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VIA Institute on Character is a non-profit organization founded to advance the science and practice of character development.  The VIA Institute supported the creation of the VIA Classification, The VIA Survey  and Character Strengths and Virtues, by Drs. Martin Seligman and Christopher Peterson. These tools are used by researchers, clinicians, consultants, coaches and educators.  The Institute provides the VIA Survey, advances the science of character and educates practitioners.

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Join more than 1 million people world-wide who have taken the VIA Suvey.  Learn your Signature Strengths. It's free and confidential.
Get Expanded Report of Your VIA  Strengths!

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

Oscar Psyche

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

When the Oscars were  shown on TV, some  50 million people were watching!  That’s a lot of people.  50,000,000!  What’s up with that?

There is the moment for each award – the moment of suspense.  The presenters name all of the contenders and the camera shows us each of them awaiting their fate.  Then there is the inevitable fumbling with the envelope, and the drawn out reading of the winner’s name.  We are shown the winner’s initial reaction of complete satisfaction and hugging from family and co-workers followed by the acceptance speech thanking those who helped the winner reach that moment in their life.  In between that happening time and again we are titillated with sexy images and some entertainment. More

Also by Neal: Character Jazz

Standing Tall - Off the Medal Stand

The Westminster "People" Show

The Contagion of Character

The Role of Character Strengths in Sustainability

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.

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. 


North American Schedule Set

Announcing: The 2010 VIA Intensive for practitioners in six Northern American cities.  Immerse yourself in practice and research on using the VIA strengths, the always-free VIA Survey and the new VIA Interpretive Report.  Join psychologist/author Dr. Ryan M. Niemiec in: 

  • Atlanta (April 16-17)
  • Washington, DC (April 30-May 1)
  • Cincinnati (May 7-8)
  • San Francisco (July 23-24 - New dates!)
  • Toronto (Nov. 11-12)
  • Miami (Nov. 18-19)
The Intensive is approved for 12 CE credits by the ICF, APA and state boards in Georgia, Virginia and Delaware, with other boards pending. Click here for more information and to register.

The Practice Corner

Character
Strengths and
Goal-Setting

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

Practitioners help clients set meaningful goals and use their strengths. Most practitioners know about the benefits of using signature strengths (those strengths that are energizing, feel authentic to use, are readily identified by others, and typically used across multiple settings). Research supports this (Rust et al., 2009; Seligman et al., 2005). Practitioners also know about the benefits of setting and pursuing goals, and making progress toward goals. Research supports this as well (Sheldon & Elliot, 1999; Sheldon & Houser-Marko, 2001). More...

Also by Ryan: Ryan's top PP movies for 2009

PP Oscars: Honorable Mention

Temperance: A Home at Last in 'Twilight' PDF

Taking Action with Strengths

News from VIA

VIA Science Director Chris Peterson  has won a top teaching award at the University of Michigan. He told his audience, "We’re in the business of ongoing life, not school....What would we learn in life and why should we learn it? My answer is very simple and my students have heard me say it often - it is that other people matter." The story at AnnArbor.com
The VIA Blog: Middle Strengths: Come Forth!
VIA Survey available in Danish
Blog: Chris Peterson on The Good Life
Video: Martin Seligman on Signature Strengths
Neal Mayerson on Simple vs. Complex Character Strengths
Ryan Niemiec: Notes on Goldstein's "Sacred Moments"
More in News.