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Introduction: This study investigated attachment networks in a sample of Italian young adults. Attachment networks were defined in terms of attachment functions, attachment strength, the presence of a primary figure, and full-blown attachments. Method: Participants were 405 young adults, and we studied the effects of the demographic variables of gender, romantic status (whether single, involved in a romantic relationship for less or more than 24 months) and employment (whether university students or workers) on the structure of attachment networks. Participants were asked to answer the WHO-TO questionnaire, and derived indexes were analyzed using mixed ANOVAs, linear and logistic regression techniques. Results: Results indicated that while friends still had great importance in the network, partners were acquiring increasing relevance; at the same time, parents, and particularly mothers, remained central figures, particularly for the secure base function. Regarding the demographic variables, we observed that women reported stronger bonds with their mothers than men did, while the importance of friends was higher for men than for women. Additionally, our study supports previous findings underlining the importance of romantic partners in this phase of life, with participants involved in romantic relationships for longer than 24 months showing a fully developed attachment bond with their partners. Finally, for workers, the transfer of functions from the family-of-origin to external figures seemed to be fostered. Discussion: In conclusion, young Italian young adults go through a phase of intensive restructuring of attachment bond networks, particularly in relation to the consolidation of romantic relationships and work commitments.

Background: Suicide methods chosen by victims are particularly critical in suicide risk research. To differentiate suicide deaths, it is usual to categorize them as violent and nonviolent depending on the detrimental method chosen by the victims. Caustic ingestion, for example, is traditionally considered as a nonviolent suicide method. It results in severe consequences for the human body and it is associated with high levels of lethality. Methods: In this study, we retrospectively analyzed suicides that occurred between 1993 and 2021 in Milan (Italy) and that underwent autopsy. We compared a sample of 40 victims that ingested caustic substances with a sample of 460 victims of other chemical ingestion, and a sample of 3962 victims from violent suicide. Univariate analyses and univariate logistic regression models were performed. Suicides from caustic poisoning were significantly older, had a higher mean number of diseases and were more affected by psychiatric diseases compared to other chemical ingestion victims. By contrast, caustic suicides, compared to violent suicides, had a more balanced gender ratio, a higher mean number of diseases, were more affected by psychiatric diseases, had a higher rate of complex suicides (more than one modality), and had victims who died more frequently inside instead of outside. In logistic regression models, age was the only feature differentiating caustic from other chemical ingestion suicides while the features differentiating caustic from violent suicides were gender, mean number of diseases and suicide place. Conclusions: Suicides by caustic ingestion showed substantial differences compared to violent suicides, with a higher severe profile. However, some differences were reported comparing caustic ingestion to other chemical ingestion as well. Thus, we argue whether it is more appropriate to differentiate the suicidal ingestion of caustics from both violent and nonviolent suicide methods.

Objectification occurs when a person is perceived and/or treated like an object. With the present work, we overview the available measures of objectification and present a series of studies aimed at investigating the validity of the task of inverted body recognition proposed by Bernard and colleagues (2012), which might potentially be a useful cognitive measure of objectification. We conducted three studies. Study 1 (N = 101) is a direct replication of Bernard et al.’s study: participants were presented with the same photos of sexualized male and female targets used in the original research. Study 2a (N = 100) is a conceptual replication: we used different images of scantily dressed male and female models. Finally, in Study 2b (N = 100), we investigated a boundary condition by presenting to participants photos of the same models as in Study 2a, but fully dressed and non-sexualized. Using mixed-effects models for completely-crossed classified data structures, we investigated the relationship between the inversion effect and the stimulus’ asymmetry, sexualization and attractiveness, and the perceivers’ self-objectification, sexism, and automatic woman-human association. Study 1 replicated the original results, showing a stronger inversion effect for male photos. However, no difference between male and female stimuli emerged in either Study 2a or 2b. Moreover, the impact of the other variables on the inversion effect was highly unstable across the studies. These aspects together indicate that the inversion effect depends on the specific set of stimuli and limits the generalizability of results collected using this method.

A cross-national study, 49 samples in 38 nations (n = 4,344), investigates whether national peace and conflict reflect ambivalent warmth and competence stereotypes: High-conflict societies (Pakistan) may need clearcut, unambivalent group images distinguishing friends from foes. Highly peaceful countries (Denmark) also may need less ambivalence because most groups occupy the shared national identity, with only a few outcasts. Finally, nations with intermediate conflict (United States) may need ambivalence to justify more complex intergroup-system stability. Using the Global Peace Index to measure conflict, a curvilinear (quadratic) relationship between ambivalence and conflict highlights how both extremely peaceful and extremely conflictual countries display lower stereotype ambivalence, whereas countries intermediate on peace-conflict present higher ambivalence. These data also replicated a linear inequality-ambivalence relationship.

The study aims to observe the presence of different behaviours by entrepreneurs in the hiring processes of new graduates varying on the firm size. In particular, the analysis is based on the Education-for-Labour Elicitation from Companies’ Attitudes towards University Studies Project involving 471 enterprises operating in Lombardy with 15 or more employees. The preference analysis of the recruiters is carried out using Conjoint Analysis. Moreover, respondents proposed a Gross Annual Salary for the new hire, this information could be used to show how different behaviours of recruiters result in economic variations

Gender inequality - both in space and time - is a latent trait, namely only indirectly measurable through a collection of observable variables and indicators purposively selected. Even if composite indicators are normally used by social scientists, when measuring gender-gap they are known to have case-specific technical limitations. In this paper we propose an innovative approach based on a multivariate Latent Markov model (LMM) for the analysis of gender inequalities as measured by the aforementioned indicators

Empathy plays an important role in interpersonal relationships, and it also shapes the relationship between human and nonhuman species, affecting the way animals are treated and cared for. Veterinarians play a key role with regard to animal welfare and, especially in companion animal practice, they have to care for nonhuman patients as well as for human clients, showing sensitivity and empathy toward both. However, empathy in veterinary professionals has received very little attention so far. This study investigated empathy toward animals and people in veterinarians, assessing whether and to what extent they are influenced by variables such as gender and length of service. In fact, these variables have been reported to affect empathy in a variety of caring professions. We used the Animal Empathy Scale to assess empathy toward animals and the Empathy Quotient to assess empathy toward people in a sample of 107 veterinarians, practicing in veterinary clinics in Milan area and working mainly with dogs and cats. Our findings are in agreement with the evidence suggesting a process of feminization in the veterinary profession, showing a higher percentage of females than males entering the practice. In addition, results reveal a significant effect of gender on empathy toward animals, with women scoring higher than men, but no effect of length of service. This suggests that, differently from what seems to occur during veterinary training, professionals maintain a good level of empathy toward animals over years. Interestingly, length of service had a significant effect on empathy toward people, with more experienced veterinarians scoring higher than their younger colleagues; this result suggests that the ability to take into account and support pet owners' emotional needs may grow over time. To our knowledge, this is the first study in the literature assessing empathy toward animals and people in veterinarians working in small animal practice. Further studies are needed to ev

A cross-national study, 49 samples in 38 nations (n = 4,344), investigates whether national peace and conflict reflect ambivalent warmth and competence stereotypes: High-conflict societies (Pakistan) may need clearcut, unambivalent group images distinguishing friends from foes. Highly peaceful countries (Denmark) also may need less ambivalence because most groups occupy the shared national identity, with only a few outcasts. Finally, nations with intermediate conflict (United States) may need ambivalence to justify more complex intergroup-system stability. Using the Global Peace Index to measure conflict, a curvilinear (quadratic) relationship between ambivalence and conflict highlights how both extremely peaceful and extremely conflictual countries display lower stereotype ambivalence, whereas countries intermediate on peace-conflict present higher ambivalence. These data also replicated a linear inequality-ambivalence relationship., NICHD NIH HHS

The Tinkertoy test is a tool for the neuropsychological assessment of executive functions and a predictor of employability. Originally a children's toy comprising pieces to assemble freely, the TinkerToy Test examines organizational abilities, planning, and response flexibility. It allows subjects to use their own initiative and does not force them to choose from a series of predetermined alternatives. Tinkertoy test normative values were collected from 256 neurologically healthy Italian subjects. Multivariable analysis showed sex and education to have significant confounding effects. Adjusted and inferential cut-off points were determined and converted into equivalent scores, applying a distribution-free technique.

This paper presents multilevel models that utilize the Coxian phase-type distribution in order to be able to include a survival component in the model. The approach is demonstrated by modeling patient length of stay and in-hospital mortality in geriatric wards in Italy. The multilevel model is used to provide a means of controlling for the existence of possible intra-ward correlations, which may make patients within a hospital more alike in terms of experienced outcome than patients coming from different hospitals, everything else being equal. Within this multilevel model we introduce the use of the Coxian phase-type distribution to create a covariate that represents patient length of stay or stage (of hospital care). Results demonstrate that the use of the multilevel model for representing the in-patient mortality is successful and further enhanced by the inclusion of the Coxian phase-type distribution variable (stage covariate).

As in most higher education (HE) systems, the Italian university organisation draws paths of credit progression in formal curricula, which aim at framing the acquisition of knowledge and competencies within each specific major. The resulting yearly syllabi therefore develop in a sequence of examinations that are to be successfully passed, and formal administrative registration allows access to the following academic year. In general, there is a divergence between formal and actual career progression because each university student can proceed at her/his own pace, sketching her/his own trajectories, free to depart from the formal progression. Even if applied to various HE settings, Markov chain models do not fit the aforementioned situation. A methodological extension has been introduced, whereby progression levels are considered as fuzzy states. Markov chains with fuzzy states identify the latter with specified academic years and express each student's situation as a relational link to present and past academic attainments. This link is operationalised by means of a membership function, which is here discussed with reference to the Italian HE system.

The spontaneous ascription of less-than-human nature to objectified individuals is an important phenomenon and research is needed that links it to its antecedents and consequences. To conduct such research it is mandatory to possess psychometrically sound measures of objectification. Here we review a range of such measures in terms of reliability and validity

The Word Superiority effect (WSE) (Richer, 1969; Wheeler, 1970) has made it possible to demonstrate the automatic activation of lexical-orthographic entries in reading. The present study tested the effect in Italian (a shallow orthography language) and in a lateralized visual-field condition, allowing for testing assumptions on inter-hemispheric differences in reading. The results showed a superiority of pseudowords (Pseudoword Superiority effect - PSE) over illegal strings with no evidence of a clear superiority of words over pseudowords, for both left- and right-visual-field presentations. This suggests that in Italian, the sub-lexical route could play a major role in reading and that this route relies on a visual-perceptual orthographic coding, concerning familiarity of letter combinations, which is also available to the right hemisphere.

The Word Superiority effect (WSE) (Reicher, 1969; Wheeler, 1970) has made it possible to demonstrate the automatic activation of lexical-orthographic entries in reading. The observation of this effect is important since it led to experimental support in favor of the main cognitive reading models (e.g., Coltheart et al., 1980; 2001). These models were mostly developed on English data, hence the verification in different orthography systems is relevant. The present study tested WSE in Italian, a language in which this effect was predicted to be less constant given the highly consistent correspondence between orthography and phonology. Moreover, the presentation of the items in a lateralized visual field condition allowed to test assumptions on the role of the right and left hemisphere in written word recognition and, in particular, on the hemispheric lateralization of lexical processing. Two experiments were conducted with undergraduate students who had to recognize a target letter included either within a word, pseudoword or nonword. In Experiment 1 prime and probe were in the same letter case, while in Experiment 2 they were in different letter case. Error rates and reaction times were analyzed with mixed models. The results showed a superiority of pseudowords (Pseudoword Superiority effect – PSE) over illegal strings with no evidence of a clear superiority of words over pseudowords, for both left- and right-visual-field presentations. This suggests that, in Italian, the sub-lexical route could play a major role in reading and that this route relies on a visual-perceptual orthographic coding, concerning familiarity of letter combinations, which is also available to the right hemisphere.

In three studies, we investigated whether and to what extent the evaluation of two mutually exclusive hypotheses is affected by a feature-positive effect, wherein present clues are weighted more than absent clues. Participants (N = 126) were presented with abstract problems concerning the most likely provenance of a card that was drawn from one of two decks. We factored the correct response (the hypothesis favored by the consideration of all clues) and the ratio of present-to-absent features in each set of observations. Furthermore, across the studies, we manipulated the presentation format of the features’ probabilities by providing the probability distributions of occurrences (Study 1), non-occurrences (Study 3) or both (Study 2). In all studies, both participant preference and accuracy were mostly determined by an over-reliance on present features. Moreover, across participants, both confidence in the responses and the informativeness of the present clues correlated positively with the number of responses given in line with an exclusive consideration of present features. These results were mostly independent of both the rarity of the absent clues and the presentation format. We concluded that the feature-positive effect influences hypothesis evaluation, and we discussed the implications for confirmation bias.

The remarkable length of stay in the university system of Italian students, compared with their European colleagues, is by and large a reckoned problem, to the point that governmental action has been taken to reduce the issue of long term students. For longer in the shadow, the creeping phenomenon of students prematurely leaving their university paths, the so called students’ retention, has briskly drawn attention as an additional growing theme, the academic governance level still focusing mainly on students dropping out during their first curricular year, rather than the subsequent ones, due to the present public university funding. In the domestic educational system, the completion of a year, in terms of attainment of all the credits in the syllabus, does not represent a prerequisite for the administrative registration to the next year. This paper explores students’ strategies in tackling two undergraduate programmes, as a latent variable in a fuzzy states Markov chains approach, with respect to two former faculties of the University of Milano-Bicocca, with the aim of sketching academic settings where the circular agreement between undergraduates’ strategies and the academic offer leads to a more favorable educational outcome.

The very expression Gender Statistics calls for a double interpretation. It accounts for the popular mix-up of statistical methodology with its typical products such as indexes, tables and graphs. At the same time it implies a broader and forward-looking perspective, which is inspired by the increasing demand of gender sensitive statistical information coming from society, official agencies, economy. Gender statistics stands as a proper independent field of statistics with its own objectives and a variety of applications in social, human and life science. Concurrently an emerging necessity of appropriate equipment of methods and dissemination tools is noticeable. The paper tracks the roots and the historical development of gender statistics, reviews critically the existing indexes and practice and outlines methodological needs and research prospects