Character Strengths, Learned Optimism, and Social Competence among University Students

Abstract

The aim of the present study was twofold: First, it explored the predictive relationship of character strength and learned optimism with social competence among university students. Second, it investigated the role of various demographic factors (e.g. gender and income levels) in relation to character strengths, social competence and learned optimism. The sample (N = 300) consisted of university students with age range of 20 to 25 years. The Brief Strength Test (Peterson & Seligman, 2004), Life Orientation Test (Scheier & Carver, 1985), and Social Competence Scale (Shehzad, 2001) were used to measure character strength, learned optimism, and social competence, respectively. Results showed that character strengths and learned optimism predicted social competence. Results also revealed that women exhibited more wisdom, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence as compared to men. Findings further showed that respondents from higher income groups reflected more strength of wisdom, courage, justice, and transcendence as compared to low income group. However nonsignificant differences were observed along learned optimism and social competence in relation to gender and income levels. Implications of the study were also discussed.