Angiola Di Conza

Construct validation of the Use, Abuse and Dependence on the Internet inventory

This study aims to validate the structure of the Use, Abuse and Dependence on the Internet (UADI) inventory on a sample of 1056 high school (n=820) and university (n=236) students. In particular, we performed exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on sub-samples (cross-validation), tested the construct convergent validity, and tested correlations of UADI dimensions with HEXACO personality inventory (HEXACO-PI, where HEXACO stands for the six assessed dimensions: Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, eXtraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness and Openness to experience) and external criteria (daytime internet use, etc.). Five dimensions (Compensatory Escape, Dissociation, Real Life Impact, Experience Making and Addiction) were best captured by a second-order factor structure with a factor reflecting Real Life Impact and Dependence saturated by the other four dimensions. This latter factor converged with other traditional measures of internet dependence. The results are discussed in light of the relationships with validity criteria.

Interviews in a Polarized Television Market: The Anglo-American Watchdog Model Put to the Test

Television interviews with political candidates are pivotal moments in election campaigns. Previous studies in Anglo-American contexts have shown that adversarialism in television interviews can be predicted by the power of the politician and by the status of the interviewer. However, worldwide the structural conditions of the liberal media system are unique. This article studies how the Anglo-American watchdog model of interviews should be adapted to polarized television markets such as Italy, where broadcast organizations are politically, financially, and historically linked to different political blocks. A content analysis of the level of toughness in questions posed to politicians from different parties during the 2006 and 2008 Italian general elections showed that, in line with the watchdog model, journalists are more adversarial toward politicians who are likely to win the elections. Apart from this, interviews in polarized television markets follow a different model: Interviewers with high status are less adversarial, politicians from minor parties face more threatening questions, and partisan bias is more important than role bias. The generalizability of this model is discussed in the light of the polarization of television markets, partisan segregation, and the potential consequences for vote choice and election outcomes.

Interviewers' use of coercive questioning during a midterm period favorable to the opposition party

Journalism is generally expected to be objective and neutral--not influenced by political power. Conversely, Italian televised journalism often appears influenced by the distribution of political power. The current study investigates the impact of political changes in Italy on journalistic questioning techniques. Using new software with multimodal and interactive characteristics (Si.Co.D.), we examined the interrogation styles of two interviewers (Vespa and Ferrara), one (Vespa) working for a public television channel (Rai2) and the other (Ferrara) for a private television channel (La7). Specifically, we compared the level of coercion used by these interviewers when questioning politicians from both the center-right and center-left, before and after two elections (2004 European and 2005 Regional elections) that were favorable to the opposition (at the time, center-left). Results showed that the interviewers became more coercive toward the winning coalition (center-left) but in different ways: Vespa reduced his coerciveness toward the governing wing, whereas Ferrara increased his coerciveness toward the opposition. Results are discussed with attention to the political implications of this journalistic bias.

Italian General Elections of 2006 and 2008: Testing the Direct and Indirect Impact of Implicit and Explicit Attitudes on Voting Behaviour

Two studies were conducted during the Italian General Elections of 2006 (N = 179) and 2008 (N = 607), to investigate the relationships among implicit and explicit attitudes, voting intention and voting behaviour. Several structural equation models that included direct and indirect effect of implicit and explicit attitudes toward political objects (coalitions and leaders) on voting intention and behaviour were executed to test a prediction model of political preferences and voting behaviour. Notwithstanding some differences, the results of the two studies showed that (i) the implicit evaluations of political objects are more differentiated than the explicit ones; (ii) that implicit attitudes contribute in a specific and additive way to determine the voting intention and behaviour, and (iii) that the effect of the implicit attitude is also mediated by the explicit attitudes. Findings are discussed in the frame of dual cognition models and in the light of the peculiar political scenarios of the considered electoral process.

The Implicit and Explicit Attitudes Predict Electoral Decision-Making in 2008 Italian Political Campaign

This contribution applies the social judgment based on warmth and competence in the Italian political context (2008 electoral campaign; N = 625), by integrating insights coming from the literature on the Big Two and on the dual cognition theories. It aims at identifying how the evaluations toward leaders and parties (in terms of assigned warmth and competence, and ingroup/outgroup perception) predict the electoral decision-making. Furthermore, we test the hypothesis that the evaluations of the opposite party (group) and leader (group member) differ. The results are discussed considering the relationship between the Big Two and the following social evaluations and behaviors, in terms of intergroup competition and dual cognitive processes, the peculiar Italian political context and its increasing level of political personalization.

Judge Interventions in Criminal Trials: A Mixed Qualitative and Quantitative Study

Abstract This contribution studies judges’ interventions (spontaneity, type, modality, duration, outcome) during the examinations led by prosecutor, defence and civil party in three criminal trials. Through a combined qualitative and quantitative approach, the relevant categories concerning the characteristics of the interventions were identified and applied to videorecorded materials. Overall, the identified judges’ interventions are N = 443. Our results show that most of the interventions were not requested by the parties, aimed to ask/provide information rather than recall to duties or reformulation, were executed in a paternalistic way or in a neutral/logic manner rather than in a helping/supporting or reprimanding one, and finished in agreement rather than compromise, disagreement or negative outcome. Log-linear analyses show that judges behaved positively toward interviewees and prosecutors and negatively toward defence attorneys. The variability among judges’ behaviors and trials are discussed under a theoretical point of view and according to their implications for the legal system and the training of judges.