Contextualized measurement of virtues: best practices and innovations

Abstract

ABSTRACTAppropriately contextualizing measures of virtues while avoiding commons pitfalls of virtues assessment (e.g. socially desirable responding, lack of sensitivity to change) provides researchers immense challenges – especially in adolescent population. This article evaluates classic and, primarily, novel approaches to virtue measurement and provides recommendations for researchers and practitioners, focusing particularly on the methods used by those in this special issue. Such methods and measures include those that are more sensitive to change, context, and developmental period. We provide questions and considerations as to how practitioners and researchers might determine the usefulness of specific approaches.KEYWORDS: Character measurementinterventionsadolescencecontext sensitive Disclosure statementThe authors have no relevant financial or non-financial conflicts of interest.Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by the John Templeton Foundation (#61221) and Templeton Religion Trust under Grant (#0314).