Paola Molina

Emotion understanding: A cross-cultural comparison between Italian and German preschoolers

Italy and Germany belong to the Latin and the Germanic cultural cluster, respectively, and show, e.g., diverse languages, religious practices, rearing styles, and socialization goals. Given potential cultural differences in the developmental goals of independence and interdependence, the present work sought to explore developmental differences between Italian and German 3–6-year-old childrens understanding of emotion assessed by the Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC). On average, Italian (n = 114) compared to German (n = 108) preschoolers mastered more TEC components at the ages 3 and 5. On component level, however, the samples only differed on the component Hiding: more Italian compared to German preschoolers understood that expressed and felt emotion may differ. Cultural differences within the Western industrial world thus likely relate to specific components rather than overall competence. Results will be discussed in relation to cultural belonging, controlling for maternal educational level, presence of siblings, and multilingualism.

The Emotion Regulation Checklist – Italian translation. Validation of parent and teacher versions

Our research explored the factor structure and the reliability of the Italian version of the Emotion Regulation Checklist [ERC; Shields, A.,& Cicchetti, D. (1997). Emotion regulation among school-age children: The development and validation of a new criterion Q-sort scale. Developmental Psychology, 33, 906-916], an instrument that has been widely adopted in studies using parents and/or teachers as informants. We carried out two studies evaluating the properties of the Italian ERC (ERC-I) when completed by parents and teachers, respectively. Study 1 participants were kindergarten and elementary school children for whom the ERC was completed by their mothers. Study 2 involved kindergarten and elementary school children for whom the ERC was completed by their teachers. The work confirms the two-factor structure of the instrument, supporting structure validity and the reliability of ERC.

Sensitive periods in the development of attachment and the age of entry into day care

This study investigated how the age of entry into regular group day care may influence, in the context of other relevant variables, some short-time outcomes of this experience. In particular the study focused on behaviours expressing well-being or discomfort in the day care environment during the third year. Subjects were 129 young children who were enrolled in group day care when they were 6–29 months old. During their third year their social behaviour was evaluated by caregivers with the Day Care Adaptation Scale. Researchers observed 54 of the children in reunion with their parents. The quality of care was rated with the ITERS scale. It was found that children who started day care in the intervals 6–12 months and 18–23 months displayed more frequently difficult reunions with their mothers, and were rated as less resistant to frustration. Children who started day care from 12–17 months showed lower relational distress. Some significant relationships were found between the ratings of ITERS and the Day Care Adaptation Scale. These findings are discussed with reference to theories of attachment.RésuméCette recherche concerne les effets (bien-être ou difficultés relationnelles) sur des enfants de 3 ans de la garde non-parentale survenant à différents âge. 129 jeunes enfants ayant fréquenté régulièrement un centre de garde à partir d’un âge pouvant aller de 6 à 29 mois ont été examinés à l’âge de 3 ans à l’aide de la Day Care Adaptation Scale (DCAS). 54 de ces enfants ont été observés en relation avec leurs parents. La qualité de la prise en charge était évaluée à l’aide de l’échelle ITERS. Les enfants mis en garderie entre 6 et 12 mois ou entre 18 et 23 mois manifestèrent plus de difficultés dans le contact à leur mère et apparurent résister moins bien à la frustration que les autres. Les enfants ayant fréquenté une garderie à partir d 12–17 mois manifestèrent moins de signes de détresse dans la relation; Des relations significatives entre ITERS et DCAS. La théorie de l’attachement sert de cadre à la discussion de ces résultats.

Measurement invariance of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) : A cross-national validity study

The goal of this research was to examine the measurement invariance of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ; Gross & John, 2003) across two European nations. Participants were Italian and German undergraduate students. First, confirmatory factor analysis was used to test for the two-factor structure of the ERQ; subsequently, measurement invariance was analysed. The results showed acceptable fit indices for the German and Italian sample; however, results with regard to the Italian sample showed lower fit indices than results regarding the German one. Measurement invariance of the ERQ across Italy and Germany was confirmed. Despite the fact that we assumed measurement invariance of the ERQ, future research is needed to deal with the lower fit regarding the Italian version.

Factorial structure of the 'ToM Storybooks': A test evaluating multiple components of Theory of Mind.

This study examined the factorial structure of the Theory of Mind (ToM) Storybooks, a comprehensive 93-item instrument tapping the five components in Wellmans model of ToM (emotion recognition, understanding of desire and beliefs, ability to distinguish between physical and mental entities, and awareness of the link between perception and knowledge). A sample of 681 three- to eight-year-old Italian children was divided into three age groups to assess whether factorial structure varied across different age ranges. Partial credit model analysis was applied to the data, leading to the empirical identification of 23 composite variables aggregating the ToM Storybooks items. Confirmatory factor analysis was then conducted on the composite variables, providing support for the theoretical model. There were partial differences in the specific composite variables making up the dimensions for each of the three age groups. A single test evaluating distinct dimensions of ToM is a valuable resource for clinical practice which may be used to define differential profiles for specific populations.

Cross-Informant Ratings of Internalizing and Externalizing Behavior in Adolescent–Parent Pairs in Six Countries. Does Being Adopted Make a Difference?

Low agreement between self-reports and parent reports of the behavioral adjustment of adolescents has been widely documented in the literature. However, it has been little studied in connection with adoptees. In the current research, the magnitude of agreement between reports of adolescents’ behavioral problems given by the adolescents themselves and their parents and the direction of the possible discrepancies between these reports were studied. A comparison was made between adopted and nonadopted adolescent–parent dyads. The research questions were tested on a sample of 294 adolescent–parent pairs (189 adoptees and 105 controls) from Belgium, Romania, Chile, Switzerland, Italy, and the Netherlands. Correlation analyses together with Fisher R to Z comparisons between countries and between adopted and nonadopted dyads and Repeated Measures Analyses revealed that both the magnitude of agreement and the direction of the discrepancies in internalizing and externalizing behavioral ratings between informants, that is, parents and their adolescent, did not depend on whether the adolescents were adopted or not. Compared with their parents, both adopted and control adolescents reported problems more frequently. Some variations in the magnitude of agreement were found between countries. An interaction effect between gender and informant indicated that discrepancies for internalizing behavior were higher in parent–adolescent daughter pairs than in parent–adolescent son pairs.

Mainstream robotic toys and children with physical impairment: what about playfulness?

Although play is recognized as the main drive for the childs physical, cognitive and social development, it is first of all a unique source of pleasure, fun and recreation. Playfulness, the individual intrinsic involvement in play has been described as a measurable characteristic of these aspects of play. Play and playfulness can be limited in children with physical impairment (PI) and robotic toys might offer good options and opportunities for playing. Five robotic toys of the mainstream market were proposed to seven children with PI to verify their playfulness and their usability. Playfulness was coded according to the Test of Playfulness (Bundy & Skard, 1997). Results show that all the robots were playful and interesting to the children; however, the role of the adult expert play companion proved crucial both as assistive agent and as a scaffolding partner, to assure a high level of playfulness to the play activity. A first discussion proposal of the results on the basis of the playfulness construct and of their constituent elements is presented, with the aim of laying the foundations for new reflections and deepening studies in the field of play and children with disabilities.

Role of age and IQ in emotion understanding in Autism Spectrum Disorder: implications for educational interventions

Abstract Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by impairments in social communication and social cognition. Difficulties in emotion understanding, from emotion recognition to emotion regulation are common features that can affect the inclusion process. One outstanding question is the extent to which age and IQ affect such impairments. The effect of IQ and age on emotion understanding was estimated in 55 children with ASD aged between 5 and 10 and with IQ ranging from 70 to 130. Emotion understanding and non-verbal cognitive ability were assessed, respectively, with the Test of Emotion Comprehension and the Leiter-R scale. The majority of participants scored significantly lower on the TEC compared to the normative sample. Performance compared against norms decreased with age and improved with increasing IQ; children with ‘borderline cognitive functioning’ performed significantly worse than children with ‘normative cognitive functioning’. Emotion understanding skills in children with ASD are affected by cognitive level and age. Implications for educational interventions are discussed.

Social Cognition in Preschoolers: Effects of Early Experience and Individual Differences

Social cognition is the way in which people process, remember, and use information in social contexts to explain and predict their own behavior and that of others. Children’s social cognition may be influenced by multiple factors, both external and internal to the child. In the current study, two aspects of social cognition were examined: Theory of Mind and Emotion Understanding. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of type of early care (0–3 years of age), maternal education, parents’ country of birth, and child’s language on the social cognition of 118 Italian preschoolers. To our knowledge, the joint effect of these variables on social cognition has not previously been investigated in the literature. The measures used to collect social cognition and linguistic data were not parent- or teacher-reports, but based on direct assessment of the children through two standardized tests, the Test of Emotion Comprehension and the ToM Storybooks. Relationships among the variables showed a complex pattern. Overall, maternal education and linguistic competence showed a systematic effect on social cognition; the linguistic competence mediated the effect of maternal education. In children who had experienced centre-base care in the first 3 years of life, the effect of maternal education disappeared, supporting the protective role of centre-base care for children with less educated mothers. The children with native and foreign parents did not significantly differ on the social cognition tasks. Limits of the study, possible educational outcomes and future research lines were discussed.

Observation-Projet: A Professional Tool for Caregivers. Two Experiences in Italian Day-Care Settings.

ABSTRACT Ability to reflect on practice is a key element of early childhood professionalism and is positively associated with the quality of educational services. Observation-Projet (Fontaine 2008, 2011b) is a method designed to support practitioners’ reflection through the observational process. The method adapts the required scientific procedures to the concrete demands faced by practitioners in their everyday activities. The article presents the results of two projects developed to teach the practitioners the use of Observation-Projet. The principal aim of Study 1 was to explore how the space was currently used by the children and to intervene on adults’ position to enhance childrens use of space. In Study 2, the caregivers chose to focus on the organisation of afternoon activities, a time of the day identified as difficult to manage, reducing the number of children per play group and better organising the type of activities offered to children. The results confirm both the intervention efficacy and the Observation-Projet effectiveness as an instrument for reflecting and intervening on educational contexts.