Why Should We Measure Our Strengths?
Strength assessment is a cornerstone of positive psychology. In his writings, Martin Seligman (often thought of as the father of positive psychology) argued that by understanding what people do well, they can be empowered to live a good life across various domains (Peterson & Seligman, 2004).
In particular, much work has been done to apply Seligman’s thinking about strengths to the domains of work and education.
The benefits of strength use at work
Many studies have highlighted the personal and professional benefits of applying our strengths in our jobs.
One review of findings on three prominent workplace strength assessments (VIA, CliftonStrengths, and Strengths Profile) found that applying our strengths in our careers leads to greater job satisfaction, work engagement, wellbeing, and work performance (Miglianico, Dubreuil, Miquelon, Bakker, & Martin‑Krumm, 2020).
Further, regular use of one’s strengths at work has been associated with a reduction of undesirable behaviors, such as interacting rudely with others or showing up late to work (Littman-Ovadia, Lavy, & Boiman-Meshita, 2017).
Interestingly, whether or not we are given opportunities to apply our strengths also affects teams’ performance and motivation.
One study of 72 nursing teams found that teams whose members were more supportive of strength use perceived greater team-based quality of care and were responsible for fewer medication errors (Buljac-Samardžić & van Woerkom, 2018).
Likewise, one study in the context of professional sporting teams found that athletes who felt able to apply their strengths within their team reported greater flourishing and felt more embedded in their team. These effects flowed on to reduce withdrawal behaviors (i.e., a person’s intention to leave the team; Tett & Meyer, 1993).
Overall, these findings point to a range of benefits for both the individual and the firm associated with using one’s strengths in the workplace.
The benefits of strength use in education
With the rise of interest in positive education, there has been an increase in research on the science of strength use in educational settings.
For instance, one study found that the strengths of inquisitiveness and self-control could predict elementary students’ performance on their final exams. Importantly, these pathways were fully mediated by strength use (Tang, Li, Duan, Mu, & Cheng, 2019).
In other words, it was not the mere presence of self-control and inquisitiveness that predicted academic performance but rather the extent to which students actively utilized these strengths throughout the school year that drove this effect.
Looking beyond test scores, strength use is widely believed to aid the development of school-aged students’ social and emotional learning (SEL).
SEL is defined as:
…a process through which youths can acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and skills they need to recognize and manage their emotions, demonstrate caring and concern for others, establish positive relationships, make responsible decisions, and handle challenging situations constructively.
Bates-Krakoff, McGrath, Graves, & Ochs (2017, p. 103)
Several studies have demonstrated the benefits of school-based positive psychology programs that support the development of students’ SEL. One such program, known as Thriving Learning Communities (TLC) has been rolled out across over 90 schools across the United States and five schools in Switzerland.
TLC is a comprehensive character strengths program based on Peterson and Seligman’s (2004) VIA Character Strengths Model. The program has been shown to support a diversity of students, ranging from those who are gifted to those exhibiting behavioral challenges (Bates-Krakoff et al., 2017; Biel, 2020).
Early studies into the benefits of such programs have demonstrated positive effects on a range of SEL outcomes, including conflict resolution, improved classroom behavior, and positive school adjustment (Shoshani & Slone, 2013; Wagner & Ruch, 2015; Weber & Ruch, 2012).
In sum, these findings point to a wide range of benefits associated with strength-use in educational settings.
Hopefully, you now understand the benefits of exploring your strengths and are eager to learn more. To help get you started, we’ll now outline nine fascinating strength-finding tests, several of which you can try for free.
But before we dive in, a quick note.
If you’re a practitioner interested in only the most psychometrically sound tests, we recommend reading about the three most accurate character strength assessments, where we review strengths-based assessments with the most comprehensive support for their reliability and validity.
Now, let’s get started.
Signature Strength Questionnaire (SSQ-72)
The first useful tool for the assessment of character strengths is Rashid and colleagues’ (2013) Signature Strength Questionnaire (SSQ-72).
These scholars designed their assessment to be administered among samples of children as a shortened alternative to the VIA Youth Survey, so it was originally called the Signature Strengths Assessment of Youth (SSAY) Survey.
In line with this focus, the developers of the scale defined ‘strengths’ as they related to the needs of school-aged children, defining them as:
…emotional and behavioral skills, competencies, and characteristics that foster a sense of personal accomplishment, contribute to supportive and satisfying relationships with family members, peers, and adults, enhance one’s ability to cope with challenges and stress, and promote one’s personal, social, and academic development.
Rashid et al. (2013, p. 82)
Today, the scale consists of 72 items assessing the same 24 character strengths as those in the VIA survey, and it is now widely administered among samples of adults.
Some sample items from the scale are as follows:
- I can recall at least three recent occasions when I did what I promised to do.
- I have recently created something such as art, writing, designing.
- I spend substantial time discovering things that I did not know before.
- I recently took responsibility for a thing I did wrong.
- I can recall situations where I have forgiven someone and gave the person a second chance.
All items are presented on 7-point scales, where 1 equals ‘very untrue of me,’ and 7 equals ‘very true of me.’
You can complete the full SSQ-72 assessment for free via the University of Toronto’s Strengths-Based Resilience website.
If someone asked you to define your top strengths, how would you respond?
What our readers think
Hi! One correction I wanted to point out. The father of positive psychology is Martin Seligman. The man you listed, Peter Seligman, is a non-profit founder.
Hi Andrew,
Whoops! Thanks for catching this typo for us. We’ve corrected it 🙂
– Nicole | Community Manager
Thank you Nicole for this article, it looks like it was refreshed in 2021. I work to help people activate strengths in work and life. The one thing I would add or reframe is the use of a personal SWOT, coming from a positive psychology approach includes an appreciative and generative mindset. SOAR is a more affirmative way to reframe weaknesses and threats into opportunities. Check out SOAR, creating strategy that inspires innovation and engagement by Jackie Stavros, and Gina Hinrichs. I work with a tool called Strengthscope that identifies people’s natural, intrinsic motivators and strengths and is not a free tool and has to be accessed through a certified facilitator. I appreciate your efforts to help people find free resources in this article.