The VIA Classification of Strengths and Virtues (Peterson & Seligman, 2004) is a widely used and researched framework for understanding positive social functioning. It proposes the existence of 24 character strengths considered reflective of six virtues that were identified through a review of historically important moral texts. Recent research has suggested that measures of the 24 strengths consistently suggest three underlying factors, which have been called Inquisitiveness, Humanity, and Self-Control, that correspond well to social conceptions of virtue. The present study demonstrated the convergent and discriminant validity of these three factors by investigating the degree to which these they correlate with various elements of functioning. A sample of 1719 individuals voluntarily completed the VIA Inventory of Strengths, a measure of the 24 strengths, as well as a self-report questionnaire that assessed elements of their social, emotional, academic, professional, and recreational functioning. Results supported the convergent and discriminant validity of each of the three factors. In addition to the more intuitive findings regarding correlates of these factors, other notable findings included significant associations between these factors and different political opinions, as well as various aspects of academic functioning.
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