Work-related stress risk assessment: a critical review based on psychometric principles of an objective tool

Many approaches to work-related stress risk assessement suggest the integration between a phase where objective data are collected and analysed, and a phase where results of data collection and analysis are discussed and compared with information coming from the workers. On the other side, the use of self-report job stress measures has been criticized, due to their potential distortions, and stress researchers have repeatedly called for an approach based on the use of objective measures. The Italian law for work-related stress risk assessment, closer to the latter approach, prescribes a two-stage procedure: first a set of objective measures and then, conditionally to the outcome of the first stage, a set of subjective measures. We therefore describe and critically review, on the basis of psychometric principles, the tool used for the objective stage in the most adopted method in Italy. Such a tool is a checklist for which we discuss a number of issues suggesting it is not methodologically well founded. We conclude these weaknesses affect the practice of work-related stress risk assessment

Application of the seven-factor-model of personality to an Italian preschool sample

OBJECTIVE: Advances in dimensional assessment of children in healthy and clinical populations has renewed interest in the study of temperament. Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) has shown high reliability and internal consistency. Adult and adolescent versions have been translated into a number of languages and validated in cross-cultural studies worldwide. To date only one preschool-TCI-based study has been conducted in early infancy with teachers as observers. The present study is aimed to test an Italian Preschool version of the Temperament and Character Inventory (PsTCI). This is the first replication and the first validation study of TCI on preschoolers with parents as observers. METHODS: 395 preschool children, recruited from pediatric communities and day-care centres throughout Italy, participated in the study. Parents of each child enrolled in the study and completed a PsTCI about the child. Standard psychometric tests of reliability and validation were performed. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analyses demonstrated the presence of distinct domains for temperament and character. TCI dimensions had good internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha ranging values (|0.60|-|0.81|). Gender differences were found for Harm Avoidance (β=-0.186; p≤0.001) and Self-Directedness (β=-0.216; p≤0.01), and accounted for 5-35arm-38-702- of the observed variance. CONCLUSION: The present work suggests the psychological complexity of Cloninger's model and confirms its application in pre-school children from diverse environmental and cultural backgrounds. The results confirm that Cloninger's instrument for temperament and character evaluations can also be used with different observers and highlight the importance of considering cultural and demographic differences in the assessment of temperament and character in preschoolers

Le parole per dirlo: sviluppo del linguaggio e funzioni esecutive in bambini fra i 24 e i 30 mesi

A growing body of research shows a close association between language development and Executive Function (EF). However, these studies are mostly focused on school-aged children. Much less is known about this issue in preschoolers and/or toddlers. The aim of this study was to address this gap by exploring the relationships between emerging EF skills (working memory, inhi- bition, cognitive exibility) and age-appropriate linguistic measures (lexical ability, function word omissions, Mean Length of Utterance - MLU) during toddlerhood. Two groups (24-30 months of age), each one consisting of 20 typically developing children, participated in the study. The results showed that the relations between cognitive and linguistic measures changed from 24 to 30 months of age: at 24 months, only morpho-syntactic measures signi cantly correlated with cognitive exibility, whereas at 30 months both lexical ability and LME signi cantly correlated with the three FE mea- sures. Moreover, function word omissions correlated with cognitive exibility and inhibition. When checking on age and lexical ability, only cognitive exibility was associated with morpho-syntactic complexity. These results are discussed in the light of emergentist-dynamic developmental models

Adattamento italiano del BRIEF-P Behavior Rating Inventory Of Executive Function. Preschool version.

Valutazione precoce: costruito per rilevare il comportamento di bambini di età compresa tra i 2 e i 5 anni, il BRIEF-P offre la possibilità di un assessment strutturato del funzionamento esecutivo in una fascia di età molto precoce, massimizzando l’opportunità di rilevare carenze e difficoltà e di intervenire tempestivamente. Focalizzazione sui comportamenti nei contesti di vita: la struttura a questionario consente di sistematizzare la frequenza di comportamenti agiti dal bambino nella vita di tutti i giorni; la compilazione indipendente da parte di insegnanti o genitori, permette di registrare informazioni sulle manifestazioni delle funzioni esecutive in contesti diversi, particolarmente utili a livello clinico e diagnostico. Vasta letteratura di riferimento e trial clinici: il BRIEF-P è utilizzato in tutto il mondo per la particolare combinazione tra agilità e affidabilità nei più diversi trial clinici, proprio perché può contare su una corposa letteratura a supporto della sua riconosciuta e condivisa validità, e quindi essere applicato sia per la diagnosi clinica che per la valutazione degli esiti in un ampio range di condizioni di sviluppo atipico

LO SVILUPPO DELLA GRAMMATICA

Vengono illustrati e discussi le teorie e i modelli dello sviluppo grammaticale e descritte le fasi di tale sviluppo attraverso l'analisi di un ampio corpus di ricerche nazionali ed internazionali alla luce di u modello emergentist

adattamento italiano del (2016) Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function 2, assessment delle funzioni esecutive in età scolare (BRIEF-2),

Il BRIEF2 è la versione migliorata e aggiornata ai modelli attuali di descrizione delle funzioni esecutive del BRIEF; essa consente al professionista di valutare i comportamenti relativi alle funzioni esecutive negli ambienti scolastici e a casa. Pensato per una fascia di età compresa tra i 5 anni e i 18 anni, il BRIEF2 si presenta in tre versioni: rating scale per genitori e insegnanti di bambini e adolescenti in età scolare e questionario self-report (SR) per ragazzi più grandi

BRIEF-P Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function–Preschool Version Gerard A. Gioia, Kimberly A. Espy, Peter K. Isquith

Il BRIEF-P è la prima rating-scale standardizzata, specificamente costruita per misurare le funzioni esecutive nei bambini in età prescolare, nei comportamenti osservabili in contesti naturali, a casa e a scuola. Lo strumento permette al professionista una valutazione precoce su un’ampia fascia d’età, dai 2 anni e 0 mesi ai 5 anni e 11 mesi, particolarmente utile per l’assessment di bambini con condizioni di sviluppo neurologiche, psichiatriche e pediatriche, quali nascita prematura, disabilità emergenti dell’apprendimento, disturbi dell’attenzione, disturbi del linguaggio, trauma cerebrali, esposizione al piombo, disturbi pervasivi dello sviluppo, ecc. Il BRIEF-P si articola in cinque scale cliniche, che misurano aspetti diversi delle funzioni esecutive: • Inibizione • Shift • Regolazione delle Emozioni • Memoria di Lavoro • Pianificazione/Organizzazione. Le cinque scale cliniche compongono tre indici più ampi: Autocontrollo Inibitorio (ISCI), Flessibilità (FI) e Metacognizione Emergente (MEI), e un Punteggio Composito Esecutivo Globale (GEC)

Lexicon and complex syntax in preschoolers and schoolers traditional narratives. The contribution of cognitive skills

Narrative competence is an important step of development for language and cognitive abilities of children that provide a conceptual framework for organizing the knowledge. The general aim of this study was to investigate the relation between narrative competence, verbal and non-verbal intelligence in Italian preschoolers and schoolers children. Eighty children divided into two groups of age, 5-years-olds and 7-years-years-olds and we were asked them to tell a famous traditional story. The findings demonstrate that specific correlations between cognitive and linguistic performances change along growing age, suggesting a dynamic process between language and cognitive development

Perceived self-efficacy and coping styles related to stressful critical life events.

OBJECTIVE: The study examined the personal resources, Self-efficacy and Coping Strategies, in a sample of pre-adolescents who experienced an emotionally and socially critical event, such as the earthquake of the 6(th) of April 2009, related to age and gender. METHODS: 198 pre-adolescents, 84 girls and 114 boys (Age Mean 12 years), attending Secondary School in L'Aquila meso-seismic area. The emotional, behavioural and social capacities have been assessed with specific questionnaires administered collectively ten months after the earthquake. RESULTS: Multidimensional analyses produced differentiated profiles according to gender and age: self-efficacy-perception and coping strategy profiles, based on quartiles calculations, revealed the difficulties of the subjects in estimating their ability to cope with the world of relations and emotions after the critical event. CONCLUSIONS: The intervention could be specific to the cognitive, emotional and relational state of children and adolescents and differentiated before (prevention), during (intervention) and after the event (intervention and prevention)