Description

The VIA Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) is a widely used psychometric instrument within the field of Positive Psychology, developed as part of the work of Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman. Its purpose is to systematically assess 24 character strengths, which are organized into six broader categories of virtues.

Purpose

The primary aim of the VIA-IS is to identify positive personal characteristics and individual strengths that may contribute to well-being, personal development, and life satisfaction. The instrument can be applied in research, educational, counseling, and professional development settings.

Structure and Assessment

The full version of the VIA-IS consists of 240 statements, rated on a five-point Likert scale. The 24 character strengths are grouped under six core virtues: Wisdom and Knowledge, Courage, Humanity, Justice, Temperance, and Transcendence.
Scoring allows the development of an individual profile of character strengths, helping to identify the traits that are expressed more or less strongly. The results may be used for research purposes as well as to support interventions focused on personal and professional development.

References

Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. Oxford University Press.

Park, N., Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2006). Character strengths in fifty-four nations and the fifty US states. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1(3), 118–129.

McGrath, R. E. (2014). Scale- and item-level factor analyses of the VIA Inventory of Strengths. Assessment, 21(1), 4–14.

Niemiec, R. M. (2018). Character strengths interventions: A field guide for practitioners. Hogrefe Publishing.