Individuation and the Five Factor Model of Personality Traits1

Two studies have been conducted respectively to examine the validity of the Italian version of the Individuation scale ( Maslach, Stapp & Santee, 1985 ), and to investigate individuation within the frame of the Five Factor Model of personality (FFM). The Italian version of the scale showed psychometric characteristics fully comparable to those of the American normative sample. Although Italians scored lower, on average, than Americans in their willingness to individuate themselves, this effect was due largely to the lower scores of Italian women, rather than men. Individuation appeared to correlate with Extraversion and Openness to Experience in both the Italian and American samples.