VIA Character Strengths Profile

Generalities

The VIA (Values for Action Inventory) Survey is published by the VIA Institute on Character, based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The VIA Institute on Character is a non-profit organization. It says their mission is to bring the science of character strengths to the world by creating and validating surveys on character, conducting research studies on character, and offering their survey for free with reports at varying prices depending on their granularity and scope (individual or team).

Assessment

The Via character survey measures the following 24 dimensions. The dimensions are regrouped into six categories: Wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence.

Dimension	Description	GRI a priori
Honesty	Speaking the truth but more broadly presenting oneself in a genuine way and acting in a sincere way; being without pretense; taking responsibility for one's feelings and actions.	Not applicable. Depends on the context.
Kindness	Doing favors and good deeds for others; helping them; taking care of them.	Very low 1
Humor	Liking to laugh and tease; bringing smiles to other people; seeing the light side; making (not necessarily telling) jokes.	Very High 2
Leadership	Encouraging a group of which one is a member to get things done and at the same time maintain good relations within the group; organizing group activities and seeing that they happen.	Low 1, high 2
Teamwork	Working well as a member of a group or team; being loyal to the group; doing one's share.	Low 1
Creativity	Thinking of novel and productive ways to conceptualize and do things; includes artistic achievement but is not limited to it.	Not applicable. Depends on the context.
Fairness	Treating all people the same according to notions of fairness and justice; not letting feelings bias decisions about others; giving everyone a fair chance.	Not applicable. Not applicable. Depends on the context.
Bravery	Not shrinking from threat, challenge, difficulty, or pain; speaking up for what’s right even if there’s opposition; acting on convictions even if unpopular; includes physical bravery but is not limited to it.	Not applicable. Depends on the context.
Love of Learning	Mastering new skills, topics, and bodies of knowledge, whether on one's own or formally; related to the strength of curiosity but goes beyond it to describe the tendency to add systematically to what one knows.	Not applicable. Depends on the context.
Judgment	Thinking things through and examining them from all sides; not jumping to conclusions; being able to change one's mind in light of evidence; weighing all evidence fairly.	Low 1, low 2, high 3, high 4
Curiosity	Taking an interest in ongoing experience for its own sake; finding subjects and topics fascinating; exploring and discovering.	Not applicable. Depends on the context.
Perspective	Being able to provide wise counsel to others; having ways of looking at the world that make sense to oneself/others. Not applicable. Depends on the context.
Social Intelligence	Being aware of the motives/feelings of others and oneself; knowing what to do to fit into different social situations; knowing what makes other people tick.	Very high 2
Forgiveness	Forgiving those who have done wrong; accepting others’ shortcomings; giving people a second chance; not being vengeful.	Not applicable. Depends on the context.
Zest	Approaching life with excitement and energy; not doing things halfway or halfheartedly; living life as an adventure; feeling alive and activated.	Not applicable. Depends on the context.
Perseverance	Finishing what one starts; persevering in a course of action in spite of obstacles; “getting it out the door”; taking pleasure in completing tasks.	Not applicable. Depends on the context.
Self-Regulation	Regulating what one feels and does; being disciplined; controlling one's appetites and emotions.	High 2, high 3
Prudence	Being careful about one's choices; not taking undue risks; not saying or doing things that might later be regretted.	Low 1, high 3, high 4
Love	Valuing close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing & caring are reciprocated; being close to people.	High 2
Hope	Expecting the best in the future and working to achieve it; believing that a good future is something that can be brought about.	Not applicable. Depends on the context.
Humility	Letting one's accomplishments speak for themselves; not regarding oneself as more special than one is.	Low 1
Appreciation of Beauty & Excellence	Noticing and appreciating beauty, excellence, and/or skilled performance in various domains of life, from nature to art to mathematics to science to everyday experience.	Not applicable. Depends on the context.
Gratitude	Being aware of and thankful for the good things that happen; taking time to express thanks.	Not applicable. Depends on the context.
Spirituality	Having coherent beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of the universe; knowing where one fits within the larger scheme; having beliefs about the meaning of life that shape conduct and provide comfort.	Not applicable. Depends on the context.

Statistics

The publisher provides statistical analyses of the survey.

Usage

The target of the VIA survey is individuals and professionals, such as therapists, managers, and educators.

Comments

The VIA Survey is offered free of charge worldwide in many languages. It sells by reports and training.

The total 24 Character Strengths Report for $50, the Top 5 Character Strengths Report for $20, a Mindfulness and Character Strengths Report for $15, and a Team report for $15 (January 2025). The training Start with Strengths is sold at $130/participant, the Mindfulness-Based Strengths Practice (MBSP) at $500, and the Mindfulness-Based Strengths Practice Certification at $4,000/participant (January 2025).