Title: The integrated Early Childhood Education and Care system for children from birth to 6 years of age. A multilevel survey on early childhood education and care centers in Italy
Funding programme/measure: 2024 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Giordana Szpunar
ABSTRACT: In Italy, 40 years after the last law on the subject, establishing the integrated education and instruction system from birth to six years took place in 2017 with Legislative Decree No. 65, which incorporates the guidelines of Law 107 of 2015. Specifically, in 2020, the Lazio Region was the first in Italy to implement Legislative Decree 65/2017, allocating 2.9 million euros for 2021 alone as part of the related programming. These funds were also allocated to the construction of new public structures for the creation of Early Childhood Education and Care Centers and the launch of the new "Sezioni Primavera," which experiments with a continuity project for children from zero to six years old (established by Law 296 of 2006). In this context, the Project aims to survey Early Childhood Centers for ages zero to six nationally and reflect on aspects of the university training of professionals required by these services. Specifically, the research group will carry out: 1. A multilevel survey on a national scale of early childhood education and care centers active nationwide. 2. Case studies on existing experiences of early childhood centers, identification of the training needs of professionals working in Early Childhood Education and Care Centers, and best practices that may have been implemented in training programs coordinated by universities. The research will enable monitoring an ongoing evolution at the national level and anticipate potential monitoring actions. At the same time, it will provide the opportunity to develop practical analytical tools for policymakers and university programs responsible for training professional roles that currently do not have formal recognition but are required by recent legislative reforms.
Title: Reducing climate-altering behaviours: the role of psycho-social factors
Funding programme/measure: 2024 University Research Call
Scientific director: Dr. Paola Passafaro
ABSTRACT: The general aim of the project is to deepen the role of normative factors as predictors of climate change mitigation actions within rational choice models. The focus will be on normative factors related to social interactions at different levels (individual, interpersonal, family and collective/communication). Each normative factor will be investigated in both its unique relative contribution and the interactions with the other normative factors, and with other psycho-social factors (attitudes, values, perceived control) to ultimately predict the targeted behaviors. Normative factors will be studied in both their cognitive component (traditionally more investigated by the literature) and emotional ones (rarely considered by the literature). The behaviors investigated are those at the family, societal and communication level, including web based and social network communications, the latter being particularly relevant for understanding the ecological choices of the youngest generations. The study will be carried out within the theoretical frameworks of Ajzen's theory of planned behavior (TPB), Perugini and Bagozzi's model of goal-oriented behavior (MGB), and Stern’s et al Values-Beliefs-Norms theory (VBN), and the operative objectives will be to: 1) assess the ability of each normative factor (and the associated socio-emotional component) to be an adjunctive predictor of the targeted behavioural intentions 2) highlight possible interactions among the various normative factors and with the other original components of the models (attitudes, values, perceived control) 3) consider the usefulness of extending rational choice models by broadening the range of normative and emotional factors included so far.
The ultimate goal is to increase the practical utility of reasoned action models and making them more useful for developing interventions directed at mitigating human impact on climate changes within specific behavioural contexts.
Title: System Justification, Value and Cultural Orientations, and Collective Action: Evidence from correlational, experimental, and multilevel analyses
Funding programme/measure: 2024 University Research Call
Scientific director: Dr. Valerio Pellegrini
ABSTRACT: Previous research showed that system justification motivates people to see the extant social system as legitimate, thus dampening intentions to participate in collective mobilization to achieve social equality. However, the literature lacks evidence about the individual-level processes that may vehicle such dynamic. The present research addresses this significant gap by examining emotions- and value-based processes as links between system justification and equality-oriented collective action. Such aims will be pursued by implementing five studies involving different methodological approaches (cross-sectional and experimental research designs) and statistical analyses (path and multilevel analysis). Specifically, Studies 1 and 2 will investigate the role of the emotions-based process, predicting that system justification may reduce empathic concern towards disadvantaged groups, thus decreasing willingness to participate in equality-oriented collective actions. Studies 3 and 4 will
extend this investigation to prosocial value orientation, proposing that system-justifying beliefs may lower prosocial tendencies, further inhibiting collective action for resource redistribution. Studies 4 and 5 will also explore the moderating role of individual- and country-level cultural orientations on the relationship between system justification, prosociality, and collective action. It is anticipated that a collectivist (vs. individualist) cultural orientation, which binds individuals to the broad societal arrangement, may enhance the dampening effect of system-justifying tendencies on prosocial orientation, thereby affecting collective action. By focusing on individual-level processes and cultural variations, this research may contribute to and move beyond prior models and findings on system justification and collective action, thus identifying promising avenues for future research.
Title: Attending an analytical psychodrama group: a qualitative-quantitative study of the participants' experiences
Funding programme/measure: 2024 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Francesca Alby
ABSTRACT: The research aims to explore the participants' point of view on the experience gained within analytical psychodrama groups, in particular with respect to the benefits received, what they learned, and the perception of some characteristics of the psychodramatic and group device. The research presents itself as an opportunity to access analytical psychodrama from a non-professional angle, bringing out "ordinary" representations located within contemporary culture and the meanings attributed to psychotherapy in current society. The approach used is not of a clinical type but rather that of social and cultural psychology that is interested in understanding ordinary psychology ("folk psychology", see Bruner, 1990), that is, how people give meaning to their world and their experiences, using cultural and narrative resources with anthropological and psychological value. The study aims to contribute to a line of research that explores participants' point of view in psychodrama groups and aims to capture the specific and emic quality of participation in these groups (see Vegni et al. 2010; Menichetti et al . 2015). The research adopts a mixed qualitative and quantitative methodological approach, which involves collecting data through semi-structured interviews and structured questionnaires. The study aims to provide psychodramatists with access to the participants' opinions, which, appropriately evaluated, can provide insights into professional and training practices and additional knowledge about the experiences lived by the participants.
Title: Effective university teaching and study support from the perspective of evidence-based education
Funding programme/measure: 2024 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Marianna Traversetti
ABSTRACT: research on effective education and study methods from an evidence-based perspective has made significant advancements in the last 20 years, achieving substantial consensus on the fundamental principles that every lecturer should follow to improve their teaching. These principles can be further enhanced in the university context by integrating and strengthening the use of technologies, both synchronously (with formative assessment moments during lectures and tools to monitor attention
and understanding) and asynchronously, expanding cooperative possibilities among students and customizing study activities based on varying difficulty levels, aided by cognitive artifacts and e-learning environments. Based on the results of a pilot intervention conducted through the activation of the “Effective Study Method-MES” Desk (currently available for the L-19 and LM 85 bis study courses at Sapienza, under the scientific responsibility of the proponent of this project), the project proposalaims to outline guiding principles for university teaching based on evidence-based education, revised and evaluated in the field. It also aims to establish a course on the Moodle platform designed to promote effective study support for students through peer tutoring activities and technological applications. The project involves two concurrent studies following the project-based institutional action research methodology.
The first study concerns a training intervention that engages the teachers from the psycho-pedagogical, mathematicalscientific, historical-ancient, and geographical areas of Sapienza University. The second study concerns a training intervention aimed at peer teaching tutors from the Faculty of Medicine and Psychology and/or the Department, as well as students tutors involved in the MES Desk activities.
Title: Attitudes about conflicts in Ukraine and about vaccines: the role of the Quest for personal significance, Narcissism, Authoritarianism, Social dominance
Funding programme/measure: 2024 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Ankica Kosic
ABSTRACT: the project aims to investigate the relationships between the quest for personal significance, narcissism, authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, political cynicism, and generic conspiracy beliefs on one side, and attitudes towards the war in Ukraine and vaccines on the other. Specifically, we will examine two moderated mediation models by testing the following hypotheses:
1. High levels of narcissism will strengthen the relationship between the quest for significance and adherence to general conspiracy beliefs. This, in turn, will lead to more negative attitudes towards NATO support for Ukraine and towards new generation mRNA vaccines.
2. The relationship between the quest for significance and general conspiracy beliefs will be stronger among individuals with higher levels of authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, and/or political cynicism. These relationships may result in more negative attitudes towards NATO support for Ukraine and towards vaccines.
To test these hypotheses, we will conduct two surveys in Italy.
Title: At the roots of prejudice towards immigrants: A multi-dimensional analysis of its determinants.
Funding programme/measure: 2024 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Flavia Albarello
ABSTRACT: In the last decades, Western countries have witnessed increases in anti-immigrant prejudice as a consequence of increased immigration rates. Besides, the recent global threats (e.g., the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia-Ukraine war, etc.) have led people to experience uncertainty, which has been shown to turn into individuals' need to stick to their cognitions, restrict intergroup boundaries, and display prejudicial attitudes towards salient outgroups such as immigrants (e.g., Mula et al., 2021). In social psychology, prejudice has been addressed through the lens of different, independent theoretical perspectives. This contribution aims to bridge different theoretical accounts of prejudice to highlight anti-immigrant prejudice's complex, multifaceted antecedents. To this aim, relying on the social identity account of prejudice and its recent developments highlighting motivational underpinnings of social identification (Hogg, 2021), it will consider the role of national identity centrality (Wagogner et al., 2018) in conjunction with different levels factors that have been shown to be associated with anti-immigrant prejudice, such as contextual uncertainty due to situational threats (e.g., Conway et al., 2020), individual-level motivation to protect the ingroup (i.e., binding moral foundations; Graham et al., 2010), as well as cultural motivation in terms of desired cultural tightness (Gelfand et al., 2011; Jackson et al., 2019). Through three studies (2 correlational, 1 experimental), this project will test the novel hypothesized model of situational uncertainty leading to anti-immigrant prejudice (assessed in terms of general anti-immigrant attitudes, as well as subtle and explicit dehumanization) via the mediation on increased centrality of national identity (Hogg, 2021), leading in turn to the increased endorsement of ingroup protecting binding moral foundations (Graham et al., 2010) and increased desired cultural tightness (Gelfand et al., 2011).
Title: Narratives of Renewal: Exploring the Intersection of Psychology and Alternative Practices of self-knowledge and consciousness in biographical pathways of personal growth
Funding programme/measure: 2024 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Marilena Fatigante
ABSTRACT: The work aims to examine how meanings of consciousness and personal growth are accounted by persons who experience pathways of self- knowledge, based on broadly defined existential and spiritual knowledge, involving the presence of a mediator: these will embrace traditions, expertise and methods identifiable as philosophical, existential counselling, spiritual guidance and support, mindfulness and meditation-based practices and types of alternative practices in counselling and psychotherapy, in which the expertise of the guide, master, or mediator is prominent.
The project starts from a pilot investigation of a set of narrative accounts by persons, who experienced both a psychotherapy and a non-formal helping relationship with an expert guide in consciousness. The study is qualitative and combines ethnography, autoethnography and interpretive Discourse Analysis.
The project aims to:
1) carry out a systematic review of the meanings of consciousness and personal growth in both formal psychotherapeutic approaches and therapeutic approaches in other traditions, including broadly defined spiritual practices
2) discuss the role of guidance and expertise in the context of both psychotherapy and other forms of existential and spiritual pathways of healing
3) conduct an in-depth discursive and interpretive analysis of discourses of self- renewal and personal growth reported by persons, who engaged in either formal setting (i.e. with the support of a official counsellor or psychotherapist) and/or in nonformal settings, which would include the guidance of a mediator (healer, spiritual guide, wise teac her or master and the like).
20 videorecorded interviews will be collected for this purpose, complemented by interviews to informants (therapists, spiritual guides, teachers in mindful-based contemplative practices)
4) contribute to the discussion regarding the comprehension of contemporary existential demands of clients to psychological knowledge and cure.
Title: The Paradox of Time Spent in Solitude During Childhood and Early Adolescence: A focus on the Costs and Benefits
Funding programme/measure: 2024 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Stefania Sette
ABSTRACT: Time spent in solitude represents a risk factor for "missing out" on the benefits of social relationships, especially in late childhood and early adolescence, when peer relationships become relevant for socio-emotional development (e.g., being part of a group and experiencing positive emotions; Bukowski et al., 2020). However, solitude has several benefits, especially for children and adolescents' individuation and autonomy (Goossens, 2014). Recently, Coplan et al. (Coplan et al., 2021; Hipson
et al., 2021) found that certain types of adolescents' solitary activities (e.g., hobbies, reading) are associated with more positive outcomes than other solitary activities (e.g., doing nothing, ruminating). Notably, previous researchers in this area have focused mainly on the risks of spending too much time alone (e.g., depression, loneliness), with only a few scholars assessing the quantity and quality of time alone and its possible benefits in childhood and early adolescence. The novel contribution of the research project is to expand our understanding of the implications of time spent alone in childhood and early adolescence. Specifically, we aim to understand the costs and benefits related to the quantity and quality of time spent alone and the motivations for spending time alone from childhood to early adolescence. Children and early adolescents aged from 8 to 15 years and their respective parents will complete questionnaires to assess the quantity and quality of time alone, the motivations for spending time in solitude, and the experiences related to spending time alone (e.g., loneliness, self-regulation). The current research project will be helpful for psychologists, educators, and caregivers to promote a better understanding of the positive and negative sides of solitude, the quality of time alone, and the role of motivations for spending time in solitude during childhood and early adolescence.
Title: Moral Conviction and Social Attitudes
Funding programme/measure: 2024 University Research Call
Scientific director: Dr. Conrad Baldner
ABSTRACT: The literature on morality demonstrates that the moral conviction associated with an attitude leads to greater consequentiality in terms of emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. In the presence of counter-attitudinal stimuli, it tends to be associated with social distancing, hostility, intolerance, prejudice, and unethical conduct. These effects are robust for various attitude objects. When such objects have political relevance, the polarization of positions is frequent, and the resulting partisanship can manifest collectively. Several studies demonstrate the role of moral conviction and group identity as antecedents of normative and non-normative collective action. What is not clear is the extent to which a moralized attitude is associated with social identity in heterogeneous samples. The present research program aims to provide evidence supporting this relationship, thereby shifting the study of moral conviction, usually understood at the intra- and interpersonal levels, to the intergroup level, in line with suggestions from recent reviews on the psychology of morality. In Studies 1 and 2, we aim to investigate whether the moral conviction associated with the attitude towards the legalization of abortion influences social evaluation, similarity judgments, and actual behaviors towards two targets with attitudinal positions respectively consistent or contrary to that of the participant. The subsequent studies will consider the social identity associated with the participant's attitudinal position in its cognitive, affective, and motivational components, detecting single mediation effects (Study 3) and serial mediation effects (Studies 4, 5, and 6) in association with variables such as perceived moral distance with the target and collective narcissism. The proposal extends the theory of moral conviction by considering its effects on social identity and providing an additional perspective for moderating conflicts arising from value differences.
Title: The elections for the President of the Italian Republic (2022) in the newspapers. Between old and new representations of men and women candidates.
Funding programme/measure: 2024 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Gilda Sensales
ABSTRACT: The elections for the President of the Italian Republic were an opportunity to verify whether politics was open to women candidates and to what extent the communication of the newspapers reflected or not gender bias transformed into forms of discrimination against women. Our study will analyze the language of six newspapers to see how inclusive it was towards women competing for office and the forms of sexism in speaking of them. The study is part of the focus on the role of mass media political communication in confirming or overcoming gender bias. We will collect headlines between December 2-2021 and February 10-2022. The textual analysis, quantitative and qualitative, and the editorial and content analysis of the headlines will make it possible to observe the linguistic differences in the communication centered on women candidates compared to men. We will focus on gender bias that can favor men in coverage and give them more of the word over women, the presence of linguistic sexism used when talking about women candidates, and controlling non-sexist forms (specific feminine) compared to sexist forms (generic masculine and dissymmetrical feminine). The Vospec step of the Spad-t statistical package will allow the comparative analysis of the lexicon used for men vs. women candidates and underlying typical headlines. On these results, differences in other gender psychosocial biases will be analyzed. The emerging representations will be examined for their impact on women's political access.
Title: Perception of Social Cohesion Among Students: Development and Validation of the School Class Cohesion Scale (SCCS)
Funding programme/measure: 2024 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Stefano Livi
ABSTRACT: The aim of the research is to develop, validate, and examine the implications of a Classroom Group Cohesion Index adapted to the Italian school context, and to investigate the impact of classroom group cohesion on various educational factors, such as ostracism, academic self-concept, and school well-being. The School Class Cohesion Scale (SCCS) was developed based on Carron's (2002) multidimensional cohesion model.
In Study 1, an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) will be conducted on a large sample of first- and second-year students from two Italian high schools (N = 500). The EFA will test a three-factor structure of the SCCS: one individual integration dimension (IND-I), and two group cohesion dimensions—task-related cohesion (GC-task) and social cohesion (GC-social). A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) will be performed to validate the factor structure.
In Study 2, using a new sample of high school students in Italy, we will test the predictive validity of the SCCS with respect to three outcome variables: school well-being, academic self-concept, and perceived ostracism. It is hypothesized that cohesion will be positively associated with academic self-concept and school well-being, and negatively associated with ostracism
Title: Combining Interoceptive and Exteroceptive Interpersonal Multisensory Stimulation Procedure to Reduce Body Image Distortion and Dissatisfaction in Anorexia Nervosa
Funding programme/measure: 2024 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Ilaria Bufalari
ABSTRACT: bodily self-consciousness emerges from integrating interoceptive and exteroceptive signals and can be modified through Interpersonal Multisensory Stimulation (IMS). Projecting touch sensations onto a virtual avatar and synchronizing its chest movements with participants’ breathing induces embodiment and alters self-representation, especially in those with low interoceptive sensitivity. Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is marked by body image distortion, low interoceptive awareness, and heightened susceptibility to bodily illusions. While exteroceptive IMS can modify body perception in AN, patients often only adjust their body image in the direction of weight gain, limiting accurate self-representation. This project tests whether combining interoceptive and exteroceptive IMS more effectively reduces body image distortion in AN. By pairing real and mismatching breathing with avatars of different weights (actual, perceived), we aim to reduce body dissatisfaction and improve self-perception in AN, possibly offering novel insights to therapeutic interventions.
Title: Supporting Psychological Well-Being in Disadvantaged Young People
Funding programme/measure: 2024 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Fabio Alivernini
ABSTRACT: the project aims to advance our understanding of the factors that promote psychological well-being among disadvantaged youth, a population that is rarely studied. Despite clear evidence suggesting that living in disadvantaged conditions significantly influences the development of children and adolescents, there is a notable lack of research identifying the contextual factors and intraindividual resources that enhance psychological well-being in this vulnerable population. To address this gap, the project employs an innovative combination of a longitudinal study, focusing on contextual factors within an ecological framework, and an experimental study examining intraindividual resources related to mindfulness through a VR setting. The findings are expected to provide valuable educational insights by identifying specific factors that foster and sustain positive psychological outcomes. These insights will be crucial for designing interventions aimed at improving the psychological well-being of disadvantaged youth. Furthermore, the project will contribute to the development of Self-Determination Theory by validating its applicability and relevance for youth in adverse socioeconomic conditions, potentially mitigating the impact of these conditions on their psychological functioning. Ultimately, the research seeks to generate new and reliable knowledge to develop effective interventions that provide young individuals with the necessary skills and support to overcome challenges associated with socioeconomic adversity. The findings could inform policies and practices aimed at creating more equitable and conducive conditions for the psychological well-being of all children and adolescents, regardless of their socioeconomic background.
Title: Microaggressions and microaffirmations in the nonbinary population: A mixed-method research project
Funding programme/measure: 2024 University Research Call
Scientific director: Dott.ssa Jessica Pistella
ABSTRACT: According to the Minority Stress Model (MSM), gender minority individuals, such as trans and nonbinary people, experience unique and chronic forms of stress in addition to general stressors. Common stressors include non-affirmation of one's gender identity and other experiences of microaggressions, which may be internalized. These minority stress experiences affect mental health, leading to various adverse outcomes. The MSM also considers the influence of protective factors that can mitigate the harmful effects of stress and/or elicit positive outcomes, such as a sense of personal growth related to the stressful event. Protective factors include gender congruence, microaffirmations, and a positive sense of LGBTQ+ identity. Compared to binary trans people, nonbinary individuals have specific experiences and needs that are still poorly investigated by empirical research. The present research project aims to examine experiences of minority stress, microaggressions, and microaffirmations in the Italian nonbinary population using a mixed-method approach. Specifically, we will conduct standardized interviews (n=40 nonbinary people) to extend the existing scientific literature concerning the experiences of microaggression and microaffirmation in nonbinary young adults. Moreover, an ad-hoc online survey (n=350 nonbinary people) will be constructed and disseminated online, containing measurement scales related to the highlighted variables. It is hypothesized that high levels of non-affirmation and microaggressions are associated with internalized transphobia, while gender congruence and a positive LGBTQ+ identity may serve as protective factors. This research will contribute to a greater understanding of the experiences and well-being of nonbinary individuals, offering valuable information for developing interventions aimed at improving psychological well-being.
Title: Toward inclusion? The multiple transitions and tensions amongst Unaccompanied Minors in their cultural and linguistic socialization path in Italy. Formal and informal work and educational contexts, and experiences
Funding programme/measure: 2024 University Research Call
Scientific director: Dott. Osvaldo Costantini
ABSTRACT: the Project proposes to study the phenomenon of Unaccompanied Foreign Minors (UM) at the intersection of schooling processes and labor market integration in both formal and informal contexts. This will be done through a multidisciplinary perspective that allows for a non-reductionist view of the phenomenon. This perspective aligns with the strategic "migration" line of the Department of Developmental and Socialization Psychology, and aims to highlight the impact, in processes of school inclusion or the choice between work and school, of family pressures for remittances and structural pressures that tie the residence permit for adults to the employment contract. The various disciplines will proceed to reconstruct migratory imaginaries and the material/structural relations that influence the choices of UMs (Cultural Anthropology), the forms of communication that make it possible to deepen the practices of socialization and learning of UMs and newly adult migrants in reception contexts (Cultural Psychology), to identify the training needs and skills required by teachers to understand and intervene with the target group at the didactic and educational level (Pedagogy), and finally to investigate the role of the institutional reception context in favoring/hindering anxiety and self-esteem and to incorporate these two variables into developmental psychology tests in evaluating their impact on executive functions. This phase particularly intertwines the disciplines and makes the results of the socio-cultural survey the basis for a dialogue with the developmental psychology perspective.
Title: Integrated system of educational services and social inclusion
Funding program/measure: Call for University Research 2023
Scientific director: Prof. Guido Benvenuto
ABSTRACT: in 2017, with Legislative Decree number 65, which implements the indications of Law 107 of 2015, the integrated system of education and instruction from birth to six years of age began in Italy. Furthermore, the implementation of the integrated system of education and instruction 0-6 decisively and substantially raises the issue of the training of professional figures who, at present, follow two de facto separate training paths: obtaining the L-19 (EduNido path) to be able to work as educators in 0/3 services and obtaining the LM-85 bis to be able to work as teachers in nursery schools. The Project aims to carry out a survey and analysis of 0-6 year old educational services in the territory at a national level, also through collaboration with the National Nidi and Infanzia Group; and a study of the aspects related to university training. In particular, the research group will carry out: a) mapping of the services activated and the training needs of the professional figures involved in these services; b) documentation of good practices for professional training, starting from the training offer of regional universities; c) survey on the opinions of nursery school teachers regarding inclusion.
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Title: Economically and culturally disadvantaged youth: the protective role of psychological resources and the educational context
Funding program/measure: Call for University Research 2023 – “Departmental” project
Scientific coordinator: Prof. Fabio Alivernini
ABSTRACT: Many studies show that young people who grow up in economically and culturally disadvantaged environments more frequently face physical and mental health problems, and greater difficulties in school. However, knowledge about the resources that can promote resilience in this vulnerable population is still minimal. This research, based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Achievement Goal Theory (AGT), investigates how sociocultural factors, educational environments, motivations, and attitudes interact to promote the academic success and well-being of economically and culturally disadvantaged youth. The study will involve children and adolescents from disadvantaged socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Two different lines of research with specific objectives will be implemented. The first will concern economically disadvantaged youth and will focus on the development of school adaptation in this vulnerable group. The second line of research will focus on the psychological adaptation of immigrant students in educational contexts, on socialization and learning practices, and on the resources for the well-being of unaccompanied foreign minors. Quantitative data will be analyzed, and research hypotheses will be tested using longitudinal and/or multilevel structural equation models. Qualitative methods will be used to provide a rich and detailed description of the socialization and learning practices of unaccompanied foreign minors. Overall, the Project aims to provide data and knowledge on the factors that promote resilience in economically and culturally disadvantaged youth, a population that has received minimal attention in research.
Title: The influence of economic and social inequalities as precursors of political ideology
Funding program/measure: Call for University Research 2023
Scientific coordinator: Prof. Fabio Presaghi
ABSTRACT: Populist ideology is based on discrimination between "good people" and "corrupt elites," and populist propaganda supports this belief by targeting economic and social inequalities (Hogg, 2021). The hierarchical vision of society supported by conservative and authoritarian ideologies also justifies discrimination on the basis of ethnicity and gender. Past studies show how populist attitudes of conservatives are correlated with collective narcissism and resentment towards minorities (Golec de Zavala et al., 2020). Sibley et al. (2008) show how authoritarianism also depends on the context, such as events of view or the chronic crisis that is promoted by populist leaders. Based on these premises, in 3 studies, we will verify the role of economic and social inequalities in promoting both populism and authoritarianism.
Title: Social actions and mobilization in social media: the role of the perception of personal and group relative deprivation, sensitivity to injustice, emotions, and the search for personal meaning.
Funding program/measure: Call for University Research 2023
Scientific coordinator: Prof. Ankica Kosic
ABSTRACT: Justice is a central issue in people's lives. Various theories in sociology and psychology have analyzed the concept of justice/injustice, and one of these is the theory of relative deprivation. These theories hypothesize that justice is essential for all people. Although this claim has been supported by a large number of empirical studies, the results of these studies have also revealed that individuals differ in their perceptions and reactions to perceived injustice. These individual differences provide essential information that has been used to empirically identify links between the perception of justice, emotional responses to injustice, and behavioral actions. The present study aims to explore the relationship between the feeling of injustice and social actions and discuss the emotional and motivational mechanisms on which this relationship may be based. The study is divided into two parts: a survey and an experiment. The survey sample will consist of approximately 500 people. A questionnaire containing different scales will be used. The experiment will be conducted with approximately 200 students from Sapienza – University of Rome.
Title: Gender bias in the representations of the ministers of the last four Italian governments in the daily press. A psycho-social and linguistic analysis.
Funding program/measure: Call for University Research 2023
Scientific coordinator: Prof. Gilda Sensales
ABSTRACT: The project starts with previous studies to analyze how the daily Italian press of different ideologies and cultures represents the ministers and women ministers of the last five Italian governments with different political orientations. The aim is to see if there has been an evolution in the way this office is represented when held by a man versus a woman. Specific stereotypes related to gender roles, agency attribution, and the evaluative context referred to the ministers will be detected in the titles. With regard to stereotypes, it will be assessed whether the polarization between agency roles for men and communal roles for women persists. The attribution of the agency will be analyzed by detecting how often the floor is given to the ministers, citing their direct intervention, and it will be verified whether an imbalance in favor of the man persists. Titles referring to women will be verified to determine whether forms of linguistic sexism are practiced and, if so, what relationship they have with the orientations of newspapers and governments. The data thus collected will be processed with the statistical package Spad-t for textual analysis.
Title: Recovery and enhancement of the scientific heritage of the Museum of Instruction and Education (MIE) for university teaching in the Pedagogical degree courses of the Sapienza University of Rome.
Funding program/measure: Call for University Research 2023
Scientific coordinator: Prof. Alessandro Sanzo
ABSTRACT: the research project has the general objective of recovering and enhancing the scientific heritage of the Museum of Instruction and Education (MIE), also for the purpose of its use for the master's training of students enrolled in the Pedagogical degree courses of the Sapienza University of Rome.
Operating in the perspective of a fruitful implementation of the university teaching-research nexus, it is intended to bring about significant progress in relation to 1) the history of the Roman Museum Institute; 2) the history of teaching between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with particular attention to disciplinary teaching in the scientific field; 3) the evolution of the material culture of the school and learning spaces in Italy; 4) the circulation of pedagogical theories and good educational practices in Europe in the second half of the nineteenth century, and the related process of deprovincialization of knowledge and pedagogical debate in Italy; 5) the process of evolution of comparative studies in education in Italy.
Title: Unaccompanied Foreign Minors (MSNA): co-responsibility and co-planning between school/CPIA, educational communities, and network. An action-research-training in Rome and Bologna.
Funding program/measure: Call for University Research 2023 (Medium Project)
Scientific coordinator: Prof. Laura Cerrocchi
ABSTRACT: The Project focuses on Unaccompanied Foreign Minors to promote the process of school inclusion and facilitate the path toward full integration into society. It focuses on: a) a large target subject to the impact of migratory trauma on the integrity and construction of the Self in transition into adulthood and in a didactic and educational emergency; b) the social, cultural, and psychological factors that mark migration; c) the absence of the family and the use of educational communities and voluntary tutors; d) school curriculum (literacy and socialization) and work as the main factors of inclusion and cultural and social integration. The research aims to provide cultural and legislative orientations, materials functional to teaching-learning processes and practices and educational settings, research tools, and teaching and pedagogical strategies for integrated management according to the Life Project and a local, regional, and national network of agencies and actors, as well as for training – initial and in-service – and supervision or for the cultural and professional growth of the professions in the sector and the system.
Title: Binge Eating and Developmental Tasks in Early Adulthood: An Evolutionary Interpretation of Vulnerability to Dysfunctional patterns Related to eating and alcohol.
Funding program/measure: Call for University Research 2023
Scientific coordinator: Dr. Dora Bianchi
ABSTRACT: The study aims to investigate the risk and protective factors associated with binge eating and binge drinking in young adults (18-30 years), focusing on the developmental tasks characteristic of this age (achieving progressive material and emotional autonomy from families of origin; Arnett, 2010). In an evolutionary interpretation of young people's vulnerability to binge eating (e.g., Bianchi et al., 2022), it is hypothesized that difficulties in achieving autonomy and intimacy tasks may cause psychological distress (e.g., depression, anxiety, dissatisfaction with life), with consequent dysfunctional behaviors (binge eating and binge drinking). Approximately 2500 young adults will be recruited through snowball sampling. Participants will fill out an anonymous online questionnaire regarding the study variables. On the collected data, path analysis models in line with the research hypotheses will be tested, with multigroup models for gender differences.
Title: Ambition and ostentatious consumption. The role of envy and normative social influence
Funding program/measure: Call for University Research 2023
Scientific coordinator: Prof. Antonio Pierro
ABSTRACT: Today, the global luxury market, with its associated negative consequences (e.g., social exclusion, pollution, worker exploitation), is constantly growing. Therefore, the proposed research program aims to identify the main socio-motivational processes that lead individuals to ostentatious consumption. Past research has identified the antecedents of this type of behavior but has not unified them under a theoretical framework. This is the goal of the proposed research program. Since conspicuous consumption is defined as the acquisition and display of expensive goods and services aimed at gaining social status, ambition, defined as a manifestation of the search for social meaning, is proposed to lead to conspicuous consumption aimed at enhancing one's social status and thus enhancing one's sense of social importance. Furthermore, since malicious envy is characterized by tendencies to harm the envied person and benign envy involves a tendency to improve oneself, we expect ambition to lead to conspicuous consumption through benign (but not malicious) envy. Furthermore, normative social influence should play an important role in the process of linking ambition to conspicuous consumption. Indeed, if normative social influence is an external social pressure to conform that, once satisfied, leads to increased social value, then the relationship between ambition and conspicuous consumption should be enhanced when there is high (versus low) pressure to conform. These hypotheses will be tested across seven studies. Studies 1 and 2 will test the association between ambition and conspicuous consumption through a correlative and experimental methodology, respectively. Studies 3–5 will test the indirect effect of ambition on conspicuous consumption via benign and malicious envy. Study 3 will implement a correlative methodology; Study 4 will include the experimental manipulation of ambition, and Study 5 will manipulate benign versus malicious envy. Studies 6 and 7 will test the interaction effect between ambition and normative social influence on conspicuous consumption through a correlative and experimental methodology, respectively.
Title: Motivations for Social Withdrawal and Feelings of Loneliness: The Protective Role of Prosocial Behavior in the Daily Life of Young Adults
Funding program/measure: Call for Research by the University 2023
Scientific coordinator: Prof. Stefania Sette
ABSTRACT: The project aims to understand the benefits of prosociality on loneliness and mental health in university students. In particular, we intend to explore (1) the links between loneliness and mental health difficulties, (2) the predictive role of motivations for social withdrawal in influencing loneliness and mental health difficulties, and (3) the protective role of prosocial behavior in the relationships between motivations for social withdrawal, loneliness and different aspects of mental health. Students will answer an online questionnaire to assess their experience of loneliness, mental health difficulties (e.g., anxiety), and prosocial behavior. Subsequently, they will fill out a daily diary for 14 consecutive days to assess the constructs of interest. The project will provide scientific evidence that is useful for developing intervention strategies to promote the mental health of young adults in their daily lives in the university environment.
Title: Social representations of sustainable tourism on social media
Funding program/measure: Call for University Research 2023
Scientific coordinator: Dr. Elena Bocci
ABSTRACT: The general objective of this research project is to evaluate the usefulness of a well-established social psychological model (Social Representations Theory) for understanding communication regarding sustainability issues that occur within the so-called social media networks. In particular, the project will focus on communication on forms of sustainable tourism. This project arises from the consideration that most of the investigations on sustainable tourism have used econometric approaches focused on socio-demographic factors and based on population surveys. Few studies have instead turned their attention to media communication, and social media in particular, and even fewer have implemented a psycho-social model capable of inscribing the results obtained within an overall model of social relationships and behaviors.
This is a serious gap since a growing part of social interactions today passes through social networks.
Title: Groups as contexts for learning work practices and building a professional identity
Funding program/measure: Call for University Research 2023
Scientific director: Prof. Francesca Alby
ABSTRACT: What knowledge do we acquire from the groups with which we interact throughout our lives? How do these experiences influence the development of life skills, soft skills, or professional skills? The project addresses these questions through an exploratory qualitative study involving students and trainees in psychology and psychotherapy. Twenty semi-structured interviews will be conducted with final-year master's degree students in psychology and graduates of specialization schools in psychotherapy. The interviews will be recorded and transcribed in full and will be analyzed through a thematic analysis. The study aims to contribute to a better understanding of learning processes as situated and jointly constructed through participation in groups over time. Furthermore, the study seeks to shed light on the characteristics of groups that best contribute to promoting the learning of professional practices and the early development of professional identity. In particular, the results could lead to rethinking the characteristics of some learning contexts (both formal and informal) for psychologists and psychotherapists.
Title: Strategies for understanding and studying the text (SUST): specific learning disorders and inclusive and effective teaching strategies
Funding program/measure: Call for University Research 2023
Scientific coordinator: Prof. Marianna Traversetti
ABSTRACT: In light of the difficulties in understanding the text of Italian students, attested by national and international surveys, from the perspective of Evidence-Based Education, the research project addresses the problem of teaching effective text comprehension and study strategies in fifth-grade classes of primary schools, also attended by students with DSA. The research pursues the following objectives: 1. outline an updated theoretical framework on the understanding of the study text and on the ability to produce summaries, and on the related effective teaching strategies from an EBE perspective; 2. promote the participation of students with DSA in an inclusive program of text comprehension and application of study strategies aimed at the whole class; 3. build the teaching kit “Strategies for understanding and studying the text (SUST)”; 4. define a method of training teachers for the application of the kit in the classroom; 5. verify the applicability and effectiveness of the kit in classes attended by students with DSA. The research assumes the methodological framework of Evidence-Based Improvement Design/EBID. The sample, non-probabilistic with reasoned choice, will consist of fifth-grade classes of primary school, also attended by students with DSA, of which n. 20 intervention classes and n. 20 parallel classes with control functions of some Italian regions. Furthermore, the sample will consist of teachers in service in the intervention classes.
Title: Measuring social well-being in a relational and transnational perspective: the second wave of the World Love Index and the study of the factors of promotion and obstacle.
Funding program/measure: Call for University Research 2023
Scientific coordinator: Prof. Silvia Cataldi
ABSTRACT: the project is part of the broader debate on the operationalization of the concept of well-being, integrating the classic indicators of progress and wealth, such as GDP, with other social dimensions, such as solidarity, interpersonal relationships, and sustainability. In this framework, the World Love Index is particularly important, a new transnational and longitudinal index built through the analysis of secondary data that analyzes the level at which citizens and institutions of different countries care for others and the world.
Taking advantage of the new resources offered by open-source databases, this project aims, on the one hand, to develop a second wave of the WLI and, on the other, to advance research on social well-being at a global level.
The initial phase will focus on updating and redefining the set of indicators from the two main sources of transnational surveys, namely the Gallup World Poll and the World Values Survey. Special attention will be paid to the changes resulting from the integration of the World Value Survey with the European Value Survey. The final goal is not only to produce a ranking of countries with citizens with the highest degree of Social Love but also to identify patterns of citizens with different vocations to care, such as humanitarian or environmental vocation.
Once the new WLI is built, additional variables on the loving orientation of institutions will be selected from different sources, such as Sustainable Development Goals, Welfare Policies indicators, Ecological Footprint, Humanitarian Protection Index, Red List Index etc., and others. Through the use of multivariate analyses, the research group intends to identify the factors that favor or hinder social well-being in various nations. Expectations include: 1) strengthening, maintaining, and giving visibility to the World Love Index project, preparing the ground for longitudinal analysis, also through the introduction of a Social Love Scale for the collection of primary data; 2) thanks to the study on factors related to social well-being, provide useful evidence for the definition of social policies aimed at promoting solidarity in pluralistic societies.
Title: The influence of cultural tightness on the injunctive and descriptive norms of Corporate Environmental Responsibility (CER) in promoting pro-environmental behaviors at work and in private life: A cross-cultural study in China and Italy.
Funding program/measure: Call for University Research 2023
Scientific coordinator: Prof. Marino Bonaiuto
ABSTRACT: Corporate Environmental Responsibility (CER) is a topic of growing interest for organizations. Attention to environmental issues and their appropriate communication inside and outside the organization is one of the main ways to convey organizational values to the entire organizational community and create a “green organizational culture.” CER can be interpreted as an organizational social norm that influences members’ attitudes toward Pro-Environmental Behaviors (CPA), individually (e.g., recycling) and collectively (e.g., acceptance of new energy technologies proposed by the organization). Finally, cross-cultural dimensions may be relevant here, so addressing cultural (East-West) dimensions may be important, among other things, for generalizability. This research aims to analyze how the perception of environmental injunctive and descriptive norms (CER) can contribute to a greater sense of collective efficacy and organizational commitment in addressing environmental issues through the adoption of CPAs. Furthermore, employees’ biospheric values are hypothesized to moderate the relationship between CER norms and CPAs. The relationship between collective efficacy and attitudes toward workplace CPAs is also hypothesized to be mediated by employees’ organizational commitment. Finally, the impact of CER norms on CPAs is hypothesized to vary across cultures. The project involves Chinese and Italian employees from different public and private work contexts in order to compare Italian and Chinese samples. A pilot test will first be conducted to distinguish between “easy” and “difficult” CPAs and assess how CER norms can influence behaviors that require different personal commitments. We will also analyze the spillover from attitudes toward CPA in the organization to attitudes and intentions in private life. The model of invariance and differences between cultural contexts (tight/loose) will be taken as a reference.
Title: Clarifying the dimensionality of emotion dysregulation: Factor structure, measurement invariance, and validity in predicting clinical outcomes.
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2022
Scientific director: Prof. Marco Lauriola
ABSTRACT: Emotional dysregulation represents one of the signs of psychopathology and is the subject of numerous theoretical and measurement approaches. Some focus on alexithymia whereas others analyze specific difficulties in regulating emotions. The concept of emotional dysregulation encompasses different models of emotional experience or expression capable of interfering with adaptive functioning. The objective of the research is to examine the structure of emotional dysregulation through exploratory and confirmatory multivariate analyses and test the validity of emerging factors in predicting clinical outcomes. To this end, the research plans to collect a sample of 300 individuals with a psychiatric diagnosis. The research project also aims to establish the measurement invariance of emotional dysregulation factors and to study their validity in terms of sensitivity and specificity in predicting the clinical typology and possibly the differences between the diagnostic categories.
Title: Teacher emotional intelligence, relationships with students and prosocial behavior in the classroom
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2022
Scientific director: Prof. Anna Di Norcia
ABSTRACT: The project aims to study the relationship between the emotional intelligence of the teacher and the social competence of the pupils, evaluating the mediating role played by the characteristics of the teacher-pupil relationship. The emotional intelligence of the teacher should favor a relationship characterized by greater warmth and less conflict and a sensitivity to the needs of the pupils and this in turn should allow better social adaptation of the pupils in the classroom. Emotional intelligence will be assessed according to the construct of Salovey and Mayer (1990) and the teacher-student relationship using the R. Pianta (2001) "STRS" questionnaire. The characteristics of the children will be assessed through self-assessment questionnaires and administered to the parents. The novelty of the study is in considering, in an Italian population, the role of moderator/mediator of the teacher-pupil relationship in the connection between the emotional intelligence of the teacher and the social behavior of the students.
Title: Identification of factors that influence the lexical acquisition of bilingual toddlers in Italy
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2022
Scientific director: Prof. Allegra Cattani
ABSTRACT: The heterogeneity of the bilingual population makes it difficult to answer questions about how two languages develop and coexist in a young child. On one hand, questions arise about the complexity of the interactions between the two languages and the effects of the cognitive mechanisms of specificity and differentiation, as well as the transfer and interference of the linguistic properties of the languages. On the application side, it offers challenges to early childhood professionals for screening language development. The central aim of the project is to understand and disentangle the effects of qualitative inputs (e.g. health status, parental and community attitudes, native language status, code-switching effects, linguistic distance between two languages and passive listening of parents' speech) and quantitative inputs (e.g. amount of exposure) since the literature has highlighted that these factors influence the rates of development of each language.
Title: The social perception of the context by students and teachers
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2022
Scientific director: Prof. Stefano Livi
ABSTRACT: In the literature we are witnessing a growing interest in the relationship between some indicators of student adaptation and different aspects of teachers' professionalism, both from an individual point of view and from a group perspective. It has in fact been shown that the characteristics of teachers, the teaching practices adopted and the quality of the teacher-student relationship represent factors of educational success for young people (Pianta et al., 2012; Wang et al., 2013; Wentzel, 2016). However, we still know relatively little about which aspects of teachers' professionalism influence students' school experience, especially when considering the effects on the school class as a social group, and therefore from a social-psychological perspective. In this regard, the general objective of the project is to relate specific aspects of the teacher's professionalism with some aspects of student life, a useful action for developing training and improvement programs and interventions in Italian secondary schools. Participants: Prof. Stefano Livi, Prof. Piero Lucisano, Prof. Emiliane Rubat du Merac, Dr. Emanuela Botta.
Title: Relationship between reading speed, text comprehension and executive functions: an analysis in a group of children diagnosed with a learning disorder
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2022
Scientific director: Prof. Francesca Federico
ABSTRACT: The involvement of executive functions in the reading process is well known; less clear, however, is the role played by the different components that constitute them. By dividing a group of children diagnosed with dyslexia into two subgroups based on their reading speed, we hypothesize that we could observe that, with the same correctness in decoding, they differ in their understanding of the text, in their processing speed, in their access to vocabulary, and in some attentional parameters. According to our hypotheses, no differences in working memory should emerge. In this way we will analyze in detail a relationship between reading speed and text comprehension which involves attentional components, processing speed and lexical access but not working memory. These initial data could be useful for better orienting and planning the training of dyslexic children in order to enhance text comprehension despite reading difficulties.
Title: The effectiveness of Virtual Reality in stress management in patients diagnosed with breast cancer during chemotherapy treatment
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2022
Scientific director: Dr. Andrea Chirico
ABSTRACT: Chemotherapy treatment is the source of numerous disorders, not only physical but also psychological. The patient diagnosed with breast cancer is subjected to a complex emotional process. The development of anxious/depressive reactions is a common consequence of diagnosis and treatment in breast cancer patients and these psychological factors can further influence the risk of developing the most common side effects of chemotherapy treatment, such as nausea and vomiting. Supporting the patient along this path, also improving her quality of life, is one of the fundamental objectives defined by the NCCN (Guidelines for Patients Distress During Cancer Care) agenda. The growing interest in technologies in the healthcare system has led to the development of computing devices capable of providing new possibilities for effective healthcare interventions. The availability of high-performance computers, including 3D devices, has allowed the development of integrated systems capable of carrying out simulations of situations, so realistic that they are called Virtual Reality (VR). VR is also a promising tool for supporting cancer patients, as it appears to improve their well-being in various contexts, such as hospitalization and during painful procedures. Although the results obtained suggest that VR intervention can reduce chemotherapy-induced stress, without inducing symptoms of motion sickness (a possible side effect of VR), only a few studies have also analyzed physiological variables, such as heart rate and conductance. cutaneous. To this end, the project proposes the creation and evaluation of virtual scenarios and environments that can promote the patient's knowledge and psychological adaptation during chemotherapy infusion.
Title: Think female, think follower: The role of need for cognitive closure and implicit theories of personality
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2022
Scientific director: Prof. Flavia Albarello
ABSTRACT: The research intends to verify the indirect effect of the need for cognitive closure (NCC) on the selection and evaluation of women without leadership roles in organizations (followers) through the mediation of adherence to implicit personality theories. Because implicit theories of personality can provide the desired certainty and stability, those with chronic NCC or those in conditions in which the NCC is experimentally activated should make greater use of implicit theories of personality. Under such conditions, individuals should select women as followers and evaluate women more positively as followers. This model will be examined in four studies in which NCC will be treated as an individual difference (Studies 1 and 3) or manipulated experimentally (Studies 2 and 4). The evaluation of female followers (Studies 1 and 2) and the selection of female candidates for the role of followers (Studies 3 and 4) will be measured. The research has the potential to advance our knowledge about the relationship between NCC, implicit theories of personality, and about attitudes toward women in follower roles.
Title: The relationship between moral foundations, self-awareness, emotional control, and conflict management strategies
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2022
Scientific director: Prof. Ankica Kosic
ABSTRACT: Interpersonal conflicts are very frequent in human behavior and sources of stress. Given the possible negative consequences on social relationships and personal well-being, it is important to explore which factors can contribute to the use of constructive strategies for conflict management. The main objective of the research is to investigate the relationship between some individual factors (moral foundations, self-awareness, the need for cognitive closure, emotional control, and conflict management styles). The sample will be made up of approximately 500 young people in Italy; they will be asked to answer a questionnaire containing various scales; furthermore, virtual webcam mirror will be used to verify whether seeing oneself in virtual reality can increase emotional control and, consequently, reduce the use of non-constructive strategies in conflict management. This part of the research will be conducted with approximately 200 students from the Faculty of Medicine and Psychology of Sapienza University of Rome.
Title: Paving the Way for the Future of Sustainability with Societal Readiness Level: a
meta-analytic approach on the social acceptability of climate engineering for adaptation and
of renewable and sustainable energy technologies for mitigation.
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2022
Scientific director: Prof. Marino Bonaiuto
ABSTRACT: The project focuses on the adoption behaviors of two classes of technologies: Energy mitigation; Climate adaptation engineering. These technologies differ in: Purpose (respectively mitigating human energy impact on the environment and reducing the earth's temperature, stemming global warming); Technical development (Technology Readiness Level – TRL, medium/high for mitigation technologies and low for adaptation technologies); Adoption. It therefore becomes important to understand how ready and predisposed a given population is to adopt a given technology (Societal Readiness Level - SRL), and that the TRL and SRL levels progress simultaneously, making the adoption of a given technology timely and effective. To this end, the project proposes a series of meta-analyses to investigate the factors that determine the acceptability, acceptance and adoption of mitigation and adaptation technologies.
Title: Genetic and family factors in the etiopathogenesis of insomnia in childhood
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2022
Scientific director: Prof. Oliviero Bruni
ABSTRACT: Insomnia in childhood is associated with neurocognitive and neurobehavioral disorders that can compromise the child's physical and psychological development, therefore early identification of sleep problems in children and treatment play a fundamental prevention role. Recent studies have emphasized the role of genetic factors in the development of childhood insomnia: heredity largely explains sleep duration and nocturnal awakenings, suggesting that family history should be included in the evaluation of pediatric insomnia. A recent study defined 3 different phenotypes of pediatric insomnia, hypothesizing that a type of insomnia is related to a peculiar clinical and family history (Bruni et al., 2022): 1) hypermotor insomnia characterized by motor restlessness during sleep and awakenings; 2) intermediate insomnia with early awakening; 3) insomnia with multiple nocturnal awakenings and difficulty falling asleep without hyperactivity. The aim of the study is to evaluate the relationships between insomnia phenotype and related genetic and familial factors. This categorization will allow a better clinical classification and will allow a behavioral and pharmacological intervention tailored to each type of insomnia, also based on a hypothetical dysfunction of a specific neurotransmitter system.
Title: Distance education, e-tivities and sense of community
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2022
Scientific director: Prof. Donatella Cesareni
ABSTRACT: In recent years, universities have had to adopt forms of distance or mixed teaching, facing organizational and teaching difficulties; in particular, being able to maintain adequate forms of interaction with students, making them active protagonists and giving them the sense of being part of a community. The research project intends to explore the possibility of designing active and interactive forms of distance learning, to be used in emergency mixed teaching or blended teaching. The objective is on one hand to investigate whether active and collaborative teaching allows students who attend even remotely to perceive the sense of belonging to a community, positively associated with motivation to study and well-being, and on the other to build a repertoire of individual and collaborative interactive activities that can be carried out online (e-tivities) and/or in mixed mode, to be made available to the Sapienza teaching community.
Title: Risk and resilience factors in disadvantaged young people: a multi-method study
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2022
Scientific director: Prof. Fabio Alivernini
ABSTRACT: Disadvantaged socioeconomic contexts unfortunately have a known negative impact on the well-being and academic success of young people. The present research is based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and aims to identify some of the psychological risk and resilience factors of students living in these contexts. The research involves two studies. The first study, of an observational nature, will adopt a longitudinal/multilevel design and will investigate the relationship between educational environments, motivation and well-being in disadvantaged young people from schools located in different geographical areas of Italy. The second study, of an experimental nature, will be conducted in a virtual environment and will examine the effects that a condition of absence or scarcity of resources can have on perceptions and behaviors. In conclusion, this project intends to make a significant contribution to the knowledge of psychological factors of risk and resilience in disadvantaged young people, a population that is rarely taken into consideration in psychological research.
Title: Basic personal values in the eye of beholder: A cross-informant study
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2022
Scientific director: Prof. Michele Vecchione
ABSTRACT: Schwartz's theory (1992) is probably the most authoritative among the existing theories on values. In its most recent form, the theory identifies 19 basic values. This model has been shown to effectively predict individual behavior in a wide variety of contexts. The majority of studies that have adopted this theory, however, are based on data collected through self-report questionnaires. As is known, this can introduce bias and distortion. In an attempt to overcome these limitations, the project aims to measure values through the use of multiple informants. Among the objectives of the project are: 1) to examine whether the 19 values can be reliably assessed by external observers, and whether the results are generalizable to those obtainable from self-report questionnaires; 2) evaluate the relationship with behaviors and various personality dispositions, using appropriate strategies for multi-method multi-trait data analysis.
Title: Stability of the Moral Sense of Self: a New Concept in Psychology and Its Implications on Prosociality
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2022
Scientific director: Prof. Mauro Giacomantonio
ABSTRACT: In the project we examine the stability of the moral sense of self (i.e. the perceived variability of one's moral state) as a construct theoretically and empirically distinct from the status of morality (i.e. the perceived position of one's moral state). The general objective is to distinguish how the perception of moral stability and status contribute respectively to: 1) moral judgments and 2) prosocial behavior. To achieve these objectives, a series of studies will be conducted aimed at providing correlational, experimental and psychophysiological evidence. The project highlights the usefulness of a new conceptualization of morality for explaining different patterns of moral responses and engagement in prosocial behavior. To our knowledge, no other research has been conducted to date on the construct of stability of the moral sense of self.
Title: Accomplishing intergroup relations through discourses: opening the “black box” of residential care for children
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2022
Scientific director: Dr. Marzia Saglietti
ABSTRACT: Addressing one of the most ubiquitous dimensions of studies in Social Psychology, the project focuses on the discursive realization of intergroup relations in communities for minors. Although this intervention is recognized as intrinsically group-based, it is little studied in terms of intergroup relations. Through a new data collection - which allows the current dataset to be expanded with interviews and questionnaires with community managers - and a mixed-methods analytical approach, the project aims to: a) thematise the quantity of groups (internal and external) with which communities interact; b) analyze the discursive realization of intergroup relations (ingroup/outgroup, ingroup bias, attribution error); c) delve into its conversational functioning in its details and relevant phenomena (e.g., use of reported direct speech, group qualification, use of specific devices).
Title: The integrated 0/6 system in the capital of Rome. Services, training needs, pre-service training two years after the implementation of Legislative Decree 65/2017 in the Lazio Region
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2022
Scientific director: Prof. Patrizia Sposetti
ABSTRACT: in Italy, 40 years after the last law on the establishment of the integrated education and training system from birth to six years, it took place in 2017 with Legislative Decree number 65, which implements the indications of Law 107 of 2015 In particular, in 2020 the Region of Lazio was the first in Italy to implement Legislative Decree 65/2017. Within this framework, the project involves the creation of an analysis of educational services for girls and boys from 0 to 6 years old and for their families in the capital area of Rome. In particular, the research paths will develop: a) a mapping of the services activated and the training needs of the professional figures involved in these services; b) an identification and documentation of good practices for professional training, starting from the training offer of Lazio universities. In the current political and regulatory framework, these objectives take on a topical and innovative character, allowing us to follow the evolution of an exceptionally significant change for Italian educational policies.
Title: Educational relationship and impact on teaching: professional aspects and teachers' perception of the working context.
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2022
Scientific director: Irene Stanzione
ABSTRACT: teachers are considered a key element in the definition of a quality school system and the critical redefinition of teaching professionalism is at the center of the international debate on what concerns teaching learning processes (OECD, 2022). In Italy, the lack of a single text that summarizes the professional profiles expected for teachers leads to the need to describe a teaching profile through the definition of a series of skills inherent to the profession (Ianes et al., 2019). From the current national legislation, a profile emerges based on skills relating to teaching, organization and professionalism. The full acquisition of these skills requires the implementation of actions at both an individual and context level. The context dimensions have an impact on the teaching aspects with a view to the effective implementation of inclusive, innovative and personalized practices which are those required of the teacher and to which the in-service training offer focuses with ever greater attention. It is essential to monitor how the training path of future teachers impacts on working contexts, in terms of real application of the teaching practices learned during studies; vice versa, how the work context is a factor hindering or facilitating this application. The project intends to observe how contextual elements influence the actual implementation of teaching practices, with particular attention to the aspects of evaluation, planning and use of consolidated practices, on a sample of working students and those newly employed, trained within the qualifying degree course in Primary Education Sciences of Sapienza University of Rome. We will also study the differences with a sample of expert teachers and the relationships between the dimensions of teacher professionalism and student well-being.
Title: Sexual prejudice and bullying in a sample of heterosexual and LGBT+ athletes
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2022
Scientific director: Dr. Jessica Pistella
ABSTRACT: Scientific research has mainly focused on the experiences of bullying suffered by heterosexual and cisgender athletes while few studies have investigated the perspective and life stories of athletes belonging to sexual and/or gender minorities (LGBTQ+). The project has three main objectives: (1) provide qualitative and quantitative data on rates of homophobic/transphobic bullying in sports-related contexts against heterosexual, cisgender and LGBTQ+ athletes; (2) test the role of age, gender identity, sexual orientation, political ideology and religiosity in evaluating the association between homophobic/transphobic bullying suffered and sports drop-out; (3) explore any pressure received from family and friends in choosing a particular type of sport. The results of this project could have important implications for the well-being of LGBTQ+ people who participate in sport.
Title: Internalized sexual stigma, safety in social contexts, and identity development in lesbian and bisexual women
Funding programme/measure: University research call 2022
Scientific responsible: Prof. Roberto Baiocco
ABSTRACT: Literature has highlighted a relationship between limited safety in social contexts and negative mental health developmental outcomes (e.g. stress, anxiety, depression) in the general population. The project aims to explore the relationship between safety in social contexts and minority stress (e.g. uncertainty of one's identity). Quantitative and qualitative data will be collected through an online survey (N=500) and a standardized interview (N=50) involving lesbian and bisexual women aged 18 years and older. Statistical analyzes will evaluate the direct effects and mediating effect of internalized sexual stigma on perceptions of safety in social contexts, as well as differences between lesbian and bisexual women in levels of internalized sexual stigma, safety in social contexts, self-awareness, and on the uncertainty of one's minority identity.
Title: Communication and participation of patients and family members in medical decisions in times of COVID: a multi-method qualitative study
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2021
Scientific director: Prof. Marilena Fatigante
ABSTRACT: In times of COVID, the challenge for care contexts responsible for managing chronic situations (e.g. oncology departments) is to guarantee patient safety, preventing isolation from both formal and informal support networks, useful for supporting the therapeutic process. Previous studies on the first oncology visit have revealed the importance of the support of companions in understanding the activities of the visit, in implementing the therapeutic plan, in managing the patient's emotions, and in building shared reasoning and decision-making. Starting from these studies, the project documents communication practices regarding treatments and medical decisions between healthcare professionals on one hand, and cancer patients and their companions on the other. The project uses a multi-method methodology that combines ethnographic observation of two oncology care contexts, with the collection of interviews, video/audio recordings of interactions, documentation of communication artefacts (e.g. remote communication tools) used by patients, healthcare professionals and carers and questionnaires on the perceived quality of communication and well-being. The results of the observations will be shared in medical restitution and training courses.
Title: Academic success and well-being of disadvantaged young people
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2021
Scientific director: Prof. Fabio Lucidi
ABSTRACT: The negative effects of poverty on individuals have been well documented and scientific literature highlights how young people raised in disadvantaged socioeconomic conditions are at greater risk of poor physical and mental health, behavioral problems, and low academic performance. However, positive developmental trajectories among youth living in low-income families have very rarely been studied. Using Self-Determination Theory as a theoretical framework, the research will investigate the interaction between sociocultural factors, educational contexts, motivations, attitudes and perceptions in promoting academic adaptation and well-being in disadvantaged young people. Participants will be children and adolescents from low-income families who attend educational centers and schools in various geographical areas of Italy. The data will be analyzed using longitudinal and/or multilevel structural equation models to take into account their complexity. In conclusion, the project intends to make a significant contribution to the knowledge of resilience factors in young people living in disadvantaged conditions, a population that is very rarely studied.
Title: The protective role of resilience against the development of anxiety and depression in patients suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2021
Scientific director: Prof. Michele Vecchione
ABSTRACT: Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) includes two main forms: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The presence of psychological comorbidities in IBD is widely documented. Several studies have highlighted how IBD is able to negatively influence the patient's quality of life. The project aims to examine the protective role of resilience against the possible development of anxiety and depression following the diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases. The sample will be composed of approximately 200 IBD patients. As we know from previous studies, high levels of resilience can attenuate the emotional suffering induced by traumatic events. We therefore expect that the severity of IBD is positively associated with anxiety and depression, but that this relationship tends to weaken in patients with high levels of psychological resilience.
Title: The impact of virtual reality on prejudice towards migrants through a positive contact and perspective talking
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2021
Scientific director: Prof. Ankica Kosic
ABSTRACT: The aim of the project is to verify whether virtual reality can reduce prejudice against migrants. The project proposes two studies. The first study will be divided into two phases. In the first phase, participants will answer a questionnaire, while in the second phase they will take part in a virtual reality scenario. The study aims to investigate whether the presentation of positive (vs. neutral) behavior of an out-group member can reduce racial prejudice. In the second study, a scenario in which a refugee is questioned by an immigration officer about her background will be played out in VR. Participants will be able to identify with an avatar representing a refugee. It has been hypothesized that perspective taking can help reduce prejudice towards refugees.
Title: The acceptability of sustainable energy technologies: a quantitative study on biofuels to develop a social-psychological model of the ecological transition.
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2021
Scientific director: Prof. Marino Bonaiuto
ABSTRACT: The second generation of biofuels can help the process of decarbonisation of society towards more sustainable economic and social development. In the literature on the acceptability and acceptance of renewable technologies, there are models that integrate some psychological theories with economic and sociological theories; however, full consideration of all factors relevant to the case of biofuels is still lacking. The study aims to establish the relative contribution of the four main groups of factors (technological, economic and market, administrative-political, psychological-social) – derived from interdisciplinary literature – which can explain the acceptability of biofuels by the general public within the EU. Data from a sample collected via online survey in eight EU countries (1000 citizens in BE, DE, FR, GB, IT, NL, NO, SE) is analyzed with multivariate statistical techniques to establish mediation effects and moderation that govern the social processes of biofuel acceptability. The application implications in terms of adoption of biofuels are then discussed.
Title: Organizational and learning forgiveness climate and well-being: the moderating role of regulatory mode orientations
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2021
Scientific director: Dr. Flavia Albarello
ABSTRACT: In line with the theory of regulatory fit, in a series of three studies we intend to analyze whether the positive advantages of the climate of forgiveness, or of a climate in which forgiving mistakes is encouraged, are increased among individuals characterized by a locomotion mode (i.e., the self-regulatory mode associated with psychological movement) and inhibited among individuals characterized by an assessment mode (i.e., the self-regulatory mode associated with evaluative and comparative tendencies). In this regard, three studies will be conducted with a total sample of 1,276 participants. Specifically, we intend to test the effect of a climate of forgiveness on positive outcomes in a work environment (Study 1). This effect will be replicated in Study 2 in a learning environment and with a longitudinal design (Study 3). This series of studies will investigate in working and learning environments the moderating effects of self-regulation methods previously ignored in the literature.
Title: Parents, educators and new technologies. The impact of the pandemic on the use of digital devices in the 0-6 age group.
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2021
Scientific director: Prof. Renata Metastasio
ABSTRACT: The technological experience that nursery school educators, nursery schoolteachers and parents of children in the 0-6 age group went through during the lockdown to maintain distance learning links (LEAD) has certainly redefined new educational meanings that involved the child's entire socialization system. The research aims to analyze the changes in attitudes and usage practices of teachers, educators and parents towards digital devices following the pandemic. Nurseries and nursery schools will be involved throughout the national territory, with particular attention to the provinces of Rome and Trento, and the population of educators and teachers who work there will be reached. At the same time, the families of the children who attend the participating nurseries and nursery schools will be involved. Specific questionnaires specifically constructed for each of the three populations investigated (nursery educators, nursery schoolteachers, parents) will be administered to parents, educators and teachers via online platforms (Google Forms) and/or in paper format where online adminastration is not possible. In accordance with the data emerging from the literature on the topic, it is hypothesized that parents' guidance and mediation behaviors positively correlate with educational level and digital experience. As regards educators and teachers, it is hypothesized that lower digital experience, seniority and length of service correlate negatively with the availability to use digital devices, while a higher technological index correlates with a more favorable attitude towards digital teaching and with more frequent and differentiated practices in the educational field.
Title: "Open educational badges - Development and certification of skills for an open, multi-purpose and highly qualified professionalism in the educational and training field".
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2021
Scientific director: Dr. Emiliane Rubat du Mérac
ABSTRACT: The aim of the project is to broaden and deepen the work of creating Digital Open educational badges and training, development and enhancement paths for skills that are certified through the same badges. The development of our Badge EDU pedagogical model aims to strengthen the university preparation of future educators and teachers, to improve the quality of school staff and other social or educational institutions, to allow students to develop more creative and adaptable methodologies and better respond to the educational and social needs of their future profession. Previous research has made it possible to define 12 different skill profiles, useful for students to understand their potential, demonstrate and enhance their abilities, and orient themselves professionally. The educational Open Badges are issued on the basis of transparent evaluation criteria, they certify technical skills and the ability to transfer these skills within the educational relationship, through valid pedagogical interventions (soft skills). The research intends to develop the project by expanding the number of educational badges that Sapienza offers to students and graduates of the degree courses in Education and Training Sciences and Primary Training and to experiment with the use of badges by making training processes available and accreditation for in-service teachers.
Title: Loneliness and COVID-19 Pandemic: Protective and Risk Factors among Italian Adolescents
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2021
Scientific director: Dr. Stefania Sette
ABSTRACT: Loneliness is defined as a dissatisfaction with the quality of one's social relationships (Coplan et al., 2021). During the COVID-19 pandemic, various restrictive measures have been imposed to reduce infections including school closures and physical distancing. Reduced social contact increased feelings of loneliness which, in turn, impacted mental health (Loades et al., 2020). However, few scholars have investigated the processes that link loneliness with mental health in adolescence. The project aims to investigate: (1) the prevalence of loneliness and mental health problems; (2) the impact of loneliness on mental health; (3) the role of some protective and risk factors (including support received from peers, quality of sleep, use of technology). The project will provide teachers and school managers with useful tools to create a safe and supportive school environment.
Title: Sustainability and intergenerational tourism: relational and value factors
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2021
Scientific director: Dr. Elena Bocci
ABSTRACT: The project addresses the theme of promoting socio-cultural and environmental sustainability and the role that the quality of intergenerational relationships can play in this.
The aim is to evaluate, through the tools of social psychology, the effectiveness of a type of intervention - the Grandparents and Grandchildren program between nature and tradition - based on the creation and experimentation of specific tourist activities aimed at bringing together young and old people.
Improving relationships represents an important objective for the continuity of identity and socio-cultural development in communities to be achieved.
The research is configured as a field study, with both applicative implications, linked to the evaluation of potentially replicable types of intervention, and theoretical-methodological implications, linked to the possibility of increasing knowledge regarding the aspects characterizing intergenerational relationships and the methods of investigation and intervention on them.
Title: The assessment of happiness in children: a multi-method and multi-informant approach
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2021
Scientific director: Prof. Roberto Baiocco
ABSTRACT: Raising a happy child is one of the tasks considered most important by parents and is at the same time a relevant indicator of adequate and self-effective parenting. Research on happiness has been conducted mainly on adolescents and adults and only in recent years has it become interested in the topic of happiness in children. The project will investigate the construct of happiness using: (1) a quantitative methodology through the administration of a battery of instruments to a group of children (6-11 years) and their parents (N= 200) on happiness and other psychological variables; (2) a qualitative methodology which involves the administration of a semi-structured interview to the child and his parents. The study will have important application implications for better understanding what contributes to making a child happy and for providing useful information to parents regarding the parental behaviors and attitudes that predict their children's happiness.
Title: Parents of LGBQ+ sons and daughters: A qualitative research on coming out
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2021
Scientific director: Dr. Jessica Pistella
ABSTRACT: The experience of coming out (CO) - the act of revealing one's sexual orientation to other people - is a fundamental event in the lives of LGBQ+ people. Scientific research has mainly focused on the narratives of LGBTQ+ people while few studies have investigated the experiences and perspectives of mothers and fathers on their children's coming out process3. The project has three main objectives: (1) provide qualitative (semi-structured interviews) and quantitative (online survey) data on parents' perception of CO; (2) explore how the CO process can represent an existential crossroads for parents and, at the same time, a possibility for generativity; (3) investigate how the family system was reorganized following the CO. The project's findings could have important implications for mental health professionals working with parents of LGBTQ+ people.
Title: Ecological Threat (e.g., COVID-19), Epistemic Motivations, Cultural Tightness-Looseness, and Negative Attitudes Towards Immigrants
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2020
Scientific director: Prof. Antonio Pierro
ABSTRACT: The research project is aimed at examining to what extent the cultural dimension of "Tightness-Looseness", associated with the strength of social norms and the degree of sanctioning for the deviance of such norms, triggers negative attitudes towards immigrants in the Italian context. The project proposes that ecological threats of various nature (environmental, economic, health-epidemiological, etc.) promote adherence and/or motivation to encourage the development of rigid social norms and, consequently, the sanctioning of deviant behaviors. Similarly, it is proposed that individuals characterized by a high need for closure, whether chronic or experimentally induced, adhere more to a cultural system characterized by rigid norms. Finally, it is proposed that the presence/preference of rigid social norms, triggered both by ecological threats (Covid-19) and by epistemic motivations aimed at reducing uncertainty (need for cognitive closure), promotes, in turn, negative attitudes towards immigrants. These hypotheses will be tested in a series of studies in different Italian geographical areas.
Title: Gender typicality and recalled victimization by teachers and peers during adolescence
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2020
Scientific director: Dr. Jessica Pistella
ABSTRACT: The construct of gender typicality has been widely investigated in childhood and preadolescence, but in recent years some studies have focused on young adulthood. By gender typicality we mean the perception that a person has regarding feeling like a typical member of their gender group based on the commonality of various aspects such as, for example, interests, activities and behaviors. Therefore, the main aim of the present research project is to investigate the development of gender typicality in young adults from a dual perspective. The first objective is the Italian validation of the Perceived Similarity to Gender Groups Scale (Martin et al., 2017) in a group of young adults between 18 and 35 years old. The research also aims to examine the different types of gender typicality, analyzing possible differences depending on the gender and sexual orientation of the participants.
Title: Psycho-social determinants of sustainable mobility choices: development of an integrated theoretical model
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2020
Scientific director: Dr. Paola Passafaro
ABSTRACT: The aim of this project is to start the process of developing a psycho-social theoretical model of sustainable mobility choices in urban centers that takes into account the different psychological and psycho-social factors involved in such choices. The project starts from the most used prediction models in this field (Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior and Perugini and Bagozzi's Goal-Oriented Behavior) to: 1) test their predictive capabilities in the Italian context and 2) evaluate the the usefulness of extending these models by integrating into them factors that have so far been poorly considered by research carried out at an international level, which include: emotional factors (the emotions aroused by places and the stable emotional and functional bonds with them), relational factors (family and intergenerational dynamics) and normative factors, linked to new forms of social communication based on new and traditional media (media-related norms).
Title: The role of coping styles in drunkorexia behaviors among young adults
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2020
Scientific director: Prof. Fiorenzo Laghi
ABSTRACT: Drunkenorexia represents an emerging phenomenon among young people, characterized by the co-occurrence of eating disorders and alcohol consumption. Although it has attracted media and scholarly interest in recent years, our understanding of this risky behavior is still poor and little is known about the potential factors that may be involved. Existing literature has highlighted how coping styles can play an important role in problematic behaviors both related to alcohol and food; however, to the best of our knowledge, no study has yet explored whether strategies used to deal with stressful events and situations may be involved in drunkorexia behaviors. Therefore, the aim of the present study will be to investigate the potential role that different coping strategies can play in both protecting and facilitating such dysfunctional behavior in a sample of both male and female young adults.
Title: Reciprocal relations between perfectionism and the assertive and antagonistic aspects of narcissism: Findings from a longitudinal study
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2020
Scientific director: Prof. Michele Vecchione
ABSTRACT: The project aims to examine the association between perfectionism and the assertive and antagonistic components of grandiose narcissism, highlighted by the NARC model (Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Concept; Back et al., 2013). The study involves three repeated administrations six months apart, on a large sample of university students. Perfectionism will be measured using the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS), which allows us to capture the dimensions of self-oriented, other-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism. The two components of grandiose narcissism will be measured using the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire (NARQ). Associations between constructs will be examined using cross-lagged longitudinal models. This will allow us to evaluate the potential links of mutual influence between the various components of perfectionism and grandiose narcissism.
Title: Peer mentoring at university, a key factor in teaching
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2020
Scientific director: Prof. Patrizia Sposetti
ABSTRACT: The transition from upper secondary school to university represents a complex transition for male and female students (De Beni, Moè, Rizzato, 2003; Cantwell, Scevak 2004). In the international and national context, studies and research highlight how the most delicate moment for the dropout issue continues to concern freshmen (Burgalassi et alii, 2016; Moretti, Burgalassi, Giuliani, 2017; Zago, Giraldi, Clerici, 2014; Fasanella, Benvenuto, Salerni, 2010; Anvur, 2016). There are various national and international experiences aimed at supporting the school/university transition; some are based on accompaniment and assistance strategies based on relationships between peers such as peer tutoring (La Rocca, 2012; Da Re, 2012; Gemma et alii, 2010), or peer mentoring (Felice, 2005) with different effects both for mentors (Falchikov, 2001; Bonin, 2013; Beltman, Schaeben, 2012; Heirdsfield et alii, 2008) and for mentees (Colvin & Ashman, 2010; Hall & Halperin, 2006). Positioning itself within this direction, the project aims to analyze the teaching strategy of peer mentoring in a university context, through field research carried out with mixed methods in the context of pedagogical courses at Sapienza University.
Title: Right-wing, populism and Covid-19 in Italy. Matteo Salvini and Giorgia Meloni's communication via Facebook and its impact on followers (2019-2020). Comparing representations
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2020
Scientific director: Prof. Gilda Sensales
ABSTRACT: Many studies state that populist online communication is based on certain linguistic choices and topics, but there are no investigations that also take into account followers' comments and possible gender differences. To fill this gap, we analyzed Salvini and Meloni's posts and, for each post, the three comments most appreciated by their followers during the Conte 2 government. We carried out a lexical analysis of sentiment on all 4 corpora, highlighting generally a higher rate of positive words than negative ones. Unexpectedly in Salvini, compared to Meloni, positive emotional words are higher than negative ones, while this trend is respected more in Meloni's followers than in Salvini's. The results are discussed from a psycho-social perspective about the different declination of pandemic populism, the adherence to gender stereotypes and the level of harmony between the language of leaders and their followers.
Title: Role of Social Dominance on the relationship between the traitor's derogation within his own group and the group's selfish choices
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2020
Scientific director: Prof. Fabio Presaghi
ABSTRACT: There are already studies in the literature that have dealt with the relationship between social values and inter-group decisions (Van Avermaet & McClintock, 1988; Rabbie, Schotm & Visser, 1989; Platow, McClintock & Liebrand, 1990). Within research based on the minimal group paradigm, it has been observed how competitive and selfish people prefer choices that maximize the outcome for their own group compared to those based on equity between groups. While more pro-social people tend to prefer choices that maximize equity between groups (Platow et al., 1990). A limitation of these studies is represented by the fact that it is not clear whether competitive, selfish or pro-social people would maintain these preferences for inter-group choices even when a traitor who threatens the identity emerges within their group. In fact, the literature claims that the simple violation of the rules is able to change people's attitudes towards egalitarianism and the belief in a just world. For example, it has been seen that people who believe in a just world would still like to punish more severely those who betray their group. Therefore, the present study aims to study how reactions to the discovery of a traitor within one's own group can influence inter-group choices and how these preferences are modified by the belief in a just world.
Title: The current diffusion of Montessori primary school sections in Italy and the profiles of the Montessori teaching staff
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2020
Scientific director: Prof. Furio Pesci
ABSTRACT: The research project pursues two objectives: 1) describe the current diffusion of Montessori primary school sections and, if possible, its evolution in recent years; 2) define the training, characteristics and practices of the teaching staff who teach in these sections throughout the national territory. The activities carried out refer to: a) the reconstruction of the list of primary Montessori sections active in the school year. 2020/21, public and private; b) administration of an online questionnaire aimed at teachers.
Title: Effects of complementary feeding on demand on psychomotor development in the first 2 years of life: a study on children born preterm
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2020
Scientific director: Dr. Barbara Caravale
ABSTRACT: For a few years there has been talk of a new approach to weaning, defined in Italy as complementary feeding on demand (ACR) (Piermarini, 2008), in which the child signals his parents' interest in food and consumes it without being fed. The first available data seem to indicate positive results of ACR on the recognition of the sense of satiety and participation in family life. The objective of this project is to investigate the influence of the weaning method on motor, linguistic and cognitive development in children born preterm who will be assessed longitudinally from 4 to 24 months of corrected age. Approximately 40 preterm babies will be recruited who carry out "traditional" or "on request" weaning. Their parents will be asked to complete a series of questionnaires and to video record a meal which will be analyzed to evaluate aspects related to the communicative sphere (e.g. maternal responsiveness). Finally, the Bayley III developmental scales will be administered to the children. This research will provide an evidence-based approach to the study of ACR in children born preterm for which no reference guidelines yet exist.
Title: Characterizing body image plasticity in Anorexia Nervosa: behavioral and neurophysiological studies
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2020
Scientific director: Prof. Ilaria Bufalari
ABSTRACT: Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a psychiatric disorder with a high mortality rate, characterized by systematic control of food intake, an intense fear of gaining weight and an altered perception of one's body. Body image distortion has an effect on the incidence, prognosis and relapse of the disorder. At present, there are no validated pharmacological or psychotherapeutic treatments that are widely effective for its treatment.
Recent studies in cognitive and social neuroscience have shown that: 1) it is possible to experimentally alter the perception of one's body using a paradigm based on interpersonal multisensory stimulation (IMS) and immersive virtual reality (VR); 2) AN patients show a variable impairment of executive functions, especially in cognitive control, suggesting the importance of investigating the contribution of the cognitive sphere in the processing of body representation.
This project therefore aims - through the use of clinical, psychophysiological and neurophysiological measures - to investigate in AN patients and neurotypical controls: 1) the effectiveness of IMS conducted on virtual bodies of different sizes in inducing plastic changes in the representation of the body ;2) the neural mechanisms underlying the cognitive control linked to the conflict evoked by the simultaneous activation of the representation of thin (ideal) and fat (aversive) bodies. Characterizing the plasticity of the body image and determining whether its distortion may depend on alterations of the frontal circuit in processing conflicting representations of the body, would pave the way for the implementation of combined behavioral (IMS, VR) and non-human brain stimulation approaches. invasive - which can complement normal psychotherapeutic pathways towards the objective of reducing alterations in body image and modifying the underlying dysfunctional perceptive-cognitive-emotional processes.
Title: Sustainable energy technology acceptance: an exploratory study on biofuels to develop an updated social psychological model
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2020
Scientific director: Prof. Marino Bonaiuto
ABSTRACT: Stakeholder acceptance of sustainable energy technologies is of growing importance. The determinants can be aspects of the technology to be accepted, aspects of the context, psychological-social characteristics of those who accept. In the biofuels sector, an area of crucial importance for social decarbonisation processes useful for pursuing more sustainable economic-social development, this research is still lacking. This pilot research aims to understand the acceptance of sustainable energy technology by relevant stakeholders in the biofuel sector, in order to define an integrated social psychological theoretical model. A first study maps the relevant stakeholders (according to an Interest x Influence matrix). A second study identifies a sample of stakeholders with the aforementioned matrix and interviews them to define the relevant variables for the acceptance of biofuels.
Title: Helicopter parenting and social skills in adolescents and young adults
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2020
Scientific director: Prof. Roberto Baiocco
ABSTRACT: The expression Helicopter Parenting describes the behavior of parents who are excessively involved in their children's lives through parenting practices and tactics that are developmentally inappropriate as they are characterized by high levels of control, overprotectiveness, involvement and warmth and by low levels of autonomy granted. The paradoxical aspect is that this parenting aimed at protecting and promoting the positive development of children, instead turns out to have negative implications for their well-being. The main objective of this research project is to investigate the relationship between Helicopter Parenting and children's social skills. The research also aims to examine Helicopter Parenting in both parents, family functioning and levels of social competence as a function of the gender and sexual orientation of the children. Studying Helicopter Parenting can have important implications for promoting appropriate social skills in adolescents and young adults.
Title: An analysis of communication in oncology visits with Italian and foreign patients through a doctor-patient interaction coding system
Funding programme/measure: University Research Call 2020
Scientific director: Prof. Francesca Alby
ABSTRACT: Starting from recent studies that have used doctor-patient communication coding systems, the project aims to analyze communication practices within oncology visits with Italian patients and foreign patients. In particular it is planned to use a specific coding system for oncology visits on an existing corpus of 60 video-recorded visits collected in an Italian hospital. The analyses intend to provide a picture of the distribution of doctor and patient communication behaviors in visits with Italian and foreign patients and investigate the relationship between the patient's ethnic background (Italian\foreigner), other socio-demographic variables (gender, age) and specific markers communications of the visit detected by the coding system. The aim is to identify in particular specific characteristics of the interaction and any differences in visits with Italian patients and foreign patients relating to: phenomena of misalignment or misunderstanding between doctor and patient; level of complexity and processing of information by the doctor; number and type of initiatives by the patient; mutual expression of affiliation and trust on the part of doctor and patient; markers and emotional expressions by doctor and patient. The research also involves a conversational analysis of the communication practices used in oncology visits in order to integrate the statistical results with qualitative analyzes and interpretations. There are still very few studies, particularly in the Italian context, that examine in detail how the oncologist presents information to the foreign patient and how the patient's participation in the visit is influenced by linguistic and cultural factors. The results may have useful application implications in training doctors in communication.
Title: Virtual Reality Action Test - Evaluating the feasibility and reliability of the Naturalistic Action Test in a Virtual Environment, for older adults with MCI
Funding programme/measure: 2019 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Fabio Lucidi
ABSTRACT: Performance-based functional tests for the assessment of daily activities show promising results regarding an effective and objective measure of general cognitive functioning in adults. Among these tools, the "Natural Action Test" (NAT) has strong psychometric properties and allows us to resolve many of the limitations inherent in the administration of standard questionnaires. Despite these strengths, its applications in clinical and research contexts are scarce, due to the necessary effort required for its administration and the related calculation of scores. Given the strengths of the NAT, the present study aims to create a version of this test in immersive virtual reality (Virtual Reality Action Test), in order to maximize the psychometric properties of the NAT and minimize the problems relating to administration and to scoring. To this end, 12 young people, 12 elderly people and 12 elderly people with mild Cognitive Disorder (MCI) will be recruited. These groups will be administered batteries of tests aimed at investigating their cognitive profile, together with their daily functioning both via NAT and VRAT. By comparing the scores deriving from the battery of cognitive tests and NAT and the VRAT, it will be possible to understand whether the latter testing modality is equally effective in evaluating general cognitive functioning, and also test the possibility that the VRAT is a valid tool in evaluation of MCI in an elderly population. The results of this study could favor the development of new assessment methods both in clinical and research contexts, combining at the same time the effectiveness and efficiency of the measure, both in the evaluation of general cognitive functioning and in the evaluation of MCI.
Title: Coming out to Siblings, Best Friends, and Parents in an Italian Sample of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual People and those of all other sexual orientations
Funding programme/measure: 2019 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Roberto Baiocco
ABSTRACT: Coming out, i.e. the process through which LGB+ people reveal their sexual orientation to others, is a fundamental component for the development of identity in individuals belonging to sexual minorities. Most research has examined this process by focusing on parents' reactions to disclosure, while few studies have analyzed the role of brothers/sisters or best friends of LGB+ people. Therefore, the main objective of the project is to provide qualitative and quantitative data on the coming out process, considering significant other people and not just the parents of LGB+ girls and boys. Using different methodologies and measurement tools, the research also analyzes risk factors (for example, homophobic bullying or internalized sexual stigma) and protective factors (for example, positive LGB+ identity) that could inhibit or facilitate coming out .
Title: What can lead people to believe that owning and using (defensive) weapons is legitimate and acceptable? The roles of Uncertainty, Need for Cognitive Closure and Moral Foundations
Funding programme/measure: 2019 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Antonio Pierro
ABSTRACT: The research project is aimed at examining attitudes towards the possession of weapons in the Italian context, possession regulated by a recent law promoted in parliament. The growing expression of attitudes aimed at legitimizing the possession of weapons is often accompanied by concern about a growing flow of immigration into the country. The research proposes that fear of immigrants triggers the motivation to own defensive weapons. Furthermore, it is proposed that individuals characterized by a need for cognitive closure, whether chronic or experimentally induced, are more likely to legitimize the possession, and possibly the use, of weapons aimed at dealing with the uncertainty produced by migratory flows. In a series of studies, the relationships between the need for cognitive closure, both chronic and situationally induced, identification with the group to which one belongs, fear of immigrants and positive attitudes towards the possession/use of weapons for self-defense will be examined. Finally, the potential counter-attitudinal role of positive information on immigrants aimed at promoting a reduction in the threat posed by immigrants (out-group) and the consequent reduction of attitudes favorable to the possession/use of weapons will be analysed.
Title: Effects of medical communication on patient's emotional well-being, quality of care and trust in healthcare professionals: a multi-modal assessment study in oncology settings
Funding programme/measure: 2019 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Marco Lauriola
ABSTRACT: Because effective doctor-patient communication has many benefits in cancer care, we focus primarily on the social interaction between the oncologist and the patient, which we expect to include the process by which communication can change the emotional state of the patient before and after the visit, and pave the way for patient satisfaction and trust in the doctor. The study uses a multimodal approach. Doctor-patient interactions will be video-recorded to extract five behavioral indicators. The doctor's communication behaviors, the patient's communication behaviors, misalignment in co-orientation and affiliation, the patient's expressions of trust in the doctor, and linguistic markers of clinical uncertainty will be used to explain positive and negative affective reactions after the visit by checking baseline emotional state at pretest, assessed using self-reported and physiological data. The five categories will also be used to predict perceived physician communication skills and patient confidence. Finally, age, gender, ethnicity, and other trait-like dispositions will be used in data analysis to test a third research question, namely, how individual and cultural differences might influence doctor-patient communication. The research includes two phases. Phase 1 will develop and test a reliable coding system for doctor-patient interactions during the visit and will involve approximately one third of the total sample (approximately 20 patients). Phase 2 will test the substantive hypotheses outlined above and will require approximately two-thirds of the sample (approximately 40 patients). Preliminary analyses will establish the reliability of the coding system and pre-process the ECG data to obtain indices of emotional arousal. Substantive hypotheses will be tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling, a nonparametric approach suitable for non-normal or highly skewed data and small samples.
Title: Interculture in nursery schools and nursery schools in Rome, the capital
Funding programme/measure: 2019 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Giordana Szpunar
ABSTRACT: The research project is part of the studies on the topic of interculture and educational care with particular reference to the educational contexts of 0-6 year olds in nursery and nursery school with the aim of conducting a survey of the actions and of intercultural projects in nursery schools and nursery schools in Rome, with particular attention to 0/6 educational contexts.
The presence of migrant boys and girls in the education system and in Italian society has made the issue increasingly urgent both from the general point of view of reception and from the point of view of the need to build intercultural educational environments. For these boys and girls and their families, entry to nursery or nursery school often represents the first transition into the social structures of the host country. Migrant parents frequently find themselves in the position of having to make complex choices regarding the future of their children and in this context, educational services can be both a place for sharing educational care and an engine for building social networks. In the face of this important function of reception and integration, which has only been partially explored through empirical investigations. In the area of Rome, the capital, taking into account the lack of updated data and the limited number of research on the actions planned and implemented in these structures on the subject of interculture, through the project it seems relevant to start an exploration of what happens in the nurseries, in the schools of childhood and in the 0/6 structures (bridge sections and spring sections). The collection of information on consolidated actions and widespread practices on specific projects that have developed targeted interventions in the field of social inclusion and reception with a multicultural approach over time, will allow the development of indications aimed at 0/6 services that can be used in similar contexts at a national level.
Title: The relationship between emotion regulation and social behavior problems in adolescence: The role of emotional self-efficacy
Funding programme/measure: 2019 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Fiorenzo Laghi
ABSTRACT: Individuals deal with emotional cues differently, producing a different set of responses at the physiological, cognitive and behavioral levels. At the same time, the role of personal beliefs regarding positive and negative emotion regulation skills and emotional self-efficacy on maladjustment has been recognized. The objective of this project is to verify the moderating role of emotional self-efficacy in the relationship between emotional regulation strategies - cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression - and internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Approximately 500 adolescents attending the first and second classes of secondary school will be recruited. Collective administration in class is envisaged through the use of self-report questionnaires for the evaluation of the variables under study. The results may be useful for planning adequate intervention plans.
Title: Populism and social media. A social psychological analysis of Luigi Di Maio and Matteo Salvini's communication via Facebook during the 2018 and 2019 electoral campaigns
Funding programme/measure: 2019 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Gilda Sensales
ABSTRACT: The representations of populism acted out in communication on Facebook by two of the main exponents of Italian populism, Di Maio and Salvini, were explored. The impact of this communication on their followers was also studied. The period under observation includes the national elections (March 2018) and the European elections (May 2019). We conducted analyses on extra-textual and textual data by applying content analysis and automatic lexicographic analysis. The results highlighted an angry populism in Salvini and his followers; the preference for the first person plural for Di Maio and the first person singular for Salvini; a narrow categorical breadth of “we” referring to one's own political group, but also to the people for both leaders in both periods, while “they” refers to other political forces for Di Maio and to immigrants for Salvini; a positive value for us and partially negative for them in both leaders.
Title: The autonomous use of digital devices in preschool age: relationships with cognitive and self-regulation problems and influence of parenting styles
Funding programme/measure: 2019 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Teresa Gloria Scalisi
ABSTRACT: The intense and increasingly early use of digital technologies and mobile devices seems associated with the development of cognitive, physiological (sleep and eating, Wethington, Pan & Sherry, 2013) and emotional regulation problems (McNeill et al., 2019; Poulain et al., 2018). Our study aims to investigate the relationship between the use of such devices in preschool age, some characteristics of children and the characteristics of parental educational style. 200 children aged between 4 and 6, their parents and their teachers will participate in the research. Children will be administered objective tests to assess working memory, problem solving, sustained attention and lexical access. Parents will be asked to complete the Questionnaire on the use of Digital Technologies (QUTG) and a questionnaire on parenting style (PARQ/Control), while teachers will complete the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for each child.
Title: Certification of extracurricular skills as an orientation model - Construction of a pedagogical Open Badge model
Funding programme/measure: 2019 University Research Call
Scientific director: Dr. Emiliane Rubat Du Merac
ABSTRACT: The research project aims to certify extracurricular skills and the construction of a pedagogical Open Badge model for the recognition and integration of skills deemed useful for the professional figure graduating from Primary Education Sciences. The experiment will be carried out on students in Primary Education Sciences of Sapienza University of Rome in the first, second and third year of the course, approximately 200 students. One of the methods for determining the level of achievement of SFP skills is the use of interview and partially structured interview procedures used by the European project ICONET (Informal Competencies Net), which has validated approaches for the recognition of informal learning of students in 7 different countries. The project provides that the identified skills must be useful for the student's professional orientation and placement and be included in the EuroPASS Curriculum Vitae which, in the personal skills section, is divided into social, organisational, technical, IT and artistic skills. In addition to these 4 EuroPASS macrocategories, we plan to certify both operational and transversal skills, relevant for the adoption of an innovative and efficient approach to teaching: Learning competence, Social, educational and technological competence (Sternberg & Lubart, 1999; Cairney, 2000; Robison, 2001; Runco, 2007; Chen, 2009; Ferrari, Cachia & Punie, 2009; Lin, 2009; Pantic & 4 Wubbels, 2010). The research aims, therefore, to define certified competence profiles, useful both for students to know their potential, update them, enrich them and orient themselves professionally and for the university institution to verify the levels of competence acquired by students and make a new synthesis of them. with respect to the professional profile of the primary school teacher.
Title: Sustainable mobility in large urban centers: construction of a tool for measuring attitudes based on beliefs
Funding programme/measure: 2019 University Research Call
Scientific director: Dr. Paola Passafaro
ABSTRACT: The objective of this project is to build measurement tools for the systematic analysis of the psycho-social determinants associated with the use of sustainable means of transport in cities. In particular, this project focuses on the use of the bike. On a theoretical level, these tools will allow testing specific explanatory and predictive models of the behavior under investigation. On the application level, they will allow us to provide useful information for the design of urban plans for sustainable mobility capable of taking greater consideration of the psychological and social aspects that influence such behaviors. In particular, there is a need to refine previously created tools in light of both the high number of items that currently compose them (over 100), and the substantial changes that have occurred in the meantime at a legislative and social level following the policies for sustainable mobility launched in very recent years by the European Union.
Title: Educators, Parents and children 0-3 years old: the educational (de)potential of digital devices
Funding programme/measure: 2019 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Renata Metastasio
ABSTRACT: Although numerous research has analyzed the process of diffusion of new technologies in the school age group, little attention has been paid to the 0-3 year age group. The objective of this research is to analyze the characteristics of the use of new digital devices, with touch technology, in children who are not yet "literate", through an exploratory investigation, aimed at a sample of parents and nursery educators. The aim is to evaluate which styles (family and educational) favor socialization processes and the conscious use of new technologies. Through two questionnaires, one for parents and one for teachers, the sociodemographic characteristics, experience and attitude in the use of new technologies and supervision style will be assessed, as well as aspects considered positive predictors of the use of technologies digital.
Title: The school class as a person's social reference: effects on bullying and social comparison among students: A longitudinal study
Funding programme/measure: 2019 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Stefano Livi
ABSTRACT: Groups represent a fundamental reference for individuals throughout their existence. If this is true for adults, in young people the relationships that are maintained outside of family references end up representing, as age increases, an existential compass for finding the coordinates of one's personal and social identity. In this delicate evolutionary phase, it is the groups and relationships established within one's own school class which, due to the time they occupy in one's life and the engaging social comparison experienced with classmates, often represent a crucial relational reference point in emotional development. and cognitive skills of young people. These experiences can therefore take the form of an experience of social citizenship in which others represent, in the positive pole, a resource of skills and protection but also, in its dark side, the source of a competitive and stressful social comparison in the delicate period of development of the Self. The current research focused on the role that school classes, a fundamental reference point in students' daily lives, can play both as a protective factor and as a source of dangerous regulatory anchoring. To this end, the research has explored two social phenomena which, coming to life within the relational and group dynamics that develop in school classes, well represent the importance of the latter in being an essential social reference for the student: the bullying and social comparison processes. The studies intend to detect and investigate the lights and shadows of the class group, that is, the way in which the internal dynamics of the class group itself can influence the individuals included in it, and how these influences can be profoundly different from each other.
Title: MOODLE to support constructivist university teaching
Funding programme/measure: 2019 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Maria Donata Cesareni
ABSTRACT: The main objective of the research project is to investigate the possible use of the Moodle platform to encourage forms of active and collaborative teaching at university level.
The research group intends to carry out a survey of the current uses of the Moodle platform within Sapienza University, to review and enhance forms of use that can encourage teaching innovation in the direction of greater participation and centrality of the student.
Through the administration of an online questionnaire to Sapienza teachers, the ways in which the platform is used and the main Moodle tools used will be identified, as well as the teachers' opinions will be collected to highlight perceived strengths, difficulties encountered and expressed training needs.
Title: Early signs of Motor Coordination Disorder in pre-school age: Italian validation of the Little-DCDQ questionnaire and relationship between motor skills and behavioral problems
Funding programme/measure: 2019 University Research Call
Scientific director: Dr. Barbara Caravale
ABSTRACT: The main objective of this project is the Italian validation of the Little-DCDQ questionnaire (Rithman, 2011) for the evaluation of early signs of motor coordination disorder (DCD) in children aged between 3 and 5 years. Furthermore, the relationships between motor skills and other areas of development, such as behavior (presence of problems such as hyperactivity, attention, emotional and relational difficulties) will be studied. Around 300 children aged between 3 and 5 years and a group of children at risk of developing DCD and their parents will participate in the project. The reliability and validity of the Little-DCDQ will be evaluated, also relating it to some measures deriving from the direct evaluation of children, such as, for example, the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (Henderson, 2007), the gold standard for the diagnosis of DCD. The data from the motor tests will be compared with the behavioral measures deriving from the questionnaires completed by the parents.
Title: Using environmental psychology for building resilience in coping with environmental disasters: evacuation site place attachment can improve human adaptation to natural hazard risks
Funding programme/measure: 2019 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Marino Bonaiuto
ABSTRACT: The project concerns human adaptation to natural environmental risks. Recent meta-analyses have identified the psychological-social variables relevant to improving this human adaptation: among them, attachment to place is poorly studied. Based on a previous review (Bonaiuto et al., 2016), the importance of attachment to the place of residence for the perception of risk and coping with environmental risk emerged. Attachment to evacuation sites is instead neglected in the scientific literature, as is the use of experimental manipulations. Therefore, the project aims to create procedures for manipulating attachment to place, in relation to the functions performed by this attachment on a psychological level; as well as to verify whether a stronger attachment to the place of evacuation increases the perception of risk and coping with risk. The hypotheses are tested through three studies (one correlational in the field and two experimental in the laboratory).
Title: Monitoring innovation: the functioning of secondary schools belonging to the DADA (Teaching for Learning Environments) school network
Funding programme/measure: 2019 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Giorgio Asquini
ABSTRACT: The research project concerns the monitoring of the DADA project (Didactics for Learning Environments). The Department of Psychology of Development and Socialization Processes carried out monitoring in the two lead schools since 2015 (Kennedy and Labriola high schools in Rome), but over the last few years the number of schools that have implemented the project has significantly increased, with the formation of a national network of schools. One of the key elements of the project is the need to implement monitoring to verify how innovative the project is in terms of personal well-being (students and teachers) and effectiveness of the teaching-learning processes (with positive effects also on student results). Therefore, it is planned to extend the collaboration already underway with the two lead schools to other schools in the regional territory, applying the monitoring plan (based on documentation of the environments, classroom observations, student questionnaires, teacher focus groups) with possible additions (questionnaires teachers, definition of new result indicators). The data collected will flow into a final report but above all will be used in training initiatives aimed at participating schools, with the aim of strengthening innovation and allowing its constant improvement. The research proposal falls within the scope of Research-Training, an original approach that provides for equal dignity of University and School in research activities that have clear implications for the professional training of teachers and managers.
Title: Tightness-Looseness as a Fundamental Dimension of Cultural Variation: Its variability across different Italian geographical areas and organizational contexts and the relationship with leadership-power styles and with chronic individual differences of community members
Funding programme/measure: 2018 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Antonio Pierro
ABSTRACT: This research project aims to examine the level of "tightness-looseness" as a fundamental dimension of cultural variability in the Italian context. In the project it is proposed that this cultural dimension is associated with differences between northern and southern Italy and that the Italian regions most affected by natural disasters and economic crises are characterized to a greater extent by rigid social norms (i.e. Tightness). Furthermore, it is expected that the variation in the cultural dimension under study is associated with individual differences connected to regulatory focuses (promotion and prevention focus) and the need for cognitive closure: The fit between individual characteristics and the prevailing cultural dimension would operate as an amplifier of the positive effects of individual characteristics on subjective well-being. In addition, it is proposed that cultural variations at the corporate level are reflected in cultural differences also at the organizational level. Since leaders in organizations influence organizational culture, leaders characterized by an autocratic style are expected to promote the emergence of a "rigid" organizational culture. Finally, it is proposed that person-organizational culture (and person-leader) fit affects employees' level of well-being and their work performance.
By integrating various theories and levels of analysis (corporate, organizational and individual), the research project intends to provide innovative ideas aimed at a better understanding of cultural differences in the Italian context and their impact on individuals, also in organizational work contexts.
Title: Psychological Roots, Correlates and Consequences of Populism
Funding programme/measure: 2018 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Mauro Giacomantonio
ABSTRACT: Psychology has devoted significant effort to studying the psychological antecedents, correlates, and consequences of ideological and political preferences by focusing, almost exclusively, on the left-right ideological divide. However, the recent rise of populism in Italy as well as in other countries (e.g., the election of Trump in the United States) requires new insights that cannot be easily extrapolated from previous research. From a psychological point of view, populism is therefore a rather new research topic. Our research project will address this problem with three main objectives in mind. We first want to examine whether different forms of social exclusion (e.g., anomie, ostracism, economic inequality) can influence endorsement of populism. Furthermore, we want to verify whether the desire to regain control can be a mediator of the influence of exclusion on populist ideology. Second, building on previous research in political psychology, we want to examine how a variety of dispositions are associated with populism and whether it is possible to identify a psychological profile of a person who espouses a populist view. Third, we want to examine the consequences of endorsing populism on attitudes, evaluations and behaviors related to several important issues of political and social life such as immigration, conspiratorial beliefs about health and the environment, and political participation. To achieve the planned objectives we will adopt a variety of research methodologies, tools and measures.
Title: Gender problems in the transition to work of Sapienza graduates
Funding programme/measure: 2018 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Pietro Lucisano
ABSTRACT: The existence of gender differences within the Italian training system which apparently seems to reward girls is quite evident. The numbers of Sapienza graduates demonstrate a strong imbalance between girls and boys with a 60/40 ratio. The database at our disposal allows us to verify the transition paths to work, in ceteris paribus conditions, with the possibility of exploring a vast range of variables relating to waiting times for the first job, latency between the different contracts, professional qualifications, ATECO sectors, ISCO classification and working and contract days. For some groups of graduates, the system also allows them to verify the employment contracts obtained before, during and after their university studies. The survey aims to verify gender differences in the transition to work and explore the reasons why the educational success of graduates is not reflected in the world of work. The first analyzes carried out on the database in fact confirm a greater difficulty for graduates in the transition to work. Alongside the investigation of administrative data, the research involves testing the soft skills self-assessment questionnaire on a limited sample, calibrated on a sample of 1,300 Italian secondary school students.
Title: Virtual Reality Innovation for Caregivers of Alzheimer's Disease patients
Funding programme/measure: 2018 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Fabio Lucidi
ABSTRACT: The aging of the population raises crucial questions on the increased risks of developing age-related pathologies (e.g. senile dementia). The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer's disease. Over the past decades, many studies have focused attention on the caregiver (CG) population with AD, who are considered to be at increased risk of developing age-related diseases and social isolation due to the stress levels of daily life. In order to promote the psychological adaptation of CGs and their ability to cope with this situation, according to Bandura's social cognitive theory, self-regulation abilities, i.e. perceived self-efficacy, should be promoted. Our research proposal aims to leverage the advancement of new technologies to create a theory-driven, highly immersive virtual reality (VR) intervention aimed at the caregiver population and to identify new intervention algorithms. We aim to increase CGs' coping strategies and self-efficacy; improve healthy lifestyles; and reduce the risk of developing cognitive deficits by indirectly improving the quality of life of patients with AD. AD caregivers (N=90) will be recruited and randomized into three groups to participate in three different types of interventions: the first group will receive the virtual reality intervention, smartphone app services, and website access. (VR+APP+INTERNET, N=30); the second group will be able to use smartphone app services and website access. (APP+INTERNET, N=30); the control group will receive no intervention. (CONTROL GROUP, N=30). Furthermore, relevant AD patients will be evaluated (clinical questionnaires, global cognitive status). We expected that the intervention will improve positive outcomes (coping strategies, self-efficacy) and reduce negative outcomes (stress level, unhealthy lifestyles, cognitive impairment) on CG participants and improve the well-being of AD patients with CG involved in the VR intervention.
Title: Drunkorexia among first and second - generation immigrant and native adolescents: the role of emotion regulation
Funding programme/measure: 2018 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Fiorenzo Laghi
ABSTRACT: Mental well-being is a relevant topic in migration research, as it has been highlighted how different stressors related to the migration process can influence the mental health of immigrants and their children. Alcohol and substance abuse are health risk behaviors that often impact the well-being of first- and second-generation immigrants and are predicted by migration stressors and assimilation processes. The first objective of the present research will be to examine the association of drunkorexia with various dysfunctional eating behaviors and alcohol consumption in a sample of native adolescents and first and second generation immigrants in Italy. The second objective is to investigate the motivations underlying drunkorexia and the third objective to examine the relationship between drunkorexia and the different dimensions of emotional regulation.
Title: The communication with foreign patients in oncology
Funding programme/measure: 2018 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Cristina Zucchermaglio
ABSTRACT: The project addresses the topic of medical communication with patients characterized by linguistic and cultural diversity. Given the increase in the number of foreign patients entering national healthcare organizations, the project represents an opportunity to bring to light specific problems, raise awareness and promote educational programs on medical communication in order to build effective communication practices also with such patients. Numerous studies, including observational ones, have highlighted the existence of significant and specific difficulties in communication between doctors and patients coming from different cultural and linguistic contexts. By adopting a multi-method qualitative approach, the project aims to: 1) analyze the quality of communication with foreign patients through the development of a specific coding system of video recordings of medical visits; 2) to contribute to redefining and enriching the construct of patient-centered communication in the case of foreign patients.
Title: Sindaco or sindaca? Chiara Appendino and Virginia Raggi in the representations of the Italian daily press: between linguistic sexism, agency of mayors, gender stereotypes and trivialization of communication
Funding programme/measure: 2018 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Gilda Sensales
ABSTRACT: The study was conducted on 810 headlines from 10 national newspapers of different ideological and cultural orientations, for the four months following the elections of Raggi and Appendino, whose mass media representations were the subject of the study. Two procedures of the Spad-T statistical program were used: Mots and Vospec. The analysis concerned both the general vocabulary relating to all the words of the titles, and the typical lexical nuclei relating to the valence (negative, sarcastic, positive, neutral) of the context of use of the office of mayor declined in the generic masculine (46, 2% of cases) or female specific (46.8%). The results showed that for the specific feminine there is a greater negative or sarcastic context of use, compared to the positive one for both mayors. The data is commented by underlining how the "sanitization" of the language, through the correct use of the specific feminine, is nullified by a sexist context of use.
Title: Effects of inter-group bias on racial prejudice: how inter-group differentiation to introduce a new social category can cancel a contextual racial prejudice
Funding programme/measure: 2018 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Fabio Presaghi
ABSTRACT: The literature argues that although racial prejudice is often automatic and unconscious, it is nevertheless possible to reduce or cancel it when people are asked to categorize pre-existing social categories in light of a new category. There are various models in the literature that allow this objective to be achieved. However, there are no studies that allow us to directly compare the effectiveness of these models in reducing racial prejudice. We therefore propose a series of studies based on the Social Categorization Task (SCT) paradigm to directly compare the effectiveness of these models in reducing racial prejudice.
Title: Theories of Identity and Sustainable Tourist Choices
Funding programme/measure: 2018 University Research Call
Scientific director: Dr. Paola Passafaro
ABSTRACT: The objective of this project is to investigate the role of identity factors in behavioral contexts of social relevance, including that of sustainable tourism. In fact, it is currently not known whether and how identity can guide people's tourist choices in the direction of environmental and social sustainability. The research also aims to evaluate the possible mediating or moderating role played by some psychological factors already known in social psychology (the perception of group norms) and environmental psychology (pro-environmental attitudes and values) and others less investigated in this field such as the perception of well-being and satisfaction with one's quality of life. In fact, the last two aspects have recently been shown to play a role in individual tourist choices, as well as a close correlation with place identification and attachment.
Title: Dimensions of healthcare provider social support: individual differences, contextual factors, and perception of quality of care in patients affected by chronic physical diseases
Funding programme/measure: 2018 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Marco Lauriola
ABSTRACT: Research has established the effect of support networks on health. Social support provided by healthcare professionals has also been investigated, but each study has made different choices regarding the measurement of this construct. Furthermore, there is an overlap of constructs and measures in the study of social support from the perspective of healthcare organizations. This overlap does not allow us to separate social support functions from interpersonal skills, communication skills, trust in healthcare organizations, and so on. To assess how health support may impact health outcomes, reliable and valid instruments are needed to capture separate but related aspects of the construct. Inspired by psychosocial models of social support, the primary goal of this proposal is to develop the Health Provider Social Support Scale (HPSS) to integrate existing measures of health care quality with an instrument aligned to psychological research. Second, we aim to examine how patients' personality and contextual factors moderate the relationships of social support functions with quality of healthcare and quality of life. To achieve these goals, we develop the HPSS on a sample of patients suffering from chronic conditions. We will examine the relationships of the HPSS with variables that influence the perception of social support and its impact on the perceived quality of staff communication, the perceived technical competence of the healthcare professional, and trust in the healthcare team. Since chronic diseases are a primary source of stress, we examine whether healthcare social support could help defuse patients' anxiety and worries. We also examine the role of attachment in the relationships of social support with perceived health quality and health distress. The study involves collecting information on the sense of belonging to a community of care, studying the difference in social support perceived by patients in religious and government hospitals.
Title: Attention at risk: The influence of social and emotional factors on the attention systems of children of Italian mother tongue or migrant families (Language-minority)
Funding programme/measure: 2018 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Francesca Federico
ABSTRACT: Numerous studies highlight a strong link between stress and attention skills; according to Posner and Rothbart (2001), attention is a powerful self-regulatory mechanism. In particular, the development of orientation and executive control functions seems to go hand in hand with the development of self-regulation capacity. A recent paradigm (Schibili et al., 2017) hypothesizes an adaptive vision of stress according to a bifurcated developmental trajectory (BiDeT), which describes the external and internal factors that modulate the processes of selective attention, learning and self-regulation, inducing a bifurcation of possible outcomes towards resilience or vulnerability of low SES children. The aim of this research is to analyze the different factors that make up the SES: parents' employment status (HISEI index), parents' education level (PARED index) and possession of specific material assets, understood as variables of proximity to an economic and cultural context favorable to learning (HOMEPOS index) and relate them to the performance of third-grade children on the ANT test with social and non-social stimuli and with some indicators of anxiety and self-esteem, with the aim of identifying the factors that contribute to vulnerability and to resilience. Identifying resilience factors in children with low SES can help school contexts in promoting these factors, preparing environments more suitable for learning, and supporting families in building conditions that support resilience.
Title: Impact of insomnia on executive functions in a population of preschool children
Funding programme/measure: 2018 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Oliviero Bruni
ABSTRACT: Executive functions (EF) are particularly sensitive to sleep deprivation (Nelson et al., 2015). It is foreseeable that qualitative/quantitative sleep disturbances may alter the structures of the developing prefrontal cortex and related EF-related cognitive processes.
There are very few studies in preschool age and none in children with insomnia despite the high prevalence in preschool age (around 30%). The relationships between sleep patterns and EF will be evaluated in preschool children with insomnia and normal children. Parents will complete the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool Version. It is hypothesized that a persistent sleep disturbance is associated with impaired modulation and control of emotions (hot EFs) while a temporary disturbance affects non-energetic functions (cold EFs). The aim will be to raise awareness of the importance of good duration and quality of sleep and to plan interventions to improve emotional and behavioral regulation in developmental age.
Title: Online collaboration platforms: inclusive learning environments for professional teacher education
Funding programme/measure: 2018 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Giorgio Asquini
ABSTRACT: The research project concerns the topic of teacher training, in light of the innovations introduced by the Buona Scuola and some significant training experiences carried out by associations and school networks. The main objective is to verify the inclusiveness of the online platforms used for teacher training, considering both the participation data in the activities carried out in the platforms, the methods of participation and above all interaction carried out within the platforms. The investigation falls within the methodological line of Research-Training and therefore involves a Mixed Methods approach: a quantitative component aimed at data on participation in platform activities carried out by teachers, with descriptive analyses and correlations with respect to a series of related background variables to the teacher's professionalism; a qualitative component is based on focus groups and targeted interviews to delve deeper into the most interesting and critical aspects that emerged from the quantitative investigation. The data collected will allow us to verify which characteristic aspects of online training platforms are most useful for encouraging the inclusion of teachers, in terms of participation and motivation, as well as which critical issues, both structural and relational, hinder inclusion.
Title: Monitoring of inclusive university pathways
Funding programme/measure: 2018 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Guido Benvenuto
ABSTRACT: Interrupted university courses, the low rate of regularity in studies, difficulties in studying and the phenomenon of inactivity, alongside the transfer and transition between degree programs and faculties, are some of the main indicators of dispersion in university studies. The monitoring of these phenomena cannot only be of a quantitative nature but transform into real intervention research to be developed with a view to an inclusive and orienting university. The alarming data, promptly recorded first by CNVSU and now by ANVUR, require timely investigations to gather the motivations, difficulties and point of view of the students, to remodulate the paths themselves and identify proposals for targeted intervention. The research aims to contact students who, in the last 3 academic years, have presented one of the different aspects of dropout in studies and proceeds with monitoring for pedagogical degree courses. The monitoring of inactivity, irregularity and abandonment will be conducted starting from the analysis of institutional flow data.
Title: Construction of a coding system for the analysis of communication practices in treatment proposals during oncology visits
Funding programme/measure: 2018 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Francesca Alby
ABSTRACT: The project is part of a line of investigation on oncology visits, active since 2011, which used video recording and qualitative analysis of real interactions to examine specific aspects of oncologist-patient communication. Starting from recent studies which, at an international level, have used coding systems for the analysis of the communication of diagnosis and therapy in general medicine, the project aims to develop and test the applicability of a specific coding system for the analysis of the treatment proposal in oncology, on an existing corpus of 60 video-recorded visits and a newly collected corpus of 20 visits, with the aim of classifying different types of treatment formulation and effects on patient participation. The new visits will be collected in a hospital in Rome. The body of data will also include interviews with patients and doctors and tools for measuring communication satisfaction and decision-making preferences. The coding system will be developed starting from the examination of a sub-sample of the data and applied to the entire corpus already available and to the newly collected corpus, to avoid possible coding biases due to familiarity with data already analyzed for other purposes. Fitting within a framework of collaboration with researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, the project aims to carry out a comparison of communication practices in the oncology domain in the Italian and US contexts. The results will have application in scientific dissemination and in the dissemination of standardized protocols for evaluating the therapeutic proposal in oncology, also useful for the activation of training proposals for doctors.
Title: Need for cognitive closure and anti-immigrant attitudes: the mediating role of binding moral foundations
Funding programme/measure: 2017 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Antonio Pierro
ABSTRACT: Why do people develop anti-immigrant attitudes? The research proposes that individuals' Need for Cognitive Closure, an epistemic motivation associated with aversion to change, is predictive of negative attitudes towards immigrants through support for superordinate cultural/moral systems aimed at supporting defense of the in-group, respect for authority and to avoid contamination, including social contamination (i.e., Binding Moral Foundations). In a series of 5 studies, to be conducted both in Italy and in the United States, the Need for Cognitive Closure, both chronic and experimentally induced, is expected to have both a direct and indirect effect, through the support of ninding moral foundations on attitudes, implicit and explicit, expressed towards immigrants.
Title: Drunkorexia in adolescence: the role of metacognition and emotion regulation
Funding programme/measure: 2017 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Fiorenzo Laghi
ABSTRACT: There is a growing interest among scholars in a particular behavior characterized by the co-occurrence of eating disorders and alcohol consumption called "drunkorexia". The main objective of the present research will be to provide the first evidence on the relationship between drunkorexia behaviors in adolescents and mentalizing abilities, assessed by metacognition (MCQ) and emotional regulation (DERS) questionnaires. 1500 adolescents aged between 15 and 18 attending various secondary schools in central Italy (Lazio) will participate through snowball sampling. Eating disorders examined will include the drive to be thin, body dissatisfaction and bulimic symptoms. Restrictive behaviors used during alcohol consumption and behaviors will be assessed. The new research will provide an additional perspective on the literature regarding drunkorexia.
Title: Teaching for learning environments: innovation in secondary schools
Funding programme/measure: 2017 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Maria Donata Cesareni
ABSTRACT: The main objective of the project is to monitor and verify the results of a teaching experiment that operates through organizational transformations, reorganizing spaces and activities to create "learning environments" oriented towards constructivist teaching: the DADA model, Didactics for Learning Environments. The research group began monitoring from the beginning of the experiment, which began in 2015 in two pioneer schools, detecting some starting data regarding the organization of spaces and times and the teaching practices implemented. This project continues the monitoring of organizational change, expanding both the collection of observational data and the number of schools observed, to constitute an implementation model of learning environments that can be exported to other schools. From a methodological point of view, the Research-Training model is followed, which aims to integrate the research activity, carried out in close agreement with the teachers, with continuous in-service training.
Title: Self-construal and trust: interpersonal and collective implications
Funding programme/measure: 2017 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Ilaria Bufalari
ABSTRACT: The construct of “self-construal” refers to how individuals define themselves as independent or interdependent with respect to others, and is known to influence social cognition, affect, and social behavior. The interdependent self-construal appears to promote prosocial behavior, presumably by increasing similarity in self-other processing, and is associated with greater concern for the collective good.
This project aims to investigate how self-construal influences perception and behavior in interpersonal and collective (society) contexts. At an interpersonal level, it aims to investigate: 1) whether the tendency to define the self as independent can result in a lower propensity to place trust in others; 2) whether this relationship can be moderated by the experience of self-other merging induced by interpersonal multisensory stimulation (IMS), an innovative procedure capable of blurring the boundaries between oneself and the other; 3) whether manipulating the self-construal can causally influence this relationship. At a social level, the project aims to verify whether interdependent self-construal can promote tax compliance behavior through three potential mediators: attitude of willingness to fulfill the obligation to pay taxes, trust, and the ability to self-regulate. By combining the experience of psychologists and social neuroscientists expert in the study of economic psychology, decision making in social contexts and the plasticity of self-other representations, we believe that the present project can contribute to advancing the state of the art in various ways. First of all, by reducing the negative effect of independent self-construal on interpersonal trust through a simple experimental manipulation (IMS), the present project can provide an innovative methodology to modulate and improve social relationships. Secondly, by showing the effect that the experimental induction of an interdependent self-construal has on trust and willingness to fulfill the obligation to pay taxes (and on the factors that mediate these effects), it will be possible to develop and test strategies applied in all those contexts where interpersonal trust and the willingness to contribute to the collective good are required.
Title: Sleep and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Preschool Age: Influence of Temperamental Factors
Funding programme/measure: 2017 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Oliviero Bruni
ABSTRACT: The literature has highlighted a high prevalence of sleep disorders in children with behavioral difficulties and in particular in those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Parents report difficulty falling asleep, waking up at night, or frequent movements during sleep in children with ADHD vs. children with typical development. Temperament is considered a determining factor in the regulation of arousal and emotional behavior and influences sleep patterns and quality. In the literature there are studies on the relationship between sleep and temperament in children with typical development but none in children with ADHD. Two groups of children aged between 3 and 5 years will be recruited: a group of children with typical development and a group with ADHD.
The aim of the study is to detect the associations between temperament and sleep in ADHD children in order to detect specific endophenotypes that can help in the diagnosis and treatment of these children.
Title: Doctor-patient communication: an analysis of the communicative and interactive functions of reading and writing practices in oncology visits
Funding programme/measure: 2017 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Cristina Zucchermaglio
ABSTRACT: The project analyzes the functions of reading and writing practices in communication between doctor and patient, a topic still little explored in the international literature. Medical visits in Italian hospital contexts that are not yet completely digitalized have been a valuable context for the analysis of the specific functions and interactive affordances supported and mediated by traditional reading and writing practices that risk being lost in the digital transition. By adopting a practice-based literacy paradigm and a multi-method framework, a multimodal analysis of the occurrences of these reading and writing practices was conducted within a corpus of data made up of 65 oncology visits (collected in two different hospitals due to technological complexity) fully video-recorded and transcribed. The different communicative and interactive functions that "traditional" reading and writing practices perform during the visit were thus identified.
Title: Stability and change of basic personal values over the high school years: A longitudinal study in an Italian sample
Funding programme/measure: 2017 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Michele Vecchione
ABSTRACT: Values are abstract beliefs about desirable goals that represent guiding principles in people's lives. These beliefs are relatively stable, but can undergo changes, even substantial ones, during the course of life. The objective of the project is to examine the normative change in values in the transition phase between adolescence and late adolescence (from approximately 15 to 18 years). The project also aims to examine whether values, and their possible change, are associated with important school outcomes, detected at the end of high school, including performance, conduct and participation. To this end we adopted Schwartz's (1992) values model, which identifies ten basic dimensions. The study involves approximately 300 high school students, who were administered the Portrait Value Questionnaire (PVQ) at annual intervals, from the second to the fifth year of high school.
Title: Leave or Stay: how indignation at an unfairness can influence the decision to leave a group
Funding programme/measure: 2017 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Fabio Presaghi
ABSTRACT: Although social identity and categorization processes motivate group members to remain united and conform to group rules, groups usually present internal divisions (Hornesey & Hogg, 2000) which in certain situations lead to the formation of minority groups and to splitting (Liebman, et al., 1988; Worchel, 1984). In these cases, the splinter group can leave the majority group to form a new group opposed to the majority or it can decide to join a different group. Sani (1999, 2000, 2005) argues that schism usually starts from the debate regarding the relationship between the introduction of a new norm and the identity of the group. Some members of the group will argue that the new norm respects the identity of the group and will therefore support it, other members of the group will instead see the norm as a threat to the identity of the group and will oppose it to defend the identity of the group. The latter will also be more inclined to support a split from the group in order to defend the identity. At this juncture, a decisive role could be played by the affective and cognitive reactions relating to the threat posed by the introduction of the new norm. We hypothesize that the decision to separate from the group may represent a defensive reaction whose objective is to reaffirm one's identity. Specifically, we hypothesize that the conflict generated by the introduction of the new norm is judged as immoral and that the resulting reaction of indignation may make the decision to detach from the group more likely (Tauberne & Zoomer, 2013). The literature maintains that detachment from the group reduces the state of discomfort felt due to the introduction of the norm and allows one to restructure the self in order to reduce the contrast with the group. The present study therefore aims to establish whether a conflict between moral values within the group can lead to an indignant reaction such as to make the idea of detaching from the group as an attempt to resolve one's discomfort due to the conflict more likely.
Title: Knowing how to do it in agriculture. Ethnographic analysis of intangible cultural heritage in local agricultural production systems and in the protection of cultivated biodiversity
Funding programme/measure: 2017 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Vincenzo Padiglione
ABSTRACT: The aim of the research is to reflect on the role of traditional knowledge and local 'know-how' for the protection of native animal breeds at risk of genetic erosion. They are long-lasting, anonymous, often implicit and contextual knowledge, whose custodians, farmers and breeders, safeguard them and transmit them within their communities. Due to their fragility and marginality, only an intrusive, dialogic, reflective ethnographic approach can be able to document them, thanks to field inspections, interviews with knowledge holders, informal dialogues, direct observations, as well as bibliographic research and retrieval of written and audiovisual sources.
Title: Morality in everyday life and its implications: the effect of the Moral foundations and the Need for cognitive closure
Funding programme/measure: 2017 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Ankica Kosic
ABSTRACT: The general objective of this research project is to identify and analyze the mechanisms and motivations underlying our moral actions and judgments. What are the psychological processes involved when we make a moral judgment?
This project has three more specific objectives:
1) examine the relationship between moral foundations, the need for cognitive closure (NCC), the perception of the social context (and social danger), and political orientation.
2) investigate the relationship between moral foundations, NCC, and moral behavior. We hypothesize that the relationships between moral foundations and moral vs. immoral behavior could be moderated by the NCC and the perception of moral norms in society.
3) explore the relationship between moral foundations and prejudice against immigrants. It is hypothesized that these relationships may be moderated by NCC and perceptions of immigrant morality.
Title: Motor skills and social competences in pre-school and school age children
Funding programme/measure: 2017 University Research Call
Scientific director: Dr. Barbara Caravale
ABSTRACT: There is a close relationship between motor skills and social adaptation in developmental age, particularly in children with motor coordination disorder (DCD). In fact, these children often show, in association with coordination problems, emotional-behavioral and social relationship difficulties. Our research aims to study the relationship between gross and fine motor development difficulties and social skills in preschool and school age by examining the role of three factors that may be involved in the impact of motor difficulties on social adaptation: devaluation of self, cognitive and learning difficulties, deficits in social cognition. Nursery school children and 2nd and 5th grade children will participate in the study. The results of the research will form a basis for new intervention projects at school.
Title: Relationships between performance on cognitive tests and use of digital technologies in 5-year-old children
Funding programme/measure: 2017 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Eleonora Cannoni
ABSTRACT: The use of electronic devices has become increasingly widespread in recent years, even among very young children. The numerous research aimed at investigating the effects of childhood exposure to traditional media (TV, DVD) overall recognize the negative effects of passive, early and prolonged use of these media over time on the child's psychophysical development, particularly in the linguistic and attention areas. The affirmation and rapid diffusion of new digital technologies (smartphones, tablets) has increasingly affected the world of children as well. The age at which people start using these technologies drops significantly from year to year, while the average time of use increases. If on the one hand early familiarization with digital technologies seems to promote some skills (e.g. problem solving; Huber et al., 2016), on the other hand their methods of use (such as excessive frequency of use, the absence of adult mediation) appear to limit the development of others (e.g. attention; Chassiakos et al., 2016). The debate involving various scientific communities (paediatricians, child neuropsychiatrists, psychologists, pedagogists) is quite heated and has led to the revision of the guidelines developed in the past by the various associations or the publication of new guidelines (Cubelli & Vicari, 2016). Given the recent diffusion of the phenomenon, however, there are still too few studies to shed light on the topic. The objective is therefore to investigate the effects of the use of media (traditional and otherwise) on some aspects of child psychophysical development, in particular linguistic, memory and attentional aspects. The sample will consist of 200 5-year-old children and their parents. To the former we will administer tests of vocabulary, lexical access, memory and attention; we will ask the latter to fill out a questionnaire to find out how the child and his family use the different types of electronic equipment.
Title: Construction and Statistical Validation of Tools for Social-Psychological Research on Stem Cells
Funding programme/measure: 2017 University Research Call
Scientific director: Prof. Marino Bonaiuto
ABSTRACT: Stem cells (SCs) are a promising area of medical research and are also investigated by social sciences, albeit in fragmented ways and without standard tools. The project aims to create a first validation of measurement scales for psychological-social constructs relevant to CS donation. The aim is to validate nine measurement scales for variables considered relevant in the literature on CS donation: subjective knowledge of CS, objective knowledge of CS, attitudes towards CS donation, past biological donation behaviour, positive and negative incentives for CS donation CS, CS donation intention, importance of CS sustainability, satisfaction with CS information. A questionnaire with these scales is administered to a sample of approximately 100-200 Italian subjects. Structural and reliability analyzes aim to verify the psychometric standards useful to guarantee their future use in research.