Individuation. Conceptual Analysis and Assessment

Abstract

Public individuation, in which people choose to act differently than others, is an important process in interpersonal behavior, but it has received little direct attention from researchers. We present a review and analysis of the relevant literature, followed by the proposal of a new individual difference measure. The Individuation Scale is designed to assess people's willingness to engage in behaviors that publicly differentiate themselves from others. Various psychometric analyses demonstrate that the scale is a reliable and valid assessment instrument. The potential utility of this measure for several areas of social psychological research is discussed. © 1985 American Psychological Association.