Before starting my first semester as a professor, my department held a retreat that included discussion of our results from the VIA Inventory of Strengths (also called the VIA Survey). To my relief, my top strengths included love of learning, curiosity, and teamwork—all excellent characteristics of a new academic. They also included love and humor, however, and even though those felt accurate, I cringed with dismay. As someone who falls prey to imposter syndrome (see my previous blog post), these characteristics seemed unprofessional and “fluffy.” I didn’t want to be seen as a joker or not rigorous. Since that retreat six years ago, I have learned that these two strengths are invaluable to my work. My compassion is evident to my students, and my humor can appropriately bring levity to even challenging situations.
Many students struggle to identify their strengths and to communicate them to others, which I suspect is partly because they cannot always see the value of their strengths. This can happen because our strengths are so natural to us that they may not seem unique or consequential. Part of our work as educators is to help students recognize and appreciate their natural strengths so that they can share them with others. As a resource provided by the VIA Institute on Character (formerly Values in Action Institute), the VIA Survey is a free online tool that can help.
The VIA Survey is an assessment from the field of positive psychology that measures 24 character strengths related to six virtues. I use this assessment in a variety of classes, including a first-year seminar, a personal and professional development course for psychology majors, and an internship in psychology course. It is a tool for self-exploration and reflection that encourages students to consider what character strengths they exhibit and how those might contribute towards their sense of vocation and building a meaningful life.
For those interested in using this tool, I want to offer considerations for interpreting results, as well as ideas for its use in and out of the classroom. (See also the VIA FAQs page for more information.)
Understanding the VIA Survey Results
Upon completion of the assessment, the results provide a ranking from greatest to least of the 24 character strengths, noting for each the corresponding virtue and a brief definition. Here are four considerations for you and your students as you interpret results:
- Signature strengths feel essential. The top five strengths are often called “signature strengths.” The number five is arbitrary, however, so you can encourage students to look at their top ten to see which ones fit the definition of signature strengths. A “signature strength” is one that feels essential to who you are. You may feel that you use it naturally, you may feel energized (not depleted) by using it, and you may identify yourself using it across a variety of contexts. For example, my colleague who is high in fairness feels compelled to speak up in meetings large and small against injustice. To her, it feels nearly impossible not to speak up in these cases.
- Read the definitions. This will sound rudimentary, but you must actually read the definition provided and not assume that you understand what is meant by the word. For example, judgment and prudence are two of the character strengths that my students regularly wrinkle their noses at getting—until they read the definitions. A student recently seemed sad to see prudence in her top five, but after reading the definition (“being careful about one’s choices”), she agreed that it fit her well. Another student was surprised to see creativity in his top strengths but then realized that the definition extends beyond artistic creation.
- Lesser strengths are not weaknesses. The VIA Survey measures only strengths, not weaknesses, and the lesser strengths appear at the bottom of the list. Inevitably, someone will receive their results and immediately scroll to the end of their list to see what their “weaknesses” are. One interpretation of a lesser strength is that it may take effort to use. I always tell students that one of my lesser strengths is perseverance and that I had to muster a lot of it to complete graduate school. I can persevere, but it does not feel natural to me.
- It is simply a tool. I like to caution students that the VIA Survey, like any assessment, is simply a tool. Its value is in providing a springboard for increased awareness and self-reflection. It is not predictive or deterministic of a student’s life course, and it should not limit them in any way. For example, if self-regulation is towards the bottom of their list, this does not mean that they can never become more self-regulated. As with any tool, you get out of it what you put into it. A quick review of the results will likely not provide many insights; however, time spent reflecting and engaging with the results may.
Using the VIA Survey in the Classroom
The VIA can be used in classroom settings as well as in academic advising and other group contexts, such as in a research lab or within a student organization. Here are some specific ideas for providing opportunities for greater engagement and reflection with this tool (for additional ideas, see Character Strengths Interventions: A Field Guide for Practitioners by Ryan M. Niemiec):
- Reflect on strengths across roles. I ask students to consider two roles that they hold (e.g. student, friend, sibling, athlete, employee, etc.) and to identify at least two ways in which they display their signature strengths in each. This consideration can increase students’ awareness of past strength use and can encourage them to consider new ways of using their strengths in a variety of roles and contexts. For example, someone may see clearly how they use the character strength of love of learning in their studies but may not see its use for family life without reflection.
- Review VIA handouts. The VIA website offers a variety of free resources to encourage reflection, such as Finding the Golden Mean and the World Needs You Poem. The first asks us to consider the optimal use of our strengths and encourages us to take note of when we are overusing or underusing a strength. The second centers the idea that our character strengths are not just for our own good but are also for the good of the world.
- Encourage strength spotting to build community. Using the VIA Survey in a classroom can provide an opportunity for students to engage in strength spotting (i.e. noticing when you or others use a particular strength). For example, students can share their results with a partner, and the partner can be tasked with offering examples of when that student has used their strengths. This has the potential to foster appreciation for each other among students and to highlight the importance of each student’s contribution to the classroom community.
Each of our students has a unique combination of character strengths that they offer the world. We have the opportunity as educators to help students identify those strengths and foster them in ways that can make not only their lives but also our world better. The VIA Survey is one tool that can help support this exploration and reflection.
Samantha Brown is an assistant professor of psychology at Coe College, where she is also the faculty co-director of C3: Creativity, Careers, and Community. She is a NetVUE Faculty Fellow, and was a member of the 2021 cohort of the Faculty Seminar on Teaching Vocational Exploration. For more posts by Samantha, click here.