Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Character Strengths and Well-Being: Are There Gender Differences?

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover The Human Pursuit of Well-Being

Abstract

This study investigated possible gender differences in the relationship between character strengths and life satisfaction. Two questionnaires were administered to 818 students (488 females and 330 males), Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) (Peterson & Seligman, Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification, 2004) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, Journal of Personality Assessment 49 (1):71–75, 1985). Zest, hope, and gratitude had the strongest link to life satisfaction. Women and men differed significantly in ten character strengths, but they did not differ in their life satisfaction. Five highest-weighted strengths for women were integrity, kindness, love, gratitude, and fairness, while men weighed highest the strengths of integrity, hope, humor, gratitude, and curiosity. Significant predictors of life satisfaction are also different. For women, life satisfaction was predicted by zest, gratitude, hope, appreciation of beauty, and love, whereas men’s life satisfaction was predicted by creativity, perspective, fairness, and humor. These findings seem to be partly congruent with gender stereotypes. Life satisfaction entails living in accordance with the strengths especially valued in the culture.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Biswas-Diener, R. (2006). From the equator to the North Pole: A study of character strengths. Journal of Happiness Studies, 7, 293–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Block, J. H. (1983). Differential premises arising from differential socialization of the sexes: Some conjectures. Child Development, 54, 1335–1354.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bok, S. (2002). Common values. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brdar, B., & Kashdan, T. (2009). Character strengths and well-being in Croatia: An empirical investigation of structure and correlates. Journal of Research in Personality, 44(1), 151–154.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buss, D. M. (1990). Evolutionary social psychology: Prospects and pitfalls. Motivation and Emotion, 14(4), 265–286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1992). The initiation and regulation of intrinsically motivated learning and achievement. In A. K. Boggiano & T. S. Pittman (Eds.), Achievement and motivation: A social-developmental perspective (pp. 9–36). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2002). Very happy people. Psychological Science, 13, 80–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71–75.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Digman, J. M. (1989). Five robust personality dimensions: Development, stability, and utility. Journal of Personality, 57, 195–214.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eagly, A. H., & Wood, W. (1999). The origins of sex differences in human behavior: Evolved dispositions versus social roles. The American Psychologist, 54, 408–423.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fagot, B. I., Rodgers, C. S., & Leinbach, M. D. (2000). Theories of gender socialization. In T. Eckes & H. M. Trautner (Eds.), The developmental social psychology of gender (pp. 65–89). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grimmell, D. W., & Stern, G. S. (1992). The relationship between gender role ideals and psychological well-being. Sex Roles, 27, 487–497.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, J. H. (2001). The psychology of loss as a lens to a positive psychology. The American Behavioral Scientist, 44, 835–853.

    Google Scholar 

  • Linley, P. A., Maltby, J., Wood, A. M., Joseph, S., Harrington, S., Peterson, C., et al. (2007). Character strengths in the United Kingdom: The VIA Inventory of Strengths. Personality and Individual Differences, 43, 341–351.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Macdonald, C., Bore, M., & Munro, D. (2008). Values in action scale and the Big 5: An empirical indication of structure. Journal of Research in Personality, 42, 787–799.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marshal, G. N., Wortman, C. B., Wickers, R. R., Kusulas, J. W., & Hervig, L. K. (1994). The five-factor model of personality as a framework for personality-health research. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 278–286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miljković, D., & Rijavec, M. (2008). What makes us happy: Strengths of mind, strengths of heart or self-control? In M. Cindrić, V. Domović, & M. Matijević (Eds.), Pedagogy and the knowledge society (pp. 241–250). Zagreb: Učiteljski fakultet.

    Google Scholar 

  • Padavic, I., & Reskin, B. F. (2002). Women and men at work. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Park, N., Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Strengths of character and well-being. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 23(5), 603–619.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park, N., Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2006). Character strengths in fifty-four nations and the fifty US states. Journal of Positive Psychology, 1(3), 118–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peterson, C., Ruch, W., Beermann, U., Park, N., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2007). Strengths of character, orientations to happiness, and life satisfaction. Journal of Positive Psychology, 2(2), 1–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reis, H. T., Sheldon, K. M., Gable, S. L., Roscoe, J., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). Daily well-being: The role of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26, 419–435.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S. H. (1994). Are there universal aspects in the structure and contents of human values? Journal of Social Issues, 50(4), 19–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seligman, M. E. P., & Chikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. The American Psychologist, 55, 5–14.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sheldon, K. M., Ryan, R. M., & Reis, H. T. (1996). What makes for a good day? Competence and autonomy in the day and in the person. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 22, 1270–1279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shelton, B. A., & John, D. (1996). The division of household labor. Annual Review of Sociology, 22, 299–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shimai, S., Otake, K., Park, N., Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2006). Convergence of character strengths in American and Japanese young adults. Journal of Happiness Studies, 7, 311–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shryack, J., Steger, M. F., Krueger, R. F., & Kallie, C. S. (2010). The structure of virtue: An empirical investigation of the dimensionality of the virtues in action inventory of strengths. Personality and Individual Differences, 48(6), 714–719.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Šikić-Mićanović, L. (1997). Socialization and gender: The significance of sociocultural contexts. Društvena istraživanja, 6(4–5), 577–595.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steen, T. A., Kachorek, L. V., & Peterson, C. (2003). Character strengths among youth. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 32(1), 5–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood, W., & Eagly, A. M. (2002). A cross-cultural analysis of the behavior of women and men: Implications for the origins of sex differences. Psychological Bulletin, 129, 699–727.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood, W., Rhodes, N., & Whelan, M. (1989). Sex differences in positive well-being: A consideration of emotional style and marital status. Psychological Bulletin, 106(2), 249–264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia

    Ingrid Brdar & Petra Anić

  2. Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

    Majda Rijavec

Authors
  1. Ingrid Brdar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Petra Anić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Majda Rijavec
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ingrid Brdar .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fac. Arts & Sciences, University of Rijeka, Slavka Krautzeka bb, Rijeka, 51000, Croatia

    Ingrid Brdar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Brdar, I., Anić, P., Rijavec, M. (2011). Character Strengths and Well-Being: Are There Gender Differences?. In: Brdar, I. (eds) The Human Pursuit of Well-Being. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1375-8_13

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation