Character Strengths and Psychological Type in University Peer Educators

Abstract

This study explores the relationships between character strengths and psychological type in a sample of university peer educators. As part of their training, 69 peer educators from the University of KwaZulu-Natal completed both the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The administration of these questionnaires was integrated into the peer educator training as a means of enhancing self- and other-awareness, and inducting the participants into their role as peer educators. Significant differences were found between five of the 24 VIA-IS character strengths and three of the four bipolar categories of MBTI type. In particular, when compared with introverts, extraverts reported significantly stronger scores for the character strengths of curiosity and humour, while the character strength of appreciation of beauty and excellence was significantly higher in the MBTI preference of intuition (when compared with sensing). Finally, the character strengths of capacity to love and be loved and gratitude were stronger for those with the MBTI category of feeling (when compared with those in the category thinking). Positioned within the framework of positive psychology and context of peer education in higher education, the implications of these results are considered from strengths and type perspectives.