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VIA Institute on Character is a non-profit dedicated to advancing the scientific understanding of the personality traits that are the building blocks for individual and societal flourishing.  In a landmark effort of 55 social scientists, VIA distilled the 24 personality elements from which positive behavior and well-being derive (the VIA Classification) and developed the first psychometrically sound instrument for measuring each of these traits, also called character strengths (the VIA Survey). Both are used by researchers, clinicians, consultants, coaches and others interested in optimizing personal functioning.

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Join more than 1 million people world-wide who have taken the VIA-IS (VIA Survey on Character).  Learn your Signature Strengths. Know your 24! The VIA-IS is free and confidential.
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Sample Profile

Buy Consultant Code

An expanded Interpretive Report of your VIA Survey of Character results is available from the VIA Institute. You may purchase your report within the VIA Survey Center. Consultants may purchase codes for clients, whose reports will be sent directly to the consultant. As always, the traditional  report is free. More...
Benefits of report

Dr. Christopher Peterson
VIA Science Director

Chris Peterson, Ph.D., professor at the University of Michigan since 1986, is a member of the Positive Psychology Steering Committee, a consulting editor of the Journal of Positive Psychology and a former Templeton Senior Fellow. He led the creation of the VIA Classification of Strengths and was lead author of Character Strengths and Virtues, A Handbook and Classification.

A founding father of  Positive Psychology, he is one of the world's 100 most-cited psychologists. 

From the Chairman

Building a Better Society, Not Just a Better Self

By Neal H. Mayerson, Ph.D.
Chairman, VIA Institute

 I have been sympathetic to some criticisms of positive psychology as being too “self”-centered – focusing on how individuals can make themselves happier or otherwise improve their own lives.   It can appear that positive psychology is a continuation of a “me-me-me” egocentric, self-indulgent culture.  There may well be those who are consuming information from this new discipline in that spirit – to feed their ego.  I got into this whole endeavor, though, to improve the world and there is reason to be hopeful.

 Albert Bandura (1969; 1986) made a foundational contribution to psychology in explicating the phenomenon of social learning.  We learn so much by observing others around us and we do much of this automatically.  As I have read findings such as the recent study by Fowler and Christakis (2008) on the spread of happiness in social networks, or Haidt’s (2006) research on the phenomenon of “elevation,” I have wondered to what degree social learning is at work More...

Also by Neal: The Role of Character Strengths in Sustainability

Bright-Sided: What Does it Tell Us?

More...

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VIA is a free community for practitioners and researchers who use VIA character strengths in their work. Membership is separate from the registration required to take the VIA Survey.

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Spend two days with the VIA Institute and a super collection of your peers - and come away with a deep understanding of the VIA Classification of Character Strengths and Virtues and the free VIA Survey that measures them. Through small-group work, compelling research information, video interviews with giants in the field of Positive Psychology, movie clips and your own experience,  you'll learn a broad range of ways to use the VIA to help your clients enrich their lives. Click here to register!

The Practice Corner

Temperance:
A Home at Last
in "Twilight"

Ryan M. Niemiec, Psy.D.
Education Director, VIA
Ryan on Twitter

As a regular movie reviewer for the American Psychological Assocation's PsycCRITIQUES and co-author of Positive Psychology at the Movies, I can attest that of the six VIA virtue categories, transcendence is the virtue least portrayed in movies. After some strenuous pushing by my wife and others, I finally was talked into seeing "Twilight" - the sequel of which, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," is still going strong in theaters. And there, in the character of vampire Edward Cullen, is a paragon of self-regulation.
PDF of full article

Also by Ryan: Taking Action with Strengths




VIA Library Growing

We are pleased to make our online library open to all.  Just click on Library in the top-of-page navigation , and you'll find a robust list of videos,  books and abstracts of articles on the VIA Classification and Positive Psychology.  We invite your comments on each entry, so please don't be shy with recommendations or opinions.  If you have a publication, video or audio link you'd like to add, simply e-mail the information to: Senior Editor Linda Parker.