Character strengths before and after September 11.
Did Americans change following the September 11 terrorist attacks? We provide a tentative answer with respect to the positive traits included in the Values in Action Classification of Strengths and measured with a self-report questionnaire available on-line and completed by 4,817 respondents. When scores for individuals completing the survey in the 2 months immediately after September 11 were compared with scores for those individuals who completed the survey before September 11, seven character strengths showed increases: gratitude, hope, kindness, leadership, love, spirituality, and teamwork. Ten months after September 11, these character strengths were still elevated, although to a somewhat lesser degree than immediately following the attacks.
Peterson
Christopher
C
Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109-1109, USA. chrispet@umich.edu
Seligman
Martin E P
ME
D000328:Adult; D000401:Aircraft; D002605:Character; D004219:District of Columbia; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012945:Social Values; D029181:Spirituality; D023481:Terrorism / Q000523:psychology*