Transcript virtues and strengths - Central Connecticut State University

Virtues and strengths
Virtues and Strengths
Peterson and Seligman
Societal concern about good character
1999 survey most important problem
facing youth was “not learning values”.
Values education in public schools.
What is character?
Can it be learned, developed?
What roles do parents, schools, play?
Develop a classification system
Positive Psychology steering committee:
Martin Seligman, Christopher Peterson,
Mike Csikszentmihalyi, Ed Deiner,
Kathleen Jamieson and George Valliant.
Looked at historical models.
Current research.
Develop selection criteria.
Strengths and virtues
1. Contribute to fulfillment.
2. Valued in their own right.
3. Celebrated when present and mourned if lost.
4. Taught by parents and institutions.
5. Subject of parables and morality tales.
6. Held and expresses in different degree.
7. Malleable and learnable.
8. Prompt joyful response from others when
expressed.
Virtues
Core characteristics
valued by moral
philosophy and
religion.
Universal
Survival value
All needed to be an
individual of good
character.
The virtues
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Wisdom and knowledge
Courage
Humanity
Justice
Temperance
Transcendence
Character strengths
Psychological ingredients
that define the virtues.
Routes to display one of the
virtues. Ex: virtue of justice
displayed by strength of
fairness.
Person may have only 1 or 2
strengths within a virtue.
Rarely display them all
Wisdom
1. Wisdom and knowledge—cognitive
strengths that entail the acquisition and use
of knowledge.
Creativity [originality, ingenuity]
Curiosity [interest, novelty-seeking,
openness to experience]
Open-mindedness [judgment, critical
thinking]
Love of learning
Perspective [wisdom]
Courage
2. Courage—emotional strengths that
involve the exercise of will to
accomplish goals in the face of
opposition, external or internal.
Bravery [valor]
Persistence [perseverance,
industriousness]
Integrity [authenticity, honesty]
Vitality [zest, enthusiasm, vigor, energy]
Humanity
3. Humanity—interpersonal strengths
that involve tending and befriending
others.
Love
Kindness [generosity, nurturance, care,
compassion, altruistic love, “niceness”]
Social intelligence [emotional intelligence,
personal intelligence]
Justice
4. Justice—civic strengths that underlie
healthy community life.
Citizenship [social responsibility, loyalty,
teamwork]
Fairness
Leadership
Temperance
5. Temperance—strengths that protect
against excess
Forgiveness and mercy
Humility / Modesty
Prudence
Self-regulation [self-control]
Transcendence
6. Transcendence—strengths that forge
connections to the larger universe and
provide meaning.
Appreciation of beauty and excellence [awe,
wonder, elevation]
Gratitude
Hope [optimism, future-mindedness, future
orientation]
Humor [playfulness]
Spirituality [religiousness, faith, purpose]