he study of happiness is a remarkably new field. That has changed dramatically in recent years. Psychologists, economists, educators, and others have increasingly become interested in concepts like life satisfaction and personal flourishing. One of the surprising findings to emerge out of this work is the degree to which being a person of character is associated with wellbeing and a sense of personal fulfillment.
That realization has set into motion a substantial literature on ways to improve wellbeing, particularly in youth and educational settings. One such line of research focuses on what is called character and character education. Character refers to those elements of personality that are positive, those aspects of who we are that contributes both to self and to those around us. One line of this research was instigated by Martin Seligman, the father of modern positive psychology. Working with Chris Peterson and more than 50 internationally known experts in the science of positive living, they identified a set of 24 dimensions that were considered the key elements for a life well lived, one that is both personally satisfying and respected by others in the community. These 24 dimensions were called character strengths, and were broken into six groups, as represented in this figure. Research also suggests there are three basic elements to what we think of as character; elements that have been referred to as caring, inquisitiveness, and self–control. These three are biological adaptations important to the survival of our species, but also flexible biological systems that can be nurtured.
Over the last forty years, the study of wellbeing has grown exponentially. Perhaps the most important insight is that using these strengths are related to a greater sense of wellbeing. Five are particularly good predictors of wellbeing: gratitude, hope, zest, curiosity, and love. Recent research has found that gratitude is a particularly interesting element of character. One study found evidence suggesting that enhancing a sense of gratitude would be the single best way to promote growth across all the character strengths. Findings such as these have inspired an explosion of research on what are called gratitude interventions.
Examples include thinking of three things each day for which you’re grateful, or writing a letter of gratitude to someone, or rehearsing telling someone how grateful you are to them. These have proven remarkably effective at improving wellbeing and reducing negative affect.
Of course, these are not the only possible targets for interventions with youth intended to enhance wellbeing. Many other character education programs exist focusing on all sorts of elements of character. These include programs targeting empathy, self–control, and many other positive elements of who we are. A recent review of hundreds of these character education programs found many were relatively brief, which is often what happens in research, but there was evidence that interventions on average produced small but significant results. These effects were about the same size as those found in previous studies summarizing the literature on social and emotional skills training. Other programs have focused explicitly on enhancing student wellbeing, but it seems compelling to offer programs that are not only likely to enhance wellbeing, but also help youth become people of character.
This is a new vision of education. In this vision, education is about more than academic preparation. At a time of rapid change where uncertainties about the future abound, and where effective citizenship is increasingly essential to maintain the social fabric, a sense of character becomes increasingly important for self and society. Educational systems are evolving to meet this challenge and must continue to do so. The ability to recognize that which is positive in a complex world, to interact with others, and to see a future of hope are among the greatest skills parents, teachers, and professionals can impart to youth today.
a global affairs media network
Enhancing youth wellbeing through character development
Image by Madison Oren from Unsplash.
April 6, 2024
The study of happiness as a field has grown tremendously in recent years which has led to a key realization: through character education programs that target elements like gratitude, curiosity, and love, youth can improve their wellbeing and personal fulfillment, writes Robert McGrath.
T
he study of happiness is a remarkably new field. That has changed dramatically in recent years. Psychologists, economists, educators, and others have increasingly become interested in concepts like life satisfaction and personal flourishing. One of the surprising findings to emerge out of this work is the degree to which being a person of character is associated with wellbeing and a sense of personal fulfillment.
That realization has set into motion a substantial literature on ways to improve wellbeing, particularly in youth and educational settings. One such line of research focuses on what is called character and character education. Character refers to those elements of personality that are positive, those aspects of who we are that contributes both to self and to those around us. One line of this research was instigated by Martin Seligman, the father of modern positive psychology. Working with Chris Peterson and more than 50 internationally known experts in the science of positive living, they identified a set of 24 dimensions that were considered the key elements for a life well lived, one that is both personally satisfying and respected by others in the community. These 24 dimensions were called character strengths, and were broken into six groups, as represented in this figure. Research also suggests there are three basic elements to what we think of as character; elements that have been referred to as caring, inquisitiveness, and self–control. These three are biological adaptations important to the survival of our species, but also flexible biological systems that can be nurtured.
Over the last forty years, the study of wellbeing has grown exponentially. Perhaps the most important insight is that using these strengths are related to a greater sense of wellbeing. Five are particularly good predictors of wellbeing: gratitude, hope, zest, curiosity, and love. Recent research has found that gratitude is a particularly interesting element of character. One study found evidence suggesting that enhancing a sense of gratitude would be the single best way to promote growth across all the character strengths. Findings such as these have inspired an explosion of research on what are called gratitude interventions.
Examples include thinking of three things each day for which you’re grateful, or writing a letter of gratitude to someone, or rehearsing telling someone how grateful you are to them. These have proven remarkably effective at improving wellbeing and reducing negative affect.
Of course, these are not the only possible targets for interventions with youth intended to enhance wellbeing. Many other character education programs exist focusing on all sorts of elements of character. These include programs targeting empathy, self–control, and many other positive elements of who we are. A recent review of hundreds of these character education programs found many were relatively brief, which is often what happens in research, but there was evidence that interventions on average produced small but significant results. These effects were about the same size as those found in previous studies summarizing the literature on social and emotional skills training. Other programs have focused explicitly on enhancing student wellbeing, but it seems compelling to offer programs that are not only likely to enhance wellbeing, but also help youth become people of character.
This is a new vision of education. In this vision, education is about more than academic preparation. At a time of rapid change where uncertainties about the future abound, and where effective citizenship is increasingly essential to maintain the social fabric, a sense of character becomes increasingly important for self and society. Educational systems are evolving to meet this challenge and must continue to do so. The ability to recognize that which is positive in a complex world, to interact with others, and to see a future of hope are among the greatest skills parents, teachers, and professionals can impart to youth today.
