Psychometric Characteristics of the German Values in Action Inventory of Strengths 120-Item Short Form

Abstract

The original Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) is an international 240 item validated self-report questionnaire measuring character strengths. A validated and reliable English 120-item short form (VIA-120) is available. However, there is limited information about the psychometric properties of the German VIA-120. This article addresses this gap and reports the reliability, validity and comparability of the German VIA-120 with the German VIA-240 version. Two independent samples were recruited: a general population sample (N = 1073, Sample 1) and a sample consisting of medical students and physicians (N = 685, Sample 2). Internal consistency of the VIA-120-scales ranged from α = .58 (modesty) to α = .87 (spirituality) in Sample 1 and α = .63 (honesty) to α = .90 (spirituality) in Sample 2. Intercorrelations between the scales of the 120-item version and the original 240-Items version (Sample 1) ranged from r = .52 (hope) to r = .89 (prudence). Criterion validity with the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the Brief Inventory of Thriving (BIT) was demonstrated. The comparison of the factor structure between the original and the short form showed a good convergence (Tucker's Phi .93-.99 Sample 1, .95-.98 Sample 2). Overall, the German VIA-120 was reliable, showed good convergence with the German VIA-240 and thus presents a similar level of validity for the assessment of character strengths. This study provides the first indication that the VIA 120 short form is comparable regarding the validity and reliability of the original VIA 240item version indicating its potential to be used in large scale research studies.

Development of Cynicism in Medical Students: Exploring the Role of Signature Character Strengths and Well-Being

“…Item examples are: "I am never too busy to help a friend" (kindness) or "I always keep my promises" (honesty). The German shortform has comparable psychometric properties to the 240-item version with Cronbach's alpha ranging between α = 0.63 (honesty) and α = 0.90 (spirituality) (Höfer et al, 2019). For our sample the internal consistency was between α = 0.65 (teamwork) and α = 0.89 (spirituality).…”

“…Character strengths were measured with the "Values in Action Inventory of Strengths" (VIA-IS; Peterson et al, 2005). The original version of the VIA-IS has 240 Items, but for economic reasons the shorter validated 120-item German questionnaire (Höfer et al, 2019) was used to measure the 24 individual character strengths consisting of five items each, rated on a fivepoint scale from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree. Item examples are: "I am never too busy to help a friend" (kindness) or "I always keep my promises" (honesty).…”

Uncovering strengths within community dwelling older adults: What does it mean for health care practice?

“…These strengths are similar to the ones we identified in our study. Certainly, the VIA survey used in other studies may be an approach that could be used, although the time commitment of 40 min in completing the survey has been identified as a disadvantage (Höfer et al, ).…”

Possession and Applicability of Signature Character Strengths: What Is Essential for Well-Being, Work Engagement, and Burnout?

“…For measuring individual character strengths, the German 120-item version of the VIA-IS (VIA-120) was used (Höfer et al 2018, in this special issue; Littman-Ovadia 2015; original: VIA Institute on Character 2014). Psychometric properties were similar to the 240-items version with Cronbach's alpha ranging in this sample from teamwork α = .61 to spirituality α = .90.…”