Mauro Meleddu

Validation of an Italian Version of the Oxford Happiness Inventory in Adolescence

An Italian adaptation of the Oxford Happiness Inventory was administered to 782 adolescents. Exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) was used to examine the first- and second-order factorial structure of the scale and its invariance across gender; internal consistency and construct validity were also investigated. ESEM underlined a 5-factor structure (mastery and self-fulfillment, satisfaction with life, vigor, social interest, and social cheerfulness) that measures positive psychological functioning. These dimensions form a single latent construct of general psychological well-being. The scale showed adequate internal consistency values and strong measurement invariance across gender. Finally, regarding convergent validity, both total scale and subscales were positively correlated with extraversion and self-esteem, were negatively correlated with neuroticism, and displayed no correlation with psychoticism.

Contribution of personal and environmental factors on positive psychological functioning in adolescents

This study examined self-esteem as mediator in the relations of personal (extraversion, neuroticism) and environmental (maternal, paternal, peer-relationships) variables with domains of positive psychological functioning (PPF) in adolescence (Satisfaction with life, Mastery, Vigor, Social Interest, Social Cheerfulness). We compared one-sided and multidimensional models using a sample of 1193 high school students (592 males and 601 females). We examined variations in adolescent PPF as a function of parenting styles via independent examination of maternal and paternal bonding. Results supported the multidimensional models, which indicated direct effects of personality traits, maternal care and peer relationships, as well as indirect effects, mediated by self-esteem, of all predictors on most PPF dimensions. Overall, our study provided a broader picture of personal and environmental predictors on different dimensions of PPF, which supported the mediating role of self-esteem and emphasized the importance of considering multidimensional models to characterize PPF in adolescents.

I predittori del benessere in adolescenza: relazione tra i tratti di personalità, il sistema del sé, la famiglia e le strategie di coping

Il presente lavoro ha voluto dare un contributo alla promozione del benessere in adolescenza, considerandolo secondo una prospettiva eudaimonica incentrata sull’analisi dei fattori personali e sociali che possono favorire uno sviluppo positivo. In particolare si sono presi in considerazione: i tratti di estroversione e nevroticismo, l’autostima, il concetto di se-fisico, il funzionamento familiare e le strategie di coping. Poiche le variabili individuali e ambientali, non agiscono separatamente nella vita del giovane, ma interagiscono in vario modo per influenzarne l’adattamento e il benessere, la novita dello studio ha riguardato l’analisi delle relazioni tra questi fattori all’interno di un unico modello di personalita in grado di tener conto della complessita di questo processo. I risultati delle analisi condotte con l’ausilio dei modelli di equazione strutturale su un campione di circa 400 studenti, hanno mostrato l’effetto diretto esercitato dall’autostima, dall’estroversione e dal coping orientato al compito nel favorire il benessere del giovane. L’autostima e le strategie di coping esercitano inoltre un ruolo di mediazione sia per i tratti di personalita che per le relazioni genitoriali. Complessivamente, i risultati ottenuti avvalorano l’utilita di esaminare la complessita di queste relazioni all’interno di una prospettiva globale integrata che tenga conto dell’effetto congiunto di questi fattori nell’influenzare il benessere dei giovani e promuova un sano adattamento.

Personality and Complex Systems. An Expanded View

Nowadays, dynamic S-P-R models, developed within personality research, seem to offer the chance for the development of a unitary research framework, one including individual and environmental factors, from both structural and dynamic levels of personality. Complexity concept is a fundamental element of convergence of the different existing theoretical and methodological approaches. From this expanded view, personality appears as an “hyper-complex” system of intra-individual circular interactions, and of recursive relations between internal and external factors, that develops and grows self-organizing. This approach takes into account, within a wide interpretative framework, the contributions from various humanistic and scientific disciplines.