Strengths of character, orientations to happiness, and life satisfaction

Abstract

Why are certain character strengths more associated with life satisfaction than others? A sample of US adults (N = 12,439) completed online surveys in English measuring character strengths, orientations to happiness (engagement, pleasure, and meaning), and life satisfaction, and a sample of Swiss adults (N = 445) completed paper-and-pencil versions of the same surveys in German. In both samples, the character strengths most highly linked to life satisfaction included love, hope, curiosity, and zest. Gratitude was among the most robust predictors of life satisfaction in the US sample, whereas perseverance was among the most robust predictors in the Swiss sample. In both samples, the strengths of character most associated with life satisfaction were associated with orientations to pleasure, to engagement, and to meaning, implying that the most fulfilling character strengths are those that make possible a full life.

Keywords:

• Character strengths
• engagement
• pleasure
• meaning
• life satisfaction
• happiness

Notes

Note

1.  Available were life satisfaction scores from 52 Swiss adults who completed the SWLS in English on the www.authentichappiness.com website. Their average score (24.3, SD = 6.4) was lower than scores for the Swiss sample in the present study (25.7, t = 2.50, p < 0.01, d = 0.40) but higher than scores for the US sample (21.9, t = 2.81, p < 0.01, d = 0.36), implying that Internet respondents are tilted toward dissatisfaction but not enough to account fully for the US–Swiss differences found in the present study.