Claudio Longobardi

Development and psychometric analysis of the student-teacher relationship scale - short form.

The purpose of this study is the construction and validation of an Italian Short Form version of the Student–Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS; Fraire et al., 2013). The analyses were conducted on 1256 students and 210 teachers. The STRS is a self-report measure assessing teachers’ perception of the quality of their relationship with students ranging from preschool to third grade. The items were selected from the original Italian adaptation of the regular STRS (Pianta, 2001) through Rasch (1960/1980) analysis, which allowed us to identify a subset of items with proven psychometric properties. The STRS-SF consists of two subscales: Conflict (eight items) and Closeness (six items). Results indicate that the 14-item instrument shows good internal consistency (α>0.80), high correlations with the scales from the regular STRS (r > 0.90) and equivalence across gender.

The Pupil-Teacher Relationship and Gender Differences in Primary School

In the perspective of multiple attachment bonds, the teacher-child relationship is considered as one of the fun- damental ways to express a crucially relevant bond for the childs emotive and cognitive development. The contextualist approach underlines how the dynamics of interaction between the individual and micro-sociocultural contexts play a me- diating role on developmental processes. Studies by Pianta, in particular, ascribed to the teacher-pupil interaction a crucial developmental function in the adaptation of the child, both in preschool age children and in the subsequent years of pri- mary school. The purpose of this study is to examine the characteristics of the teacher-pupil relationship when the teacher is male in the primary school setting. There were 310 children involved, equally distributed by gender, with their 52 teachers, of whom 42 were female and 10 were male. The analyses carried out reveal statistically relevant differences between the two groups of teachers on the issue of the way male teachers assess their relationship with female pupils. More than their male colleagues, female teachers tend to evaluate girls in a significantly different way as far as closeness and dependency are concerned. The data that emerges calls for careful consideration of the effect that the gender imbalance marking the teaching population in the early stages of schooling can have on aspects of child development.

Estilo atribucional de niños con o sin Dificultad Específica de Aprendizaje

Introduction. The literature highlights that pupils with Specific Learning Disability (SLD) often reveal a poor meta-cognitive system, with low levels of attribution to internal factors like diligence and personal skills, and high levels of attribution to external factors like ease of task, luck or help from others. Method. This study aims to analyze the attributions expressed in the school context by pupils diagnosed with Specific Learning Disability (N=38; Age in months: Mean=100.24; SD=5.828) and to compare them with those by children without learning disabilities (N=70; 38 of them with the same academic achievements as the pupils with SLD, and 32 with opposite achievement levels). The instruments are the Attribution Test 4-10 years, nationally validated learning tests and the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale. Results. The analysis shows that just the pupils with SLD do not have an attributive style of the “strategic effort” kind, and, among them, the children that obtain the best scores in the nationally validated learning tests are the ones who least often, especially in cases of success, choose the ability factor and most often choose luck as the cause. Considering the teachers’ perceptions of the relationship between the pupils in the sample, the most significant score is related to Dependency: children with SLD are perceived far more dependent than their mates without SLD. Discussion and Conclusion. Results show that SLD do not cause a disadaptive attributive style but it causes an higher level of Dependency on the teacher; these children, in fact, do not have such a strong, stable attributive style with internal locus, and are inclined to attribute their results also to factors outside their own person. As a result, they seem not aware of their potential and search help even when it is not necessary.

Examining Student-teacher Relationship from Students’ Point of View: Italian Adaptation and Validation of the Young Children’s Appraisal of Teacher Support Questionnaire

Received: September 28, 2016 Revised: December 05, 2016 Accepted: December 06, 2016 Abstract: Background: Numerous studies on educational and developmental psychology have concluded that students’ affective relationships with their teachers are crucial for their academic motivation and commitment to school. Frequently the relationship is evaluated from the teacher’s point of view, but the importance of considering the children’s perspective has been highlighted by many authors.

A new theory on children's drawings: Analyzing the role of emotion and movement in graphical development

The aim of this paper is to develop a new understanding of childrens drawings and to provide ideas for future research in early childhood. Starting from classic theories on child graphical development, we proceed to analyze them and provide our own views on the subject. We will also recount a number of relevant empirical studies that appear to validate our theory. Our belief is that emotion and self-expression through movement play a key role in the development of child art, and that this may be already visible during the scribbling stage of drawing.

Attachment Style and Risk of Muscle Dysmorphia in a Sample of Male Bodybuilders

In Western countries, body image has become an essential feature of male representations in recent decades. This is especially true of prominent muscularity, which has been traditionally linked with the concept of masculinity. This tendency has also emerged in the Italian context where it was easily assimilated into the traditional Italian stereotype of men being strong and virile. In this context, the practice of bodybuilding has progressively gained popularity as a means of achieving an ideal body image. Among bodybuilders, pathological preoccupations with muscle can sometimes develop. This condition has been defined as muscle dysmorphia (MD). Although a few studies discuss this disorder and its psychological correlates, no studies have examined the link between the risk of developing MD and attachment style in men. Given that attachment affects body image satisfaction and related disorders, the aim of this paper was to study the relationship between MD and adult attachment style in male bodybuilders. In the present study, 170 Italian male bodybuilders completed an anonymous online survey. Data were obtained about their demographic features, attachment styles, and risk of developing MD. Using the dimensions of adult attachment, bodybuilders who were at risk of developing MD were compared with those who were not at risk of developing MD. The findings indicated that a link exists between the risk of developing MD and having an insecure avoidant attachment style. This finding suggests that nonoptimal relationships with caregivers early in life can be a risk factor for developing MD later in life. Further studies need to examine the connection between individuals’ relational history and their development of MD.

Muscle dysmorphia and psychopathology: Findings from an Italian sample of male bodybuilders

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the risk of muscle dysmorphia and psychopathological symptoms in an Italian sample of male bodybuilders. METHOD The sample was recruited online (145 men with a mean age of 30.0 years) and participants were asked to fill out the Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder Inventory (MDDI), Symptom Cheklist-90-R (SCL-90-R), Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES-II), and to provide other socio-demographic data. Bodybuilders at risk of muscle dysmorphia display greater global psychopathology and present higher scores on all SCL-90-R dimensions when compared to bodybuilders not at risk of muscle dysmorphia. Furthermore, risk of muscle dysmorphia is positively associated to dissociative symptoms. The Competitiveness dimension and anabolic steroid intake were not related to muscle dysmorphia, while age appeared to be more significant. Findings are discussed based upon previous studies and directions for future research are suggested.

Violence in school: An investigation of physical, psychological, and sexual victimization reported by Italian adolescents

ABSTRACT In Italy, numerous studies have been carried out regarding the phenomenon of bullying; however, studies on single incidences of sexual, physical, and psychological victimization at school remain scant. Therefore the aim of this study is to examine the phenomenon of scholastic violence with a broader perspective, as well as all the possible perpetrators including adults. The sample consisted of 277 adolescents (64% female), ranging from grade 6th to 13th (mean age = 13.29, SD = 2.19). Sixty-four percent of the participants were middle school students, the remaining were high school students. Results show that the most commonly reported type of victimization is psychological violence (incidence= 77%), followed by physical (incidence= 52%), and sexual victimization (incidence= 24%). These forms of violence are mainly inflicted by peers. The research confirmed the validity of the tool and its applicability in the Italian context for screening violent behavior at school.

Emotionally Abusive Behavior in Italian Middle School Teachers as Identified by Students

The aim of this article was to estimate the prevalence of psychological maltreatment in Italian middle school students by their teachers, and to test the applicability of surveying instruments for this phenomenon in Italian educational settings. The sample consisted of 105 teachers and 128 middle school students, who were asked about their experiences with emotionally abusive behaviors (i.e., demeaning, discriminating, dominating, destabilizing, distancing, and diverse) in the Italian school system. Teachers did not tend to perceive their behavior as abusive, while the students showed a very high perception of abuse (98%). Males were more likely to be victims of abuse, and they also reported lower scores in the Achievement scale. Emotional child abuse is highly present in Italian educational settings, and there is a strong need for interventions aimed at supporting teacher education, in the hopes of increasing the general well-being in schools.

Highly-visual social media and internalizing symptoms in adolescence: The mediating role of body image concerns

Abstract Highly-visual social media (HVSM), such as Instagram and Snapchat, have experienced a significant increase in popularity among adolescents in recent years. Findings indicate use of social media is related to body image concerns and poorer mental health in adolescence. However, previous research on HVSM is scant and mainly focus on female samples. In this view, the present study investigated the association between time spent on HVSM, body image concerns and internalizing symptoms, in sample of adolescents attending grades 6–11 in Northern Italy. Data for this study were based on 523 students, 54.2% female; Mean age (SD) = 14.82 (1.52). Multiple linear regression was used to examine the associations between time spent using social media, body image concerns, and internalizing symptoms. Overall, students reporting using Facebook and HVSM for more than 2 h were 7.1% and 28.9% of the sample. Students reporting frequent use of HVSM (>2 h/day) reported significantly higher body image concerns and internalizing symptoms than peers reporting no use of HVSM. Further, we found the positive link between use of HVSM and internalizing symptoms to be mediated by participants’ body image concerns problems. These findings suggest that adolescents reporting high use of HVSM might be at risk for increased body image concerns, which in turn might lead to poorer psychological adjustment.