Virtues and Vices across Cultures

Abstract Whereas values form an important area of research for psychologists, psychologists show little interest in virtues and even less in vices. This is remarkable because virtues and vices probably have an equally strong effect on human behavior. This entry gives an overview of virtues and vices on the basis of empirical data from a broad range of nations. Contemporary virtues and vices refer more to social behavior than classical virtues, which rather refer to individual moral excellence. Research also shows that virtues differ to some extent from nation to nation or to clusters of nations that share a language. Vices appear to be—to some extent—the opposites of virtues.