VIA's Relationship to Positive Psychology

VIA Institute on Character serves a key role in the field of Positive Psychology.  Positive Psychology can be understood as having three main branches - Positive Emotions, Positive Character, and Positive Institutions.  

VIA Institute on Character was developed to carve out the study of Positive Character as its primary responsibility within the overall field.  It is responsible to the field for facilitating an understanding of the various dimensions of character, the dynamics between character strengths, and the valued outcomes that result from living authentically in concordance with one's character strengths.  It has assumed the responsibility of being a central informational and networking source for researchers and practitioners doing work on the development and expression of character strengths.

Why Character

It is reported that the most popular undergraduate course at Harvard University is taught by Tal Ben-Shahir on happiness.  Why would this be such a popular course at a prestigious college populated by high achievers?  The answer could be that our culture has over-emphasized achievement to the detriment of self-understanding.  Without self-understanding to guide decisions about how to channel one's talent, how to find fulfillment, and how to choose and develop relationships, people may be floundering in a sea of hollow victories, or worse yet, directionless wandering.

"Character" is a term referring to the aggregate of traits that form an individual's nature.  Heretofore, we have not had a consensual and clear language of character and have not brought the facets of character into high focus.  With greater ability to articulate and develop character, we will be poised to better direct our talents and abilities into meaningful and engaging behavior to better our own lives and the lives of others.

Background

In 1999, Dr. Neal H. Mayerson, President of the Manuel D. and Rhoda Mayerson Foundation, was frustrated by the limited successes of problem-focused remedial programs for helping youth grow.  A psychologist himself, Dr. Mayerson was also following the writings of the American Psychological Association President, Dr. Martin Seligman, on the need to develop a new arm of psychology that he was calling Positive Psychology.

The two met and decided that what this new field of science needed was a.) a common language for speaking about human strengths of character, and b.) tools for measuring these strengths in adults and youth.  Thus, VIA Institute on Character was created to develop these basic tools for scientists and practitioners and to serve a bridging function between science and practice.