Technique 5.37 Character Questionnaire (VIA)
Introduction
The VIA Institute on Character Questionnaire is one of the world’s most widely used tools for measuring human character strengths. It is designed to help individuals and organisations identify what people do best at their core, ietheir natural positive capacities for thinking, feeling and behaving.
It is administered by the VIA Institute on Character, a global nonprofit founded to advance the science and practice of character.
The VIA Questionnaire Measures
The questionnaire measures 24-character strengths organised under 6 universal virtues, based on extensive cross-cultural research in positive psychology.
The 6 Virtues
- Wisdom
- Courage
- Humanity
- Justice
- Temperance
- Transcendence
The 24 Character Strengths
- Wisdom: Creativity, Curiosity, Judgment, Love of Learning, Perspective
- Courage: Bravery, Perseverance, Honesty, Zest
- Humanity: Love, Kindness, Social Intelligence
- Justice: Teamwork, Fairness, Leadership
- Temperance: Forgiveness, Humility, Prudence, Self-Regulation
- Transcendence: Appreciation of Beauty, Gratitude, Hope, Humour, Spirituality
Each person possesses all 24, but in different ranked intensities.
How the VIA Questionnaire Works
Format
- Online self-report survey
- Typically, 120–240 items
- Uses a Likert scale (e.g., “Very much like me” to “Very much unlike me”)
- Completion time: 15–25 minutes
Output
After completion, users receive:
- A rank-order profile of all 24 strengths
- Identification of:
- Signature strengths (Top 5–7)
- Middle strengths
- Lower or lesser-used strengths
This ranking reflects how naturally and frequently each strength is expressed, not whether a person “has” or “lacks” it.
3. Scientific Foundation
It is grounded in:
- Large-scale cross-cultural studies
- Positive psychology research
It is considered:
- Psychometrically valid
- Culturally robust
- Non-clinical and non-diagnostic
4. What the Questionnaire Is Not
It is not:
- A personality type test (like MBTI)
- A pathology or mental health assessment
- A performance evaluation tool
- A measure of intelligence or competence
Instead, it focuses on positive capacities for flourishing.
Core Purposes of the VIA Questionnaire
1. Personal Development
- Self-awareness
- Confidence building
- Values clarification
- Wellbeing improvement
2. Workplace & Leadership
- Strengths-based leadership
- Team development
- Employee engagement
- Burnout prevention
3. Education
- Student wellbeing
- Character education
- Resilience development
4. Health & Wellbeing
- Stress reduction
- Meaning and purpose
- Mental health support (adjunct, not diagnostic)
How Results Are Typically Used
1. Identify Signature Strengths
These are traits that:
- Feel authentic
- Are energising
- Are frequently used
- Are linked to higher wellbeing and performance
2. Strengths Spotting
Learning to recognise strengths in:
- Yourself
- Others
- Teams
- Students or clients
3. Strengths Development
Applying strengths intentionally in:
- Work tasks
- Leadership behaviours
- Relationships
- Change processes
4. Overuse & Underuse Awareness
For example:
- Overuse of perseverance can result in burnout
- Underuse of prudence can result in risky decisions
Balanced application is the goal.
(main source: Christopher Peterson et al, 2004)