Michele Roccato

On the Correlation Between Right-Wing Authoritarianism and Social Dominance Orientation

In 4 studies, we analyzed the correlation between right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) and social dominance orientation (SDO). In the 1st study, we meta-analyzed the research studies published on the correlation between RWA and SDO. In the other 3—2 with political militant samples and 1 with a student sample—we analyzed this relationship in Italy. The correlation between RWA and SDO was greater in countries characterized by strong, rather than weak, ideological contrasts and, only in countries with strong ideological contrast, greater in adult, rather than student, samples. In Italy, the correlation between RWA and SDO was strong, positive, and stable in the student sample. However, in our militant samples 3 different patterns of correlations were found: (a) positive, (b) nearly zero, and (c) negative. The subsamples in which the correlation was negative were made up of rightist militants with a relatively avoidant and not secure attachment style. Limits and future developments of this research are discussed.

Fear of Crime in Italy Spread and Determinants

The aim of this study is to examine the spread and determinants of fear of crime in Italy. A secondary analysis was performed on the 1995 Italian National Statistics Institute data (Italian representative sample: 19,785 participants). In addition, data from official judicial statistics were analyzed. Main results are as follows: (a) fear of crime correlates with crime spread; (b) fear of crime is more widespread than crime itself; (c) the best predictors of fear of crime are urbanization, degradation of residential areas, and residence in Northeastern Italy; (d) criminal victimization exerts a minor influence on fear of crime; and (e) sociodemographic variables under investigation exert little influence on fear of crime. These results are discussed in reference to international literature, and possible subsequent lines of research are suggested.

Right‐wing authoritarianism, Big Five and perceived threat to safety

Using structural equations modelling, we performed a secondary analysis of the data collected by the Italian Observatory of the North West (Italian national sample, N = 976) to investigate the direct, mediated and moderated relations connecting the Big Five personality factors and perceived personal and societal threat to safety with right‐wing authoritarianism (RWA). Openness, Conscientiousness and perceived societal threat to safety exerted additive effects on RWA; the relation between Openness and RWA was partially mediated by societal threat to safety and that between societal threat to safety and RWA was moderated by Openness. Limitations and possible developments of this research are discussed. Copyright

The Correlation Between Right-Wing Authoritarianism and Social Dominance Orientation: The Moderating Effects of Political and Religious Identity

In a secondary analysis performed on a representative sample of the Italian population (N = 887), we examined the correlation between right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) and social dominance orientation (SDO), analyzing the moderating effect exerted on such correlation by political interest and religion importance. RWA and SDO showed a positive, significant correlation (r = .38), moderated by political interest (which heightened it) and religion importance (which lowered it). Limits, implications, and possible developments of the research are discussed.

Right-Wing Authoritarianism, Social Dominance Orientation, and Attachment: An Italian Study

The paper presents the results of a theoretical and empirical study of the relations between right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), social dominance orientation (SDO), and attachment. A study on 353 Italian university students in Turin was conducted. A correlation between RWA and SDO was found, and a structural equation model of the origins of RWA and SDO was built using attachment style as a principal predictor of the two constructs. Several psychosocial variables (course of studies undertaken, group participation, and importance of religion) were also used as predictors. The major results were: (a) RWA and SDO correlate positively, but not very strongly; (b) attachment styles directly and/or indirectly influence RWA and SDO; and (c) RWA and SDO each have specific predictors, but also share one predictor, importance of religion, which raises RWA scores, but lowers SDO scores. The limits and future developments of this research are discussed.

From political opponents to enemies? The role of perceived moral distance in the animalistic dehumanization of the political outgroup

In this paper, we analyzed the relationships among political identity, the perception of moral distance between the political ingroup and the political outgroup, and outgroup animalistic dehumanization. One correlational and one experimental study revealed a positive correlation of ingroup identification (Study 1, N = 99) and salience of ingroup membership (Study 2, N = 96) with the degree to which participants dehumanized the outgroup. This relationship was mediated by the perceived moral distance between the ingroup and the outgroup. The limitations, implications, and possible developments derived from the present findings are discussed.

The Country's Crime Rate Moderates the Relation Between Authoritarian Predispositions and the Manifestations of Authoritarianism: A Multilevel, Multinational Study

We performed a multilevel, multinational test of Stenners model on authoritarianism using the 2008 European Values Survey dataset (N = 55 199, nested in 38 nations). We focussed on the effects exerted on four authoritarian manifestations (racial intolerance, political intolerance, negative attitudes towards immigrants, and moral intolerance) by the cross–level interaction between participants’ authoritarian predispositions (assessed in terms of childrearing values) and their countrys crime rate. Associations between authoritarian predispositions and racial intolerance, political intolerance, negative attitudes towards immigrants, and moral intolerance were significantly stronger among participants living in countries characterised by high crime rates than those among participants living in countries with low crime rates. Limitations, implications, and future directions of this study are discussed. Copyright

Predicting right-wing authoritarianism via personality and dangerous world beliefs: direct, indirect, and interactive effects.

ABSTRACT In an Italian sample (N = 483, 78.23% women, mean age = 27.61 years old), we used structural equation modeling with latent variables and interactions to analyze the direct, indirect, and interactive effects exerted on right-wing authoritarianism by the Big Five factors of personality and by dangerous world beliefs. Openness, Neuroticism, and Conscientiousness exerted direct effects on right-wing authoritarianism; the first two relationships were partially mediated by dangerous world beliefs. Most importantly, the relationship between dangerous world beliefs and right-wing authoritarianism was moderated by Openness: dangerous world beliefs significantly influenced right-wing authoritarianism solely for participants high in Openness. Limitations and possible developments of this research are discussed.

Uses of the term NIMBY in the Italian press, 1992–2008

Uses of the term NIMBY (‘not in my back yard’) were analysed in the three main Italian newspapers between 1992 and 2008. In the first study, a content analysis of 231 articles containing the term NIMBY showed two main views of the issues raised: one, aligned with the conventional view, according to which protesters are mainly driven by parochialism, emotionalism and ignorance, and the other consistent with the most innovative literature on this issue, which presents NIMBY conflicts as struggles for justice and democracy. The second study, which adopted the discursive psychology perspective on the articles characterised by the co-occurrence of the words ‘NIMBY’ term and ‘protest’, confirmed those results. Overall, there are multiple and diverse portrayals of NIMBY conflicts in the Italian press; the idea that the press supports traditional views of such conflicts, is, in part, unfounded.

Falls From Agricultural Machinery: Risk Factors Related to Work Experience, Worked Hours, and Operators' Behavior

Objective We investigated the risk factors for falls when egressing from agricultural tractors, analyzing the role played by worked hours, work experience, operators’ behavior, and near misses. Background Many accidents occur within the agricultural sector each year. Among them, falls while dismounting the tractor represent a major source of injuries. Previous studies pointed out frequent hazardous movements and incorrect behaviors adopted by operators to exit the tractor cab. However, less is known about the determinants of such behaviors. In addition, near misses are known to be important predictors of accidents, but they have been under-investigated in the agricultural sector in general and as concerns falls in particular. Method A questionnaire assessing dismounting behaviors, previous accidents and near misses, and participants’ relation with work was administered to a sample of Italian tractor operators (n = 286). Results A mediated model showed that worked hours increase unsafe behaviors, whereas work experience decreases them. Unsafe behaviors in turn show a positive association with accidents, via the mediation of near misses. Conclusions We gave a novel contribution to the knowledge of the chain of events leading to fall accidents in the agricultural sector, which is one of the most hazardous industries. Applications Besides tractor design improvements, preventive training interventions may focus on the redesign of the actual working strategies and the adoption of engaging training methods in the use of machinery to optimize the learning of safety practices and safe behaviors.