| Summary: | We aggregated data from
28 studies (total N=13,386) to assess the relationship between individual
differences in character strengths, as described by the VIA model of character,
and economically-relevant behaviors and cognition. Factor analyzing the
character strength inventory responses revealed four factors – Caring,
Leadership, Inquisitiveness, and Self-control – each of which correlated with a
variety of measures. Caring was associated with the willingness to pay costs to
benefit others, as well as reliance on intuitive decision-making; Leadership
was associated with inefficient, anti-social behaviors, risk taking, and
trusting one’s intuitions while also liking to reason; Inquisitiveness was
associated with efficient behaviors in both the social and risk domains, and
reliance on deliberative decision-making; and Self-control was associated with
delaying gratification, risk aversion, and a reliance on reason. These results
help shed light on the relationship between character – and personality more
generally – and economic behaviors. In doing so, we give some indication of
which types of people will be most successful in which decision-making
contexts.
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