It's not the honors and not the titles and not the power that is of ultimate importance. It's what resides inside.
— Fred Rogers, American TV Host
About this Activity
In the Character Strengths Activity, you will first identify your top five (out of twenty-four) character strengths using the Values in Action survey. After having identified your top five strengths, you will commit to finding new ways to use them. You’ll select one day of the week in which to return to this app to check back in and write about your experiences as well as about your goals, plans, and actions for how to use your strengths in the upcoming week.
Aristotle argued that happiness is attained by action in accord with virtue. While the empirical study of virtues is relatively new, there is now reasonably good evidence that the exercise of virtue does indeed, perhaps unsurprisingly, contribute to greater happiness. One particular track of research has identified twenty-four character strengths that we all have to varying degrees. Research has also found that an activity in which you work on using your top five strengths in new ways leads to sustained increases in happiness and decreases in depression.
The Practice
Getting Started
The first thing that we recommend is to select the day (or days) of the week on which you want to do this activity. It's best to write down the days or add them to your calendar. A core aspect of these activities is writting down your thoughts. If you are doing the activity in the app, we provide forms to write and save your thoughts. If you are doing the exercise on your own, it is best to have a notebook or word document dedicated to this activity.
Instructions
In order to start this activity, you first need to identify your top five character strengths by taking a survey on an external website. To continue, please go to https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/questionnaires/brief-strengths-test and create an account. After completing the survey and seeing your strengths, please come back here to enter your results below.
First Entry
In order to start this activity, you first need to identify your top five character strengths by taking a survey on an external website. To continue, please go to https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/questionnaires/brief-strengths-test and create an account. After completing the survey and seeing your strengths, please come back here to enter your results below.
Weekly Practice
You've been using your top five character strengths in new ways over the past weeks. Please take a few moments to reflect on how you have been doing this. Have you found unusual ways to use your strengths? How have you gone about trying to find new ways? How might you build on what you have done going forward? When ready, please briefly write down some reflections in the box below.
The Science
This exercise is grounded in research on behavioral well-being. Regular practice has been shown to increase positive emotion, enhance resilience, and deepen your sense of connection.
Key References
- Seligman, M. E. P., Steen,T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60,410–421.
- Schutte, N. S., & Malouff, J. M. (2019). The impact of signature character strengths interventions: A meta-analysis. Journal of Happiness Studies, 20(4),1179-1196.
- Website: https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upeen.edu/testcenter