Tandem virtue development: Latent growth trajectories of welcoming accountability, patience, and courage in goal pursuit

Authors

• Robert J. Ridder, Baylor University
• Hiroko Matsuo, Baylor University
• Charlotte [email protected], Belmont UniversityFollow
• Anne Jeffrey, Baylor University
• Karen K. Melton, Baylor University
• Perry L. Glanzer, Baylor University
• Sarah A. Schnitker, Baylor University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2025

Publication Title

The Journal of Positive Psychology

Abstract

Informed by philosophical virtue theory, we tested developmental trajectories of welcoming accountability to other people in tandem with patience and courage. We sampled 870 US undergraduates pursuing personally-identified goals (N = 1,996 goals) across four timepoints in two years. Multi-level bivariate latent growth curve modeling disaggregated between-person patterns from within-person goal-level patterns for the three virtue measures. All three virtues’ slopes were nonsignificant, meaning virtues showed no uniform patterns of change for the sample. The slope of welcoming accountability was associated with the slopes of patience and courage so closely at the between-person level that a combined slope parameter was created, indicating virtues developed collectively. Importantly, at the within-person goal-level, the slopes of the virtues were not associated; in the context of pursuing particular goals, virtues developed distinctly. Results suggest that collective character growth, stagnation, or decline occurred for the whole person, yet specific goals call for specific virtues.

Recommended Citation

Ridder, R. J., Matsuo, H., Witvliet, C. V., Jeffrey, A., Melton, K. K., Glanzer, P. L., & Schnitker, S. A. (2025). Tandem virtue development: Latent growth trajectories of welcoming accountability, patience, and courage in goal pursuit. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2025.2594198