When Robert Pamplin, Jr., a businessman and philanthropist in Portland, Oregon, began asking various people how they would define a hero, he expected answers that might include "a person who puts his life on the line and displays some kind of courage" or "somebody who falls on a grenade and saves his buddies." "Instead," Dr. Pamplin explained to Christian Science Monitor reporter Marilyn Gardner, "people thought for a few minutes and said, 'Being honest, being trustworthy—that's what makes a hero.'"

Those definitions, emphasizing values rather than valor, so intrigued Mr. Pamplin that he commissioned a national survey on heroism and ethics. The findings, published in American Heroes: Their Lives, Their Values, Their Beliefs (New York: Master Media Limited, 1995), offer what Mr. Pamplin calls a "snapshot of American values."

The most important quality in a hero, according to 83 percent of respondents, is honesty, followed by compassion and high moral standards. An overwhelming majority of respondents also believe that being a hero entails having a spiritual life. Fame and being physically gifted rank at the bottom—an indication, Mr. Pamplin told Ms. Gardner, that people distinguish between true heroes, and celebrities with a good press agent.

Other encouraging findings on ethics came in response to hypothetical situations involving honesty. When asked, "If you found a wallet in the street with $5,000 in it, would you turn it in?" 86 percent of adults and 75 percent of teenagers said they would.

Yet significant differences emerged between adults and teenagers. Teenagers scored lower on owning up to accidentally damaging someone else's car in a parking lot, the acceptability of lying, and the importance of spirituality.

Mr. Pamplin said he was troubled by the fact that 40 percent of teenagers said they would cheat in exams if they could escape detection. "Eighty percent of teenagers say, 'Yes, to be a hero, one must be honest. Yet to be comfortable in life and to be successful in getting the things I want ... I'm willing to sacrifice my chance to be a hero.'

"That's sad," Mr. Pamplin continued. "Even though they know what's right, and they recognize it, and their adulation is offered to that person they consider to be the true hero, they themselves are willing to sacrifice it."

Mr. Pamplin told the Monitor that he believes this division between the generations on honesty represents a shift from a time when family life was stronger. In earlier generations, he said, "Parents explained in no uncertain terms that the most valuable asset a person has is his character, not a wallet full of money. You can't buy character."

Mr. Pamplin, too, was heartened by other responses from teenagers. "So many of the young people will say, 'My mom, my dad, my coach—somebody who has really put the effort in life—that's my hero.'" Those attitudes, he noted, indicate that Americans today view heroism not as a single act but as a long-term way of living.

At a time when Americans, and people in many other countries, have seen old-style heroes—political leaders, war heroes, sports figures, movie stars—toppled because of sexual misconduct, crime, and greed, teenagers in particular express a desire for more people they can emulate. Nine out of ten teenage respondents to the Angell survey think the nation needs more heroes and heroines. That shows, said Mr. Pamplin, "how desperately young people yearn for good role models."

Ideally, says the Monitor story, teenagers shouldn't have to look far for those role models. Among the American heroes Mr. Pamplin studied, he found what he calls a "golden thread" linking them. "They were all connected to people who believed in them," he said. For many, but not all, that support began early and came from family members or friends.

"I don't think all is lost," said Mr. Pamplin. "If adults felt the same way teenagers do, you wouldn't have anything to build on. But adults recognize honesty and are willing to adhere to honesty no matter what. They are the teachers. The way to get back to heroism is through example. That example is built on spiritual belief and a set of values—honesty, integrity, fairness to others, caring, compassion."