1,721,177 research outputs found
HIV-stigma and Self-Reported Health Status Among HIV-Positive MSM: The Moderating Role of Coping Self-Efficacy
No full textObjectives: The aim of this study was to assess the role of coping self-efficacy as a factor moderating the relationship between HIV-related discrimination and self-reported health status among HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM). Methods: A sample of 456 Italian HIV-positive MSM responded to a questionnaire containing measures of HIV-related discrimination, coping self-efficacy, and self-reported health status. Results: Emotion-focused coping self-efficacy and social-based coping self-efficacy buffered the relationship between HIV-related discrimination and health status. Problem-focused coping self-efficacy did not moderate this relationship. Conclusions: Self-efficacy moderates the relationship between HIV-related discrimination and self-reported health status among MSM
Knowledge, Risk Perceptions, and Xenophobic Attitudes: Evidence from Italy During the Ebola Outbreak
No full textThe purposes of the current study were twofold: (1) to investigate affective and cognitive responses and social-contextual factors related to Ebola and their intercorrelations in a developed country without widespread Ebola transmission; and (2) to examine the relationships among risk perception of Ebola, levels of knowledge about Ebola, and (blatant and subtle) prejudice toward African immigrants. Between January 2015 and March 2015, an anonymous cross-sectional survey was conducted among a convenience sample of 486 Italian adults. Results showed that most participants were not particularly concerned about Ebola and did not feel at risk of acquiring the virus. Cognitive dimensions of risk perception of Ebola (i.e., perceived severity of illness, perceived personal impact, perceived coping efficacy, and likelihood of infection), affective response (or worry) to Ebola, and social-contextual factors (i.e., perceived preparedness of institutions, family members' and friends' levels of worry) were interrelated. Prejudice toward African immigrants was positively related to risk perception of Ebola and negatively related to levels of knowledge about Ebola even when controlling for sociodemographic variables including political preference
Bifactor and Item Response Theory Analyses of Health Care Workers’ Attitudes Toward HIV-Infected People
No full textAbstract. Health care workers’ attitudes toward people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) can play an important role in the quality of life of PLWHA as well as in public health efforts in HIV prevention and treatment. The main aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of an instrument to measure health care workers’ attitudes toward PLWHA using bifactor and IRT analyses. We applied bifactor and Item Response Theory (IRT) analyses to questionnaire development, evaluation, and refinement. A sample of 836 Italian health care workers was recruited in 2013, including medical practitioners, nurses, health care assistants, social workers, and psychologists. We tested a hierarchical item response model (bifactor model) with model fit comparisons with one-dimensional and five-dimensional models. The bifactor model was found to provide the best fit to the observed data. The results were used to construct a 15-item short form. The test information function showed that the scale was slightly more precise at higher levels of negative attitudes. Finally, the differential item functioning (DIF) analysis revealed that the items did not function differently across gender or professional groups. The instrument was found to have good criterion validity with regard to discriminatory practices toward HIV-infected patients
Attitudes to teamwork and safety among Italian surgeons and operating room nurses
No full textBACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that surgical team members' attitudes about safety and teamwork in the operating theatre may play a role in patient safety. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess attitudes about teamwork and safety among Italian surgeons and operating room nurses. METHODS: Fifty-five surgeons and 48 operating room nurses working in operating theatres at one hospital in Italy completed the Operating Room Management Attitudes Questionnaire (ORMAQ). RESULTS: Results showed several discrepancies in attitudes about teamwork and safety between surgeons and operating room nurses. Surgeons had more positive views on the quality of surgical leadership, communication, teamwork, and organizational climate in the theatre than operating room nurses. Operating room nurses reported that safety rules and procedures were more frequently disregarded than the surgeons. CONCLUSIONS: The results are only partially aligned with previous ORMAQ surveys of surgical teams in other countries. The differences emphasize the influence of national culture, as well as the particular healthcare system. This study shows discrepancies on many aspects in attitudes to teamwork and safety between surgeons and operating room nurses. The findings support implementation and use of team interventions and human factor training. Finally, attitude surveys provide a method for assessing safety culture in surgery, for evaluating the effectiveness of training initiatives, and for collecting data for a hospital's quality assurance programme
Coming out and job satisfaction: A moderated mediation model
No full textPrior research suggests that the disclosure of sexual identity at work is not always significantly associated with job satisfaction. The authors investigated (a) the mediating role of workplace heterosexist climate in linking workplace outness with job satisfaction, and (b) the moderating role of anticipated discrimination in influencing the indirect and direct relationship between workplace outness and job satisfaction. This model was tested among 1,460 lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) employees in Italy. Results indicated that workplace heterosexist climate mediated relationships between workplace outness and job satisfaction. Anticipated discrimination moderated the relationships between LGB employees' disclosure of their sexual identity and job satisfaction and between workplace heterosexist climate and job satisfaction. This moderated mediation model may assist researchers who aim to understand the complexity of the relationship between workplace outness and job satisfaction. In this regard, practitioners need to recognize the role played by workplace heterosexist climate and anticipated discrimination
The interplay among environmental attitudes, pro-environmental behavior, social identity, and pro-environmental institutional climate. A longitudinal study
Full text linkBy using a panel design in a sample of 298 undergraduate/master students at an Italian public university, the present study aimed to test longitudinally the interplay among environmental attitudes, pro-environmental behavior, social identity, and pro-environmental institutional climate. The relationships were tested with cross-lagged analysis based on two waves over a 2-month period. The cross-lagged panel analysis revealed positive cross-lagged effects of social identity on environmental attitudes and pro-environmental institutional climate perceptions on social identity. Environmental attitudes and social identity at Time 1 did not predict Time 2 pro-environmental behavior. Pro-environmental behavior at Time 1 did not predict Time 2 environmental attitudes. Pro-environmental institutional climate perceptions at Time 1 did not predict Time 2 pro-environmental behavior. Finally, social identity at Time 1 did not predict Time 2 pro-environmental institutional climate perceptions
The Reciprocal Relationship between Sense of Community and Social Well-Being: A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis
Full text linkThe aim of this study was to examine the directionality of the association between dimension of social well-being and sense of community. The present study investigated the nature of these relationships using a longitudinal cross-lagged design applied to data from a sample of 298 undergraduate/master students at an Italian public university. Correlations analysis revealed that the relationship between sense of community and social coherence was not significant. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling, we found that sense of community predicted follow up social integration and social contribution controlling for the effects of baseline social integration and social contribution. In addition, baseline social integration predicted subsequent levels of sense of community controlling for baseline levels of sense of community. Contrary to expectations, sense of community at Time 1 did not predict social acceptance and social actualization at Time 2. Moreover, the cross-lagged relationships between Time 1 social acceptance, social actualization, and social contribution and Time 2 sense of community were not significant. These findings did not differ across gender
Collaborative robots adapting their behavior based on workers’ psychological states: a systematic scoping review
Full text linkIntegrating collaborative robots (cobots) in work environments is advancing rapidly, with growing attention to designing systems that can effectively collaborate with humans. A key aspect of this effort is enhancing cobots’ adaptability, that is, their ability to adjust behavior in real time based on workers’ needs and characteristics, particularly their psychological states. Despite increasing research, a synthesis of the most considered psychological states and the corresponding adaptation mechanisms is still lacking. This review examines recent experimental evidence on cobots which modify their behavior in response to workers’ psychological states and evaluates how these adaptations influence human–robot collaboration outcomes. Following preregistration on PROSPERO, this study adhered to PRISMA-P guidelines to select 23 studies focusing on cobots’ adaptation mechanisms and their impact on task performance and worker well-being. The findings reveal that most adaptations target cognitive states, particularly workload, attention, and situational awareness, reflecting a strong research emphasis on optimizing decision-making and efficiency. Emotional adaptation has been explored to a lesser extent, while real-time adjustments based on motion intention are gaining traction in movement coordination tasks. Cobots primarily rely on physiological and behavioral signals—such as heart rate variability, electrodermal activity, and gaze fixation—to infer workers’ psychological states. Various adaptation strategies, including task reallocation and speed modulation, demonstrate measurable improvements in collaboration fluency, cognitive load management, and operational performance. This review highlights the critical role of psychology in robotics research, promoting multidisciplinary collaboration to develop adaptive cobots that enhance both productivity and worker well-being
The impact of cultural intelligence on burnout among practitioners working with migrants: an examination of age, gender, training, and language proficiency
Full text linkMigrants are a vulnerable population that often requires specialized care and support. Practitioners who work with migrants must be knowledgeable about the unique challenges they face. Some first-line practitioners are better equipped to work in intercultural environments because they possess higher cultural intelligence (CQ). This study aims to examine the impact of cultural intelligence on burnout among practitioners working in 15 countries. It also compares levels of CQ in relation to age, gender, education, intercultural training, and language proficiency in the workplace. The participants in the study were professionals working primarily with migrants (N = 258) from 15 countries. The results indicate that motivational cultural intelligence significantly reduces burnout levels, while the cognitive and the behavioural dimensions do not have any effect. Practitioners who have undergone intercultural training have higher levels of cultural intelligence, and this type of training may be effective in improving cultural intelligence. The study provides organizations with insight on how to select and train first-line practitioners, focusing on developing cultural competencies and intrinsic motivation to prevent burnout among their staff and ultimately improve the quality of services
Public perceptions of beach nourishment and conflict management strategies: A case study of Portonovo Bay in the Adriatic Italian Coast
Full text linkConflicting interests, goals, and value often shape the stakeholders' positions concerning coastal erosion management strategies. Analyses of stakeholders' perceptions of beach nourishment and conflict management strategies are lacking. Since the involvement of key stakeholders is crucial to ensure successful integrated coastal management, the aim of the current study was to investigate the stakeholders' perceptions of beach nourishment and conflict management strategies in the community of the Portonovo Bay in the Adriatic Italian coast. During 2013, detailed, semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of the community and stakeholders regarding beach nourishment and related conflict management strategies at Portonovo Bay. The results revealed that respondents not only reported different perceptions, values, and interests but also their main goals were dissimilar. We found polarized opinions concerning antagonistic value systems shared by the participants, which were associated with quite opposed perceptions of existence and severity of the problem and efficacy and harmfulness of beach nourishment. The perceptions of the respondents were categorized into two major categories that reflect two of the philosophical views of the human-environment relationship: ecocentrism versus anthropocentrism. Four categories of proposed conflict resolution strategies were identified: (a) information, (b) dialogue and contact, (c) compromise, and (d) no solution. The adoption of a participatory approach and the implementation of conflict management skills and technique can be considered important elements of coastal management
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