This paper proposes an analysis of individual factors that affect how well a person can read and understand a text in an unfamiliar, but closely linked language – the basis of the so-called teaching of intercomprehension. The paper analyzes these relations from two normally separate perspectives. The first perspective focuses on how individual linguistic profiles affect skills in receptive multilingualism, while the second explores the influence of personality traits on these abilities, an aspect that has not yet been explored in relation to receptive multilingualism. It also debates the effect of a student's educational background, a main factor for success at school. 180 lower secondary students were asked to perform a task in receptive multilingualism; this task was followed by a psychometric personality test and questions designed to ascertain the linguistic background of the students, their attitude toward language learning, and their interest in the task. The results allow to distinguish individual factors that exert more (and less) impact on the processes at work in receptive multilingualism, including personality traits (especially extroversion and openness to new experiences) and attitudes toward language learning.