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 selfevaluative 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 (M age = 10.75, SD = 0.52) and secondary schools (M age = 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

Facing the Pandemic in Italy: Personality Profiles and Their Associations With Adaptive and Maladaptive Outcomes

The negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals’ psychosocial functioning was widely attested during the last year. However, the extent to which individual differences are associated with adaptive and maladaptive outcomes during quarantine in Italy remains largely unexplored. Using a person-oriented approach, the present study explored the association of personality profiles, based on three broad individual dispositions (i.e., positivity, irritability, and hostile rumination) and two self-efficacy beliefs in the emotional area (i.e., expressing positive emotions and regulating anger emotion), with adaptive and maladaptive outcomes during the first Italian lockdown (March–June 2020). In doing so, we focused also on how different age groups (i.e., young adults and adults) differently faced the pandemic. The study was conducted through an online survey from May to June 2020 and included 1341 participants living in Italy, divided into two groups: 737 young adults aged 18–35 and 604 adults aged 36–60 years old. Latent Profile Analysis identified three personality profiles: resilient, vulnerable, and moderate. A subsequent path analysis model showed that the resilient profile was positively associated with prosocial behavior as an indicator of adaptive outcome, and negatively associated with three maladaptive outcomes: interpersonal aggression, depressive symptoms, and anxiety problems. Contrarily, the vulnerable profile resulted negatively associated with prosocial behavior and positively associated with the three maladaptive outcomes. Finally, regarding age group differences, young adults belonging to the vulnerable profile showed a greater association especially with interpersonal aggression, depression, and anxiety problems, as compared to adults belonging to the same profile. Overall, the results of the present study highlighted the importance to analyze individual functioning during an isolation period by using a person-oriented approach. Findings evidenced the existence of three different profiles (i.e., Resilient, Vulnerable, and Moderate) and subsequent path analysis revealed, especially for the vulnerable profile and young adults, a greater maladaptive consequence of the quarantine. The practical implications will be discussed

Social dynamics in interpersonal emotion regulation : a theoretical framework for understanding direct and indirect other-based processes

Interpersonal emotion regulation involves having emotions changed in a social context. While some research has used the term to refer to instances where others are used to alter one’s own emotions (intrinsic), other research refers to goal-directed actions aimed at modifying others’ emotional responses (extrinsic). We argue that the self-other distinction should be applied not only to the target (who has their emotion regulated) but also to the means (whether the agent uses themselves or others to achieve the regulation). Based on this, we propose interpersonal emotion regulation can take place when an agent changes a target’s emotions by affecting a third party’s emotion who will shift the emotion of the target in turn (direct other-based interpersonal ER) or by impacting a third party’s emotion (indirect other-based interpersonal ER). We discuss these processes and the conditions that lead to their emergence reconciling findings from different fields and suggesting new research venues

The effect of individual and classroom moral disengagement on antisocial behaviors in Colombian adolescents: A multilevel model

The present study examined the predictive effect of moral disengagement (within and between classrooms) on antisocial behaviors in Colombian adolescents, as well as the interaction of moral disengagement with classroom composition by age, socioeconomic status (SES), and perceived teacher–student relationship quality. Multilevel modeling was used to identify individual, compositional, and contextual effects on antisocial behaviors. The predictive variables were: (a) classroom mean score (i.e., between-classroom analysis), and (b) student deviation from the classroom mean score (i.e., within-classroom analysis). The sample included 879 students nested in 24 seventh-grade classrooms in three Colombian cities. The results showed that age, SES, and moral disengagement at the within-classroom level predicted antisocial behaviors. At the between-classroom level, antisocial behaviors were predicted by higher moral disengagement and lower aggregate SES. In addition, significant interactions were found between moral disengagement at the within-classroom level and SES at the between-classroom level. The findings expand our knowledge of the interdependence between individual and classroom contexts in the exercise of moral agency during adolescence

Promoting prosocial behaviour among Colombian adolescents: the evaluation of a universal school-based program using a multi-informant perspective

The present study evaluated the efficacy of an Italian school-based intervention programme adapted in three Colombian sites (Medellín, Manizales, and Santa Marta) in promoting prosocial behaviour among adolescents. Using a pre-test-post-test design with a multi-informant approach, the present study assessed 451 students (Mage = 12.77, SD = 1.06) of the intervention group and 428 students (Mage = 12.64, SD = 1.01) by using self-report and peer rating measures of prosocial behaviour. After establishing the measurement invariance across time and informants, a latent difference score model showed the positive effect of the intervention programme in improving prosocial behaviour evaluated by peers (Cohen’s d = .379) among Colombian adolescents, across all three sites. Implications of the study will be discussed

Positive Youth Development: Parental Warmth, Values, and Prosocial Behavior in 11 Cultural Groups

The current cross-cultural study aimed to extend research on parenting and children’s prosocial behavior by examining relations among parental warmth, values related to family obligations (i.e., children’s support to and respect for their parents, siblings, and extended family), and prosocial behavior during the transition to adolescence (from ages 9 to 12). Mothers, fathers, and their children (N = 1107 families) from 8 countries including 11 cultural groups (Colombia; Rome and Naples, Italy; Jordan; Kenya; the Philippines; Sweden; Thailand; and African Americans, European Americans, and Latin Americans in the United States) provided data over 3 years in 3 waves (Mage of child in wave 1 = 9.34 years, SD = 0.75; 50.5% female). Overall, across all 11 cultural groups, multivariate change score analysis revealed positive associations among the change rates of parental warmth, values related to family obligations, and prosocial behavior during late childhood (from age 9 to 10) and early-adolescence (from age 10 to 12). In most cultural groups, more parental warmth at ages 9 and 10 predicted steeper mean-level increases in prosocial behavior in subsequent years. The findings highlight the prominent role of positive family context, characterized by warm relationships and shared prosocial values, in fostering children’s positive development in the transition to adolescence. The practical implications of these findings are discussed

Evaluating the Student–Teacher Relationship Scale in Italian Young Children: An Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling Approach

The study analyzed the factorial and concurrent validity of the Student–Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) using an exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) approach. Participants were 368 Italian children aged 3 to 6 (M = 4.60, SD = 0.98). The three-factor ESEM solution fit the data better than the classical confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) model and the measurement invariance of the scale was confirmed across sex and age (3-4 vs. 5-6 years) groups. The concurrent validity of the STRS was investigated within the ESEM approach using children’s social behaviors as validity criteria. Findings supported the goodness of ESEM over CFA and attested to the validity of the STRS to understanding the teacher–child relationship quality in young children

Credenze Epistemologiche e Disimpegno Morale Durante il COVID-19

Introduzione Durante la pandemia da COVID-19, si è assistito alla diffusione di informazioni scientifiche a volte contraddittorie o errate. A fronte di tali incertezze, esaminare le credenze epistemologiche individuali, ovvero il modo in cui si costruisce la propria conoscenza in merito all’attuale pandemia, in adulti di diverse età, può essere importante. Alcuni studi riportano che la cognizione epistemica, influenzata dall’educazione e dal contesto di vita, si modifica nel passaggio dall’adolescenza all’età adulta da una conoscenza unitaria ad una più complessa e plurale. In questa situazione di incertezza, è utile considerare anche i meccanismi cognitivi di disimpegno morale che attraverso il ricorso a rappresentazioni distorte della propria condotta o delle sue conseguenze possono rendere accettabili violazioni delle norme di prevenzione raccomandate. Su queste premesse, questo studio mira a esaminare in differenti momenti dell’età adulta: a) le differenze di genere e di età in due tipologie di credenze epistemologiche relative alla pandemia da COVID-19: pluralità della conoscenza (Relativismo dinamico) e superficialità nell’acquisizione delle informazioni (Semplicismo); b) la relazione tra credenze epistemologiche e meccanismi di disimpegno morale (costruzione della condotta riprovevole, spostamento della responsabilità e distorsione delle conseguenze) relativi all’emergenza sanitaria. Metodo Allo studio hanno partecipato 1513 soggetti: 67% femmine e 33% maschi; il 21,5% di età compresa tra i 18 e i 25 anni (adultità emergente), il 40,8% tra i 26 e i 39 anni (prima età adulta) e il 37,7% tra i 40 e i 60 anni. Le credenze epistemologiche riguardanti il fenomeno COVID-19 sono state misurate attraverso l’adattamento di item tratti dal questionario Come Conosco, il disimpegno morale rispetto all’adozione di misure di prevenzione e gestione dell'emergenza sanitaria attraverso l’adattamento di item tratti dalla scala di Disimpegno Morale. Risultati L’ANCOVA ha evidenziato che, controllando per il livello di educazione, gli adulti di età superiore ai 40 anni mostravano un maggiore semplicismo (F= 4.51; p=.011) e un minore relativismo dinamico (F= 8.33; p=.001), rispetto agli adulti più giovani, mentre non sono emerse differenze di genere. Le regressioni gerarchiche multiple hanno evidenziato che al di là del genere e del titolo di studio, il semplicismo (ma non il relativismo dinamico) prediceva significativamente un maggiore uso dei meccanismi di disimpegno morale in tutte le fasce di età ( compreso tra .11 e .20). Conclusioni Lo studio evidenzia come durante la media età adulta l’acquisizione delle informazioni e la conoscenza relativa al COVID-19 risulta essere più superficiale e meno pluralista, contrariamente alle aspettative. Tuttavia, a tutte le età, una maggiore superficialità nell’acquisizione delle informazioni sembra favorire il ricorso a meccanismi di disimpegno morale, che possono facilitare la mancata adozione di misure preventive

Values and Pro-environmental behavior: the mediating role of Self-regulatory efficacy beliefs

An extensive literature on pro-environmental behavior (PEB) highlighted the inconsistency between individual goals and actual behavior (Nielsen & Hofmann, 2021). People embracing self-transcendence values (i.e., assigning priority to social welfare and nature) are more likely to perform PEBs (Steg et al., 2014). Since PEBs can be demanding in terms of personal resources (Nielsen, 2017), to align PEBs with long-term goals or values (e.g., Nielsen & Hofmann, 2021), namely to sustain one’s motivation in the face of difficulties, self-regulation processes may be pivotal (e.g., Wyss et al., 2021). Among others, self-efficacy may represent a central mechanism in supporting motivation (Caprara & Steca, 2007; Bandura, 1997) and PEB (Tabernero & Hernández, 2011). Consistent with these premises, the present study aims to examine to what extent self-transcendence values (i.e., universalism) exert their influence over PEBs (i.e., green consumerism, recycling, energy saving) through pro-environmental self-regulatory efficacy beliefs (beliefs about one’s ability to overcome internal or external contingent barriers to PEBs). Data used for the present study were part of an ongoing intensive longitudinal study. The study sample consisted of 180 Italian surveyed participants (age range=18-35; mean age=25.3, SD=3.4). Preliminary results on a partial sub-sample (n=56) showed that the relationship between self-transcendence values and PEBs, after controlling for gender and perceived usefulness of PEBs, was partially mediated by self-regulatory efficacy (β=.185; p= .032). This study shed new light on the motivational mechanisms underlying PEBs, highlighting the potential positive role of self-regulatory efficacy beliefs in enacting PEBs in young individuals. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed