Abstract

This dissertation introduces the Virtues Scale, a 140-item self-report measure of virtues. A total of 714 subjects participated in the study. The four virtue factors identified through factor analysis are: Factor I Empathy, Factor II Order, Factor III Resourcefulness, and Factor IV Serenity. Factor I Empathy describes the virtue involved with empathetically caring for others. Factor II Order describes the virtue involved with conscientiously maintaining order and discipline over one's behavior. Factor III Resourcefulness describes the virtue involved with successfully developing and utilizing one's resources and talents with confidence. Factor IV Serenity describes the virtue involved with maintaining an attitude of serenity, meekness, and peace in the face of interactions with others. Four virtue factor scales are derived from the factor analysis data. These scales show excellent reliabilities. ;The four virtue factor scales demonstrate construct validity through Pearson product-moment correlations with measures of personality, moral development, and epistemological style: the Revised NEO Personality Inventory , the Defining Issues Test , the Scale of Adult Intellectual Development , the Organicism-Mechanism Paradigm Inventory , the California Psychological Inventory , the Hogan Personality Inventory , the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale , and the Crowne-Marlowe Social Desirability Scale . ;Meaningful and significant relationships were found between the four virtues scales and factors of each of the personality and epistemological style measures. Factor I Empathy correlates most highly with HPI Likeability, NEO PI-R Agreeableness, and HPI Validity. Factor II Order correlates most highly with NEO PI-R Conscientiousness, and HPI Prudence. Factor III Resourcefulness correlates most highly with RSES, HPI Ambition, and negatively with NEO PI-R Neuroticism. Factor IV Serenity correlates most highly with HPI Service Orientation. No meaningful and significant relationships were found between the virtues scales and the DIT measure of moral development. ;The results are discussed in light of issues concerning personality, moral development, and epistemology. The data suggest a model of psychological virtue which is closer to personality than to moral development or epistemological style. This dissertation concludes that the virtues approach to moral psychology appears fruitful and that the Virtues Scale is a reliable and valid measure of one virtues perspective