Caterina Fiorilli

Emotion comprehension: the impact of nonverbal intelligence.

ABSTRACT A substantial body of research has established that emotion understanding develops throughout early childhood and has identified three hierarchical developmental phases: external, mental, and reflexive. The authors analyzed nonverbal intelligence and its effect on childrens improvement of emotion understanding and hypothesized that cognitive level is a consistent predictor of emotion comprehension. In all, 366 children (182 girls, 184 boys) between the ages of 3 and 10 years were tested using the Test of Emotion Comprehension and the Coloured Progressive Matrices. The data obtained by using the path analysis model revealed that nonverbal intelligence was statistically associated with the ability to recognize emotions in the 3 developmental phases. The use of this model showed the significant effect that cognitive aspect plays on the reflexive phase. The authors aim to contribute to the debate about the influence of cognitive factors on emotion understanding.

Effects of verbal ability and fluid intelligence on children's emotion understanding.

This study investigated the role of verbal ability and fluid intelligence on childrens emotion understanding, testing the hypothesis that fluid intelligence predicts the development of emotion comprehension over and above age and verbal ability. One hundred and two children (48 girls) aged 3.6-6 years completed the Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC) that comprised external and mental components, the Coloured Progressive Matrices and the Test for Reception of Grammar. Regression analysis showed that fluid intelligence was not equally related to the external and mental components of the TEC (Pons & Harris, 2000). Specifically, the results indicated that the external component was related to age and verbal ability only, whereas recognition of mental emotional patterns required abstract reasoning skills more than age and verbal ability. It is concluded that the development of fluid intelligence has a significant role in the development of mental component of emotion comprehension.

Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI): A validation study in an Italian teacher group

The aim of this study was to validate the Italian version of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI; Kristensen, Borritz, Villadsen, & Christensen, 2005), a public domain questionnaire evaluating the level of physical and psychological fatigue experienced by individuals with respect to personal, work-related, and client-related burnout. Participants in the study were 1,497 teachers (89.3% female). The dimensionality of the CBI was explored by means of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The scale’s internal consistency was also examined. Concurrent validity was explored by investigating the associations of the CBI dimensions with the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES; Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004) and an ad hoc measure of self-efficacy. Results of CFA supported a model of measurement composed of three correlated factors: personal, work-related, and student-related burnout. Associations among the CBI factors, UWES, and self-efficacy scores were found to be in the expected directions and reliability of scales was consistent. Results suggest that the Italian version of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory is psychometrically robust and could be adopted for empirical uses.

Teachers’ Emotional Competence and Social Support: Assessing the Mediating Role of Teacher Burnout

This study explored the relationships among teachers’ emotional competence, burnout as a mediator, and social support. Teachers’ emotional competence was assessed via measures of emotional intensity and emotional regulation. Social support was evaluated in terms of external versus internal support, and teacher dissatisfaction with support received. Participants were 149 Italian primary school teachers. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling. The findings suggested that teacher burnout partially mediated the relationship between emotional intensity and satisfaction with social support received. Overall, the results showed that teachers were at risk of highly intense unpleasant emotions in relation to their burnout syndrome. Moreover, teachers’ satisfaction/dissatisfaction with social support received was predicted by burnout symptoms. These results extend the findings of earlier studies, and provide indications as to how to help teachers experiencing burnout.

At-Risk Teachers: The Association between Burnout Levels and Emotional Appraisal Processes

1.1. Emotional Appraisal Process and Affect States Emotional processing is a multidimensional activity that includes appraisal of an event, subjective experience, physiological change, emotion expression, and action tendencies [1 4]. Experiencing events that cause emotions requires individuals to engage in judgment or appraisal of significance or relevance of these occurrences vis-à-vis their own personal motives, goals, or concerns [5 7]. Appraisal theory represents a cognitive approach to emotional processing.

Children’s Mathematics and Verbal Self-concepts and Externalizing Behaviors: The Moderating Role of Peer Rejection at School

Previous research has found a strong correlation between children’s academic self-concept and their behavioral problems. The present study examined whether children’s peer rejection moderated the relationship between children’s math and verbal self-concepts and their behavioral problems at school. We expected that children’s social competence, as measured by peer rejection, moderated the negative effect of low self-concept on children’s externalizing behaviors. Participants were 173 children (males = 93, Mage = 10.31 years, SD = 1.43). The main findings showed that peer rejection moderated the effect of both low verbal and math self-concepts on children’s externalizing behavior. The results are discussed in terms of the protective factor played by children’s social competence reducing the impact of low self-concept on children’s externalizing behaviors.

Comprendere e descrivere l’altro: uno studio sulla comprensione delle emozioni e sul lessico psicologico del bambino

Un rilevante numero di studi mostra una relazione tra l’utilizzo nel bambino di termini psicologici nelle conversazioni e la comprensione di stati interni. Sono stati oggetto di studio in un gruppo di 120 bambini tra i 6 e i 9 anni l’utilizzo di linguaggio sugli stati interni e la comprensione emotiva. La comprensione emotiva e stata valutata con il Test sulla Comprensione delle Emozioni, mentre l’uso del linguaggio riferito a stati interni e stato valutato con il compito di Mind-Mindedness. I risultati hanno evidenziato delle differenze significative in bambini di eta diverse rispetto alla comprensione delle emozioni e all’uso di termini psicologici nella descrizione del miglior amico. Il linguaggio sugli stati interni non e risultato correlato al livello di comprensione delle emozioni. Agli autori sembra possibile ipotizzare che l’utilizzo del linguaggio sugli stati interni possa essere indipendente dalle capacita dei bambini di rappresentare gli aspetti psicologici propri ed altrui.