Alessandra Fermani

Psychometric properties of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) in the general Italian adolescent population: A validation and a comparison between Italy and The Netherlands

In this study examination is given to the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) in a large community sample of adolescents. Additionally, a comparison was made between the anxiety scores of this Italian adolescent cohort (N=1975) and a comparative Dutch adolescent cohort (N=1115). Findings revealed that a five-factor structure of the SCARED applied not only to the Italian adolescents from the general community, but also to boys and girls, and to early and middle adolescents. Moreover, sex and age differences on anxiety scores within the Italian sample were found to be consistent with previous studies of adolescent anxiety disorders. Finally, Italian adolescents reported higher anxiety scores than their Dutch peers. Findings of this study highlight that the SCARED is a valid screening instrument to rate anxiety symptoms of Italian adolescents.

Sustainable hospitality and tourism at different ages: Women’s and men’s attitudes in Italy

Future tourism experiences will be more oriented towards eco-friendly destinations and dictated by responsible lifestyles, as shown by the Travel Trends Report and UNWTO report. Many studies confirm that the number of travellers looking for accommodation that ensures greater respect for the environment is constantly growing. The implications in terms of sustainable tourism are remarkable since they suppose a growing awareness of the impact of individual choices on global effects. The preferences for sustainable tourism are only partially explained by pro-environmental attitudes and values. To more fully explain sustainable tourism choices a reference is needed for additional motivational factors (Maeran 2009). Some studies show that women harbour higher environmental attitudes than men, in general and in relation to hospitality in particular. Other studies are more cautious. Gender, though, is a significant variable in this field, even if there are few studies on this aspect. This research focuses on Italy and investigates the gender orientation regarding sustainability and its influence on choices for eco-friendly hospitality, attitudes towards the environment (Bjerke and Kaltenborn 1999), the social dominance orientation (Sidanius and Pratto, 1999) and the propensity to act responsibly (Berkowitz and Daniels 1964). The results show that males are less apathetic towards the environment than females and that in Italy the link between being a citizen and environmental awareness has yet to be built.

Sustainable accommodation choice in tourism and emotional intelligence connected: An exploratory study looking for evidence

Abstract Emotional intelligence (EI) is considered an advantage in everyday life, starting from the area of work relationships to intimacy, from stress tolerance to the general well-being of an individual. However, the theme and issue of sustainability in tourism have become relevant after a growing awareness regarding the risks of an excessively massified tourism industry and excessive exploitation of the domain. This study aims to find evidence of the relation between EI and sustainable accommodation in tourism. This is done considering EI as a mental function that promotes adaptability and consciousness, while also assuming an environmental perspective. A survey was conducted on a sample of 157 (36.3% males and 63.7% females) Italian emerging adults and adults, aged between 19 and 37 years (mean = 26.5; DS = 4.4). In particular, we studied the contribution of EI in the building of clusters, including some dimensions of sustainable hospitality and some of social well-being. For this reason, bivariate analyses were conducted to evaluate the relationship between the variables, and a cluster analysis was accomplished to identify the groups on the basis of the scores obtained from the questionnaires. The results suggest that a psychological function, such as EI, could illustrate a more comprehensive framework of sustainable accommodation and identify a new criterion for market segmentation.