Author(s): Peyton Andrus
Mentor(s): Cameron John
Institution UVU
Archetypes are a Jungian concept commonly used in narrative therapy. An archetype is a universal, primal image representing a distinctive behavior pattern. The Pearson-Marr Archetype Indicator (PMAI) created by Pearson and Marr (2002) is based on male archetypes rather than female. Feminine archetypes in particular have limited research and conceptualization. This study was conducted to determine if there was a correlation between feminine archetypes and character strengths. This study had 49 female participants who were over eighteen years old. Participants took the VIA Character strengths test and completed a feminine archetypes questionnaire created for this research project. The feminine archetypes questionnaire was created based on operational definitions of feminine archetypes derived from mythology in the Greek, Hindu, Chinese, and Egyptian traditions. The feminine archetypes used in this research were the lover, the mystic, the mother, the queen, the huntress, and the sage. The results from both surveys were analyzed using SPSS with a two-tailed significance test and Pearson’s R. A significant amount of strong correlations were found between certain character strengths and archetypes. Even more significant is the fact that each strength matched the archetypal traits of the feminine archetype with which it correlated. A positive correlation of +0.671 existed between the character strength Love of Learning and the Sage Archetype. A positive correlation of +0.408 existed between the character strength of Leadership and the Queen Archetype. A positive correlation of +0.411 existed between the character strength of Spirituality and the Mystic Archetype. A positive correlation of +0.525 was found between the character strength of Kindness and the Mother Archetype. There was a positive correlation of +0.667 between the character strength of Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence and the Lover Archetype. A positive correlation of +0.516 was found between the character strength of Love and the Lover Archetype. There was a positive correlation of +0.413 between the character strength of Bravery and the Huntress Archetype. These results imply that archetypes may be a useful therapeutic intervention in order to better conceptualize our current strengths and weaknesses. By identifying which archetypes are activated within us at a given time, one can better understand the symbolic plight and manifestation of their current stage of development.