Promoting positive experience in interpersonal close relations: a practical application of the self-expansion model to the Italian context

Expansion of the self is a basic motive for positive close relationships, driving preference for other people, stable and deep interpersonal relations, and positive personal growth and social adjustment. However, social research on self-expansion has been mainly conducted through controlled laboratory experiments, in the North-American cultural context. In this contribution we present an application of the self-expansion model and a related measurement tool to the Italian cultural context. A pilot study is conducted, where a battery of standardized measures, based on the self-expansion model is administered to 20 subjects, together with other psycho-social indicators (e.g., social and emotional intelligence, mindfulness, emotion regulation, attachment styles, sense of community). Preliminary results show the good applicability of the instrument to the Italian context, and suggest the existence of correlations among the different variables investigated. The implications of the findings for promoting positive close relationship, interpersonal well-being and social cohesion are discussed.