Cultural Adaptation of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale: Reliability and Validity of an Italian Version

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of an Italian version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS; Gratz & Roemer, 2004). Method Three studies were completed. First, factorial structure, internal consistency, and concurrent validity of our Italian version of the DERS were examined with a sample of 323 students (77% female; mean age 25.6). Second, test-retest analyses were completed using a different sample of 61 students (80% female; mean age 24.7). Third, the scores produced by a small clinical sample of participants (N = 38; mean age = 24.2) affected by anorexia, binge eating disorder, or bulimia were compared to those of an age-matched, nonclinical female sample (N = 38; mean age = 24.7). Results The factorial structure replicated quite well the six-factor structure proposed by Gratz and Roemer. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability were adequate and comparable to previous findings. The validity was good, as indicated by both the concurrent validity analysis and the clinical-nonclinical sample comparison. Conclusions These studies provide further support for the multidimensional model of emotion regulation postulated by Gratz and Roemer and strengthen the rationale for cross-cultural utilization of the DERS. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Clin. Psychol. 00:1-20, 2012

A next-generation liquid xenon observatory for dark matter and neutrino physics

The nature of dark matter and properties of neutrinos are among the most pressing issues in contemporary particle physics. The dual-phase xenon time-projection chamber is the leading technology to cover the available parameter space for weakly interacting massive particles, while featuring extensive sensitivity to many alternative dark matter candidates. These detectors can also study neutrinos through neutrinoless double-beta decay and through a variety of astrophysical sources. A next-generation xenon-based detector will therefore be a true multi-purpose observatory to significantly advance particle physics, nuclear physics, astrophysics, solar physics, and cosmology. This review article presents the science cases for such a detector

I precursori della violenza infantile nella fase prenatale e perinatale: una review della letteratura

Questa rassegna presenta lo stato attuale delle conoscenze sui precursori della violenza infantile nel periodo perinatale. La letteratura evidenzia fattori di rischio che, se presenti nella vita della donna, si intensificano durante la gravidanza compromettendo la salute psicofisica della madre e del bambino con conseguenze a breve/medio/lungo termine. I fattori individuati sono: individuali (storia di maltrattamento, psicopatologia genitoriale, età materna, uso di fumo/droghe/alcool); relazionali (violenza domestica, difficoltà di interazione madre-neonato); contestuali (svantaggio sociale); caratteristiche del neonato (basso peso neonatale, prematurità, presenza di handicap). La ricerca necessita di approfondimenti relativi a: 1) maggiore comprensione di come i fattori individuali-relazionali-contestuali interagiscano per produrre pattern violenti di comportamento verso la prole; 2) messa a punto di strumenti per lo screening delle popolazioni a rischio nel periodo perinataleAn overview of current studies on precursors of childhood violence in the perinatal period is provided. The literature highlights risk factors that, if present in a women’s life, intensify during pregnancy compromising the mental and physical health of the mother and child with consequences in the short/medium/long term. The risk factors are: individual (history of maltreatment, parental psychopathology, maternal age, use of smoking/drugs/alcohol); relational (domestic violence, impaired mother-infant interaction); environmental (social disadvantage); newborn characteristics (low birth weight, prematurity, handicap). Future research should investigate the interactions between individual, relational and environmental factors to understand how these factors interact to produce patterns of violent behavior towards offspring. Additional research is needed to develop screening tools to identify populations at risk in the perinatal period

Il Setting

Questo manuale presenta un quadro nuovo della psicologia dinamica avendo come obiettivo quello di illustrare I concetti cardine della disciplina e rendere palese la sua collocazione all'interno della prospettiva intersoggettiva. Un'opera che aiuta a comprendere le sfide che la psicologia dinamica affronta tenendo conto della ricerca dell'infant research, del paradigma dell'attaccamento e delle neuroscienz