1,721,205 research outputs found
Alfabetizzazione morale in tre tipologie di scuola superiore
No full textINQUADRAMENTO TEORICO
Nella teoria banduriana della condotta aggressiva assumono un ruolo centrale l’adesione a determinati principi morali contrari all’aggressività e il costrutto del moral disengagement, che ipotizza l’utilizzo di meccanismi di disimpegno. Tali meccanismi consentono di operare una scissione tra i valori professati e le azioni compiute (Bandura, 2002). La discussione in gruppo di dilemmi morali favorisce la consapevolezza dell’utilizzo di queste condotte autoassolutorie ed eleva le abilità di ragionamento morale: a un basso livello di moralità corrisponde un comportamento fortemente antisociale, mentre stadi superiori di pensiero morale sono una condizione necessaria, sebbene non sufficiente, per un comportamento morale coerente e prosociale (Rest, 1974; Lind, 2006).
OBIETTIVI
Un obiettivo della ricerca è stato quello di valutare le differenze nel livello di disimpegno morale in studenti iscritti a tre tipologie di scuola superiore (liceo scientifico, istituto tecnico e istituto professionale). E’ stata poi misurata l’efficacia di un intervento di educazione morale nel contrastare l’utilizzo dei meccanismi di disimpegno.
METODO
La presente ricerca è stata realizzata con la collaborazione di 6 scuole superiori statali: 2 licei, 2 istituti tecnici e 2 professionali (498 soggetti, 294 M e 204 F). Ogni scuola ha fornito 4 classi: 2 prime e 2 seconde, suddivise omogeneamente e casualmente tra gruppo sperimentale e di controllo. Delle 24 classi coinvolte, 12 (6 prime e 6 seconde) hanno funto da gruppo di controllo e altre 12 (6 prime e 6 seconde) da gruppo sperimentale. Gli strumenti utilizzati sono stati un questionario sui meccanismi di disimpegno morale e alcuni dilemmi morali. Il questionario di disimpegno morale (Caprara, Pastorelli e Bandura, 1995), autovalutativo e anonimo, è composto da item con risposta su scala Likert, e presenta buona attendibilità e coerenza interna (α di Cronbach = .805). Gli item misurano i meccanismi banduriani di disimpegno: giustificazione morale, etichettamento eufemistico, confronto vantaggioso, diffusione di responsabilità, dislocamento di responsabilità, distorsione delle conseguenze, deumanizzazione della vittima, attribuzione di colpa alla vittima. La prima somministrazione del questionario è avvenuta contemporaneamente nei due gruppi; a distanza di tre mesi, periodo durante il quale si è attuato il training di educazione morale con il gruppo sperimentale, è stata effettuata la seconda somministrazione, secondo le stesse modalità. I dilemmi utilizzati per l’intervento sono stati selezionati tra una serie di stimoli codificati in letteratura (Goldstein e Glick, 1990). Sono stati scelti dilemmi in grado di sollevare riflessioni, e di provocare dissenso e conflitto cognitivo, alla portata delle capacità intellettuali dei ragazzi, che implicassero diverse possibilità di scelta per soggetti potenzialmente a livelli diversi di sviluppo morale.
RISULTATI
Il pre-test indica che il gruppo di controllo e quello sperimentale sono omogenei per quanto riguarda il livello di disimpegno morale. Per gli studenti del liceo è stato rilevato il livello di disimpegno morale più basso; l’utilizzo dei meccanismi di disimpegno aumenta progressivamente negli istituti tecnici e professionali. Le differenze in base alla tipologia di scuola sono statisticamente significative per sette meccanismi su otto. Confrontando i dati del pre-test con quelli del post-test si è evidenziato un miglioramento statisticamente significativo per tre meccanismi: giustificazione morale (p<.05, F=6,279), diffusione di responsabilità (p<.05, F=6,012) e distorsione delle conseguenze (p<.01, F=7,422). La scuola che ha beneficiato maggiormente del training è stata l’istituto professionale. Nel gruppo di controllo, come previsto, non è stata riscontrata alcuna variazione del livello di disimpegno. Il training di alfabetizzazione morale svolto col gruppo sperimentale è pertanto risultato efficace nel ridurre l’utilizzo delle strategie autoassolutorie
Social and Cognitive Factors Associated With Preschoolers' Different Persuasive Styles
No full textPersuasion skills consist of a complex concoction of specific mental, emotional, and social abilities. Interest in this topic continues to grow; however, there remains limited knowledge on social and cognitive correlates of persuasion in childhood. The present study explores the interrelations among specific cognitive abilities, social skills, and persuasive strategies in preschool age. A sample of 86 (42 boys) children (Mage = 4.85 years, SD = 0.51) was administered a persuasion task, a language test, and a battery of theory of mind and executive functioning tasks. Preschool teachers rated children's social competence. Despite the low frequency of preschoolers' persuasion strategies, results showed significant links among theory of mind, executive functioning, social skills, and persuasion strategies. Results also showed a diverse range of skills that predicted children's persuasive styles. Findings will be discussed within the context of existing literature, considering implications for future research and educational practice
Theory-of-mind abilities and externalizing symptoms in late childhood: the role of maladaptive coping strategies
No full textPast studies show connections between children’s Theory-of-Mind (ToM) abilities and externalizing symptoms. Although studies show grade-school children with lower ToM abilities exhibit more conduct problems and less prosocial behaviors, few studies explore these connections in late childhood. The aim of the present study was to test the role of maladaptive coping strategies as a mediator of the link between ToM skills and externalizing symptoms in middle to late childhood. A sample of 455 Italian students (246 boys) participated in this short-term longitudinal study (Mage = 10.81 years, SD = 1.78 years). At Time 1 (start of the school year) and at Time 2 (four months later), students completed a ToM test, and self-reported about their coping strategies, while teachers evaluated students’ externalizing symptoms. Results showed ToM skills, externalizing coping strategies, and externalizing behaviors were significantly linked - concurrently and over time. Hayes’ PROCESS mediation tool showed that ToM skills were negatively associated with externalizing symptoms both directly and indirectly, through the partial mediation of externalizing coping strategies. These results have implications for educational programs that promote children’s ToM and their adaptive coping skills. Specifically, children with ToM challenges who are already at risk of showing higher externalizing symptoms over time should be especially targeted by specific interventions aimed to improve ToM and adaptive coping
Mindreading and assertiveness in school-aged children: The role of problem-solving coping strategies
No full textBeing assertive means being able to communicate to others our opinions, desires and feelings in a direct and positive way, without judging other people’s thoughts. In the school context, assertiveness can facilitate interpersonal relationships (Lane & Bowman, 2022). Assertive children are usually considered by teachers as socially mature and less aggressive (Diesendruck & Ben-Eliyahu, 2006). Interestingly, assertiveness has been found to be positively related to prosocial behavior in children performing well in making inferences about others' behaviors (Barrett & Yarrow, 1977). Nonetheless, theory-of-mind skills are also known to be associated with the capacity of forming and managing peer relationships, which includes abilities like understanding the needs of others and being assertive (Devine & Apperly, 2022; Peterson et al., 2007, 2016). In a recent work, Caputi and Schoenborn (2018) found novel associations between theory-of-mind skills and coping strategies. Specifically, children and preadolescents who were more proficient in a theory-of-mind task were more prone to use problem-solving strategies and less prone to use externalizing and trivializing strategies. The main aim of the present study was to investigate the links among theory-of-mind skills, coping strategies and assertiveness in school-aged children. A further aim was testing the hypothesis that problem-solving strategies mediate the relationship between theory-of-mind skills and assertiveness. A sample of 462 students (252 boys) attending 3rd to 8th grade was recruited in Northern Italy to participate in a short-term longitudinal study. Both at Time 1 (beginning of the school year) and at Time 2 (four months later), students completed a theory-of-mind test and self-reported about their coping strategies, while teachers were asked to evaluate students’ assertiveness. T1 theory-of-mind skills were positively associated with T2 assertiveness and T1 problem solving strategies; and negatively associated with T1 externalizing and trivializing strategies. T2 assertiveness was positively associated with T1 problem solving and distraction strategies. Hayes’ PROCESS mediation tool showed that theory-of-mind skills were associated with higher levels of assertiveness only through the mediation of higher use of problem-solving strategies. That is, the combination of higher mindreading skills with coping strategies based on active problem solving led to higher assertiveness perceived by teachers. The identification of such a mediation pattern suggests that assertiveness is an important interpersonal skill that indirectly relates to theory of mind, and partly develops thanks to the employment of adaptive coping strategies. That is, the more a child learns how to cope effectively with social dilemmas that may emerge during the school years, being skilled in ToM abilities may help them to be more assertive and stand up for themselves. As argued by Peterson and colleagues (2007), understanding others’ minds is crucial in complex social exchanges and learning how to cope with life events. When this ability is coupled with problem-solving strategies, children are viewed as more capable of asserting themselves appropriately, for example to express their voiced opinions, or when trying to convince peers. These results contribute to highlight a tight and complex link that connect mindreading abilities, coping strategies and social skills in school-aged children
Theory of mind and internalizing symptoms during middle childhood and early adolescence: the mediating role of coping strategies
Full text linkThis study examines the relationship between Theory of Mind (ToM) and internalizing symptoms in middle childhood and early adolescence. This developmental period has been largely neglected by ToM researchers, even though internalizing symptoms typically emerge and become stable at this age. In a sample of 318 (157 girls) school-aged children, we found that a high ToM performance is significantly associated with low depressive symptoms and low symptoms of panic disorder and separation anxiety. Further analyses revealed that problem-solving abilities mediate the relationship between ToM and depressive symptoms. Moreover, problem-solving abilities also mediate the relationship between ToM and separation anxiety symptoms, in boys only. The present findings suggest that depressive and separation anxiety symptoms in middle childhood and early adolescence might derive from a complex interaction between ToM abilities and coping strategies
THEORY OF MIND AND LONELINESS IN LATE CHILDHOOD: WHEN AND HOW DOES GENDER MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
No full textFeelings of loneliness reflect the perception of dissatisfaction with one’s interpersonal relationships, and correspond with feelings of sadness, emptiness, and isolation. Developmental trajectories of loneliness across middle childhood and adolescence show a general stability of loneliness from age 8 to age 15. Studies show links between children’s theory of mind (ToM) - or the ability to read the minds and emotions of others - and feelings of loneliness, although results are mixed. Some studies show proficient mindreaders are more lonely, whereas other show the reverse, skilled mindreading relates to higher feelings of social connection (less loneliness). To add to this complexity, few studies explore the combined influence of age and gender. Accordingly, the present study investigated ToM and loneliness in 462 Italian students (252 boys, Mage = 10.80 years, SD = 1.78 years) at the start of the school year (T1) and four months later (T2). At both timepoints students completed a ToM task, a self-report loneliness measure, and teachers evaluated students’ internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Results showed significant relations between ToM and loneliness, as well as significant interactions among gender and age on loneliness and ToM. Children who reported high feelings of loneliness were also rated as high internalizers by teachers. Implications for developmentally appropriate and gender-sensitive mental health and social emotional learning programs are discussed
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