Italian High School Students Research Articles

Future orientation, resilience and vocational identity in southern Italian adolescents

This study focused on the relations between vocational identity, future orientation, and resilience. Southern Italian high school students (N = 342) were assessed using the Vocational Identity Scale Assessment (VISA) and Design My Future to evaluate future orientation and resilience. Future orientation and resilience were correlated positively with commitment making, identification with commitment and exploration, and negatively with vocational flexibility and self-doubt. A cluster analysis revealed six aspects of vocational identity, whose relations with future orientation and resilience are explored. The results can support career programs in high school environments aimed to develop vocational identity construction, and provide suggestions for orientation programs.

Personal values and the acceptance of immigrants: why national identification matters / Los valores personales y la aceptación de inmigrantes: ¿Por qué es importante la identificación nacional?

: The study focused on the relations between Italian nationals’ personal values and their expectations towards the way ethnic minorities should acculturate. The main aim was to understand whether nationals’ personal values predict their acculturation preferences towards immigrants, both directly and through national identity. Four hundred and forty-six Italian high school students (Mage = 19.1; SD = 0.57; females = 54.4%) completed a self-administered questionnaire assessing personal values, nationalism, patriotism, acculturation preferences and demographics. An SEM model with bootstrapping estimations was tested. As expected, the results highlighted that personal values predict acculturation preferences towards immigrants in two ways — directly and also through an indirect effect on nationalism — supporting the claim that ingroup and outgroup definitions are closely intertwined. The results also highlighted the need to differentiate between nationalism and patriotism, with the latter having no influence on Italian nationals’ readiness to accept immigrants. Overall, the research demonstrates the relevance of personal values in studying intergroup relations and draws attention to the potential value of communication policies centred on self-transcendence values to improve interethnic relations.

Psychopathic Personality Traits in Relation to Self-report Delinquency in Adolescence: Should We Mind About Interaction Effects?

The aim of the present study was to investigate if interaction effects among Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI) Grandiose-Manipulative (GM), Callous-Unemotional (CU), and Impulsive-Irresponsible (II) may add significant information in predicting self-reports of juvenile delinquent behavior among adolescents. A sample of 558 Italian high school students were administered the YPI and the Self-Reports of Delinquency Scale (SRDS) in order to evaluate interaction effects among YPI GM, CU, and II dimensions. Results showed a significant effect for a three-way interaction among the three YPI dimensions in predicting the SRDS total score, β = .19, p < .01. In conclusion, the findings seem to underline that a three-factor model of psychopathy may help clinicians and researchers in predicting self-reported delinquency better than the individual factors.

Development and Validation of an Enlarged Version of the Student Agentic Engagement Scale

The elusive character of student agency makes it a relevant construct to be investigated and measured. An initial effort in this direction was represented by the Agentic Engagement Scale, a five-item instrument designed to assess the degree to which students constructively contribute to the flow of the instructions they receive from the teacher. Despite its merits, in its current form this scale takes into account only a part of the wide range of student agentic expressions. In the present work, we propose an extension of the Agentic Engagement Scale from five to 10 items. Compared to the original scale, the new version covers a larger variety of proactive student contributions, such as those concerning peer interactions and those communications in which learners question or challenge the teacher’s instructions. The study was conducted on 1,064 Italian high school students equally distributed between males and females. Confirmative factor analysis endorsed the adequacy of a one-factor structure of the enlarged Agentic Engagement Scale, which showed good psychometric properties as well as positive associations with student motivation to learn and the other three aspects of engagement (i.e., affective, behavioral, and cognitive). The theoretical and practical implications of a more comprehensive scale of student agentic engagement are discussed.

Gender Differences and Psychopathological Features Associated With Addictive Behaviors in Adolescents.

The aims of the study were to assess prevalence and gender differences of addictive behaviors (substance- and non-substance-related) in an adolescent population, and their association with psychopathological features and academic performance. A sample of high school Italian students (n = 996; M = 240, F = 756) was examined using a self-report survey concerning sociodemographic characteristics, cigarette smoking, alcohol and substance use, perceived academic performance, activities, and behaviors (Internet use, gambling, and physical exercising). The Internet Addiction Test, the South Oaks Gambling Screen-revised Adolescent, and the Exercise Addiction Inventory-Short Form were administered to identify problematic behaviors. The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale for Adolescent, the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale, the Dissociative Experience Scale for Adolescent, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale were used to investigate psychopathological dimensions. Frequent alcohol intake and lifetime substances consumption were more common among males. The occurrence of other addictive behaviors was 22.1% for problematic Internet use (M = F), 9.7% for at-risk/problematic gambling (M > F), and 6.2% for maladaptive physical exercise (M = F). We also found an association between substance-/non-substance-related addictive behaviors and psychopathological dimensions. Addictive behaviors were more frequent among students reporting poor school performance. Our study showed a relevant prevalence of addictive behaviors in a sample of Italian high school students, with specific gender differences. We underlined the cooccurrence of substance and non-substance-related addictive behaviors, and their association with worse school performance. Dissociative proneness, anhedonia, alexithymia, and impulsivity were associated with addictive behaviors in adolescents and might represent vulnerability factors for the development of psychiatric disorders in adulthood. A better understanding of psychopathological features associated with addictive behaviors might be useful for the prevention/early intervention.

The role of career adaptability and courage on life satisfaction in adolescence

The present study aimed to extend understanding about the relationship between career adaptability, courage, and life satisfaction in a sample of Italian adolescents. It was hypothesized that courage partially mediated the relationship between career adaptability and life satisfaction. Specifically, 1202 Italian high school students with an age from 14 to 20 years (M = 16.87; SD = 1.47), of which 600 (49.9%) boys and 602 (50.1%) girls, were involved. Using a multigroup approach across gender, it was found that courage partially mediated the relationship between career adaptability and life satisfaction in boys and girls. Results suggested the relevance of career interventions to promote career adaptability and courage for strengthening life satisfaction in adolescence.

Students' acceptance of tablet PCs in Italian high schools: Profiles and differences

AbstractThe tablet PC represents a very popular mobile computing device, and together with other technologies it is changing the world of education. This study aimed to explore the acceptance of tablet PC of Italian high school students in order to outline the typical students' profiles and to compare the acceptance conveyed in two types of use (learning and communicative activities at school). Data were collected using an online survey that was filled out by students at home. Two hundred and ninety‐six students from six public high schools in Milan and surrounding suburbs voluntarily accepted to participate in the study. The results show a varied situation in the Italian schools despite the availability of and funding for the technology. Three clusters were identified with high, moderate and low acceptance of tablet PC and a comparison between such clusters revealed significant differences in gender, grade level and usage frequency. The groups showed also significant differences in relation to the uses of tablet PC at school that appeared coherent with their level of acceptance: students who have higher level of acceptance are those who use the tool more both for learning and communicative purposes. To conclude, students with lower acceptance probably need to better understand the opportunities offered by this technology and how to use it. Based on examining the data from the survey, preliminary recommendations are made.

Adolescents at Risk of Delinquency. The Role of Parental Control, Trust, and Disclosure

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the role of parental control, trust, and disclosure as protective factors on individual and peer-group delinquency in a sample of 1420 Italian high school students aged from 14 to18 (Mage = 15.59, SDage = 1.17), representative of the adolescent student population in Rimini (57.3% males and 42.7% females). A cluster analysis identified different patterns of parental monitoring, associated with different levels of involvement in individual and group delinquency during adolescence. The results showed parental trust, control, and adolescent disclosure to be inversely associated with violent behaviors. Our results challenge the assumption that greater parental control can reduce preadolescents’ antisocial behavior.

Patterns of Gambling Activities and Gambling Problems Among Italian High School Students: Results from a Latent Class Analysis.

This study aims to provide an estimate of the prevalence of gambling among Italian adolescents and a description of their patterns of gambling activities (PGAs) using a latent class analysis on 13 different types of games. A nationwide sample of 10,959 Italian high school students was recruited in 2013. We assessed problem gambling using the South Oaks Gambling Screen: Revisited for Adolescent (SOGS-RA) scale. Approximately half (50.6%) of students reported gambling at least once in the previous year; 5.0% of them were problem gamblers and 9.1% were at-risk gamblers according to their SOGS-RA scores. Eight PGAs were identified, among which heavy players (1.7% of students) could be classified as problem gamblers and broad skill players (2.0%) and lotteries & sports players (2.4%) as "at-risk" players. These high-risk classes were consistently associated with risky behaviours in terms of substance use, school performance, money spent on gambling and family environment; the other five classes identified low-risk players associated with safe behaviours. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to identify PGAs among Italian adolescents. Problem gamblers are not a homogeneous group in terms of patterns of gambling activities and are associated with different risk factors, among which environmental factors, such as parents' gambling attitude and behaviour, deserve special attention. The acknowledgment of such patterns and risk factors could be useful in developing sensible public policies addressing prevention strategies and regulatory instruments.

Reliability, Factor Structure, and Associations With Measures of Problem Relationship and Behavior of the Personality Inventory forDSM-5in a Sample of Italian Community-Dwelling Adolescents

In order to assess the reliability, factorial validity, and criterion validity of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) among adolescents, 1,264 Italian high school students were administered the PID-5. Participants were also administered the Questionnaire on Relationships and Substance Use as a criterion measure. In the full sample, McDonald's ω values were adequate for the PID-5 scales (median ω = .85, SD = .06), except for Suspiciousness. However, all PID-5 scales showed average inter-item correlation values in the .20-.55 range. Exploratory structural equation modeling analyses provided moderate support for the a priori model of PID-5 trait scales. Ordinal logistic regression analyses showed that selected PID-5 trait scales predicted a significant, albeit moderate (Cox & Snell R2 values ranged from .08 to .15, all ps < .001) amount of variance in Questionnaire on Relationships and Substance Use variables.

School burnout, depressive symptoms and engagement: Their combined effect on student achievement

Prior studies have shown that student burnout becomes more prevalent during adolescence and is associated with both depressive symptoms and school engagement. Little is known about how burnout, engagement, and depressive symptoms jointly affect students’ school achievement in terms of grades and skipping class. The main purpose of the current study was to analyse these variables within a full model in order to examine the direct and indirect effects of burnout, engagement and depression on student achievement, while controlling for gender and age. Participants were 210 Italian high school students aged 14 to 16. Student burnout was found to exert the strongest effect on school achievement, both directly, and indirectly via depressive symptoms and school engagement.

P.6.e.005 - Internet use and its relationship with loneliness and social phobia in a sample of southern Italian high school students from a rural area

Children's early knowledge of the base-10 structure of multi-digit numbers has been hypothesized to play a critical role in subsequent learning of mathematics, in particular arithmetic operations. The present study investigated the relation between base-10/place value understanding and arithmetic accuracy in early elementary school. Children were assessed in kindergarten (N = 90) and then a subgroup of participants was assessed again two years later in second grade (N = 21). Mediation analyses indicated that, in kindergarten, base-10 knowledge had a direct effect on arithmetic accuracy as well as an indirect effect through the use of a decomposition strategy. Furthermore, kindergarten base-10 knowledge had a direct effect on arithmetic accuracy in second grade and an indirect effect through second grade place-value notation understanding. Implications for understanding early mathematical development are discussed.

Promoting Well-Being: The Contribution of Emotional Intelligence.

Adopting a primary prevention perspective, this study examines competencies with the potential to enhance well-being and performance among future workers. More specifically, the contributions of ability-based and trait models of emotional intelligence (EI), assessed through well-established measures, to indices of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being were examined for a sample of 157 Italian high school students. The Mayer–Salovey–Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test was used to assess ability-based EI, the Bar-On Emotional Intelligence Inventory and the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire were used to assess trait EI, the Positive and Negative Affect Scale and the Satisfaction With Life Scale were used to assess hedonic well-being, and the Meaningful Life Measure was used to assess eudaimonic well-being. The results highlight the contributions of trait EI in explaining both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, after controlling for the effects of fluid intelligence and personality traits. Implications for further research and intervention regarding future workers are discussed.

Valence matters: Positive meta-stereotypes and interethnic interactions

ABSTRACTTwo experimental studies were conducted that aimed at testing whether the activation of positive meta-stereotypes among high-status group members involved in conflictual relationships with the low-status group is beneficial for intergroup relations. Results revealed that the activation of positive meta-stereotypes led Italian high-school students (high-status group) to anticipate greater enjoyment of an upcoming interaction with an African immigrant (low-status group) by increasing positive feelings about contact and concerns about being accepted. Initial prejudice emerged as the moderator, with the effects of positive meta-stereotypes present among those with average- to high-levels of prejudice. This study represents the first experimental demonstration that positive meta-stereotypes have beneficial effects for intergroup relations among high-status members. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Career Decision‐Making Self‐Efficacy Change in Italian High School Students

The authors explored the effects of a structured‐group career intervention among 280 Italian high school students. Hierarchical linear models indicated the intervention's effectiveness in increasing career decision‐making self‐efficacy and, consequently, career exploration, but not in decreasing career choice anxiety. In addition, partial confirmation was found for the moderating effects of participants' expectations and motivation to change on the relationship between career decision‐making self‐efficacy and career choice anxiety. The findings support the development of a systematic vocational guidance program in Italian schools.

Green Positive Guidance and Green Positive Life Counseling for Decent Work and Decent Lives: Some Empirical Results.

This article discusses green positive guidance and green positive life counseling for decent work and decent lives. From a green guidance perspective, the connectedness to nature construct is important both in terms of the meaning of work and life construction. The study discussed in this article analyzed the relationship between empathy and connectedness to nature, controlling for the effects of fluid intelligence and personality traits. In this connection, the Advanced Progressive Matrices, the Big Five Questionnaire, and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index were administered to 144 Italian high school students. The study revealed that connecteness to nature was not associated with fluid intelligence and was only moderately associated with personality traits. It was empathy that showed the highest association with connectedness to nature. The results open new opportunities for future research and interventions in green positive guidance/life counseling and green positive decent work.

Gender and age differences in eating and drinking risk behaviors in Italian high school students

Drunkorexia, limiting food intake before alcohol consumption, increases teenagers and young adults’ risk for negative alcohol-related health consequences.The purpose of the present study is to explore gender and age differences regarding weight management behaviors and alcohol consumption among 3004 students aged 13 to 24 years.The following questionnaires were administered: Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and Compensatory Eating and Behaviors in Response to Alcohol Consumption Scale (CEBRACS).EDI-3 showed that 11.3% of the sample met the threshold on the “Drive for Thinness” (DT) scale, 28.9% on the “Bulimia” (B) scale, 17.2% on the “Body Dissatisfaction” (BD) scale. Females presented a higher risk at DT, B and BD scales (P &lt; 0.001), and the risk of bulimia was higher in those aged ≤ 16 years (P = 0.028). AUDIT revealed a greater clinical risk of alcohol-related problems in males (P &lt; 0.001) and in those aged &gt; 16 years (P &lt; 0.001). Drunkorexia was found in 44% of the sample, without significant difference in relation to gender and age.Girls and younger students have more weight concerns, while boys and older students are at greater risk of alcohol use disorders. Therefore, no specific group should be considered risk-free with respect to drunkorexia.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Adolescents’ Appraisal of Homophobic Epithets: The Role of Individual and Situational Factors

ABSTRACTHomophobic epithets have become commonly used insults among adolescents. However, evidence suggests that there are differences in how these homophobic epithets are evaluated based on beliefs held by the observer and the context in which they are used. To examine this, Italian high school students were asked to rate the offensiveness of homophobic epithets, as well as to consider how they or others would react to homophobic epithets across various situations. Homophobic beliefs and beliefs about the social acceptability of homophobic epithets were also examined. It was found that greater perceived social acceptability of homophobic epithets was related to dismissive reactions to their use, whereas homophobic beliefs were predictive of negative emotional reactions but in varying ways depending on the specific context. The results indicate that homophobic epithets may not always be perceived as homophobic by adolescents, and that attempts to alter the social acceptability of these insults may be an effective manner of reducing their use.

Assessing the triarchic model of psychopathy in adolescence: Reliability and validity of the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM) in three samples of Italian community-dwelling adolescents.

To assess the psychometric properties and construct validity of the Italian translation of the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM) in adolescents, we administered the inventory to 3 independent samples of Italian high school students (Ns = 609, 618, and 1,142). Cronbach's alpha values greater than .80 were observed for the TriPM scale scores in all samples. In Sample 1, overall scores on the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory correlated substantially with TriPM total scores, r = .77, p < .001. Data from Study 1 also demonstrated adequate 3-month test-retest reliabilities for the 3 TriPM subscales. In Study 2, TriPM scores significantly predicted scores on a self-report measure of delinquent behaviors, Radjusted2 = .25, p < .001. In Study 3, five-factor domain scores showed significant relations with TriPM scale scores consistent with results reported for adults. Consistent with a hypothesized role of fearlessness in psychopathy, adolescents at high psychopathy risk (i.e., >97th percentile on the TriPM) reported lower fear in response to emotion-eliciting movie clips than low-psychopathy participants. In addition, scores on a measure of hedonistic moral tendencies discriminated between adolescents at high as opposed to low psychopathy. Similarly, scores on the Reflective Function Questionnaire for Youths were negatively correlated with TriPM scores. As a whole, our findings provide further support for the reliability and validity of the TriPM and its cross-cultural utility, and provide initial evidence of its effectiveness with community-dwelling adolescents.

The Personality Inventory for DSM-5 Brief Form: Evidence for Reliability and Construct Validity in a Sample of Community-Dwelling Italian Adolescents.

To assess the reliability and construct validity of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 Brief Form (PID-5-BF) among adolescents, 877 Italian high school students were administered the PID-5-BF. Participants were administered also the Measure of Disordered Personality Functioning (MDPF) as a criterion measure. In the full sample, Cronbach's alpha values for the PID-5-BF scales ranged from .59 (Detachment) to .77 (Psychoticism); in addition, all PID-5-BF scales showed mean interitem correlation values in the .22 to .40 range. Cronbach's alpha values for the PID-5-BF total score was .83 (mean interitem r = .16). Although 2-month test-retest reliability could be assessed only in a small ( n = 42) subsample of participants, all PID-5-BF scale scores showed adequate temporal stability, as indexed by intraclass r values ranging from .78 (Negative Affectivity) to .97 (Detachment), all ps <.001. Exploratory structural equation modeling analyses provided at least moderate support for the a priori model of PID-5-BF items. Multiple regression analyses showed that PID-5-BF scales predicted a nonnegligible amount of variance in MDPF Non-Cooperativeness, adjusted R2 = .17, p < .001, and Non-Coping scales, adjusted R2 = .32, p < .001. Similarly, the PID-5-BF total score was a significant predictor of both MDPF Non-Coping, and Non-Cooperativeness scales.