The Junior Temperament and Character Inventory: Italian validation of a questionnaire for the measurement of personality from ages 6 to 16 years

Abstract

The Junior Temperament and Character Inventory (JTCI) has been developed for the assessment of the personality in individuals 6 to 14 years old according to the psychobiological model of Cloninger. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of an Italian version of JTCI. The sample included 459 subjects ranging in age from 6 to 15.9 years. Starting from the original parent version, an Italian version of JTCI was developed and administered to parents recruited in primary schools of Lazio and Campania. Using statistically appropriate methods for the analysis of dichotomous variables (binary coded), we analyzed the factor structure, the internal consistency, and the test-retest reliability. The architecture of the JTCI was consistent with the original hypothesis of the Cloninger model. Parent reports of each of the JTCI dimensions had good internal consistency and test-retest reliability over 3 months. Regarding the analysis of risk personality traits, significant correlations were found between several JTCI factors and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire scales. The JTCI is useful in research and in clinical practice to evaluate the role of temperament and character dimensions in psychopathology.