The role of character strengths in adolescent romantic relationships: An initial study on partner selection and matesʹ life satisfaction

The present study investigated the role of 24 character strengths in 87 adolescent romantic relationships focusing on their role in partner selection and their role in matesʹ life satisfaction. Measures included the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths for Youth, the Studentsʹ Life Satisfaction Scale, and an Ideal Partner Profiler for the composition of an ideal partner. Honesty, humor, and love were the most preferred character strengths in an ideal partner. Hope, religiousness, honesty, and fairness showed the most substantial assortment coefficients. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed targetsʹ character strengths as explaining variance in targetsʹ life satisfaction. Furthermore, to a lesser degree, specific character strengths of partners and couplesʹ similarity in certain character strengths explained variance in targetsʹ life satisfaction beyond targetsʹ character strengths. This first research on this topic showed that character strengths play a significant role in adolescent romantic relationships.