Cultural values, parenting and child adjustment in Italy

: The present study examined the association of mothers' and fathers' individualism, collectivism and conformity values with parenting behaviours and child adjustment during middle childhood in an Italian sample. Children (n = 194; 95 from Naples and 99 from Rome; 49% girls) were 10.93 years old (SD = .61) at the time of data collection. Their mothers (n = 194) and fathers (n = 152) also participated. Mother and father reports were collected about parental individualism and collectivism, conformity values, warmth, family obligations expectations and their children's internalising and externalising problems. Child reports were collected about their parents' warmth, psychological control, rules/limit-setting, family obligations expectations and their own internalising and externalising behaviours. Multiple regressions predicted each of the parenting and child adjustment variables from the value variables, controlling for child gender and parent education. Results showed that maternal collectivism was associated with high psychological control, parental collectivism was associated with high expectations regarding children's family obligations and fathers' conformity values were associated with more child internalising behaviours. Overall, the present study shed light on how parents' cultural values are related to some parenting practices and children's internalising problems in Italy

The Positivity Scale: Concurrent and Factorial Validity Across Late Childhood and Early Adolescence

Despite the well-established protective functions of positivity (i.e., a dispositional self-evaluative tendency to view oneself, life, and future under a positive outlook) from middle adolescence to old age, its reliable assessment and contribution to a proper psychological functioning have received little attention during previous developmental phases. In this article, we aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties and construct validity of the eight-item Positivity Scale (P Scale; Caprara et al., 2012) during late childhood and early adolescence in a sample of British students (N = 742; 48% boys) from both primary (Mage = 10.75, SD = 0.52) and secondary schools (Mage = 13.38 years, SD = 0.94). First, results from confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) attested to the plausibility of the hypothesized 1-factor structure of the P Scale in a revised CFA model including the correlation between the residuals of two items similar in their wording. Next, we found evidence for strong (scalar) measurement invariance of the P Scale across late childhood and early adolescence as well as for its concurrent validity as indicated by expected relations of positivity to indicators of adjustment (i.e., prosocial behavior) and maladjustment (i.e., externalizing and internalizing problems). Overall, these findings support the concurrent and factorial validity of the P Scale as a short self-report instrument to measure children’s tendency to view their experience from a positive stance. We discuss the implications of our results for improving the wording of the items composing P Scale as well as for understanding the dispositional mechanisms conducive to psychological health and wellbeing across late childhood and early adolescence

Longitudinal associations between positive parenting and youths’ engagement in sexting behaviors: the mediating role of filial self-efficacy beliefs

Youths who enter emerging adulthood with a background of familial relations grounded in positive parent-child interactions are better equipped to cope with transitional stressors, to voice effectively their opinions with parents, and to resist engaging in risky activities. However, little is known about the longitudinal associations between positive parenting, filial self-efficacy beliefs and youths’ engagement in sexting behaviors. This study examined if positive parenting (mothers’ and fathers’ reports at child ages 13, 14, and 15) were related to youths’ engagement in sexting behaviors (child’s reports at age 19) both directly and indirectly, through adolescents perceived filial self-efficacy beliefs (child’s reports at age 18). Participants included 194 Italian children (MAgeAtTime1 = 13.54, 52.6% girls), their mothers (n = 193), and fathers (n = 150), who provided data across five waves over seven years. The mediation model was tested through a path analysis. Overall, results showed that, controlling for child gender and family SES, the effect of positive parenting on sexting behaviors was fully mediated by higher levels of perceived filial self-efficacy beliefs. The study reveals filial self-efficacy beliefs as central to the benefits conveyed to teens by parents in reducing their sexting behaviors

Maternal and paternal psychological control and adolescents’ negative adjustment: a dyadic longitudinal study in three countries

Psychological Control (PC) interferes with autonomy-related processes in adolescence and has a negative impact on adolescents’ development related to internalizing and externalizing problems. Several scholars suggested that PC can be used differently by mothers and fathers. However, these differences are still understudied and mainly grounded on maternal and/or adolescents’ perspectives, leading to potentially incomplete inferences on the effects of PC. The present study extends previous research on PC in two directions. First, we tested the dyadic and cumulative effects of maternal and paternal PC on adolescents’ antisocial behaviors and anxious-depressive symptoms. Secondly, we explored the cross-cultural generalizability of these associations in three countries: Italy, Colombia, and USA. Participants included 376 families with data from three consecutive years (T1, adolescents’ age=13.70). Mothers’ and fathers’ reports of PC and youth’s reports of antisocial and internalizing behaviors were assessed. Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) we found that maternal PC predicted adolescents’ reported antisocial behaviors whereas paternal PC predicted lower anxious-depressed symptoms. Comparisons across countries evidenced the cross-cultural invariance of the longitudinal APIM across Italy, Colombia, and USA. The practical implications of these results are discussed

The development of prosocial behavior from late childhood to adolescence: a longitudinal and multicultural study

Introduction: Prosocial behavior (i.e., voluntary actions aimed at benefiting others, such as helping, comforting, and sharing) has proven beneficial for individuals' adjustment during the transition to adolescence. However, less is known about the role of the broader sociocultural context in shaping prosocial development across different cultures. Thus, the present study explored the longitudinal trajectory of prosocial behavior in the transition to adolescence (from ages 9 to 16) by examining the role of the Human Development Index (HDI) in relation to prosocial development. Methods: A sample of 915 children (Time 1: 50.5% males; Mage = 9.24, SD = 0.69) across six countries (Colombia, Jordan, Italy, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United States) participated in the study. Over four time points covering 7 years, prosocial behavior was assessed using a self-report measure. Results: A second-order Latent Growth Curve Model, controlling for child gender and family SES, showed that prosocial behavior remained stable in contexts with high HDI, whereas increases in prosocial behavior were evidenced as children moved into adolescence in contexts with low HDI. Moreover, cultural differences in the mean level of prosocial behavior were shown during late childhood and the earliest phase of adolescence, whereas the national development of a given context did not account for differences in prosocial behavior during late adolescence. Discussion: Findings underscore that national life expectancy, education, and wealth play a role in age-related changes in other-oriented behaviors during adolescence. The role of sociocultural factors in shaping trajectories of prosocial behavior across six countries is discussed

Predictors and outcomes associated with the growth curves of self-efficacy beliefs in regard to anger and sadness regulation during adolescence: a longitudinal cross-cultural study

IntroductionThis longitudinal study examined unique and joint effects of parenting and negative emotionality in predicting the growth curves of adolescents’ self-efficacy beliefs about regulating two discrete negative emotions (anger and sadness) and the association of these growth curves with later maladjustment (i.e., internalizing and externalizing problems).MethodsParticipants were 285 children (T1: Mage = 10.57, SD = 0.68; 53.3% girls) and their parents (mothers N = 286; fathers N = 276) from Colombia and Italy. Parental warmth, harsh parenting, and internalizing and externalizing problems were measured in late childhood at T1, whereas early adolescents’ anger and sadness were measured at T2 (T2: Mage = 12.10, SD = 1.09). Adolescent self-efficacy beliefs about anger and sadness regulation were measured at five time-points from T2 to T6 (T6: Mage = 18.45, SD = 0.71), and internalizing and externalizing problems were measured again at T6.ResultsMulti-group latent growth curve models (with country as the grouping variable) demonstrated that in both countries there was on average a linear increase in self-efficacy about anger regulation and no change or variation in self-efficacy about sadness regulation. In both countries, for self-efficacy about anger regulation (a) T1 harsh parenting and T1 externalizing problems were negatively associated with the intercept, (b) T2 anger was negatively associated with the slope, and (c) the intercept and the slope were associated with lower T6 internalizing and externalizing problems, controlling for T1 problems. For self-efficacy about sadness regulation, (a) T1 internalizing problems were negatively associated with the intercept only in Italy, (b) T2 sadness was negatively associated with the intercept only in Colombia, and (c) the intercept negatively predicted T6 internalizing problems.DiscussionThis study advances knowledge of the normative development of self-efficacy beliefs about anger and sadness regulation during adolescence across two countries, highlighting the predictive value of pre-existing family and individual characteristics on this development and prediction by the development of self-efficacy beliefs on later adjustment

Prosocial behavior in the high-and low-and-middle- income countries: from a developmental to a promotion perspective

Empirical evidence showed the developmental benefits of Prosocial Behavior (PB, i.e., those voluntary actions aimed at benefiting others, such as helping, comforting, and sharing) in several areas of functioning (e.g., Hui et al., 2020). In particular, strengthening prosocial behavior during adolescence seems crucial to offer alternatives to risky conducts in a developmental window that leads to behavioral changes and improve potentiality because of the presence of the brain’s plasticity and the interaction between individuals’ resources and the extended social youths’ social world (Eisenberg et al., 2015; Lerner et al., 2015; Padilla-Walker & Carlo, 2014). Recently, researchers have emphasized that prosocial literature mainly included studies conducted in industrialized, rich, and educated countries (i.e., High-Income Countries, HICs). In contrast, studies in socioeconomic contexts characterized by systemic inequalities such as Low-and-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) are scarce (see Armstrong-Carter & Telzer, 2021). The present thesis presented findings from three studies that analyze prosocial behavior from a developmental to a promotion perspective, including samples from LMICs largely underrepresented in prosocial literature. The first study (Chapter II) analyzes differences between HICs and LMICs in the longitudinal trajectory of prosocial behavior. In detail, it explores the longitudinal trend and the growth process of the three main subtypes of prosocial behavior: helping, comforting, and sharing, spanning from late childhood to adolescence. The second study (Chapter III) ascertains the beneficial role of prosocial behavior on school success, comparing samples from HICs and LMICs. In detail, it examines the reciprocal longitudinal associations between prosocial behavior and school performance in the transition to adolescence. The third study (Chapter IV) evaluates the efficacy of the Italian universal school-based intervention program CEPIDEA adapted and implemented in three Colombian sites (Medellín, Manizales, and Santa Marta) in promoting prosocial behavior among adolescents. This study also drew attention to the effect of convergence or discrepancies across informants (i.e., self-report vs peer rating) in the evaluation of school-based intervention programs. The present thesis gave an overview regarding the priority in researchers’ agenda to contribute to the literature on prosocial development in LMICs and promoting prosocial behavior as a crucial non-cognitive skill for positive youth development worldwide

Prosocial and aggressive related behaviors: the role of positivity and social support during the pandemic

The following work was aimed to explore whether positivity and family’ and friends ‘support influence prosocial-related (i.e., actions and feelings; Luengo Kanacri et al., 2021) and aggressive-related behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. Using a sample of 1169 young Italian adults (18-35 years), the study focused on developmental differences, comparing emerging adults (18-25 years) and young adults (26-35 years). Results of the multi-group path analysis evidenced different pathways conducive to the enactment of prosocial and aggressive-related behaviors, equal for both age groups. Positivity was positively associated with family and friends’ support. In particular, friends’ support fully mediated the relations between positivity and prosocial-related behaviors, while family support partially mediated the relations between positivity and rule-breaking behaviors. In summary, our study investigated the protective role of both positivity and social support on youth prosocial- and aggressive-related behaviors. Results evidenced protective psychological and psychosocial factors that affected youth adjustment during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, an unexpected and prolonged period of isolation for most people in Italy. Results Overall, the findings of this study supported a theoretical model in which positivity and social support may have beneficial effects on youth’s adjustment. The practical implications will be discussed

La salute mentale nella terza infanzia e nella prima adolescenza: il ruolo protettivo della positività

Introduzione: Dato l’aumento dei problemi internalizzanti in adolescenza (Bor et al., 2014), il presente studio ha avuto come scopo quello di esaminare il ruolo della Positività(P) nei bambini, intesa come una modalità di vedere se stessi, le proprie esperienze di vita e il futuro in modo positivo(Caprara et al.,2012). Studi precedenti hanno mostrato il ruolo protettivo della P rispetto a stili interpersonali caratterizzati da ansia ed evitamento (Castellani et al.,2016), stabilità emotiva(Caprara et al.,2012) e prosocialità(Luengo Kanacri et al.,2017). Tuttavia, nessuno studio sinora ha investigato il contributo della P nella terza infanzia e nella prima adolescenza. Specificamente, lo studio ha un duplice obiettivo:(1)testare la validità fattoriale della scala P nella terza infanzia in bambini di scuola primaria(età 6-11) e nella prima adolescenza(età 11-13), tramite analisi fattoriali esplorative(EFA) e confermative(CFA);(2)testare il ruolo protettivo della P in relazione a disturbi internalizzanti(INT), esternalizzanti(EXT), problemi emotivi(EMO) e comportamenti prosociali (PRO). Metodo: La scala P e lo SDQ(Goodman,1997)sono stati somministrati a 742studenti di scuola primaria e secondaria in Inghilterra. Nello specifico, il gruppo di calibrazione(N=369)era formato da 219studenti(47.9%maschi)di scuola primaria(M=10.78,DS=.52)e da 150studenti(50.7%maschi)di scuola secondaria(M=13.58,DS=.92);il gruppo di validazione(N=373)era formato da 202studenti(46%maschi)di scuola primaria(M=10.71,DS=.52) e da 171studenti(48%maschi) di scuola secondaria(M=13.18,DS=.93). Risultati: Nel gruppo di calibrazione, l’EFA ha indicato il modello ad un fattore della scala P come il più plausibile. Nel gruppo di validazione, la CFA ne ha confermato la struttura monofattoriale. Una CFA multigruppo (primaria vs secondaria)ha confermato l’invarianza scalare(factor loadings e intercette)della scala POS, come indicato dal cambio nel ΔCFI<.01(Cheung&Rensvold,2002). Gli indici di fit del modello scalare sono i seguenti:ΔCFI=.000, χ2(36)=63.599,p<.05,CFI=.963,TLI=.957,RMSEA=.065. Il confronto delle medie latenti tra i due gruppi d’età ha evidenziato che i bambini di scuola primaria riportavano una P media più alta(μ=3.90)rispetto ai ragazzi di scuola secondaria(μ=3.57). In termini di validità di costrutto, la P era associata negativamente con INT nella scuola primaria(β=-.550,p<.001)e nella secondaria(β=-.617,p<.001); inoltre, era associata positivamente con i PRO, sia nella scuola primaria(β=.468,p<.001)che nella secondaria(β=.436,p<.001), mentre risultava negativa l’associazione tra P e EXT nella primaria(β=-.524, p<.001)e nella secondaria(β=-.538, p<.001)e tra P ed EMO nella primaria(β=-.531, p<.001)e nella secondaria(β=-.551, p<.001). Conclusioni: Questo studio ha dimostrato come la scala P sia valida nella terza infanzia e prima adolescenza e come la P rappresenti un fattore protettivo per la salute mentale. Le implicazioni pratiche di questo studio verranno discusse