Flavia Lecciso

An investigation of children’s peer trust across culture: Is the composition of peer trust universal?

The components of children’s trust in same-gender peers (trust beliefs, ascribed trustworthiness, and dyadic reciprocal trust) were examined in samples of 8–11-year-olds from the UK, Italy, and Japan. Trust was assessed by children’s ratings of the extent to which same-gender classmates kept promises and kept secrets. Social relations analyses confirmed that children from each country showed significant: (a) actor variance demonstrating reliable individual differences in trust beliefs, (b) partner variance demonstrating reliable individual differences in ascribed trustworthiness, and (c) relationship variance demonstrating unique relationships between interaction partners. Cultural differences in trust beliefs and ascribed trustworthiness also emerged and these differences were attributed to the tendency for children from cultures that value societal goals to share personal information with the peer group.

Children’s Trust Beliefs in Others and Trusting Behavior in Peer Interaction

The relation between children’s trust beliefs and trusting behavior in peer interaction was examined. One hundred and 5 Italian children (54 boys; mean age = 10 years-7 months) completed standardized scales of reliability (i.e., promise keeping) trust beliefs in parents and peers. The children participated in mixed-motive interactions with classmates which assessed behavior-dependent reliability trust on peers. The children’s reliability trustworthiness towards peers/classmates was assessed by peer reports. The SEM analyses supported the hypothesized model by showing: (1) a path between trust beliefs in parents and trust beliefs in peers; (2) paths between both types of trust beliefs and behavior-dependent trust on peers; (3) a path between behavior-dependent trust in peers and trustworthiness towards peers. Trust beliefs in peers were found to mediate the relation between trust beliefs in parents and behavior-dependent trust in peers. The findings yielded support for the basis, domain, and target trust framework and attachment theory.

Children's trust in social workers: Scale development and relations to Children's engagement with social workers

1 Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera italiana, Via Buffi 9, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland Department of Psychology, Keele University, Newcastle‐under‐Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK Department of History, Society, and Human Study, Università del Salento, Via Valesio, 73100 Lecce, Italy Lab of applied psychology and Intervention, Università del Salento, Via Valesio, 73100 Lecce, Italy Correspondence Petrocchi, Serena, Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera italiana, Via Buffi 9, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland. Email: serena.petrocchi@usi.ch

Theory of Mind in deaf adults

Abstract Purpose: The present study analyzed the social-cognitive and social-perceptual components of Theory of Mind (ToM) comparing three groups of deaf adults to three matched hearing groups. The influence of verbal IQ was also investigated. Methods: The participants were 15 native signers, 15 late signers, 17 oral deaf adults paired by gender, age and mental age to 47 hearing adults. All participants completed the assessment of the two components of ToM and of the verbal IQ. Results: Late signers and oral deaf adults showed lower scores then hearing peers both in the social-perceptual and social-cognitive components of ToM. Native signers showed lower scores then hearing peers in the social-perceptual component. Verbal IQ was the predictor of the social-cognitive component for late signers and oral deaf adults, while it was not significant for the social-perceptual component. Conclusions: The findings yielded support for the two components of TOM and contributed to the extent of the existing literature on ToM in deafness.