Daphne Chessa

A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Pretend Play in U.S. and Italian Children

Pretend play reflects cognitive, representational, and affective expression abilities in children. Cross-cultural studies stress the importance of culture-specific practices involved in shaping the context for play. Differences in the cultural environment and the parental care-giving system could influence children’s pretend play activities. There is a need for cross-cultural comparisons of play that use the same standardized measure of play. The current study was a cross-cultural comparison of two samples of American and Italian children 6 to 8 years old. All children were administered the Affect in Play Scale. As hypothesized, Italian children had significantly more types of affect expression in play than children in the United States, showing a medium effect size. Children in the United States had more imagination in their play, although with a small effect size. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Assessing Separation Anxiety in Italian Youth: Preliminary Psychometric Properties of the Separation Anxiety Assessment Scale

This study examined the internal consistency and construct validity of the Separation Anxiety Assessment Scale for Children in a non-clinical Italian sample of 358 children ages 6 to 10 years. Statistically significant differences were examined by sex and age. Two exploratory factor analyses were carried out: (a) on the symptom sub-dimensions which led to three interpretable factors of Fear of Abandonment and of Physical Illness, Fear of Calamitous Events, Fear of Being Alone and (b) on all Separation Anxiety Assessment Scale for Children items, which led to three interpretable factors: Fear of Abandonment and Safety Signals, Fear of Calamitous Events, and Fear of Being Alone and Left Alone. Preliminary findings for validity were described with the Separation Anxiety Symptoms Inventory for Children and the Italian Fear Schedule for Children (convergent validity). Implications regarding the clinical utility of the Separation Anxiety Assessment Scale for Children are discussed.

Analysis of the interplay between depression, anxiety, and psychological resources in adolescence using self-report measures

Abstract Objective. Following recent literature which stresses the importance of broadening the conceptualization of mental functioning in youth, this paper aims to investigate structural relations between indicators of anxiety, depressive symptoms, and psychological resources in non-referred Italian adolescents, as captured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ; 26), the Spence Childrens Anxiety Scale (SCAS; 44) and the Children Depression Inventory (CDI; 30). Methods. A hierarchical model which considers both the interplays and overlaps between these instruments is tested by means of Confirmatory Factor Analysis, in order to explore the possibility to use the three tools within a meaningful screening battery. First, validity and reliability of SDQ, SCAS, and CDI is successfully controlled thanks to three appropriate preliminary studies, an evidence not already acquired in the Italian context for the adolescent population. Then, the focal study devises and tests a model that merges indicators of the SDQ, SCAS, and CDI scales into four correlated factors, that is, Psychological Resources, Externalized behavior problems, Internalized Fear and Internalized Anxious Misery. Conclusions. Overall, findings corroborate the combined use of SDQ, SCAS, and CDI as a screening battery for the assessment of mental functioning in youth adopting a dimensional rather than a categorical approach.

Structure of the Italian Fear Survey Schedule for Children (FSSC-IT)

ABSTRACT Psychometric properties of the Italian Fear Survey Schedule for Children (FSSC-IT) were examined in a large community sample of children aged 6 to 10 years. PCA and CFA yielded and confirmed a six correlated factor model, named FSSC-IT54. Internal consistency estimates of the FSSC-IT54 total score and of most of its factors were acceptable. Analyses of variance were carried out considering gender and age sub-groups and confirmed findings in the extant literature. Convergent validity of the FSSC-IT54 scores was supported by its positive correlations with a measure of childhood anxiety, the Spence Childrens Anxiety Scale.