What good are character strengths beyond subjective well-being? The contribution of the good character on self-reported health-oriented behavior, physical fitness, and the subjective health status

Character strengths were tested in relation to subjective (life satisfaction) and physical (selfevaluated health and physical fitness) well-being (440 adults). Health-behaviors and the mediating role of health-behaviors in explaining the relationship between character and well-being were also considered. Emotional, intellectual strengths and strengths of the heart were positively associated with life satisfaction and physical fitness. Emotional strengths correlated positively with the self-evaluation of feeling healthy. All strengths (except for modesty and religiousness) were related to health-behaviors; e.g. healthy eating and watching ones food consumption were associated with self-regulation and intellectual strengths. Health behaviors partially mediated the relation of broader strengths factors on subjective and physical well-being. The largest indirect effects were found for leading an active way of life. The study suggests that there are positive relations between character strengths and subjective but also physical well-being. Furthermore, potential mechanisms, which might account for these relations (i.e. health-behaviors) are assessed. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2013.777767 Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich ZORA URL: https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-78004 Accepted Version Originally published at: Proyer, Rene T; Gander, Fabian; Wellenzohn, Sara; Ruch, Willibald (2013). What good are character strengths beyond subjective well-being? The contribution of the good character on self-reported healthoriented behavior, physical fitness, and the subjective health status. Journal of Positive Psychology, 8(3):222-232. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2013.777767 This manuscript was published as: Proyer, R. T., Gander, F., Wellenzohn, S., & Ruch, W. (2013). What Good Are Character Strengths Beyond Subjective Well-Being? The Contribution of the Good Character on Self-Reported Health-Oriented Behavior, Physical Fitness, and the Subjective Health Status. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 8, 222232. doi:10.1080/17439760.2013.777767 Character and physical well-being What Good Are Character Strengths Beyond Subjective Well-Being? The Contribution of the Good Character on Self-Reported Health-Oriented Behavior, Physical Fitness, and the Subjective Health Status René T. Proyer Fabian Gander Sara Wellenzohn Willibald Ruch René T. Proyer, Fabian Gander, Sara Wellenzohn, and Willibald Ruch are at the Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland. The preparation of this paper has been facilitated by a research grant of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF; 100014_132512) awarded to RTP and WR. The authors wish to thank Nicole Jehle for her help with the data collection during her internship at the department and Marisa de Lannay for proofreading the manuscript. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to René T. Proyer, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Binzmühlestrasse 14/7, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland; E-mail: [email protected] Character and physical well-being