IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jhappi/v13y2012i6p1145-1163.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Character Strengths Interventions: Building on What We Know for Improved Outcomes

Author

Listed:
  • Denise Quinlan
  • Nicola Swain
  • Dianne Vella-Brodrick

Abstract

For this review strengths intervention studies were located using online searches and collegial networks and included if they explicitly sought to teach or use a strengths classification to enhance well-being, and used pre- and post-intervention measures and a comparison group. Eight studies met the criteria and have been summarised by this review. To date, the effect sizes achieved by character strengths interventions have been small to moderate. An understanding of how these interventions work may facilitate development of more effective interventions, while expanding the field of character strengths interventions to include a broader range of activities and approaches may also offer benefits. Research examining individual factors, such as strengths use, psychological need satisfaction, goal-setting and goal-striving provides promising leads to explain how strengths interventions work. However, the effect on intervention efficacy of relational or contextual factors, such as intervention environment or facilitator attitude to strengths, has not yet been explored. Implications for interventions in school settings are considered. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012

Suggested Citation

  • Denise Quinlan & Nicola Swain & Dianne Vella-Brodrick, 2012. "Character Strengths Interventions: Building on What We Know for Improved Outcomes," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 13(6), pages 1145-1163, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:13:y:2012:i:6:p:1145-1163
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-011-9311-5
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s10902-011-9311-5
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10902-011-9311-5?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Carmel Proctor & John Maltby & P. Linley, 2011. "Strengths Use as a Predictor of Well-Being and Health-Related Quality of Life," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 153-169, March.
    2. Nansook Park & Christopher Peterson, 2006. "Character Strengths and Happiness among Young Children: Content Analysis of Parental Descriptions," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 7(3), pages 323-341, September.
    3. Latham, Gary P. & Locke, Edwin A., 1991. "Self-regulation through goal setting," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 212-247, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kathlyn M. Cherry & Brae Anne McArthur & Margaret N. Lumley, 2020. "A Multi-Informant Study of Strengths, Positive Self-Schemas and Subjective Well-Being from Childhood to Adolescence," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(6), pages 2169-2191, August.
    2. María J. Blanca & Marta Ferragut & Margarita Ortiz-Tallo & Rebecca Bendayan, 2018. "Life Satisfaction and Character Strengths in Spanish Early Adolescents," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(5), pages 1247-1260, June.
    3. René Proyer & Willibald Ruch & Claudia Buschor, 2013. "Testing Strengths-Based Interventions: A Preliminary Study on the Effectiveness of a Program Targeting Curiosity, Gratitude, Hope, Humor, and Zest for Enhancing Life Satisfaction," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 275-292, March.
    4. Mohamad Saifudin Mohamad Saleh & Ali Mehellou & Bahiyah Omar, 2023. "The Influence of Islamic Values on Sustainable Lifestyle: The Moderating Role of Opinion Leaders," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-20, May.
    5. María Josefina Peláez & Cristián Coo & Marisa Salanova, 2020. "Facilitating Work Engagement and Performance Through Strengths-Based Micro-coaching: A Controlled Trial Study," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 1265-1284, April.
    6. Shiri Lavy, 2020. "A Review of Character Strengths Interventions in Twenty-First-Century Schools: their Importance and How they can be Fostered," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(2), pages 573-596, April.
    7. Lorko, Matej & Servátka, Maroš & Zhang, Le, 2023. "Hidden inefficiency: Strategic inflation of project schedules," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 313-326.
    8. Valérie Benoit & Piera Gabola, 2021. "Effects of Positive Psychology Interventions on the Well-Being of Young Children: A Systematic Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-19, November.
    9. Lan Chaplin, 2009. "Please May I Have a Bike? Better Yet, May I Have a Hug? An Examination of Children’s and Adolescents’ Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 10(5), pages 541-562, October.
    10. Inje Cho & Kyriaki Kaplanidou & Shintaro Sato, 2021. "Gamified Wearable Fitness Tracker for Physical Activity: A Comprehensive Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-15, June.
    11. Flourensia Sapty Rahayu & Lukito Edi Nugroho & Ridi Ferdiana & Djoko Budiyanto Setyohadi, 2022. "Motivation and Engagement of Final-Year Students When Using E-learning: A Qualitative Study of Gamification in Pandemic Situation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-22, July.
    12. Hsiaw, Alice, 2013. "Goal-setting and self-control," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 148(2), pages 601-626.
    13. Blake Allan, 2015. "Balance Among Character Strengths and Meaning in Life," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 16(5), pages 1247-1261, October.
    14. Liang Zhao & Yukun Zhao & Yiwen Wu & Xiaojun Ding & Feng Yu & Kaiping Peng, 2022. "Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic upon Chinese Positive Traits," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-19, October.
    15. Sylvia Y C L Kwok & Siqi Fang, 2021. "A Cross-Lagged Panel Study Examining the Reciprocal Relationships Between Positive Emotions, Meaning, Strengths use and Study Engagement in Primary School Students," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 1033-1053, March.
    16. Richard Douglass & Ryan Duffy, 2015. "Strengths Use and Life Satisfaction: A Moderated Mediation Approach," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 619-632, June.
    17. Lisha Liu & Chaoqun Li & Liangyuan Xu & Xue Xiao & Yanfang Li, 2021. "Developing Children’s Justice: Evidence from Intergenerational Similarity and Peer Homophily," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(5), pages 2065-2081, October.
    18. Gutt, Dominik & von Rechenberg, Tobias & Kundisch, Dennis, 2020. "Goal achievement, subsequent user effort and the moderating role of goal difficulty," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 277-287.
    19. Arndt, Philipp, 2020. "Individual motivation factors in agile teams," Journal of Applied Leadership and Management, Hochschule Kempten - University of Applied Sciences, Professional School of Business & Technology, vol. 8, pages 54-71.
    20. Lea E. Waters & Daniel Loton & Hayley K. Jach, 2019. "Does Strength-Based Parenting Predict Academic Achievement? The Mediating Effects of Perseverance and Engagement," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 1121-1140, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:13:y:2012:i:6:p:1145-1163. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.