Personality Traits, Empathy, and Family Structure: A Comparative Study of Indian Adults Raised in Joint and Nuclear Families

This study investigated the influence of family structure on empathy and Big Five personality traits among Indian adults, and examined whether these traits relate to empathy across individuals raised in joint versus nuclear families. A total of 120 participants (60 from joint families and 60 from nuclear families) were recruited using random sampling. Data were collected via digital forms using the 60-item NEO Five-Factor Inventory (Costa & McCrae, 1992) and the 22-item Empathy Quotient (Wakabayashi et al.). Statistical analyses included Mann-Whitney U tests and Spearman’s rank correlation test conducted on non-normally distributed data. Results revealed that individuals from joint families scored significantly higher on Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Empathy, whereas those from nuclear families scored significantly higher on Openness to Experience. No significant group differences were found for Agreeableness or Neuroticism. Empathy was positively correlated with Extraversion, Openness, Conscientiousness, and Agreeableness. However, no significant correlation was found between Neuroticism and Empathy.