Displaying character strengths in behavior is related to well-being and achievement at school: Evidence from between- and within-person analyses

Abstract

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 school and in achievement beyond the influence of the respective character strength trait. Further, the desirability of certain strengths (e.g., perseverance, fairness, forgiveness, and humor) at the classroom level accounted for additional variance in students’ well-being. Study 2 (N = 186, mean age = 14.27 years) used a diary design across five days to replicate the between-person associations and study within-person associations. Results revealed that daily strengths-related behavior predicted well-being on the following day. Overall, the results underline the importance of strengths-related behavior at school and suggest that all 24 character strengths are relevant for well-being at school.

Character strengths as a link between family psychosocial environment and depression symptoms among Chinese adolescents

“…Love of learning, perspective, perseverance and self‐regulation have been indicated to be more conducive to work‐ and study‐related outcomes, while teamwork, love, zest, kindness, social intelligence, fairness, forgiveness and gratitude are more relevant in maintaining close relationships than other character strengths among adults (Wagner et al, 2020; Wagner et al, 2021). Similarly, there may be some specificity in how different dimensions of adolescents' character strengths affect their adjustment (Obeldobel & Kerns, 2020; Wagner & Ruch, 2021). Prior research has shown that adolescents with high levels of intellectual and temperance strengths were prone to make better school achievements over time, while those with high levels of interpersonal and transcendence strengths experienced more positive peer interactions and affectivity than others (Shoshani & Slone, 2013).…”