Character Strengths and Wellbeing Report

CHARACTER'STRENGTHS'AND'WELL.BEING'' 1'
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Character!Strengths!and!Wellbeing:!A!Cross5Country!Study!
Indiana'Baltodano'
May'2011'
University'of'Pennsylvania'
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Character!Strengths!and!Wellbeing:!A!Cross5Country!Study!
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What'makes'some'people'happier'than'others?'The'question'of'happiness'has'
occupied'the'minds'of'philosophers,'theologians,'psychologists,'and'all'human'beings'with'
the'simple'desire'of'living'a'happy'life'throughout'the'history'of'mankind.'Going'all'the'way'
back'to'330'B.C,'Aristotle'already'had'a'theory'on'how'to'achieve'a'life'of'happiness'that'
continues'to'concern'many'(Proctor,'Maltby,'&'Linley,'2010).''According'to'Aristotle,'
eudaimonia,'which'is'being'true'to'one’s'inner'self,'living'accordingly'to'one’s'virtues,'and'
exercising'good'character'(Peterson,'2006),'is'the'path'to'happiness'and'wellbeing'
(Proctor,'Maltby,'&'Linley,'2010).'Aristotle’s'idea'of'happiness'stressed'character'and'
virtues,'and'although'happiness'concerns'the'field'of'psychology,'the'study'of'character'
and'virtues'was'considered'more'of'a'philosophical'than'a'psychological'topic.'It'was'not'
until'the'advent'of'positive'psychology'that'the'topics'of'character'and'virtue'began'to'be'
studied'on'the'grounds'of'empirical'research.'Character'strengths'are'defined'as'positive'
traits'reflected'in'thoughts,'feelings,'and'behaviors'(Park'et'al,'2004).'Are'there'certain'
character'strengths'that'enhance'happiness'and'wellbeing?'If'so,'will'working'on'
developing'and'using'these'positive'strengths'allow'us'be'happier'people?'The'present'
study'starts'to'address'these'questions'by'considering'a'cross.country'comparison'of'
character'strengths'and'wellbeing.'
The'field'of'positive'psychology'has'begun'to'explore'the'relationship'between'
character'strengths'and'wellbeing.'The'initiative'began'with'the'challenge'of'developing'a'
classification'system'of'human'strengths'that'allowed'for'the'study'of'character'strengths'
amongst'individuals.'Peterson'and'Seligman'(2004)'developed'a'classification'system'in'
which'they'identified'24'character'strengths'that'fall'under'six'categories:'(1)'wisdom'and'

knowledge'(creativity,'curiosity,'judgment,'love'of'learning,'perspective);'(2)'courage'
(bravery,'honesty,'perseverance,'zest);'(3)'humanity'(kindness,'love,'social'intelligence);'
(4)'justice'(fairness,'leadership,'teamwork);'(5)'temperance'(forgiveness,'modesty,'
prudence,'self.regulation);'and'(6)'transcendence'(appreciation'of'beauty,'gratitude,'hope,'
humor,'religiousness).''
Research'on'character'strengths'have'shown'that'certain'strengths'are'stronger'
predictors'of'happiness'and'life'satisfaction'than'others'(Peterson,'Ruch,'Beermann,'Park,'
Seligman,'2007).''Happiness'and'life'satisfaction'are'both'measures'of'wellbeing,'however,'
they'are'considered'different'concepts.'Happiness'is'thought'of'as'subjective'wellbeing'and'
it'has'a'more'emotional'underpinning'given'that'it'concerns'one’s'level'of'positive'and'
negative'appraisal'of'life'(Lyubomrisky'&'Lepper,'1997).'On'the'other'hand,'satisfaction'
with'life'has'a'more'cognitive'than'emotional'tone'given'that'it'refers'to'one’s'“cognitive'
and'global'evaluation'of'the'quality'of'one’s'life'as'a'whole”'(Pavot'&'Diener,'2008,'p.137).''
Love,'hope,'gratitude,'curiosity,'and'zest'have'been'found'to'be'the'strengths'with'the'
highest'correlations'to'happiness'and'life'satisfaction'in'the'United'States'(Park'&'Peterson,'
2006a,'2006c;'Park'et'al.,'2004'as'cited'in'Peterson'et'al,'2007).'Furthermore,'a'study'that'
measured'individual’s'character'strengths'and'their'approaches'to'happiness'found'that'
the'VIA'strengths'most'strongly'associated'with'life'satisfaction'.'hope,'zest,'gratitude,'love,'
and'curiosity'–'were'also'associated'with'the'three'orientations'to'happiness:'hedonism,'
eudaimonia,'and'engagement'(Peterson'et'al.,'2007).'The'concept'of'the'three'orientations'
to'happiness'refers'to'the'idea'that'people'can'have'different'ways'to'feel'happy'(Peterson'
et'al,'2007).'One'route'to'happiness,'hedonism,'is'a'doctrine'that'dates'back'to'the'fifth'
century'B.C'and'it'refers'to'the'idea'of'maximizing'pleasure'and'minimizing'pain'(Peterson,'

2006).'Eudaimonia,'a'concept'developed'by'Aristotle,'refers'to'developing'and'applying'
one’s'virtues'and'the'pursuit'of'a'meaningful'life'(Peterson,'2006).'The'third'orientation'to'
happiness'is'engagement,'which'refers'to'the'psychological'state'of'flow'brought'about'by'
engaging'activities'(Peterson,'2006).''
Given'that'the'majority'of'research'to'date'has'been'conducted'among'American'
samples,'it'is'unclear'whether'the'association'between'these'character'strengths'and'
wellbeing'remains'across'populations.'Since'most'research'on'character'strengths'has'been'
done'primarily'on'US'samples,'there'is'still'a'vast'amount'to'learn'about'character'
strengths'in'other'countries.'This'study'aims'to'explore'similarities'and'differences'in'
strengths'associated'with'well'being'across'five'different'countries:'the'United'States,'the'
United'Kingdom,'France,'Mexico,'and'India.'Peterson'et'al.'(2007)'noted'that'the'character'
strengths'associated'with'general'happiness'and'life'satisfaction'could'vary'by'country'or'
culture'because'“life'satisfaction'in'a'given'nation'entails'living'in'accordance'with'the'
strengths'especially'valued'in'that'nation”'(Peterson'et'al.,'2007,'p.154)''
Mexico'and'India'both'share'a'more'collectivist'culture'than'the'United'States,'
France,'and'the'United'Kingdom.''Latin'American'culture'is'characterized'by'strong'family'
values'and'community'interconnectedness'(Rodriguez,'Shwartz,'Whitbourne,'2010).'Given'
that'Latin'American'culture'promotes'solidarity'towards'family'and'community'members,'
the'character'strengths'most'strongly'correlated'with'general'happiness'in'Mexico'should'
be'reflective'of'their'collectivistic'culture.'I'hypothesize'that'the'strengths'valued'by'the'
Mexican'community'are'those'that'best'allow'them'to'support'their'relatives'and'friends'
and'be'less'self.oriented.!Therefore,'I'predict'the'top'strengths'for'the'Mexican'sample'to'
be:'social'intelligence,'hope,'love,'kindness,'and'self.regulation.''

India'is'also'considered'a'collectivistic'society'in'which'individuals'are'taught'to'
prioritize'the'group'over'self.interests'(Triandis,'1995'in'Seiter'and'Nelson,'2010).'
Moreover,'India’s'predominant'religion,'Hinduism,'considers'fulfilling'responsibilities'
towards'others'as'the'basis'of'morality'(Seiter'and'Nelson,'2010).'I'predict'that'the'
character'strengths'thought'to'be'predictors'of'well'being'in'India'should'also'be'those'that'
allow'an'individual'to'be'other'oriented'as'well'as'those'that'most'reflect'their'belief'
system.'Therefore,'I'predict'the'top'strengths'for'India'to'be:'hope,'forgiveness,'spirituality,'
kindness,'and'social'intelligence.!!
Given'that'the'United'States,'the'United'Kingdom,'and'France'are'nations'
characterized'by'individualism'and'democracy,'I'expect'to'find'little'variation'in'character'
strengths'related'to'happiness'between'these'three'countries.'The'character'strengths'in'
these'countries'will'likely'be'geared'towards'individualism'and'the'values'of'democracy,'
such'as:'fairness,'leadership,'integrity,'and'open.mindedness.'In'western'industrialized'
nations,'like'the'US,'the'US,'and'France,'the'notion'of'equity'and'the'belief'that'awards'
should'be'given'according'to'individual'contribution'and'merit'is'very'prevalent'(Walster,'
Walster'&''Bersheid,'1978,'as'cited'in'Peterson'&'Seligman,'2004).'Therefore'I'expect'the'
strengths'of'fairness'and'integrity'to'be'strongly'endorsed'in'these'countries.'!
India'and'Mexico'will'both'be'very'interesting'to'study'given'their'exposure'to'
Western'nations'–'specifically'the'United'States'and'the'United'Kingdom'–'through'
economic'and'political'relations'in'the'case'of'Mexico'and'the'United'States'and'colonialism'
in'the'case'of'India'and'the'United'Kingdom.'It'would'not'be'surprising'to'find'similarities'
between'these'countries'as'a'reflection'of'their'political'and'economic'history'with'the'
United'States'and'the'UK.'Furthermore,'I'predict'Mexico'and'India'will'have'more'strengths'

correlated'with'well'being'in'common'with'each'than'with'the'other'three'countries,'
whereas,'the'United'States,'the'United'Kingdom'and'France'will'have'more'similarities'
amongst'themselves.''
In'sum,'this'study'explores'the'following'three'hypotheses:''
1. The'strengths'most'strongly'correlated'with'well'being'in'India'and'Mexico'will'
reflect'their'collectivist'cultures.''
2. The'strengths'most'strongly'correlated'with'well'being'in'the'United'States,'United'
Kingdom,'and'France'will'be'strengths'that'reflect'their'individualistic'societies.''
3. Indian'and'Mexico'will'have'more'strengths'predictive'of'well.being'in'common'
with'each'other'than'with'the'other'three'countries,'whereas'the'US,'the'UK,'and'
France'will'show'more'similarities'in'their'correlates'of'well.being'amongst'each'
other'than'with'either'Mexico'or'India.''
Method!
According'to'Peterson'and'Seligman,'people'have'five'main'“signature'strengths”'
out'of'the'24'measured'by'the'Values.in.Action'Inventory'of'Strengths'(VIA.IS),'although'
this'can'vary'some'by'the'individual'(Peterson,'Park,'&'Seligman,'2005).'The'“signature'
strengths”'are'thought'to'reflect'one’s'sense'of'self,'identity,'and'authenticity'(Peterson'&'
Seligman,'2004).'In'this'paper,'this'concept'is'applied'to'countries'and'the'“signature'
strengths”'of'the'five'countries'studied'will'be'reported'followed'by'the'top'strengths'with'
strongest'correlations'with'happiness'and'life'satisfaction.''
Measures!
This'study'used'two'measures'to'assess'character'strengths'–'the'brief'VIA'
(Peterson,'Park,'&'Seligman,'2005)'and'full'VIA'(Peterson,'Park,'&'Seligman,'2005)'–'and'

two'measures'of'wellbeing'–'the'General'Happiness'Questionnaire'(Lyubomirsky'&'Lepper,'
1999)'and'the'Satisfaction'with'Life'Scale'(Diener,'Emmons,'Larsen,'&'Griffin,'1985).'All'the'
questionnaires'are'found'on'the'Authentic'Happiness'website'
(www.authentichappiness.org).'The'response'data'used'in'this'study'are'from'participants'
who'have'taken'the'questionnaires'between'2002'and'2011.''''
(a)'Full$VIA:'The'Full'Values.in.Action'Inventory'of'strengths'is'a'240.item'
questionnaire'that'measures'an'individual’s'score'on'24'strengths'by'asking'how'much'the'
item'resembles'them'on'a'five'point'scale'from'“very'much'like'me”'to'“very'much'unlike'
me”.'An'example'of'item'in'this'questionnaire'is'“I'always'let'bygones'be'bygones”'which'is'
attempting'to'measure'forgiveness.'The'results'of'the'VIA'test'present'the'individual’s'five'
“signature'strength”'with'a'description'of'each'in'addition'to'a'full'list'of'the'24'strengths'in'
the'order'which'the'individual'appeared'to'possess'each.''
(b)'Brief$VIA:$The'Brief'VIA'is'a'shorter'version'of'the'full'via'with'24'items'that'
attempts'to'reach'the'same'end'through'a'quicker'means.''Whereas'the'full'VIA'includes'10'
items'per'strength,'the'Brief'VIA'includes'a'single'item'per'strength.''
(c)'General$Happiness$Questionnaire$(GHQ):'The'GHQ'is'4.item'questionnaire'
assessing'enduring'happiness.'An'example'of'an'item'in'this'questionnaire'is:'“Some'people'
are'generally'very'happy.'They'enjoy'life'regardless'of'what'is'going'on,'getting'the'most'
out'of'everything.'To'what'extent'does'this'characterization'describe'you”.'Respondent'are'
asked'to'rate'on'a'scale'from'1'–'7'with'1'being'not'at'all'and'7'being'a'great'deal.''
(d)'Satisfaction$with$Life$Scale:'The'SWLS'is'a'5.item'scale'measuring'life'satisfaction'
that'asks'respondents'to'rate'on'a'scale'from'1'–'7,'1'being'strongly'disagree'and'7'being'

strongly'agree,'statements'such'as:'“In'most'ways,'my'life'is'close'to'my'ideal”'and'“So'far'I'
have'gotten'the'most'important'things'I'want'in'life”'''
Participants!!
The'sample'used'in'this'study'came'from'individuals'that'completed'personal'
assessments'on'the'AuthenticHappiness.org'website.'The'site'is'a'freely'available'resource,'
and'after'registering,'people'can'take'a'number'of'well.being'scales.'Every'time'a'person'
completes'a'questionnaire,'the'responses'are'stored'in'a'large'database'that'can'then'be'
downloaded'and'analyzed.'Participants'are'asked'to'include'their'country'of'study'and'
identification'numbers'connects'scales'to'the'respondent.'For'this'study,'the'subset'of'
people'who'took'the'Full'VIA'or'Brief'VIA'from'the'US,'UK,'France,'India,'or'Mexico'were'
included,'with'additional'focus'on'the'subset'that'also'took'the'GHQ'or'SWLS'measures.''
Overall'sample'sizes'are'summarized'in'Table!1.!The'overall'sample'size'across'
countries'for'the'brief'and'full'VIA'combined'is'734,721'individuals;'of'those,'259,630'
completed'the'brief'VIA'and'475,091'completed'the'full'VIA.'From'the'259,630'people'that'
completed'the'brief'VIA'across'all'countries,'64,062'also'completed'the'GHQ'and'39,027'
completed'the'SWLS;'and'from'the'475,091'that'completed'the'full'VIA,'54,911'also'
completed'the'GHQ'and'44,770'also'completed'the'SWLS.'The'breakdown'by'country'and'
scale'is'summarized'in'Table!2.!
France.'For'France,'the'samples'consisted'of'1,233'individuals'that'completed'the'
Full'VIA'and'1,092'that'completed'the'brief'VIA'for'a'total'sample'size'of'2,325.'The'
subsamples'for'the'full'VIA'consisted'of'202'individuals'for'the'GHQ'and'164'for'the'SWLS;'
the'subsamples'for'the'brief'VIA'consisted'of'288'for'the'GHQ'and'165'for'the'SWLS.''The'
majority'of'the'sample'in'France'ranged'from'25'–'54'years'of'age'(n'='792)'for'the'brief'

VIA'and'between'21'–'44'years'of'age'(n$='848)'for'the'full'VIA.'France'was'the'only'
country'that'showed'a'difference'in'age'distribution'between'the'brief'and'full'VIA.''
United!Kingdom.'In'the'UK,'32,429'individuals'completed'the'brief'VIA'and'45,524'
completed'the'full'VIA'for'a'total'sample'size'of'77,953.'The'subsamples'for'the'brief'VIA'
consisted'of'7,369'for'the'GHQ'and'4,423'for'the'SWLS;'the'subsamples'for'the'full'VIA'
were'5,766'for'the'GHQ'and'4,372'for'the'SWLS.'The'majority'of'individuals'in'the'overall'
sample'were'between'25.54'years'of'age'for'both'the'brief'VIA'(n'='24,070)'and'full'VIA'(n'
='33,223).''
United!States.'For'the'United'States,'the'sample'consisted'of'222,736'for'the'brief'
VIA'and'423,802'for'the'full'VIA'for'a'total'sample'size'of'646,538'individuals.'The'
subsamples'for'the'brief'VIA'were'55,843'for'the'GHQ'and'34,095'for'the'SWLS;'the'
subsamples'for'the'full'VIA'were'8,548'for'the'GHQ'and'39,901'for'the'SWLS.'The'majority'
of'individuals'fell'in'the'age'range'of'25.54'years'of'age'for'the'brief'VIA'(n'='134,438)'and'
between'18.20'and'25.44'for'the'full'VIA'(n$='225,921)''
Mexico.!The'sample'of'participants'for'Mexico'consisted'of'941'that'completed'brief'
VIA'and'1,431'that'completed'the'Full'VIA'for'a'total'sample'of'2,372'individuals.'The'
subsamples'for'the'brief'VIA'consisted'of'204'for'the'GHQ'and'109'for'the'SWLS;'and'the'
subsamples'for'the'full'VIA'consisted'of:'141'individuals'for'the'GHQ'and'122'for'the'SWLS.'
Majority'of'individuals'in'this'sample'were'between'21'–'44'years'of'age'for'both'full'and'
brief'VIA'(n'='590'for'brief'VIA;'n'='940'for'full'VIA).''!
India.$The'sample'for'India'consisted'of'2,432'individuals'that'completed'the'brief'
VIA'and'another'of'3,101'that'completed'the'full'VIA.'Four'subsamples:'358'that'completed'
brief'VIA'and'GHQ'and'235'that'completed'brief'VIA'and'SWLS;'254'that'completed'full'VIA'

and'GHQ'and'211'that'completed'full'VIA'and'SWLS.'The'majority'of'individuals'in'this'
sample'were'between'the'ages'of'21'–'44'years'old'for'both'the'brief'and'full'VIA'(n'='2,003'
for'brief'VIA;'n'='2,584'for'full'VIA).''
Analytic!Procedure!!
Character!strengths!by!country."First,'data'was'downloaded'from'Authentic'
Happiness'website'for'the'VIA'inventory'of'strengths'(both'the'full'and'brief'VIA),'the'GHQ,'
and'SWLS.'The'mean'scores'were'calculated'per'strength'for'all'the'countries.'The'
strengths'were'then'rank.ordered'in'descending'order'according'to'their'mean'value'to'
determine'top'strengths'for'each'country.'"
Correlations!of!strengths!with!wellbeing.!!To'assess'which'strengths'were'the'
strongest'and'weakest'predictors'of'wellbeing'in'each'country,'a'mixed'level'design'was'
used'in'which'data'was'evaluated'within'individuals'across'country.'Within'each'country,'
each'of'the'24'strengths'(as'measured'by'the'VIA)'was'correlated'with'the'mean'GHQ'or'
SWLS'score'for'each'individual'in'the'country.'The'resulting'correlations'were'then'placed'
into'a'new'dataset,'consisting'of'the'overall'correlation'between'each'strength'and'each'
well.being'scale,'by'country. Once'all'the'correlations'of'each'strength'were'calculated'for'
both'general'happiness'and'satisfaction'with'life,'they'were'rank'ordered'to'find'the'
strengths'with'strongest'and'weakest'correlations'to'happiness'and'satisfaction'with'life.'!
Results!
The'results'will'be'presented'according'to'the'findings'for'each'scale'as'follows:''
1) Signature'strengths'for'each'country'according'to'the'full'VIA'
2) Signature'strengths'for'each'country'according'to'the'brief'VIA'
3) Correlations'between'the'GHQ'and'the'full'VIA'strengths'

4) Correlations'between'the'GHQ'and'the'brief'VIA'Strengths''
5) Correlations'between'the'SWLS'and'the'full'VIA'strengths''
6) Correlations'between'the'SWLS'and'the'brief'VIA'strengths''
After'reporting'the'signature'strengths'and'the'strongest'and'weakest'correlations'with'
GHQ'and'SWLS'for'each'country,'the'results'from'the'full'and'brief'VIA'will'be'compared'as'
well'as'those'from'the'GHQ'and'SWLS.''
Highest!and!lowest!strengths!for!each!country:!Full!VIA!!
The'rank'order'of'means'for'the'full'VIA'is'summarized'in'Table!3.'The'top'
strengths'for'the'United'States'were'honesty,'kindness,'fairness,'open.mindedness,'and'
curiosity;'and'the'lowest'were'spirituality,'prudence,'humbleness,'self.regulation,'and'zest.'
For'the'United'Kingdom'the'top'strengths'were'fairness,'open.mindedness,'kindness,'
curiosity,'and'honesty;'and'the'lowest'were'hope,'prudence,'humbleness,'self.regulation,'
and'spirituality.'For'France'the'top'five'strengths'were'curiosity,'love'of'learning,'open'
mindedness,'fairness,'and'kindness;'and'the'lowest'were'hope,'prudence,'self.regulation,'
humbleness,'and'spirituality.'For'India'the'top'five'strengths'were'fairness,'honesty,'open.
mindedness,'kindness,'and'leadership;'and'the'lowest'were:'humor,'forgiveness,'prudence,'
humbleness,'and'self.regulation.''
Highest!and!lowest!strengths!for!each!country:!Brief!VIA!!
The'rank'order'of'strengths'for'each'country'on'the'brief'VIA'is'summarized'in'
Table!4.'The'top'strengths'for'the'United'States'were'gratitude,'fairness,'perspective,'
citizenship,'and'love'of'learning;'and'the'lowest'strengths'were'zest,'self.regulation,'hope,'
bravery,'and'spirituality.'For'France,'the'highest'strengths'were'gratitude,'fairness,'love'of'
learning,'curiosity,'and'perspective;'and'the'lowest'strengths'were'hope,'bravery,'self'

regulation,'forgiveness,'and'spirituality.'For'the'United'Kingdom,'gratitude,'fairness,'
perspective,'citizenship,'curiosity'were'the'highest'strengths;'and'self.regulation,'
forgiveness,'bravery,'hope,'and'spirituality'were'the'lowest'strengths.'For'India,'the'top'
five'strengths'for'India'were'gratitude,'fairness,'citizenship,'perspective,'and'humbleness;'
the'lowest'five'were'forgiveness,'spirituality,'prudence,'bravery,'and'self.regulation.'For'
Mexico'the'top'five'were'gratitude,'love'of'learning,'perspective,'fairness,'and'citizenship;'
and'the'lowest'five'were'hope,'bravery,'self.regulation,'forgiveness,'and'spirituality.'''
Full!VIA!and!General!Happiness!Questionnaire!Correlations!!
The'full'rank'ordering'of'correlations'with'general'happiness'is'summarized'in'
Table!5.''Contrary'to'expectations,'hope'and'zest'appeared'to'be'the'top'two'predictors'of'
happiness'across'all'samples'with'an'interesting'variation'in'order.'For'the'US,'UK,'and'
France,'zest'is'the'top'predictor'of'happiness'followed'by'hope;'whereas'for'India'and'
Mexico,'the'order'is'reversed.'''
The'top'predictors'of'happiness'for'France'in'order'of'strength'of'the'correlation'
between'the'Full'VIA'score'per'strength'to'the'GHQ'scores'were:'zest,'hope,'curiosity,'
humor,'and'gratitude;'and'the'strengths'with'the'lowest'correlations'to'the'GHQ'were'
fairness,'open.mindedness,'prudence,'appreciation'of'beauty,'and'humbleness.'The'
strengths'with'the'highest'correlations'with'happiness'in'the'UK'were'zest,'hope,'gratitude,'
curiosity,'humor;'and'the'strengths'with'the'lowest'correlations'were'creativity,'open'
mindedness,'appreciation'of'beauty,'prudence,'and'humbleness.'The'strengths'with'the'
strongest'correlations'with'general'happiness'for'the'United'States'were'zest,'hope,'
gratitude,'love,'curiosity;'and'those'with'the'lowest'were'open.mindedness,'appreciation'of'
beauty,'prudence,'love'of'learning,'and'humbleness.'For'India'the'top'predictors'of'

happiness'were'hope,'zest,'humor,'gratitude,'and'curiosity;'whereas'the'lowest'were'
honesty,'open.mindedness,'love'of'learning,'humbleness,'and'appreciation'of'beauty.''The'
top'predictors'of'happiness'for'Mexico'were'Hope,'zest,'gratitude,'curiosity,'and'
spirituality;'while'the'lowest'were:'creativity,'prudence,'love'of'learning,'humbleness,'and'
appreciation'of'beauty.'All'five'countries'had'zest,'hope,'curiosity,'humor,'and'gratitude'as'
the'highest'predictors'of'happiness.''Humbleness'was'the'strength'with'the'lowest'
correlation'with'general'happiness'in'the'US,'UK,'and'France,'whereas'for'India'and'Mexico'
appreciation'of'beauty'was'the'lowest.'Nevertheless,'humbleness'was'the'second'to'last'
strength'with'the'lowest'correlation'with'happiness'in'India'and'Mexico'and'appreciation'
of'beauty'was'amongst'the'strengths'with'weakest'correlations'in'all'the'other'countries.'
These'findings'indicate'there'are'more'similarities'than'differences'amongst'the'predictors'
of'happiness'across'all'these'different'countries.'As'predicted,'India'and'Mexico'showed'the'
strongest'similarities'between'each'other'as'well'as'France,'the'UK,'and'the'US'amongst'
themselves.''
Brief!VIA!and!General!Happiness!Questionnaire!Correlations!!
The'rank'order'of'correlations'between'the'Brief'VIA'and'general'happiness'
questionnaire'is'summarized'in'Table!5.'Top'two'predictors'of'happiness'were'also'zest'
and'hope'across'all'samples'for'the'brief'VIA'with'only'a'slight'variation'in'order.''For'
France,'the'UK,'India,'and'Mexico'the'top'strength'was'hope'and'the'second'was'zest,'
whereas'for'the'US'sample,'the'top'strength'was'zest'followed'by'hope.'The'strengths'with'
strongest'correlations'with'happiness'for'France'were'hope,'zest,'humor,'curiosity,'
forgiveness;'and'the'strengths'with'the'weakest'correlations'were'self.regulation,'
gratitude,'perspective,'prudence,'and'humbleness.'For'the'UK'the'top'predictors'of'

happiness'were'hope,'zest,'humor,'love,'open'mindedness;'and'the'lowest'were'gratitude,'
honesty,'fairness,'prudence,'and'humbleness.'The'strengths'with'the'strongest'correlations'
with'happiness'in'the'US'were'zest,'hope,'humor,'love,'and'appreciation'of'beauty;'and'the'
lowest'were'honesty,'love'of'learning,'fairness,'prudence,'and'humbleness.''The'top'three'
strengths'for'the'US,'the'UK,'and'France'.'hope,'zest,'and'humor'.'appeared'to'be'the'same'
for'all'three'and'in'the'same'order.'''
' The'strengths'with'the'strongest'correlations'with'happiness'for'India'were'hope,'
zest,'bravery,'leadership,'and'kindness;'whereas'those'with'the'weakest'correlations'were'
appreciation'of'beauty,'honesty,'spirituality,'humbleness,'and'prudence.'The'top'predictors'
of'happiness'for'Mexico'were'hope,'zest,'gratitude,'bravery,'leadership;'and'the'weakest'
were'humbleness,'self.regulation,'honesty,'perspective'and'fairness.'As'predicted,'the'top'
five'predictors'of'happiness'for'Mexico'and'India'were'very'similar'with'only'slight'
differences'in'their'rank'ordering'with'two.'They'only'differed'with'by'two'strengths:'
kindness'for'India'and'gratitude'for'Mexico.'The'two'strengths'with'the'weakest'
correlations'for'the'US,'the'UK,'France,'and'India'were'the'same:'prudence'and'
humbleness;'for'Mexico,'they'were'perspective'and'fairness.'!
Full!VIA!and!Satisfaction!with!Life!Scale!Correlations!
The'rank'order'correlations'between'the'full'VIA'and'SWLS'is'summarized'in'Table!
6.'Zest'and'hope'also'appeared'to'be'the'top'two'predictors'of'the'SWLS'across'all'
countries'except'India,'in'which'had'zest'as'the'top'predictor'and'hope'as'the'third.'Love'
also'appeared'to'be'a'robust'predictor'of'satisfaction'with'life'in'all'samples'except'India'
(for'India'the'correlation'was'still'high'but'not'as'high'as'the'other'countries).'The'
strengths'with'the'strongest'correlations'with'satisfaction'with'life'in'France'were'hope,'

zest,'love,'curiosity,'and'social'intelligence;'whereas'those'with'weakest'correlations'were'
self.regulation,'creative,'prudence,'appreciation'with'beauty,'humbleness.'For'the'United'
Kingdom,'the'top'strengths'were'zest,'hope,'gratitude,'love,'and'curiosity'while'the'weakest'
predictors'were''open.mindedness,'prudence,'creativity,'appreciation'with'beauty,'
humbleness.'The'United'States'showed'that'hope,'zest,'love,'gratitude,'and'curiosity'had'
the'highest'correlations'with'SWL'and'open'mindedness,'creativity,'love'of'learning,'
appreciation'of'beauty,'and'humbleness'had'the'lowest'correlations.'The'top'predictors'for'
India'were:'zest,'gratitude,'hope,'social'intelligence,'citizenship'and'the'weakest'were'
prudence,'creativity,'open'mindedness,'appreciation'of'beauty'and'love'of'learning.'In'
Mexico,'the'strengths'with'the'strongest'correlations'were'zest,'hope,'love,'forgiveness,'and'
persistence'and'those'with'the'weakest'were'open.mindedness,'humbleness,'prudence,'
love'of'learning,'and'appreciation'of'beauty.'Appreciation'of'beauty'and'humbleness'were'
the'weakest'predictors'of'satisfaction'with'life'for'the'US,'the'UK,'and'France'whereas'for'
India'and'Mexico'they'were'appreciation'of'beauty'and'love'of'learning.'Creativity'was'
amongst'the'weakest'predictors'in'all'countries.'Prudence'also'appeared'to'have'weak'
correlations'with'satisfaction'with'life'in'all'countries'except'the'US.''
Brief!VIA!and!Satisfaction!with!Life!Scale!Correlations!!
The'rank'order'of'correlations'between'the'Brief'VIA'and'the'SWLS'are'summarized'
in'Table!6.'The'results'for'the'correlations'between'the'brief'VIA'mean'scores'and'
satisfaction'with'life'showed'that'the'top'five'strengths'with'strongest'correlations'with'
satisfaction'with'life'for'France'were'hope,'curiosity,'zest,'social'intelligence,'bravery'and'
those'with'the'lowest'correlations'were'forgiveness,'honesty,'spirituality,'prudence,'
humbleness.'The'top'strengths'associated'with'satisfaction'with'life'for'the'UK'were'zest,'

hope,'love,'humor,'and'open'mindedness'and'those'with'the'weakest'correlations'were'
gratitude,'self.regulation,'prudence,'fair,'and'humbleness.''For'US'the'top'predictors'were'
hope,'zest,'love,'open'mindedness,'and'humor;'whereas'the'lowest'were'gratitude,'
creativity,'love'of'learning,'fairness,'and'humbleness.'The'strengths'with'the'highest'
correlations'in'Mexico'were'hope,'zest,'love,'leadership,'and'perspective,'whereas'the'
lowest'were'humor,'creativity,'spirituality,'love'of'learning,'honesty.'For'India'the'top'
strengths'were'zest,'hope,'love,'social'intelligence,'and'open.mindedness;'and'the'lowest'
were'perspective,'fairness,'prudence,'leadership'and'humbleness.'''
' Once'again,'hope'and'zest'appeared'to'have'strong'correlations'with'satisfaction'
with'life'across'all'samples.'Humbleness'had'the'weakest'correlation'in'all'countries'except'
in'Mexico'were'it'was'honesty.''
Brief!VIA!and!Full!VIA!Compared!
Although'the'brief'and'full'VIA'are'both'designed'to'assess'a'person’s'character'
strengths,'the'full'VIA'is'a'much'more'extensive'version'and'is'hence'considered'to'be'a'
more'comprehensive'measure'of'character'strengths.'The'results'from'the'brief'VIA'and'
full'VIA'correlations'to'the'GHQ'showed'that'both'scales'found'hope'and'zest'to'be'the'
strongest'predictors'of'happiness'across'all'countries.'However,'the'results'also'showed'
considerable'differences'in'the'traits'most'strongly'correlated'with'happiness'between'
both'scales'for'the'same'country.''For'example,'gratitude'appeared'as'one'of'the'top'five'
predictors'of'satisfaction'with'life'in'the'US'and'the'UK'in'the'results'from'the'full'VIA'
correlations,'whereas,'it'appeared'amongst'the'lowest'five'in'the'brief'VIA'correlations.''
' Regarding'the'results'for'the'correlations'with'the'SWLS,'there'was'also'some'
overlap'amongst'both'scales'for'each'country'yet'there'were'also'important'differences.'

For'example,'zest'and'hope'appeared'to'have'the'highest'correlations'with'satisfaction'
with'life'in'both'scales'for'all'countries'except'India.'Results'from'the'brief'VIA'found'zest'
and'hope'to'be'the'top'predictors,'whereas'the'full'VIA'found'the'highest'correlations'in'
zest'and'gratitude.'''
General!Happiness!Questionnaire!and!Satisfaction!with!Life!Scale!Compared!!
'' General'happiness'is'designed'to'measure'enduring'happiness'and'the'Satisfaction'
with'Life'scale'assesses'overall'satisfaction'with'life'up'to'the'present'moment.''The'results'
show'that'there'was'a'significant'level'of'overlap'between'both'measures'of'wellbeing.'The'
correlations'between'the'mean’s'of'the'VIA'strengths'and'the'SWLS'for'individuals'in'each'
country'showed'that'the'top'predictors'of'satisfaction'with'life'were'somewhat'similar'to'
the'predictors'of'general'happiness'in'almost'all'countries.'This'was'also'the'case'for'the'
lowest'strengths'for'each'country.'For'example,'humbleness'was'one'the'strengths'with'the'
lowest'correlations'to'both'satisfaction'with'life'and'general'happiness.''
Discussion!
' Hope'and'zest'appeared'to'be'robust'predictors'of'well'being'as'measured'by'the'
General'Happiness'Questionnaire'and'Satisfaction'with'Life'Scale,'whereas'appreciation'of'
beauty'and'humbleness'appear'to'have'weak'correlations'with'wellbeing'across'all'
countries.'Zest,'which'is'defined'as'enthusiastic'enjoyment,'could'allow'a'person'to'enjoy'
even'those'small'things'in'life'that'many'overlook.'A'person'with'zest'is'likely'to'have'a'
positive'attitude'towards'life'and'will'always'try'to'enjoy'the'moment'he'or'she'is'living.'
Hope'is'what'motivates'people'to'push'forward'with'their'lives'regardless'of'their'current'
situation.'Given'the'abilities'to'enjoy'the'present'and'expect'that'things'will'work'
themselves'out'for'the'best'in'the'future'that'the'strengths'of'zest'and'hope'facilitate,'it'is'

not'surprising'to'see'them'consistently'appear'with'strong'correlations'to'happiness'and'
life'satisfaction.'''
Previous'studies'have'shown'that'hope,'love,'gratitude,'curiosity,'and'zest'
frequently'have'high'correlations'with'wellbeing'(Park'&'Peterson,'2006a,'2006c;'Park'et'
al.,'2004'in'Peterson'et'al.,'2007).'The'present'study'also'found'these'strengths'to'have'
strong'correlations'with'well'being'across'the'five'countries'examined.'Hope,'zest,'
curiosity,'and'gratitude'were'all'amongst'the'strongest'correlations'with'happiness'in'all'
five'countries.'Love'appeared'to'have'a'strong'correlation'with'happiness'in'the'US'and'the'
UK'and'a'strong'correlation'with'satisfaction'with'life'in'the'US,'the'UK,'Mexico,'and'France.''
As'predicted,'there'were'more'similarities'between'Indian'and'Mexico'than'between'
either'country'and'the'UK,'the'US,'and'France;'and'there'were'more'similarities'amongst'
the'UK,'the'US,'and'France.'The'top'five'correlations'with'the'SWLS'were'almost'the'same'
for'the'US,'France,'and'UK'with'only'one'exception:'France'had'social'intelligence'as'one'of'
its'top'five'whereas'the'other'two'countries'did'not.'They'all'shared'hope,'zest,'love,'and'
curiosity.'There'was'also'a'surprising'amount'of'overlap'amongst'the'strongest'and'
weakest'predictors'of'wellbeing'across'all'countries.'Although'there'were'several'
differences'between'the'countries,'certain'strengths,'particularly'hope'and'zest,'seem'to'be'
“universal”'predictors'of'wellbeing.'My'expectation'to'find'differences'between'
individualistic'and'collectivist'cultures'was'not'fully'met'given'that'there'were'more'
similarities'than'expected'amongst'the'strengths'considered'predictors'of'wellbeing.''
It'is'interesting,'yet'unfortunate,'to'find'that'the'rank'order'of'strengths'per'country'
according'to'their'mean'scores'were'not'that'similar'to'the'rank'order'of'those'considered'
predictors'of'happiness'and'wellbeing.'For'example,'zest'appeared'to'be'the'top'predictor'

of'general'happiness'and'life'satisfaction'in'the'US,'yet'it'ranked'as'the'lowest'strength'
amongst'individuals'in'the'same'sample.'This'comparison'suggests'that'people'are'not'
scoring'very'high'in'the'strengths'that'are'considered'predictors'of'well'being'in'their'
country.''
Strengths!of!the!Mind!vs.!Strengths!of!the!Heart!!
Park'and'Peterson'(2006)'made'a'distinction'between'two'types'of'strengths:'
strengths'of'the'heart'and'strengths'of'the'mind.'The'strengths'of'the'heart'are'hope,'zest,'
gratitude,'love,'and'curiosity,'whereas'the'strengths'of'the'head'are'appreciation'of'beauty,'
creativity,'judgment,'and'love'of'learning.'Interestingly,'research'on'character'strengths'
has'consistently'found'the'strengths'of'the'heart'to'have'stronger'correlations'with'
happiness'and'life'satisfaction'than'strengths'of'the'mind'(Park'and'Peterson,'2006).'
Findings'from'the'present'study'also'found'the'strengths'of'the'heart'to'be'more'highly'
correlated'with'wellbeing'than'the'strengths'of'the'head.'Zest,'hope,'and'curiosity'were'
amongst'the'top'five'predictors'of'happiness'across'all'five'counties'according'to'results'
from'the'full'VIA'and'correlations'from'the'brief'VIA'found'love'to'be'a'strong'predictor'of'
happiness'in'the'UK'and'the'US.''On'the'other'hand,'appreciation'of'beauty,'a'strength'of'
the'mind,'was'found'to'be'amongst'the'lowest'predictors'of'happiness'across'all'countries.'
Furthermore,'hope,'zest,'and'love'were'amongst'the'top'five'predictors'of'satisfaction'with'
life'in'the'UK,'the'US,'France,'and'India;'and'curiosity'showed'a'strong'correlation'in'the'US,'
France,'and'the'UK.'Appreciation'of'beauty'and'creativity'were'amongst'the'strengths'with'
the'weakest'correlations'to'life'satisfaction'across'all'five'countries.'Love'of'learning,'
another'strength'of'the'mind,'was'also'found'to'be'a'weak'predictor'of'satisfaction'with'life'
in'the'US,'India,'and'Mexico.''

Findings'from'this'study'have'important'implications'because'they'highlight'the'
importance'of'several'strengths'to'wellbeing'across'five'different'countries.'Research'on'
character'strengths'has'showed'that'character'strengths'and'character'strengths'
interventions,'such'as'gratitude'exercises'like'counting'one’s'blessings,'are'associated'with'
more'well.being'and'life'satisfaction.'Therefore,'interventions'that'improve'a'person’s'zest,'
hope,'gratitude,'and'curiosity'could'potential'enhance'the'individual’s'level'of'happiness'or'
life'satisfaction.'''''
Limitations'
An'important'limitation'of'this'study'was'that'it'only'included'the'English'version'of'
questionnaires'and'therefore'it'limited'the'data'to'only'English'speaking'members'of'the'
population'in'India,'Mexico,'and'France'and'members'of'this'English.speaking'group'might'
be'different'from'rest'of'population.'For'example,'they'might'have'a'higher'level'of'
education'and'socioeconomic'status.'Another'limitation'is'that'the'sample'was'a'self.
selected'group'of'people'that'chose'to'take'these'personal'assessments'and'hence'might'
not'be'representative'of'the'overall'population'of'the'country.'Respondents'could'range'
from'people'trying'to'get'to'know'themselves'better,'students'completing'them'for'a'
psychology'class'to'readers'of'Martin'Seligman’s'Authentic$Happiness$book.'Furthermore,'
individuals'answering'these'psychological'assessments'probably'have'a'higher'level'of'
education'and'socioeconomic'status'than'the'average'population'given'that'answering'
these'questionnaires'requires'access'to'a'computer'with'internet.'Finally,'the'sample'
lacked'more'information'about'the'respondents'such'as'socioeconomic'status,'educational'
level,'gender,'and'occupation.''
!

Future!Research!
Some'people'find'it'hard'to'feel'happy'even'if'their'circumstances'seem'perfect'or'
close'to'it,'whereas'others'still'manage'to'be'happy'in'spite'of'difficult'living'conditions.'
Could'people'that'manage'to'be'happy'in'the'face'of'adversity'possess'more'of'the'
strengths'associated'with'wellbeing?''It'would'be'interesting'to'draw'a'sample'of'people'
facing'difficult'situations'such'as'chronic'illnesses'or'economic'hardships'and'measure'
both'their'character'strengths'and'wellbeing'to'then'assess'whether'those'who'are'happier'
show'higher'scores'for'the'strengths'thought'to'be'most'strongly'associated'with'
happiness'(i.e.'zest'and'hope).'Following'the'same'idea,'it'would'also'be'interesting'to'see'if'
people'seeking'treatment'for'depression'score'lower'on'the'strengths'thought'to'be'
predictors'of'wellbeing.''
Conclusion'
The'present'study'found'that'there'are'more'similarities'than'differences'amongst'
the'character'strengths'associated'with'wellbeing'across'five'countries:'the'US,'the'UK,'
France,'Mexico,'and'India.'These'findings'suggest'that'culture'might'not'be'an'essential'
determinant'of'the'character'strengths'predictive'of'wellbeing.'However,'there'were'
differences'across'the'countries'and'cultural'differences'cannot'be'disregarded'completely.'
Hope'and'zest'appeared'to'be'the'top'predictors'of'happiness'and'satisfaction'with'life,'
whereas'appreciation'of'beauty'and'humbleness'were'amongst'the'weakest'correlations'
across'all'five'countries.'Furthermore,'this'study'found'the'strengths'of'the'heart'–'hope,'
zest,'gratitude,'love,'and'curiosity'–'to'be'more'strongly'linked'with'wellbeing'than'the'
strengths'of'the'head'–'appreciation'of'beauty'and'love'of'learning.'The'study'of'character'
and'virtues'is'truly'a'fascinating'area'that'could'have'powerful'implications'for'the'field'of'

psychology.''Positive'interventions'that'help'individuals'develop'or'improve'those'
strengths'most'strongly'associated'with'wellbeing'could'be'explored'as'a'potential'form'of'
treatment'for'depression'or'as'a'prevention'method'to'strengthen'human'resilience'and'
overall'wellbeing.'!
'

References!
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Table!1!!
Overall$Sample$Size$for$Brief$and$Full$VIA$'
'' Total!(Brief!+!Full)! Full!VIA! Brief!VIA!
Overall'Sample' 734,721' 475,091' 259,630'
GHQ' 109,822' 54911' 64062'
SWLS' 89,540' 44770' 39027'
'

Table!2!
Breakdown$of$Sample$Size$by$Country$and$Scale$
' France' UK' US' India' Mexico'
Brief!VIA'
' 1,092' 32,429' 222,736' 2,432' 941'
GHQ' 288' 7369' 55843' 358' 204'
SWLS' 165' 4423' 34095' 235' 109'
'' ' '' ' '' ''
Full!VIA'
' 1,233' 45,524' 423,802' 3,101' 1,431'
GHQ' 202' 5766' 48548' 254' 141'
SWLS' 164' 4372' 39901' 211' 122'
Total'(Brief+'Full)' 2,325' 77,953' 646,538' 5,533' 2,372'
'
'

Table&3&
&
Rank%order%of%VIA%strengths%by%country:%Full%VIA'
'
'
Strength& US& UK& France& India& Mexico&
'' Rank' Mean' Sd' Rank' Mean' Std' Rank' Mean' Sd' Rank' Mean' SD' Rank' Mean' SD'
Honesty' 1' 4.06' 0.49' 5' 3.90' 0.49' 6' 3.84' 0.49' 2' 4.09' 0.49' 4' 4.08' 0.49'
Kindness' 2' 4.04' 0.53' 3' 3.95' 0.53' 5' 3.88' 0.54' 4' 4.03' 0.53' 7' 3.99' 0.56'
Fairness' 3' 4.04' 0.52' 1' 4.00' 0.51' 4' 3.94' 0.51' 1' 4.15' 0.49' 2' 4.15' 0.53'
Open.minded' 4' 4.02' 0.52' 2' 3.98' 0.51' 3' 3.98' 0.52' 3' 4.05' 0.50' 3' 4.14' 0.51'
Curiosity' 5' 4.01' 0.55' 4' 3.93' 0.58' 1' 4.06' 0.56' 7' 3.97' 0.55' 1' 4.16' 0.53'
Gratitude' 6' 4.00' 0.60' 11' 3.75' 0.61' 2' 3.73' 0.59' 10' 3.93' 0.56' 5' 4.04' 0.58'
Love' 7' 4.00' 0.59' 6' 3.85' 0.61' 9' 3.75' 0.62' 9' 3.94' 0.56' 6' 4.02' 0.60'
Humor' 8' 3.95' 0.62' 8' 3.78' 0.64' 11' 3.72' 0.64' 20' 3.78' 0.66' 18' 3.85' 0.68'
Perspective' 9' 3.87' 0.54' 12' 3.72' 0.54' 14' 3.69' 0.57' 8' 3.95' 0.52' 12' 3.94' 0.53'
Social'Intel' 10' 3.86' 0.55' 10' 3.76' 0.56' 13' 3.70' 0.59' 18' 3.80' 0.56' 14' 3.91' 0.57'
Leadership' 11' 3.84' 0.55' 9' 3.77' 0.54' 12' 3.70' 0.56' 5' 4.01' 0.53' 8' 3.97' 0.58'
Citizenship' 12' 3.82' 0.55' 13' 3.69' 0.55' 15' 3.63' 0.56' 6' 4.00' 0.54' 13' 3.94' 0.56'
Creative' 13' 3.79' 0.68' 14' 3.68' 0.70' 8' 3.76' 0.66' 11' 3.93' 0.62' 9' 3.97' 0.65'
Hope' 14' 3.77' 0.68' 20' 3.51' 0.71' 20' 3.52' 0.73' 12' 3.88' 0.63' 10' 3.95' 0.66'
Love'of'Learn.' 15' 3.77' 0.68' 7' 3.82' 0.65' 2' 4.00' 0.57' 19' 3.78' 0.62' 11' 3.94' 0.63'
Appr.'Beauty' 16' 3.76' 0.73' 15' 3.67' 0.73' 7' 3.79' 0.68' 14' 3.85' 0.62' 15' 3.89' 0.68'
Persistence' 17' 3.76' 0.67' 18' 3.57' 0.69' 19' 3.54' 0.74' 13' 3.86' 0.69' 16' 3.88' 0.70'
Bravery' 18' 3.74' 0.62' 17' 3.61' 0.63' 16' 3.61' 0.61' 16' 3.83' 0.58' 17' 3.87' 0.58'
Forgiveness' 19' 3.70' 0.69' 16' 3.64' 0.69' 17' 3.58' 0.66' 21' 3.76' 0.66' 21' 3.69' 0.66'
Zest' 20' 3.67' 0.66' 19' 3.51' 0.69' 18' 3.58' 0.66' 17' 3.81' 0.60' 19' 3.81' 0.61'
Spirituality' 21' 3.60' 0.90' 24' 3.02' 0.94' 24' 3.08' 0.89' 15' 3.83' 0.70' 20' 3.72' 0.80'
Prudence' 22' 3.55' 0.61' 21' 3.42' 0.59' 21' 3.42' 0.58' 22' 3.74' 0.58' 22' 3.67' 0.60'
Humbleness' 23' 3.50' 0.64' 22' 3.37' 0.63' 23' 3.31' 0.62' 23' 3.68' 0.58' 24' 3.44' 0.64'
Self'Reg' 24' 3.40' 0.64' 23' 3.26' 0.63' 22' 3.32' 0.61' 24' 3.54' 0.61' 23' 3.53' 0.65'

Table&4&
&
Rank%Order%of%VIA%strengths%by%country:%Brief%VIA%
'
'' US& UK& && && France& && && India& && Mexico& ''
Strength& Rank' Mean' SD' Rank' Mean' SD' Rank' Mean' SD' Rank' Mean' SD' Rank' Mean' SD'
Gratitude' 1' 4.16' 0.86' 1' 4.22' 0.82' 1' 4.16' 0.86' 1' 4.20' 0.95' 1' 4.24' 0.87'
Fairness' 2' 4.11' 0.80' 2' 4.13' 0.77' 2' 4.11' 0.80' 2' 4.10' 0.90' 4' 4.00' 0.93'
Perspective' 3' 4.07' 0.98' 3' 3.94' 0.84' 5' 3.92' 0.87' 4' 4.03' 0.97' 3' 4.00' 0.94'
Citizen' 4' 3.99' 1.04' 4' 3.90' 0.91' 6' 3.87' 0.99' 3' 4.04' 0.97' 5' 3.94' 0.99'
Love'of'learning' 5' 3.92' 0.87' 6' 3.81' 1.05' 3' 4.07' 0.98' 6' 3.75' 1.15' 2' 4.01' 1.03'
Kind' 6' 3.87' 0.99' 7' 3.74' 0.91' 11' 3.61' 0.99' 10' 3.66' 1.09' 11' 3.66' 1.01'
Open' 7' 3.79' 1.02' 10' 3.66' 0.92' 9' 3.67' 0.89' 13' 3.48' 1.09' 9' 3.79' 0.93'
Honest' 8' 3.79' 1.10' 8' 3.70' 1.03' 7' 3.79' 1.02' 8' 3.69' 1.14' 7' 3.87' 1.00'
Curious' 9' 3.67' 0.89' 5' 3.83' 1.03' 4' 3.99' 1.04' 7' 3.70' 1.15' 6' 3.88' 1.04'
Humor' 10' 3.64' 1.08' 12' 3.62' 1.06' 10' 3.64' 1.08' 12' 3.62' 1.15' 10' 3.77' 1.08'
Appr'Beauty' 11' 3.61' 0.99' 9' 3.67' 1.09' 8' 3.79' 1.10' 9' 3.68' 1.15' 8' 3.85' 1.02'
Social'Intel' 12' 3.52' 1.01' 11' 3.65' 0.97' 12' 3.52' 1.01' 17' 3.29' 1.16' 17' 3.53' 0.99'
Love' 13' 3.49' 1.04' 14' 3.50' 1.18' 17' 3.36' 1.21' 19' 3.28' 1.31' 16' 3.54' 1.23'
Lead' 14' 3.48' 1.13' 15' 3.46' 1.11' 18' 3.35' 1.17' 11' 3.64' 1.18' 12' 3.65' 1.08'
Humble' 15' 3.41' 1.08' 13' 3.52' 0.99' 13' 3.49' 1.04' 5' 3.78' 1.03' 13' 3.59' 1.02'
Persist' 16' 3.39' 1.20' 16' 3.43' 1.11' 16' 3.39' 1.20' 16' 3.35' 1.16' 14' 3.57' 1.11'
Creative' 17' 3.36' 1.21' 17' 3.37' 1.10' 14' 3.48' 1.13' 18' 3.29' 1.20' 15' 3.55' 1.10'
Prudent' 18' 3.35' 1.17' 18' 3.30' 1.05' 15' 3.41' 1.08' 22' 3.17' 1.12' 18' 3.51' 1.08'
Forgive' 19' 3.33' 1.09' 21' 3.15' 1.13' 23' 3.09' 1.14' 20' 3.23' 1.22' 23' 3.27' 1.16'
Zest' 20' 3.14' 1.18' 22' 3.21' 1.09' 19' 3.33' 1.09' 15' 3.38' 1.16' 19' 3.44' 1.10'
Self.reg' 21' 3.13' 1.12' 23' 3.16' 1.07' 22' 3.12' 1.10' 24' 3.05' 1.15' 22' 3.28' 1.08'
Hope' 22' 3.12' 1.10' 23' 3.06' 1.14' 20' 3.14' 1.18' 14' 3.48' 1.16' 20' 3.28' 1.08'
Brave' 23' 3.09' 1.14' 22' 3.08' 1.12' 21' 3.13' 1.12' 23' 3.13' 1.17' 21' 3.36' 1.10'
Spirituality' 24' 2.55' 1.37' 24' 2.45' 1.31' 24' 2.55' 1.37' 21' 3.22' 1.38' 24' 3.03' 1.36'
%%
'

Table&5&
&
Highest%&%lowest%correlations%with%subjective%wellAbeing%by%country:%General%Happiness%Questionnaire.%%
%
Full VIA Brief VIA
Highest Strengths Lowest Strengths Highest Strengths Lowest Strengths
Country Strength r Strength r Strength r Strength r
France
Zest 0.69 Fairness' 0.22' Hope 0.62 Self-reg 0.20
Hope 0.68 Openness' 0.20' Zest 0.52 Gratitude 0.20
Curiosity 0.64 Prudence' 0.09' Humor 0.41 Perspective 0.16
Humor 0.50 Appr'of'beauty' 0.09' Curiosity 0.39 Prude 0.14
Gratitude 0.48 Humbleness' .0.07' Forgiveness 0.35 Humility 0.01
UK
Zest 0.69 Creativity' 0.22' Hope 0.59 Gratitude 0.21
Hope 0.68 Open.minded' 0.20' Zest 0.59 Honesty 0.21
Gratitude 0.54 Appr'of'beauty' 0.16' Humor 0.43 Fairness 0.19
Curiosity 0.53 Prudence' 0.12' Love 0.35 Prudent 0.14
Humor 0.52 Humble' 0.06' Openness 0.32 Humbleness 0.05
US
Zest 0.69 Open.minded' 0.22' Zest 0.63 Honesty 0.23
Hope 0.67 Appr'of'beauty' 0.21' Hope 0.60 Love learning 0.22
Gratitude 0.54 Prudence' 0.20' Humor 0.43 Fairness 0.19
Love 0.51 Love'Learning' 0.19' Love 0.38 Prudence 0.18
Curiosity 0.51 Humbleness' 0.11' Appr of beauty 0.36 Humbleness 0.11
India
Hope 0.59 Honesty' 0.26' Hope 0.47 Appr beauty 0.16
Zest 0.54 Open.minded' 0.23' Zest 0.41 Honesty 0.16
Humor 0.50 Love'Learning' 0.17' Bravery 0.36 Spirituality 0.14
Gratitude 0.48 Humbleness' 0.16' Leadership 0.31 Humbleness 0.09
Curiosity 0.48 Appr'of'beauty'' 0.15' Kindness 0.29 Prudence 0.03
Mexico
Hope 0.68 Creativity'' 0.31' Hope 0.59 Humbleness 0.23
Zest 0.67 Prudence' 0.29' Zest 0.55 Self Reg 0.23
Gratitude 0.60 Love.learning' 0.18' Gratitude 0.39 Honesty 0.22
Curiosity 0.55 Humbleness' 0.18' Bravery 0.39 Perspective 0.20
Spirituality 0.54 Appr'of'beauty' 0.15' Leadership 0.38 Fairness 0.09

Table&6&
'
Highest%&%lowest%correlations%with%subjective%wellAbeing%by%country:%Satisfaction%With%Life%Scale%%
%
Full VIA Brief VIA
Highest Strengths Lowest Strengths Highest Strengths Lowest Strengths
Country Strength r Strength r Strength r Strength r
France
Hope 0.46 Forgiveness 0.17 Hope 0.47 Self reg 0.14
Curiosity 0.41 Honesty 0.17 Zest 0.47 Creativity 0.13
Zest 0.39 Spirituality 0.12 Love 0.46 Prudence 0.12
Social intel 0.39 Prude 0.10 Curio 0.42 Appr beauty 0.04
Brave 0.34 Humbleness 0.00 Social intel 0.41 Humbl -0.04
UK
Zest 0.44 Gratitude 0.14 Zest 0.59 Open 0.18
Hope 0.44 Self reg 0.14 Hope 0.59 Prude 0.15
Love 0.30 Prude 0.12 Gratitude 0.49 Creativity 0.15
Humor 0.26 Fair 0.12 Love 0.48 Appr beauty 0.12
Open 0.26 Humbleness 0.01 Curiosity 0.43 Humbleness 0.06
US
Hope 0.46 Gratitude 0.17 Hope 0.57 Open mind 0.21
Zest 0.45 Creativity 0.16 Zest 0.57 Creativity 0.16
Love 0.31 Love Learn 0.15 Love 0.48 Love learn 0.14
Open 0.27 Fair 0.12 Gratitude 0.46 Appr beauty 0.11
Humor 0.27 Humbleness 0.07 Curiosity 0.41 Humility 0.11
India
Zest 0.43 Perspective 0.11 Zest 0.52 Prudence 0.31
Hope 0.40 Fair 0.09 Gratitude 0.51 Creativity 0.22
Love 0.38 Prudence 0.09 Hope 0.49 Open mind 0.22
Social intel 0.31 Leadership 0.08 Social intel 0.49 Appr beauty 0.18
Open 0.30 Humbleness 0.02 Citizenship 0.47 Love learning 0.14
Mexico
Hope 0.39 Humor 0.09 Zest 0.61 Open 0.24
Zest 0.33 Creativity 0.08 Hope 0.61 Humble 0.22
Love 0.30 Spirituality 0.07 Love 0.51 Prudence 0.20
Leadership 0.29 Love learn 0.05 Forgiveness 0.50 Love learning 0.16
Persistence 0.21 Honesty 0.05 Persistence 0.48 Appr beauty 0.13
'

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