Lisa Wagner

University of Zurich | UZH · Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development

Objective Does whole trait theory work for character strengths? This study examines the daily within‐ and between‐person variability of the manifestations of positively valued lower‐order personality characteristics, namely character strengths, their convergence with trait character strengths, and their relationships to daily measures of affect. B...

Character strengths-based interventions are effective for increasing well-being. However, whether such interventions also change character strengths has never been tested. In Study 1, we studied the effects of seven different variants of character strengths-based interventions on well-being, ill-being, and character strengths traits and states (i.e...

In behavioral, cognitive, and social sciences, reaction time measures are an important source of information. However, analyses on reaction time data are affected by researchers’ analytical choices and the order in which these choices are applied. The results of a systematic literature review, presented in this paper, revealed that the justificati...

Scientific evidence regularly guides policy decisions¹, with behavioural science increasingly part of this process². In April 2020, an influential paper³ proposed 19 policy recommendations (‘claims’) detailing how evidence from behavioural science could contribute to efforts to reduce impacts and end the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we assess 747 pandem...

Objective Which traits best describe individuals who are recognized as exemplary in different domains? And can self‐rated positively valued personality traits distinguish such individuals from the general population? Background The study of exemplary individuals’ personality traits traditionally focused on general and broad traits. Using character...

Most people want to change some of their personality traits, typically those they and others perceive as lacking. However, past research focused on student samples and higher-order traits and has not fully explored the attributes of traits that predict change goals. As a replication and extension of previous findings, two studies examined (1) wheth...

Character strengths-based interventions are effective for increasing well-being. However, whether such interventions also increase character strengths has never been tested. In Study 1, we studied the effects of seven different variants of character strengths-based interventions on well-being, ill-being, and character strengths traits and states (i...

Infant temperament is usually considered biologically driven and a precursor of personality. Despite being conceived as trait measures, parent reports for assessing infant temperament use short timescales, for example, the past 7 days, implying variability in temperament traits' expressions. In two daily diary studies, we use the perspective of who...

How well can social scientists predict societal change, and what processes underlie their predictions? To answer these questions, we ran two forecasting tournaments testing the accuracy of predictions of societal change in domains commonly studied in the social sciences: ideological preferences, political polarization, life satisfaction, sentiment...

Which traits best describe individuals who are recognized as exemplary in different domains? And can self-rated positively valued personality traits distinguish such individuals from the general population? In the present study, we examined 204 outstanding individuals – exemplars who received or were nominated for a public award recognizing their e...

Recent studies suggested that most people want to change some of their personality traits, typically those they and others perceive to be lacking. However, change goals have not been studied in the context of character strengths despite the popularity of character strengths-based interventions. In this study, we investigate (1) to what extent peopl...

In behavioural, cognitive, and social sciences, reaction time measures are an important source of information. However, analyses on reaction time data are affected by researchers’ analytical choices and the order in which these choices are applied. The results of a systematic literature review, presented in this paper, revealed that the justificati...

In two studies, we establish the association between different assessments of character strengths (i.e., traits, habitual and daily behavior at school) with school-related well-being and achievement. Study 1 (N = 414, mean age = 14.14 years) demonstrated that habitual strengths-related behavior at school accounted for unique variance in well-being...

Social and behavioral science research proliferated during the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting the substantial increase in influence of behavioral science in public health and public policy more broadly. This review presents a comprehensive assessment of 742 scientific articles on human behavior during COVID-19. Two independent teams evaluated 19 sub...

How well can social scientists predict societal change, and what processes underlie their predictions? To answer these questions, we ran two forecasting tournaments testing accuracy of predictions of societal change in domains commonly studied in the social sciences: ideological preferences, political polarization, life satisfaction, sentiment on s...

Economic inequality is associated with preferences for smaller, immediate gains over larger, delayed ones. Such temporal discounting may feed into rising global inequality, yet it is unclear whether it is a function of choice preferences or norms, or rather the absence of sufficient resources for immediate needs. It is also not clear whether these...

In their article, Byers‐Heinlein et al. (2021) propose six solutions to create more reliable measures for infancy research. Whereas some of their solutions focus on changing the culture in the field (reporting on reliabilities, choosing measures based on psychometrics instead of conventions or face validity, conducting research on psychometrical qu...

Personality traits vary both between and within people. This study examines the daily within- and between-person variability of positively valued lower-order personality traits, namely character strengths, their convergence with trait character strengths, and their relationships to daily measures of affect. German-speaking participants (N = 172, 84...

This study compares the German versions of the original measure of character strengths (VIA-IS) with its latest revision (VIA-IS-R) regarding reliability and convergent, discriminant, and criterion-related validity. A sample of 499 German-speaking adults (79% women, mean age: 33.3 years) provided self-reports of character strengths (VIA-IS, VIA-IS-...

Objective: Research on the associations between cognitive and noncognitive personality traits has widely neglected character strengths, that means positively and morally valued personality traits that constitute good character. Method: The present study aimed to bridge this gap by studying the associations between character strengths and fluid i...

Character strengths are among the most frequently studied research topics in positive psychology (Donaldson et al., 2015). This chapter briefly introduces the VIA classification of character strengths and virtues (Peterson & Seligman, 2004) and discusses some general considerations when assessing character strengths. We then focus on reviewing diff...

Economic inequality is associated with extreme preferences for smaller, immediate gains over larger, delayed ones. This pattern, known as temporal discounting, may feed into rising global inequality, yet it is unclear if it is a function of choice preferences or norms, or rather the absence of sufficient resources to meet immediate needs. It is als...

Pervading global narratives suggest that political polarization is increasing, yet the accuracy of such group meta-perceptions has been drawn into question. A recent US study suggests that these beliefs are inaccurate and drive polarized beliefs about out-groups. However, it also found that informing people of inaccuracies reduces those negative be...

Economic inequality is associated with extreme rates of temporal discounting, which is a behavioral pattern where individuals choose smaller, immediate financial gains over larger, delayed gains. Such patterns may feed into rising global inequality, yet it is unclear if they are a function of choice preferences or norms, or rather absence of suffic...

Did the COVID-19 pandemic promote character growth? Studies using sequential samples suggest that collective life events can result in character growth, but their conclusions have been questioned. This study used three approaches to examine character growth during the first wave of the pandemic: perceived changes in oneself and in a close other, an...

Research on the associations between cognitive and noncognitive personality traits has widely neglected positively valued traits such as character strengths. The present study aimed to bridge this gap by studying the associations between character strengths and intelligence using different operationalizations of intelligence and character strengths...

This study compares the original measure to assess character strengths (VIA-IS) with its latest revision (VIA-IS-R) regarding reliability and convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity. A sample of 499 German-speaking adults (79.4% women, mean age: 33.3 years) provided self-reports of character strengths (VIA-IS, VIA-IS-R) and several criteri...

While character strengths are expected to contribute to the ‘good life,’ they also may serve specific purposes (e.g., the strength of curiosity should support the acquisition and use of knowledge). This study explored the potential functions of character strengths from a within-person perspective. We used a literature review and qualitative and qua...

In two studies, we establish the association between different assessments of character strengths (i.e., traits, habitual and daily behavior at school) with well-being and achievement at school. Study 1 (N = 414, mean age = 14.14 years) demonstrated that habitual strengths-related behavior at school accounted for unique variance in well-being at sc...

A growing body of research demonstrates the relevance of character strengths for flourishing in general, but also for important outcomes across different life domains (e.g., work performance and relationship satisfaction). Studies have also shown that there are differences in the extent to which character strengths are applied, that is, perceived a...

While character strengths are expected to contribute to the “good life,” they also may serve specific purposes (e.g., the strength of curiosity should support the acquisition and use of knowledge). This study explored the potential functions of character strengths from a within-person perspective. We used a literature review and qualitative and qua...

The VIA Classification on character strengths and virtues suggests 24 character strengths clustered into six core virtues (wisdom and knowledge, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence). Three recent studies employed different methods for testing the assignment of character strengths to virtues (e.g., expert and layperson ratings)...

Did the COVID-19 pandemic promote character growth? Studies using sequential samples suggested that collective life events can result in character growth, but their conclusions have been questioned. This study examined character growth during the COVID-crisis using three approaches (perceived changes in oneself and a closer other, and longitudinal...

A pervading global narrative suggests that political polarisation is increasing in the US and around the world. Beliefs in increased polarisation impact individual and group behaviours regardless of whether they are accurate or not. One driver of polarisation are beliefs about how members of the out-group perceive us, known as group meta-perception...

While character strengths have been found to predict educational outcomes beyond broad personality traits and cognitive ability, little is known about their differential contribution to success and positive learning experiences in different school settings. In this study, we use trait activation theory to investigate the relationships of students’...

In this study, we sought to locate the three traits known as the temperamental basis of humor (cheerfulness, seriousness, and bad mood) in the personality space defined by the five-factor model in adolescents. The study also investigated the relative contribution of these narrower traits – in comparison to broad personality traits – to explaining v...

This entry aims to provide an introduction to conceptualizations of character, with an emphasis on the VIA Classification of Character Strengths and Virtues. After describing the classification and the measurement of character strengths, the entry discusses findings of age‐related differences in adolescence as well as potential influences on the de...

Character strengths are morally valued trait-like personality characteristics which contribute to fulfillments that comprise the good life, for oneself and for others. In two studies, we tested the assignment of the 24 character strengths of the VIA classification to the 6 virtues. In Study 1 (N = 225), participants gave descriptions of situations...

Although research on laughter is becoming increasingly common, there is no consensus on the description of its variations. Investigating all verbal attributes that relate to the term laughter may lead to a broad set of descriptors deemed important by the speakers of a language. Through a linguistic corpus analysis using the German language, formal...

In the context of population aging, it is highly relevant to investigate factors that promote well-being and optimal functioning in later life. Character strengths might play an important role in positive aging, however, research on their relationships with well-being in old age has been sparse. The aims of the study were to (1) examine the relatio...

A dimensional rather than a typological approach to studying class clown behavior was recently proposed (Ruch et al., 2014). In the present study, four dimensions of class clown behavior (class clown role, comic talent, disruptive rule-breaker, and subversive joker) were used to investigate the associations between class clown behavior and indicato...

Character strengths are positively valued traits that are expected to contribute to the good life (Peterson and Seligman 2004). Numerous studies have confirmed their robust relationships with subjective or hedonic well-being. Seligman (2011) provided a new framework of well-being suggesting five dimensions that encompass both hedonic and eudemonic...

The aim of this study was to explore the role of character strengths and their associations to life satisfaction in older people. We were interested in studying several transitions that are specific for older people: aging, retirement, living alone, and being widowed. We examined the relationships of these demographic characteristics and living con...

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. Res...

Lachen kommt in unterschiedlichen sozialen Situationen vor, wird von unterschiedlichen Arten von Stimuli ausgelöst und geht mit unterschiedlichen Emotionen einher – dies führt zu einer großen Variabilität von Lachen. Diese Variabilität spiegelt sich in der Sprache wider, die dazu verwendet wird, Lachen zu beschreiben: In der deutschen Sprache fande...

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. Stud...

The present study examines the correlations of eight comic styles with the Eysenckian system of personality and subjective well-being. A sample of adults (N = 252) completed the Comic Style Markers (assessing fun, humor, nonsense, wit, irony, satire, sarcasm, and cynicism), the short form of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and measures of su...

Notwithstanding the fact that valuing personality descriptors from the realm of character were deliberately excluded from the Big Five model of personality, in the study of economic games (EGs; e.g., the prisoner's dilemma) the Big Five were used when predicting outcomes in the field of behaviors that are socially valued in terms of fairness and al...

Recent research (Ruch, Platt, & Hofmann, 2014) identified four dimensions of class clown behavior (identifying as a class clown, comic talent, disruptive rule-breaker, and subversive joker). This study investigates whether these dimensions show differential relationships with school achievement, self-reported school satisfaction, positive experienc...

The present study was designed to examine the relationships between students' character strengths, school-related affect, positive school functioning (i.e., motivation to learn, interest, and engagement at class), and school achievement following the ''engine model of well-being'' that is focusing on inputs (e.g., personality traits), processes (e....

The present study examined the associations of implicit and explicit power motives with the well-being of teachers. Teachers (N = 170) participated in an online assessment, which included measures for implicit motives (assessed by the operant motive test), explicit motives, and well-being. We expected congruently high power motives to be linked wit...

The term situationism refers to an individual's belief about the importance of a behaviour's 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 rel...

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; me...

The authors elaborate on the role of playfulness as a preferred characteristic in potential long-term partners recently espoused by Garry Chick and others. They aim to replicate the findings of such research by studying a different culture (that of German-speaking countries) and to develop them further by taking into account the participants’ relat...

Laughter occurs in different social situations, is triggered by different Stimuli and can go along with a number of affective states. This variability is largely mirrored in natural language that is used to describe laughter: In a study using a lexical approach, more than 1000 different words used to describe laughter were identified. On the basis...

Three ways of achieving happiness—life of pleasure, life of engagement, and life of meaning (Seligman, 2002)—have been examined among adult samples. However, very few studies have investigated these orientations to happiness in non-adult populations. Numerous studies have found that different ways of spending leisure time affect the psychological w...

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 A...