The utility of the psycholexical approach for identifying military core values: Illustrated in a sample of Swiss career officers and NCOs.

Values have always been a top priority in the military domains of leadership, training, ethical commitment, and psychological research. However, only a few studies have assessed value descriptors and their underlying dimensional structure in military organizations using an empirical psycholexical and factor analytical approach. This research project examined the structure of military values and derived core military values.

Paragons of character-Character strengths and well-being of moral, creative, and religious exemplars.

Objective: Which traits best describe individuals who are recognized as exemplary in different domains? And can self-rated positively valued personality traits distinguish such individuals from the general population?

Background: The study of exemplary individuals' personality traits traditionally focused on general and broad traits. Using character strengths, which are narrower and designed to describe desirable behavior, could provide new insights.

Method: In this study, we examined 204 outstanding individuals-exemplars who received or were nominated for a public award recognizing their exemplary behavior (e.

Evaluation of a Study Protocol of the Application of Humor Interventions in Palliative Care Through a First Pilot Study.

Background: Humor and laughter might have an alleviating effect on pain threshold and enhance coping and building relationships. However, randomized controlled studies in palliative care have struggled with high percentages of attrition and missing values.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate a study protocol through a pilot study for the evaluation of a multistage humor intervention with psychological and physiological outcome parameters that may be applied successfully in a palliative care environment.

Toward a dynamic model of Gelotophobia: Social support, workplace bullying and stress are connected with diverging trajectories of life and job satisfaction among Gelotophobes.

Recent theoretical advances have grounded gelotophobia (Greek:  = laughter,  = fear) in a dynamic framework of causes, moderating factors, and consequences of the fear of being laughed at. This understanding corresponds to that of and translates gelotophobia into a distinguishable pattern of lacking resources (i.e.

Cultural Differences in How People Deal with Ridicule and Laughter: Differential Item Functioning between the Taiwanese Chinese and Canadian English Versions of the PhoPhiKat-45.

The PhoPhiKat-45 measures three dispositions toward ridicule and laughter, including gelotophobia (i.e., the fear of being laughed at), gelotophilia (i.

Humour interventions for patients in palliative care-a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: The effect of humour on end-of-life patients could be beneficial and is worth investigating. However, data on humour interventions for patients in palliative care are scarce. This study evaluated the effects of a humour intervention in a palliative care setting.

What constitutes a fulfilled life? A mixed methods study on lay perspectives across the lifespan.

Recently, we initiated a new research line on fulfillment in life by developing a conceptual framework and a self-report measure. To enhance conceptual clarity and complement theoretical considerations and empirical findings, we investigated lay conceptions of a fulfilled life in German-speaking participants at different life stages. First, we selected a qualitative approach using an open-ended question asking participants to describe a fulfilled life.

Humor in radiological breast cancer screening: a way of improving patient service?

Background: Breast cancer screening is essential in detecting breast tumors, however, the examination is stressful. In this study we analyzed whether humor enhances patient satisfaction.

Methods: In this prospective randomized study 226 patients undergoing routine breast cancer screening at a single center during October 2020 to July 2021 were included.

On the relationship between valence and arousal in samples across the globe.

Affect is involved in many psychological phenomena, but a descriptive structure, long sought, has been elusive. Valence and arousal are fundamental, and a key question-the focus of the present study-is the relationship between them. Valence is sometimes thought to be independent of arousal, but, in some studies (representing too few societies in the world) arousal was found to vary with valence.

Fear of being laughed at in Italian healthcare workers: Testing associations with humor styles and coping humor.

Humor is a strategy that healthcare workers can use to help patients cope with stress and manage complex situations. However, people differ in how they deal with laughter. Our aim was to investigate gelotophobia (fear of being laughed at) among healthcare professionals and its relationships with humor styles and inclinations to use humor for coping.

Character strengths and fluid intelligence.

Objective: Research on the associations between cognitive and noncognitive personality traits has widely neglected character strengths, that means positively and morally valued personality traits that constitute good character.

Method: The present study aimed to bridge this gap by studying the associations between character strengths and fluid intelligence using different operationalizations of character strengths (including self- and informant-reports) and fluid intelligence in children, adolescents, and adults.

Results: The results, based on four samples (N = 193/290/330/324), suggested that morally valued personality traits are independent of fluid intelligence, with the exception of love of learning, which showed small but robust positive relationships with fluid intelligence across all samples.

Character Strengths in Adults and Adolescents: Their Measurement and Association with Well-Being.

Character strengths are assessed in adults and adolescents using different measurements. However, a comparison of character strengths across age groups requires the equivalence of these measurements. The present study examined the comparability of the two questionnaires most frequently used in research: The VIA Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) for adults and the VIA Inventory of Strengths for Youth (VIA-Youth).

Convergence and Psychometric Properties of Character Strengths Measures: The VIA-IS and the VIA-IS-R.

This study compares the German versions of the original measure of character strengths (VIA-IS) with its latest revision (VIA-IS-R) regarding reliability and convergent, discriminant, and criterion-related validity. A sample of 499 German-speaking adults (79% women, mean age: 33.3 years) provided self-reports of character strengths (VIA-IS, VIA-IS-R) and several criteria: Core virtues, thriving, and moral behaviors.

Migraine and Happiness.

To investigate the association between happiness and migraine. Contemporary operationalizations of happiness include the prevailing positive over negative affect and the satisfaction with life. Generally, extreme events and circumstances influence happiness only temporarily.

Measuring What Counts in Life: The Development and Initial Validation of the Fulfilled Life Scale (FLS).

In a recent work, we introduced a theoretical model for fulfillment in life that covers cognitive and affective components and distinguishes different time frames. The present study evaluates this model and describes the construction of the Fulfilled Life Scale (FLS) to assess fulfillment regarding the whole lived life retrospectively. We investigated the scale in two samples (Sample 1: = 282 adults aged 50-93 years; Sample 2: = 406 adults aged 40-85 years).

Do beliefs in the malleability of well-being affect the efficacy of positive psychology interventions? Results of a randomized placebo-controlled trial.

The present study examines the role of beliefs about the malleability of well-being in a randomized, placebo-controlled, online positive psychology intervention targeting 267 German-speaking adults (83% women, mean age = 43.16 years). The participants of the experimental group ("three good things" intervention) and placebo control group ("early memories") reported their levels of happiness before and immediately after the 1-week intervention, as well as 2, 4, and 12 weeks after the intervention.

The State-Trait Cheerfulness Inventory State Version-Short Form (STCI-S18): An Examination of Language Use and Psychometric Properties.

The State-Trait Cheerfulness Inventory-State Version (STCI-S) measures three states of cheerfulness, seriousness, and bad mood as the temperamental basis of humor. The present study investigates (1) the development and psychometric validation of a newly developed short version and (2) test-criterion validity with state measures and language use. Study 1 ( = 933) confirmed the three-dimensional structure, and both the short and standard versions demonstrated strong psychometric properties.

Exploring the stability of HEXACO-60 structure and the association of gender, age, and social position with personality traits across 18 countries.

Objectives: The present paper tests the cross-national stability of the HEXACO-60 structure across 18 countries from four continents. Gender and age differences across countries will be examined. Finally, this is the first study to explicitly analyze the relationships between the HEXACO and social position.

Character Strengths in the Life Domains of Work, Education, Leisure, and Relationships and Their Associations With Flourishing.

A growing body of research demonstrates the relevance of character strengths for flourishing in general, but also for important outcomes across different life domains (e.g., work performance and relationship satisfaction).

The Relationships of Team Role- and Character Strengths-Balance With Individual and Team-Level Satisfaction and Performance.

Teamwork has been argued to play an increasingly important role in numerous jobs, and several studies focused on the effects of team composition for work-related outcomes. Recent research has also identified individuals' character strengths and positive team roles (e.g.

Co-occurrence Patterns of Character Strengths and Measured Core Virtues in German-Speaking Adults.

The VIA Classification on character strengths and virtues suggests 24 character strengths clustered into six core virtues (wisdom and knowledge, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence). Three recent studies employed different methods for testing the assignment of character strengths to virtues (e.g.

Scrutinizing the Criteria for Character Strengths: Laypersons Assert That Every Strength Is Positively Morally Valued, Even in the Absence of Tangible Outcomes.

This study examines Peterson and Seligman's (2004, p. 19) claim that every VIA character strength "(…) is morally valued in its own right, even in the absence of obvious beneficial outcomes". Although this criterion assumes a pivotal role in distinguishing character from personality, no previous study has investigated its validity.

Character Strengths: Person-Environment Fit and Relationships With Job and Life Satisfaction.

Several studies demonstrated the relevance of character strengths in the workplace. For example, it has been shown that they positively relate to performance and are strong predictors of job satisfaction. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that occupational groups differ in their average levels of character strengths.

Does the Excellent Enactment of Highest Strengths Reveal Virtues?

Two studies examined the assumption that character strengths enable virtues and facilitate the good life. Study 1 validated a "layperson's excellent enactment of highest strengths paradigm". This paradigm states that more appropriate assignments of character strengths to virtues are obtained when based on descriptions of highest character strengths enacted in an excellent way, than when based on lowest character strengths, or typical enactments.

Character Strengths Are Related to Students' Achievement, Flow Experiences, and Enjoyment in Teacher-Centered Learning, Individual, and Group Work Beyond Cognitive Ability.

While character strengths have been found to predict educational outcomes beyond broad personality traits and cognitive ability, little is known about their differential contribution to success and positive learning experiences in different school settings. In this study, we use trait activation theory to investigate the relationships of students' character strengths with achievement, flow experiences, and enjoyment in different learning situations (i.e.