Page 146 - Ana Kozina and Nora Wiium, eds. ▪︎ Positive Youth Development in Contexts. Ljubljana: Educational Research Institute, 2021. Digital Library, Dissertationes (Scientific Monographs), 42.
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positive youth development in contexts
importance of respecting the balance between serving oneself and act-
ing selflessly for the benefit of others. Here, the role of Self-regulation is
indirectly recognised. For people of character, a moral compass is nec-
essary and Judgement can assist them to make difficult decisions about
what is right and wrong. These decisions should be made with Prudence, a
strength of character that is a “form of practical reasoning and self-man-
agement that helps to achieve the individual’s goals effectively” (Peterson &
Seligman, 2004, p. 478). In the students’ words, it is important for them to
be able to define what is right and wrong, decide what to do in certain situ-
ations (Judgement), restrain themselves from doing the wrong thing (Self-
regulation), and think before taking actions so as to later avoid regretting
it (Prudence).
Perseverance and Curiosity can be used for promoting Competence.
The benefits of perseverance are widely recognised – it increases the chanc-
es of achieving difficult goals and is usually necessary for success. It can
also improve one’s skills and resourcefulness (Peterson & Seligman, 2004),
where its intertwining with Competence is evident. The students recog-
nised the role of Perseverance in all three domains of Competence as it
helps them maintain good relationships with friends (social domain), ac-
complish their study goals and successfully meet deadlines (academic do-
main), and they see it as an important strength for their future work (voca-
tional domain). The role of Perseverance in students’ Competence is clearly
described here: “If I set goals and am very persistent in achieving them, soon-
er or later I will succeed. And when I achieve my goals, I feel positive in dif-
ferent areas”. Curiosity is one’s “intrinsic desire for experience and knowl-
edge” (Peterson & Seligman, 2004, p. 125) and important for Competence.
Students with greater curiosity learn better, engage and perform better in
academic settings, feel more positive emotions, and report having more
satisfying school experiences and relationships with teachers (for a review,
see Peterson & Seligman, 2004). Students expressed that Curiosity helps
them learn better, improve their general knowledge and obtain more expe-
rience in different domains.
Conclusions
‘A life well-lived’ can be encouraged by identifying, developing and us-
ing individual character strengths (Seligman, 2002), with the findings of
the present study showing that fostering and developing particular char-
acter strengths is a promising strategy for promoting the 5 Cs of the PYD
146
importance of respecting the balance between serving oneself and act-
ing selflessly for the benefit of others. Here, the role of Self-regulation is
indirectly recognised. For people of character, a moral compass is nec-
essary and Judgement can assist them to make difficult decisions about
what is right and wrong. These decisions should be made with Prudence, a
strength of character that is a “form of practical reasoning and self-man-
agement that helps to achieve the individual’s goals effectively” (Peterson &
Seligman, 2004, p. 478). In the students’ words, it is important for them to
be able to define what is right and wrong, decide what to do in certain situ-
ations (Judgement), restrain themselves from doing the wrong thing (Self-
regulation), and think before taking actions so as to later avoid regretting
it (Prudence).
Perseverance and Curiosity can be used for promoting Competence.
The benefits of perseverance are widely recognised – it increases the chanc-
es of achieving difficult goals and is usually necessary for success. It can
also improve one’s skills and resourcefulness (Peterson & Seligman, 2004),
where its intertwining with Competence is evident. The students recog-
nised the role of Perseverance in all three domains of Competence as it
helps them maintain good relationships with friends (social domain), ac-
complish their study goals and successfully meet deadlines (academic do-
main), and they see it as an important strength for their future work (voca-
tional domain). The role of Perseverance in students’ Competence is clearly
described here: “If I set goals and am very persistent in achieving them, soon-
er or later I will succeed. And when I achieve my goals, I feel positive in dif-
ferent areas”. Curiosity is one’s “intrinsic desire for experience and knowl-
edge” (Peterson & Seligman, 2004, p. 125) and important for Competence.
Students with greater curiosity learn better, engage and perform better in
academic settings, feel more positive emotions, and report having more
satisfying school experiences and relationships with teachers (for a review,
see Peterson & Seligman, 2004). Students expressed that Curiosity helps
them learn better, improve their general knowledge and obtain more expe-
rience in different domains.
Conclusions
‘A life well-lived’ can be encouraged by identifying, developing and us-
ing individual character strengths (Seligman, 2002), with the findings of
the present study showing that fostering and developing particular char-
acter strengths is a promising strategy for promoting the 5 Cs of the PYD
146
