▁Japan ▁are ▁more ▁active ▁participants ▁in ▁a ▁more ▁global , ▁American ized ▁culture ▁than ▁the ▁older ▁gener ations . ▁ ▁This ▁could ▁explain ▁the ▁common al ities ▁found ▁between ▁young ▁adult s ▁in ▁Japan ▁and ▁the ▁US . ▁ ▁Over all , ▁Sh im ai ▁and ▁colle agues ▁demonstrated ▁that ▁the ▁VI A - IS ▁can ▁be ▁successfully ▁and ▁accur ately ▁translated ▁into ▁other ▁languages . ▁ ▁When ▁this ▁is ▁done , ▁however , ▁research ers ▁will ▁need ▁to ▁ensure ▁that ▁the ▁items ▁on ▁the ▁scale ▁are ▁not ▁cult ur ally ▁bi ased ▁toward ▁Western ▁concepts . ▁ ▁App lications ▁▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁goals ▁of ▁positive ▁psych ology ▁is ▁to ▁help ▁people ▁“ c ult iv ate ▁and ▁sust ain ▁the ▁good ▁life ” ▁( p .   6 4 0 ). ▁ ▁The ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁VI A - IS ▁provides ▁a ▁practical ▁measure ▁that ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁evaluate ▁the ▁effic acy ▁of ▁these ▁positive ▁inter vent ions . ▁ ▁As ▁one ▁example , ▁consider ▁the ▁thousands ▁of ▁people ▁particip ate ▁in ▁life ▁co aching ▁and ▁character ▁education ▁programs ▁every ▁year ▁( E cc les ▁& ▁Go ot man , ▁ 2 0 0 2 ; ▁in ▁Pet erson ▁& ▁Sel ig man , ▁ 2 0 0 4 ). ▁ ▁Str ength s ▁of ▁character ▁are ▁often ▁the ▁outcome ▁of ▁interest , ▁yet ▁these ▁programs ▁do ▁not ▁employ ▁a ▁rig orous ▁outcome ▁measure ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁gauge ▁effic acy . ▁ ▁Research ers ▁propose ▁that ▁if ▁these ▁programs