Using the Big Five Model (Energy, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Instability, Openness), the proposed study has the general objective to identify personality prototypes in Italian preadolescents sample and to examine their association with adolescents' adaptive outcomes.
Based on the theoretical and empirical literature we can expect the identification of four personality profiles: Resilient profile (positive traits profile), Moderate profile (average traits profile), Undercontrolled profile (low in conscientiousness, high in energy), Vulnerable profile (low traits profile). In addition, we expect to corroborate the discriminative value of personality profile in predicting adjustment. We propose to use the Genzano Longitudinal data-set (Genzano is a residential community located near Rome). The Genzano Longitudinal Project is a twenty-years research project started in 1987 by the Inter-University Center for Research in the Genesis and the Development of Prosocial and Antisocial Motivations (Caprara & Pastorelli). Over the years, the project involved several cohorts of individuals, examined from elementary school to young adulthood, to identify key predictors and indicators of psycho-social adjustment/maladjustment. Participation in the project was carried out over the years through a process of informed consent from the parents and the school. The questionnaires were administered by two interviewers, carefully prepared, through training and familiarization with the parties and with the school, during school hours. Children were guaranteed maximum confidentiality and privacy of information. The first objective of the proposed study is to identify personality prototypes in Italian preadolescents' Sample, through Latent Profile Analysis. The second objective is to examine the predictive validity of the profiles-membership in determining later adolescents' empathy, prosocial behavior and social self-efficacy beliefs, through a Structural Equation Model.
- Most of the research using the Big Five Model is focused on the variable-oriented approach, which involves the use of variables as analytical units, in order to analyze the differences in personality dimensions across subjects (Steca, Alessandri, Vecchio and Caprara, 2007). However, several authors have shown, in recent decades, the limitations inherent in this approach, in particular on the absence of studies on traits configuration within a single individual (Block, 1971; Magnusson, 1988; York & John, 1992; Caspi & Silva, 1995; Asendorpf & van Aken, 1999; Mervielde & Asendorpf, 2000; Asendorpf et al., 2001). Research in the field of personality has now become increasingly aware of the importance of considering the individual as the unit of analysis. Consequently the focus on the configuration of the various dimensions of personality (person oriented approach), is now becoming more popular.
- The proposed study aims to significantly contribute to all the part of the personality psychology research that in the last thirty years have focused on the identification and classification of personality in typological different patterns (Block and Block, 1980; Asendorpf and Van Aken, 1999; Meeus et al., 2011), providing an exhaustive classification of personality types in Italian adolescents.
- This study will represent the first systematic and comprehensive attempt to identify personality profiles with the newest techniques in Italy, while only few studies where conducted in samples of Italian adolescents or adults, but they used methodologies that have been replaced with the last techniques (e.g. Barbaranelli, 2002; Steca et al, 2007; Steca et al, 2010; Alessandri et al, 2014). At least this explorative work may consider as a milestone of all this personality research approach in Italy.
- The identification of personality profiles allows the use of a common language among researchers in order to represent, in a holistic way, the configuration of traits in an individual rather than limiting the analysis of isolated variables (Costa et al., 2001).
- Regarding the expected results, it expect to identify four personality preadolescents' profiles associated with the following indicator of adaptive behavior.
1. The Resilient Profile will be positively and significantly associated with all the considered adaptive outcomes (prosocial behavior, empathy, social self-efficacy beliefs).
2. The Moderate Profile will be positively and moderately associated with all considered adaptive outcomes. Individuals with this profile could be on average able to adjust socially and emotionally.
3. The Vulnerable Profile will be negatively and significantly associated with all considered adaptive outcomes. We expect that this profile could negatively and significantly predict prosocial behavior, empathy and social self-efficacy beliefs.
4. The Undercontrolled Profile will be positively and significantly associated only with social self-efficacy beliefs, and negatively and significantly associated with empathy and prosocial behavior.
- The proposed study will be also important in order to identify the developmental trajectories, typical of individuals, who have special configurations of traits, and it is useful to predict the time course, in relation to the outcomes associated with them, also identifying those most at risk in order to develop effective intervention programs (Caspi &Silva,1995).