title: Scale- and item-level factor analyses of the VIA inventory of strengths.
abstract: The VIA Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) has emerged as the primary instrument for gauging individual strengths and virtues. Prior studies have generated inconsistent results concerning the latent structure of the VIA-IS. The present study attempted to address some of these inconsistencies. VIA-IS results from a large sample (N = 458,998) of U.S. adults who completed the inventory online were subjected to a series of principal components and factor analyses. The sample was 66.46% female with a mean age of 34.36 years (SD = 14.13 years) and consistent with the general U.S. population in terms of geographic distribution. Information on ethnicity was not available. The size of the sample permitted both scale- and item-level analyses. The scale-level analyses produced findings similar to those of previous studies, but raised concerns about multidimensionality in the scales. Item-level analyses suggested an alternate set of 24 scales, 20 of which overlapped substantially with existing VIA-IS scales. A second-order analysis suggested five factors, including a new one labeled Future Orientation, versus the original six virtues proposed in the development of the VIA-IS. The results were used to speculate about elements of a second-generation model of strengths.
authors.affiliation: Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: McGrath
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D002605:Character; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D028722:Virtues