The Role of Signature Strengths in Treatment Outcome: Initial Results from a Large and Diverse University Sample

Life Satisfaction and Character Strengths in Women With Breast Cancer: Zest and Hope as Predictors

BACKGROUND

Empirical evidence shows that life satisfaction is positively related to character strengths, and although this association has been observed in different populations, it is scarce in breast cancer patients. This study analyzes the relationship between character strengths and life satisfaction in Spanish women diagnosed with breast cancer.

METHODS

A sample of 117 women completed the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the Spanish version of the VIA Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS). Correlation analysis and regression modeling were performed to determine which strengths predict life satisfaction.

RESULTS

The results of the correlation analysis showed that 15 strengths were positively and significantly associated with life satisfaction, with the highest correlations corresponding to zest, hope, curiosity, social intelligence, love, gratitude, and judgment. Regression modeling indicated that of these, zest and hope were key strengths for predicting life satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that intervention programs based on the development of zest and hope could help to improve life satisfaction and, therefore, the psychological well-being of women with breast cancer.

A Summary of Construct Validity Evidence for Two Measures of Character Strengths

The VIA Inventory of Strengths has become the most widely used instrument in the world for measuring the construct referred to character strengths. However, several limitations were noted in its original development. In response, the VIA Assessment Suite for Adults was developed as a battery of instruments intended to address those gaps. The suite includes two inventories providing dimensional measures of the character strengths: the VIA Inventory of Strengths-Revised and the Global Assessment of Character Strengths. Short forms were also developed for each. So far, five reasonably sized samples of adults (total N = 7,924) have provided evidence for the empirical validity of some subset of these instruments, making them the most thoroughly vetted measures of character strengths available today. This article aggregates previously available and new findings on their construct validity. Evidence concerning substantive validity, structural validity, and external validity is reviewed, and in some cases aggregated across samples. The findings generally support the construct validity of the instruments evaluated according to all three standards, with exceptions noted. Recommendations are offered for their use in research and applied settings.