Character Strengths and Mental Well-being

Abstract

Within this study we used self-reporting measures completed by 361 undergraduate students from two Korean universities to investigate the validity of Peterson and Seligman(2004)'s classification system of 24 character strengths and six virtues. The author also looked at how the 24 character strengths and virtues relate to the measure of mental well-being in 154 students from Korean universities. Using a exploratory factor analysis of the Character Strengths Test(CST), the author found that these 24 character strengths did not produce a factor structure consistent with the six higher order virtues as proposed by Peterson and Seligman(2004). Instead, the 24 character strengths were best explained by a four factor solution.When investigating individual character strengths, optimism/hope had the strongest relationship with the mental well-being. Of the four factors, Interpersonal Strengths (with social intelligence, humor, kindness, and love as indicators) had the strongest associations with mental well-being. The results have implications for understanding the structure and variability of benefits linked with particular strengths.