Lisa Wagner

Good character at school: positive classroom behavior mediates the link between character strengths and school achievement

Character strengths have been found to be substantially related to children’s and adolescents’ well-being. Initial evidence suggests that they also matter for school success (e.g., Weber and Ruch, 2012). The present set of two studies aimed at replicating and extending these findings in two different age groups, primary school students (N = 179; mean age = 11.6 years) and secondary school students (N = 199; mean age = 14.4 years). The students completed the VIA-Youth (Values in Action Inventory of Strengths for Youth), a self-report measure of the 24 character strengths in the VIA classification. Their teachers rated the students’ positive behavior in the classroom. Additionally, school achievement was assessed: For the primary school students (Study 1), teachers rated the students’ overall school achievement and for the secondary school students (Study 2), we used their grades as a measure of school achievement. We found that several character strengths were associated with both positive classroom behavior and school achievement. Across both samples, school achievement was correlated with love of learning, perseverance, zest, gratitude, hope, and perspective. The strongest correlations with positive classroom behavior were found for perseverance, self-regulation, prudence, social intelligence, and hope. For both samples, there were indirect effects of some of the character strengths on school achievement through teacher-rated positive classroom behavior. The converging findings from the two samples support the notion that character strengths contribute to positive classroom behavior, which in turn enhances school achievement. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for future research and for school interventions based on character strengths.

Broadening humor: comic styles differentially tap into temperament, character, and ability

The present study introduces eight comic styles (i.e., fun, humor, nonsense, wit, irony, satire, sarcasm, and cynicism) and examines the validity of a set of 48 marker items for their assessment, the Comic Style Markers (CSM). These styles were originally developed to describe literary work and are used here to describe individual differences. Study 1 examines whether the eight styles can be distinguished empirically, in self- and other-reports, and in two languages. In different samples of altogether more than 1500 adult participants, the CSM was developed and evaluated with respect to internal consistency, homogeneity, test–retest reliability, factorial validity, and construct and criterion validity. Internal consistency was sufficiently high, and the median test-retest reliability over a period of 1–2 weeks was 0.86 (N = 148). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that the eight styles could be distinguished in both English- (N = 303) and German-speaking samples (N = 1018 and 368). Comparing self- and other-reports (N = 210) supported both convergent and discriminant validity. The intercorrelations among the eight scales ranged from close to zero (between humor and sarcasm/cynicism) to large and positive (between sarcasm and cynicism). Consequently, second-order factor analyses revealed either two bipolar factors (based on ipsative data) or three unipolar factors (based on normative data). Study 2 related the CSM to instruments measuring personality (N = 999), intelligence (N = 214), and character strengths (N = 252), showing that (a) wit was the only style correlated with (verbal) intelligence, (b) fun was related to indicators of vitality and extraversion, (c) humor was related to character strengths of the heart, and (d) comic styles related to mock/ridicule (i.e., sarcasm, cynicism, but also irony) correlated negatively with character strengths of the virtues temperance, transcendence, and humanity. By contrast, satire had a moral goodness that was lacking in sarcasm and cynicism. Most importantly, the two studies revealed that humor might be related to a variety of character strengths depending on the comic style utilized, and that more styles may be distinguished than has been done in the past. The CSM is recommended for future explorations and refinements of comic styles.

Testing the Situationism Scale in Europe: Scale validation, self‐regulation and regional differences

The term situationism refers to an individuals belief about the importance of a behaviours context. This study tested whether the degree of situationism expressed by individuals in various regions of Europe was consistent with self-regulation and cross-cultural theories. The English version of a Situationism Scale (measuring beliefs about the relation between the environment and ones own behaviour) was translated into five additional languages: Dutch, German, Hungarian, Italian and Slovenian. Young adults (N = 1106, MAge  = 22.9 years, 79% female) across Europe responded to one of the six language versions of the scale as part of a larger survey. Results indicated that: new language versions were psychometrically valid; there was a positive relation between situationism and the use of situation-control strategies; and situationism was higher for individuals from regions that are Eastern European and relatively more interdependent, compared with individuals from regions that are Western European and relatively less interdependent. As the first evaluation of the Situationism Scale outside America, this study supports the Scales validity and suggests not only may some effects of situationism be universal, but between- and within-culture differences in situationism exist. Overall, when making judgments and decisions about the self, cultural background and individual differences in situationism may come into play.

Good Character Is What We Look for in a Friend: Character Strengths Are Positively Related to Peer Acceptance and Friendship Quality in Early Adolescents

This study investigates the role of character strengths in peer relationships among early adolescents. A sample of students (N = 339; X ¯ age = 12.84 years, 53.1% female) nominated friends in the classroom and completed assessments of character strengths, the desirability and importance of character strengths in a friend, and friendship quality. Results indicate that the character strengths of honesty, humor, kindness, and fairness were most desirable and important in a friend. Perspective, love, kindness, social intelligence, teamwork, leadership, and humor were associated with higher peer acceptance. Dyadic analyses of mutual best friends suggested that a number of character strengths were also positively related to friend-rated friendship quality. Overall, the results demonstrate the relevance of character strengths for positive peer relationships in adolescents.

Die Positive Psychologie bei Kindern und Jugendlichen: Charakterstärken und das gute Leben

Der vorliegende Beitrag befasst sich mit der Positiven Psychologie bei Kindern und Jugendlichen und beschreibt exemplarisch einzelne Forschungsbereiche. Es wird zuerst darauf eingegangen, was Positive Psychologie ist (und was sie nicht ist) und warum sie entstand. Es wird gezeigt, welche Weiterentwicklungen es gibt und wie sich der Fachbereich im Augenblick professionalisiert. Ein Abschnitt ist den drei Saulen der Forschung in der Positiven Psychologie gewid- met und es wird betont, dass verstarkt Wissen zu positivem Erleben, positiven Eigenschaften und positiven Institutionen notig ist, um die Psychologie wieder ausgewogen zu gestalten. Das Konzept des guten Charakters und das Instrument (VIA-Youth) zur Erfassung von 24 Charakterstar- ken bei Kindern und Jugendlichen werden vorge- stellt. Dabei werden neben den Charakterstarken auch die individuellen Signaturstarken themati- siert, welche fur die Lebensgestaltung und das Wohlbefinden eine besondere Rolle spielen. Die Literatur zur Rolle von Charakterstarken in unterschiedlichen Lebensbereichen (wie z.B. Schule, Familie, Freizeit, Beziehungen, Berufswahl) von Kindern und Jugendlichen wird zusammenfassend referiert. Es ist ersichtlich, dass das Gebiet noch am Anfang steht und weiterer Bemuhungen in Forschung und Praxis bedarf.