Current Research Project

Title / Titel
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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.
Keywords / Suchbegriffe
character strengths, positive psychology, virtues
Project Leadership and Contacts /
Projektleitung und Kontakte
Prof. Dr. Willibald Ruch (Project Leader)w.ruch@psychologie.uzh.ch
Alain Huberalain.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

Duration of Project / Projektdauer
Jul 2004 to Oct 2010