Is Good Character All that Counts? A Comparison Between the Predictive Role of Specific Strengths and a General Factor of “Good Character” Using a Bifactor Model

Tommaso Feraco (), Nicole Casali, Chiara Meneghetti, Samuel Greiff and Giorgia Cona
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Tommaso Feraco: University of Padova
Nicole Casali: Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law
Chiara Meneghetti: University of Padova
Samuel Greiff: University of Luxembourg
Giorgia Cona: University of Padova

Journal of Happiness Studies, 2023, vol. 24, issue 7, No 10, 2353-2376

Abstract: Abstract Character strengths have been found to consistently predict many positive psychological outcomes, such as well-being, life satisfaction, and mental health, but research on the topic is still at its infancy and some methodological limitations must be overcome to better understand what character strengths are and what is their role. One main issue concerns the structure of character strengths and virtues, which may undermine the credibility and replicability of previous findings. Using two different samples (with 13,439 and 944 participants), we confirm that character strengths can be well described by a bifactor model reflecting the simultaneous existence of a general factor of ‘good character’ and the 24 specific character strengths. We found that the general factor consistently predicts participants’ life satisfaction, mental health, and distress symptoms. In addition, we show that the specific character strengths (with the few exceptions represented by gratitude, hope, and zest) do not predict life satisfaction and mental health above and beyond the general factor. These results highlight the need to better understand what this general factor really represents to finally capture the mechanisms linking character strengths between each other and with external outcomes. Implications for the measurement and interpretation of character strengths and for strength-based interventions are discussed.

Keywords: Character strengths; Bifactor; Life satisfaction; Mental health; Positive psychology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1007/s10902-023-00686-8

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