Can We Differentiate Between Self-Reported Skills and Traits? A Possible Refinement of the BESSI and Its Validity in Italian High School Students

Recent research has emphasized the conceptual distinction between personality traits and social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) skills. However, their self-report measures show substantial empirical overlap. This study introduces and evaluates the Behavioral, Emotional, and Social Skills Inventory—Dual Rating (BESSI-Dual Rating), a modified version of the original BESSI designed to reduce this overlap. A sample of 598 Italian high school students completed the BESSI-Dual Rating, a Big Five personality inventory, and measures of academic and socio-emotional outcomes. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the structural validity of the BESSI-Dual Rating. Compared to previous BESSI validation studies, BESSI-Dual Rating scores showed improved discriminant and incremental validity relative to the corresponding traits. Furthermore, students perceived skill- and tendency-based items as meaningfully distinct—contrary to findings from prior research using alternative instruments. Parent-reported SEB skills provided additional support for the validity of the skill measures. These findings suggest that minor but targeted refinements in questionnaire design can enhance the empirical differentiation between skills and traits.