Giuseppina Speltini

Do perceptions of being treated fairly increase students’ outcomes? Teacher–student interactions and classroom justice in Italian adolescents

In this study, we have investigated the associations between the students’ perceptions of teachers’ interpersonal behaviour and some school outcomes – namely, academic achievement, learning motivation, and a sense of class belonging – considering the mediating role of classroom justice. Moreover, the impact of the school type was analysed. The research was performed on a population of 614 Italian students enrolled in 2 different types of secondary school, one with an academic orientation, the other with a vocational orientation. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to see the effect of the teachers’ behaviour on the dimensions of justice (i.e., equality, equity, needs, and interpersonal) and that of all these variables on academic achievement, learning motivation, and class belonging. The mediation role of classroom justice was confirmed by the analyses, and so was the impact of the schools orientation. Limitations to the study and future research ideas have also been outlined.

Cleanliness/dirtiness, purity/impurity as social and psychological issues

The issue of cleanliness in its clean/dirty and pure/impure antinomies definitely has a social and cultural dimension. Some daily cleaning practices are indeed quite common actions in every culture and society, even if some differences in the frequency and quality of the practices and in the value attributed to them do exist. In this article, we will discuss how cleaning practices and contamination fears sink their roots in the social context and in cultural practices. In particular, we will explore the connections between ones own sense of cleanliness and attitudes of prejudice and intolerance toward other groups. First, the issue of cleanliness over the centuries and the exaggerations of cleanliness referring to individual psychopathology will be examined. Then, the psychosocial meaning of cleanliness will be considered in revealing the impact of the clean/dirty and pure/impure antinomies on day-to-day social interactions with others.

Time perspective in adolescents and young adults: Enjoying the present and trusting in a better future

Time perspective is crucial in adolescence and youth, when individuals make important decisions related to their present and future. The focus of this research was to use the six-factor short version Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (S-ZTPI) scale in a sample of adolescents and young adults, and to analyse its associations with decision-making, relational styles and engagement. A structural equation model of the effects of S-ZTPI on these variables was computed, and its psychometric properties were found adequate. The results underline that young people’s present orientation is associated with a relational style based on confidence in oneself and others, and with active engagement in terms of responsibility and trust in a better future. Our findings suggest a positive description of adolescents’ views, as they are able to enjoy the time they are living in without giving up their responsibilities for making a better world for the future.