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Examining the possibility of

Growth through adversity

Can we grow through adversity?

The theme of “strength from adversity” is appealing to many, and central to a number of cultural narratives. However, claims that adversity can in fact build character lacks robust empirical evidence, with many unanswered questions remaining. Do character strengths and virtues in fact grow following adversity and what are the rigorous methodological approaches for prospectively assessing potential growth? The Pathways to Character project aims to promote research that rigorously examines whether adversity, challenge, or failure can strengthen character, with a focus on the virtues of altruism, humility, gratitude, relatedness/empathy, spirituality and open-mindedness.

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Featured Projects

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Is Narrative a Mechanism for the Development of Empathy and Humility when Overcoming Interpersonal Failures?

In this multi-site international research project, we employ an innovative mixed-methods design to examine whether the type of narrative that individuals construct after committing an act of interpersonal failure leads to the development of empathy and humility over time. We define acts of interpersonal failure as the mistakes and wrongdoings individuals commit during their romantic […]

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U.S.-Mexicans

U.S. Mexicans’ Pathways to Character

There is popular and scholarly interest in the idea that adverse experiences may promote character/virtue development. Scholarship can address previous methodological and conceptual limitations by studying character development processes in groups that demonstrate high exposure to adversity and high virtues. Though there is substantial within-group diversity, prior research shows that U.S. Mexicans display high character […]

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Partnered Research

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Research at ASU

Research at ASU will examine the nature of character growth following adversity, its concordance with informant reports, the processes through which growth manifests following adversity and individuals’ characteristics that may increase or decrease one’s likelihood of experiencing character growth following adversity.

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Research at WFU

Research at WFU will combine experience sampling methodology, self- and informant-ratings and qualitative interviews to examine the relationship between retrospective self-perceived growth, growth-relevant behaviors, identity and reputation to accurately access character change following challenge and failure.

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Meet the Team

Our Project Team is an interdisciplinary group of scholars, each of them well-respected in their field, who will be a part of the grant review process and serve as a board of advisors for the Pathways to Character Project.

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