Background

The capacity for character strengths (CS) is theorized to emerge in the first year of life and begins to consolidate around age three (Park & Peterson, 2006). CS evidence numerous associations with well-being. CS research with young children lags in contrast to older children, adolescents, and adults, perhaps in part due to methodological challenges (e.g., young children ill-suited to questionnaire self-report methods). The current study sought to address this deficit by employing caregiver interview methodology to contribute to a better understanding of the Values in Action (VIA) CS and their associations with functioning in children aged 4-6. 

Aims

Objectives were to examine which CS were most prevalent in caregiver descriptions of children aged 4 to 6 and how these CS were associated with childhood functioning.

Method

Caregivers (N= 147) were administered an adapted version of the Five-Minute Speech Sample task (Magana et al., 1986) in which they were asked to describe their child and subsequently completed measures of child well-being and functioning. Transcripts were subsequently double-coded (Cohen’s Kappa = .89) for child depictions consistent with the VIA framework (based on Park & Peterson, 2006 methodology).

Results

Caregivers ranged in age from 24 to 50 years (Mage = 36) and children from 4 to 6 years (Mage = 4.8; 57% boys). Children demonstrated a wide variety of different CS in unique combinations. Results cohered with the limited extant research on the most (e.g., kindness) and least (e.g., perspective) prevalent CS in young children. Love and creativity were more prevalent in girls, while humour and prudence were more prevalent in boys. Child happiness was associated with strengths of creativity, hope, and love of learning, appreciation of beauty and excellence, and zest. Child difficulties were related to zest, and prosocial behaviour was related to kindness and social intelligence.

Conclusion

Implications and future directions for CS research and practice with young children (e.g., CS in parenting and early education programs) are discussed.