1,721,407 research outputs found
Development and Psychometric Properties of the Homophobic Bullying Scale
No full textThe study aimed to develop the Homophobic Bullying Scale and to investigate its psychometric properties. The items of the Homophobic Bullying Scale were created to measure high school students' bullying behaviors motivated by homophobia, including verbal bullying, relational bullying, physical bullying, property bullying, sexual harassment, and cyberbullying. Five scales were developed from viewpoints of bullies (toward supposed gay men and lesbians), victims, and witnesses (toward supposed gay men and lesbians). A sample of 863 students enrolled in Grades 9 to 13 in 10 Italian public high schools were involved in this study. The coefficients of internal consistency were greater than.80 for all the scales. Construct validity of its factor structure was demonstrated using confirmatory factor analysis. Discriminant validity was demonstrated by comparatively low correlations with homophobic attitudes and the Homophobic Content Agent Target scale. Results showed the existence of homophobic bullying in various forms other than the use of homophobic epithets. Future research should examine the experience of bullying behaviors motivated by homophobia in schools. © The Author(s) 2012
Correlates of quality of life, happiness and life satisfaction among European adults older than 50 years: A machine-learning approach
Full text linkBackground and objectives: Previous research has documented the role of different categories of psychosocial factors (i.e., sociodemographic factors, personality, subjective life circumstances, activity, physical health, and childhood circumstances) in predicting subjective well-being and quality of life among older adults. No previous study has simultaneously modeled a large number of these psychosocial factors using a well-powered sample and machine learning algorithms to predict quality of life, happiness, and life satisfaction among older adults. The aim of this paper was to investigate the correlates of quality of life, happiness, and life satisfaction among European adults older than 50 years using machine learning techniques.
Research design and methods: Data drawn from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) Wave 7 were used. Participants were 62,500 persons aged 50 years and over living in 26 Continental EU Member States, Switzerland, and Israel. Multiple machine learning regression approaches were used. Results: The algorithms captured 53%, 33%, and 18% of the variance of quality of life, life satisfaction, and happiness, respectively. The most important categories of correlates of quality of life and life satisfaction were physical health and subjective life circumstances. Sociodemographic factors (mostly country of residence) and psychological variables were the most important categories of correlates of happiness.
Discussion and implications: This study highlights subjective poverty, self-perceived health, country of residence, subjective survival probability, and personality factors (especially neuroticism) as important correlates of quality of life, happiness, and life satisfaction. These findings provide evidence-based recommendations for practice and/or policy implications
The Relationship Between Political Participation and Life Satisfaction Depends on Preference for Non-Democratic Solutions
No full textResearch shows that life satisfaction is associated with political participation, although there are some inconsistencies in the literature. Drawing on a discrepancy perspective, the present study aims to investigate the moderating role of preference for non-democratic solutions. More specifically, the hypothesis states that the relationship between non-conflictual forms of political participation and life satisfaction would be weaker for high levels of preference for non-democratic regimes (high discrepancy) compared to low levels of preference for non-democratic regimes (low discrepancy). An ancillary analysis was also conducted to investigate the moderating role of preference for non-democratic solutions in the relationship between protest activities and life satisfaction. Analyses were conducted using data from the World Values Survey wave 7 involving 51 countries/territories for a total of 76,897 participants. The results revealed that the relationship between non-conflictual forms of political participation and life satisfaction was negative at high levels of preference for non-democratic regimes (high discrepancy) and positive at low levels of preference for non-democratic regimes (low discrepancy). In addition, the association between protest activities and life satisfaction was negative at medium to high levels of preference for non-democratic political systems, while at low levels of the moderator this association was positive. Results highlight the need to consider the discrepancy between preferences for non-democratic regimes and participation to fully characterize the relationship between life satisfaction and political participation
Intention to receive a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 in Italy and its association with trust, worry and beliefs about the origin of the virus
No full textThe aim of the current study was to determine the extent to which Italian people intend to receive a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 and to investigate its associations with worry, institutional trust and beliefs about the non-natural origin of the virus. A sample of 624 people living in Italy was recruited in April 2020 using an online platform. The survey included questions about intention to receive a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, trust, worry and beliefs about the origin of the virus. Most respondents (75.8%) intended to receive a vaccine, while 32 (5.1%) and 63 (10.1%) participants responded ‘No’ and ‘I do not know’, respectively. The remaining participants (9.0%) chose not to respond to this question. Controlling for socio-demographic factors, a multinomial logistic regression model revealed that no intention to receive a vaccine was associated with lower levels of worry and institutional trust, while increased odds for responding ‘do not know’ were found among participants holding beliefs about the non-natural origin of the virus. Vaccine acceptance may not be sufficient to establish a high level of herd immunity and a successful implementation of new pandemic vaccination programs should take into account trust, conspiracy beliefs and worry
Empowerment e giovani: dimensioni e modelli teorici
No full textLo scopo del presente lavoro è quello di passare in rassegna il concetto di empowerment nei giovani e i suoi modelli teorici. L’obiettivo non è quello di presentare una lista esaustiva, ma di centrare il focus sui principali modelli e dimensioni. Sei dimensioni di empowerment nei giovani sono presentate: a) benessere e della crescita personale, b) relazionale, c) educativo, d) politico, e) trasformativo e f) emancipativo. Cinque sono i modelli teorici di empowerment nei giovani valutati come rilevanti: Adolescent Empowerment Cycle, Youth Development and Empowerment, Transactional Partnering, Azione Sociale in Adolescenza, e Critical Youth Empowerment framework. Nella parte finale dell’articolo viene discussa la concettualizzazione di empowerment nei giovani
Gender equality and women's participation in transport cycling
Full text linkPopulation-level health benefits are associated with cycling as a means for day-to-day travel. Several factors inhibit women's participation in transport cycling. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between gender equality using the composite indicator of Gender Equality Index and its six core domains (work, money, knowledge, time, power, and health) plus violence and women's participation in transport cycling across the 28 member states of the European Union. The gross domestic product was included as a controlling variable. Results showed that the composite indicator of Gender Equality Index was associated with women's participation in transport cycling as well as with gender differences in participation in transport cycling. The core domains of health and work were not related to women's participation in transport cycling. Women's participation in transport cycling was associated with the following domains: time, power, and violence. The effect of gender equality varied across different indicators, with the strongest effect size found for time. The traditional sexual division of labour (gender gaps in caring and educating children or grandchildren, as well as in cooking and housework) may inhibit women's participation in transport cycling
The effect of an italian nationwide mandatory visibility aids law for cyclists
Full text linkThe role of conspicuity in preventing bicycle–motorized vehicle collisions has been the subject of investigation. To date, no study has evaluated the impact on bicycle safety of legislation imposing bicycling visibility aids. The aim of the present study is to investigate whether a legislation imposing high-visibility clothing for cyclist affects bicycle safety. Data on the monthly number of vehicles (including bicycles) involved in road crashes during the period 2001–2015 were obtained from the Italian National Institute of Statistics. Data were analyzed through an interrupted time-series analysis using a generalized least-squares method. Results revealed that the implementation of legislation imposing high-visibility clothing for cyclist did not influence the number of bicycles involved in road crashes as well as its proportion in the total vehicles involved in road crashes. The introduction of the legislation did not produce immediate effects, nor did it have any effects over time. Lack of knowledge on how the law was introduced, the degree of enforcement by the police, and behavioral changes in response to the law makes it difficult to attribute the lack of effect on bicycle crashes
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
Under what conditions do gender differences exist in power and achievement values? The moderating role of gender ideology
Full text linkPrevious studies revealed differences between men and women in value priorities. It has been asserted that men do inherently attribute more importance than women to power and achievement values. Our study brings a sociocultural lens into account employing gender ideology as a moderator of the gender differences in these values. Specifically, we hypothesized that internalization and endorsement of gender role ideology shape gender differences in power and achievement values. We focused on two components of gender ideology as moderators of the gender differences in values: primacy of the breadwinner role, and acceptance of male privilege. We used data from the World Values Survey wave six (89,565 participants from 60 countries). Results indicated that gender ideology moderated the relationship between gender and the endorsement of achievement and power values. Specifically, the relationship between gender and achievement was significantly moderated by acceptance of male privilege, but not of primacy of the breadwinner role. In addition, the association between gender and power was significantly moderated by primacy of the breadwinner role, but not by acceptance of male privilege. In other words, when participants endorse egalitarian gender ideologies, gender differences in power and achievement disappear or even reverse. We contrast previous perspectives assuming inherent gender differences in human values and argue that such differences are related to beliefs in gendered separate spheres
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
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