Profile similarities among romantic partners’ character strengths and their associations with relationship- and life satisfaction

Abstract

We studied the similarity among partners’ character strengths (i.e., positively valued traits) across two studies. In Study 1, N = 68 couples completed the 240-item VIA Inventory of Strengths and in Study 2, N = 143 couples completed a 24-item brief-form and measures of life- and relationship satisfaction. We computed raw, normative, and distinctive profile similarities for the 24 strengths and found support for partners’ similarity in both studies (normative: rs ≥ 0.84; raw: rs ≥ 0.23; distinctive: rs ≥ 0.06). Actor-Partner Interdependence Model analyses (Study 2) provided no evidence for the notion that similarity relates to couples’ satisfaction. We discuss our findings regarding prior research, assortative mating preferences, and extensions to the study of partner- and ideal partner perceptions.