessment of strength of character: German adaptation of the VIA-IS

Current Research Project

Title / Titel: Assessment of strength of character: German adaptation of the VIA-IS

Original title / Originaltitel: Diagnostik von Charakterstärken: Deutsche Adaptation des VIA-IS

Summary / Zusammenfassung: One of the major recent accomplishments of positive psychology is the generation of a classification of character strength (Peterson & Seligman, 2004) and the construction of an instrument for its assessment, the Values in Action (VIA) Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS, Peterson & Seligman, 2003). The classification comprises 24 strength that are grouped around six core virtues, such as humanity, wisdom, and transcendence. The VIA-IS is a reliable and valid self-report questionnaire containing 240 items in a 5-point Likert-style answer format. In order to be able to perform studies of strength and virtues with German samples a project adapting the VIA-IS for use in the German speaking countries (Austria, Germany, Switzerland) is undertaken. The VIA-IS will be validated against other assessment tools of character strength, such as the peer version of the VIA-IS, the list of signature strength, self- and peer-ratings of character strength, and the structured interview for the assessment of character strength (VIA-SI). Furthermore, a web-based version will be generated and its results compared with the paper-pencil version.

Publications / Publikationen: Ruch, W., Furrer, G. & Huwyler, D. (2004). Character strengths of executives and employees. 2004 Positive Psychology Summit, 30.09. - 3.10.2004, Washington DC. USA.
Ruch, W. & Huber, A. (2004). Psychometric properties of the German version of the VIA-IS. 2004 Positive Psychology Summit, 30.09. - 3.10.2004, Washington DC. USA.
Ruch, W., Huber, A., Beermann, U., & Proyer, R. T. (2007). Character strengths as predictors of the “good life” in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. In Romanian Academy, “George Barit“ Institute of History, Department of Social Research (Ed.), Studies and researches in social sciences (Vol. 16, pp. 123-131). Cluj-Napoca, Romania: Argonaut Press.
Ruch, W., Proyer, R. T., Harzer, C., Peterson, C., & Seligman, M.E.P. (in press). Adaptation and Validation of the German Version of the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) and the Development of a Peer-Rating Form. Journal of Individual Differences.

Project Leadership and Contacts / Projektleitung und Kontakte

Prof. Dr. Willibald Ruch (Project Leader)	w.ruch@psychologie.uzh.ch
Alain Huber	alain.huber@access.uzh.ch

Other Links to external Webpages: http://www.viastrengths.org/
http://www.charakterstaerken.org

Funding Source(s) / Unterstützt durch: Universität Zürich (position pursuing an academic career)

In Collaboration with / In Zusammenarbeit mit

Prof. Christopher Peterson, Ph.D. Department of Psychology University of Michigan 525 East University Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1109 USA	United States
Prof. Martin E.P. Seligman, Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania Department of Psychology 3815 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104-6196 USA	United States