Temperament and Character Effects on Late Adolescents' Well-Being and Emotional-Behavioural Difficulties

Background. Research on adults points to personality as a crucial determinant of well- being. The present study investigates the question of personality's relation to well-being and psychosocial adjustment in adolescence. Methods. We assessed the role of temperament and character (Temperament and Character Inventory, TCI-125), on psychological well-being (PWB; Psychological Well- Being scales), subjective well-being (SWB; Positive and Negative Affect, PA and NA, respectively), and psychosocial adjustment (emotional-behavioural problems measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for Adolescents, SDQ-A), in 72 Italian late adolescents (aged 17.5 0.75). Multiple regressions were conducted to predict PWB, SWB, and SDQ-A scores using TCI-125 scales as predictors. Results. Character maturity, and in particular Self-Directedness, had a widespread protective effect on well-being and psychosocial adjustment, while different strengths and emotional-behavioural difficulties were associated to specific temperamental and character traits. For example, Harm-Avoidance and Novelty-Seeking positively predicted internalized and externalized problems, respectively. Discussion. The present results suggest the usefulness of continuing to evaluate temperament and, in particular, character dimensions in investigations focused on adolescents' well-being and psychosocial functioning, especially in the contexts of potential interventions aimed at enhancing development of adolescents' character dimensions at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and transpersonal levels

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Affect, Fear, and Personality of Primary School Children Measured During the Second Wave of Infections in 2020

In relation to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, a large body of research has identified a negative impact on individuals' affectivity, frequently documented by increased prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms. For children, this research was less extensive, was mainly based on caregivers' reports and neglected personality assessment. In order to measure the impact of the pandemic, and the fears it caused, on primary school children's affect and personality, 323 (180 boys and 143 girls) Italian third, fourth and fifth graders were assessed between October and November 2020, namely during the second wave of COVID-19 infections in Italy, with validated self-reports of affect (Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children, PANAS-C), fear of COVID-19 (Fear of COVID-19 Scale, FCV-19S) and personality (junior Temperament and Character Inventory, jTCI). In comparison with PANAS-C and jTCI normative scores collected prior to the pandemic, data obtained from children in 2020 showed unchanged affect scores in the overall sample, a decrease of Positive Affect in girls, and a decrease in the Harm Avoidance and an increase in the Self-Transcendence scales of personality. Fear of COVID-19 scores were positively correlated with Negative Affect scores and negatively predicted by children's personality profile of resilience (calculated using scores on the Harm Avoidance and the Self-Directedness scales of personality). These results suggested that Italian primary school children, especially boys, maintained their pre-pandemic levels of affect (or restored them after the first COVID-19 wave) and partially diverged from the typical development of personality in an apparently positive sense, namely toward more courageous/optimistic and spiritual profiles. This sort of children's post-traumatic growth might also be attributed to children's family and education systems, which should continue to be supported to promote and maintain community mental health

The effects of distance learning on adolescents’ relationships and emotional well-being.

In this study, conducted on over 1300 students from second level secondary schools in the province of Udine, investigate the impact of distance learning (DAD) on relationships and emotional well-being. The analysis of two questionnaires filled out anonymously by students, highlighted a significant experience of suffering that opens up a critical reflection on the challenges that the school system is called to face since the end of the pandemic

La meditazione mindfulness per i disturbi del neurosviluppo

In questo capitolo, il tema della meditazione mindfulness nell\u2019ambito dei disturbi del neurosviluppo \ue8 organizzato in tre sezioni. La prima introduce il tema della meditazione mindfulness (Fabbro, 2019a): partendo dal contesto storico-filosofico da cui essa proviene, viene delineato il panorama degli odierni interventi che la utilizzano. La seconda sezione descrive i principali effetti psicologici e neuropsicologici degli interventi basati sulla meditazione mindfulness in riferimento a popolazioni adulte. L\u2019ultima sezione si concentra sugli interventi basati sulla meditazione mindfulness in et\ue0 evolutiva (Crescentini e Menghini, 2019), descrivendo i risultati ottenuti nell\u2019ambito dei disturbi del neurosviluppo

The Effect of Entrepreneurial Intention on new Service Development

This article examines the role of product relatedness on entrepreneurial intention to develop new services. In order to better understand the interaction between personal and organizational forces, our study aims to identify and analyze which variables improve entrepreneur's perception of opportunities and consequently their exploitation. Utilizing a sample of 750 Small and Medium Accounting Practices (SMAPs) in Northeast Italy, our findings indicate that diversification relatedness calls different causes. The role of desirability, feasibility as well as age, education, and prior diversification experience all impact entrepreneurial intention but their impact depends on the level of relatednessThis article examines the role of product relatedness on entrepreneurial intention to develop new services. In order to better understand the interaction between personal and organizational forces, our study aims to identify and analyze which variables improve entrepreneur's perception of opportunities and consequently their exploitation. Utilizing a sample of 750 Small and Medium Accounting Practices (SMAPs) in Northeast Italy, our findings indicate that diversification relatedness calls different causes. The role of desirability, feasibility as well as age, education, and prior diversification experience all impact entrepreneurial intention but their impact depends on the level of relatedness

Effects of Mind-Body Interventions on Adolescents’ Cooperativeness and Emotional Symptoms

Background: Mind-body interventions may support the development of adolescents’ self-regulation and provide a protective effect against maladaptive outcomes, e.g., internalizing and externalizing problems. The present study aimed at evaluating the effects of mindfulness-oriented meditation training (MOM) and autogenic training (AT) on a group of healthy Italian adolescents’ character dimensions, emotional and behavioral difficulties. Methods: 72 adolescents were randomly assigned to MOM/AT conditions and tested before and after the 8-week trainings through self-report measures (Temperament and Character Inventory 125, TCI; Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for Adolescents, SDQ-A). Main analyses involved robust and repeated measures ANOVAs, carried out separately for character TCI and SDQ-A scales. Results: After trainings, we found increased levels of cooperativeness and reduced emotional symptoms. Changes in these dimensions were negatively correlated: the more participants increased in their cooperativeness the greater decrease they showed in emotional symptoms. Conclusion: Both MOM and AT enhanced a cooperative attitude in adolescents and helped reducing their emotional problems. Therefore, it may be useful to apply these mind-body interventions in school settings as they can have a protective effect on the well-being and psychosocial adjustment of youths, through fostering their character maturity and helping them to better regulate their emotions

Winning Business Models for the 4th Industrial Revolution

Abstract: The objective of this paper is to analyze the impact of the Industry 4.0 on business models considering technological change as a driver of strategic innovation. The research aims to provide the key to interpreting a process of innovation that, starting from the technological transformation, translates it into a broader change of business models. A structured literature review has been developed analyzing 144 sources divided into scientific papers, reports from consultancy firms and institutional reports, to identify the importance given by the literature to the technologies and their impact on the single building blocks of the business model. The research has led to the identification of four types of business models, which represent a framework to understand the crucial issues to be applied to interpret the phenomenon strategically. The technologies of the Industry 4.0 allow the development of new business models. In this way, it is possible to start a strategic innovation and create new markets through a unique value proposition. The analysis led to understand the potential of Industry 4.0 as the strategic innovation of business models and its impact on knowledge management processes

Isolated and blocked adolescents: a study on the psychological effects of the COVID-19 outbreak

BACKGROUND: According to the most updated data children and adolescents are less affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection, but they may be among the most exposed to the psychosocial consequences of the pandemic. We investigated the immediate psychological consequences of the Covid-19 outbreak in a sample of Italian adolescents. METHODS: An online survey was administered to 204 adolescents during the country's nationwide lockdown. It was composed of a socio-demographic interview focused on how teenagers were experiencing the health emergency (e.g. sport practiced, school distance learning, media exposure), and questionnaires on pathological worry, impact of events, metacognitions, state and trait anxiety, and affectivity. RESULTS: Results of hierarchical regression analyses showed that specific individual dispositions and lifestyles during the emergency period predicted particular cognitive and emotional experiences of adolescents. Sport was directly related to positive affect, while media exposure was inversely related. Online learning was positively related to adolescents’ state anxiety, while fear of being infected was positively related to state anxiety, excessive worry and post-traumatic stress. Moreover, the comparison with a control group of adolescents tested in a period free from any health emergency showed that the current sample had higher worry, state anxiety, negative affect, and reduced positive affect. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the pandemic and the containment measures have significantly affected adolescents’ mental health. Lifestyles during the health emergency showed to have a predictive value on the cognitive and emotional experience of adolescents, therefore they must be seriously taken into consideration to counteract the effects of the pandemic

Bloccati fuori e dentro

Le conseguenze della pandemia sul benessere psicologico di bambini, adolescenti e genitori italiani. Due studi condotti dall’Università di Udine su oltre 1000 partecipanti, principalmente del FVG, hanno indagato l’impatto dell’emergenza sanitaria sulla salute mentale dei più giovani e dei genitori, esplorando quali fattori durante il lockdown hanno aumentato il rischio di sviluppare disturbi psicologici e quali hanno contribuito a promuovere la resilienza