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Plant-based beverages (PBBs) represent a growing global alternative to cow's milk. However, their development is strongly influenced by consumers' expectations of new foods introduced into the diet: environmental sustainability, balanced nutritional content, health aspects, and organoleptic properties. This study analyzes consumers' preferences and choice orientations towards plant-based beverages through the assessment of their eating style and concern towards environmental and health issues. To that end, an online questionnaire was conducted with a sample of 233 respondents living in the South-East area of Italy. Initially, principal component analyses were performed to identify distinct dimensions of individuals' orientation towards food quality, environment and health involvement. Then, the emerging dimensions were used as dependent variables for ANOVA comparisons between consumers and non-consumers of plant-based beverages, considering also individuals' preferences towards different PBBs. The main results showed a strong consumer concern for environmental sustainability issues, which was found as the main purchasing driver for plant-based beverage consumers. On the other hand, many respondents stated that they do not consume PBBs due to their negative organoleptic aspects and the unfamiliarity with these products. Furthermore, the individual's dietary style influences the consumption of plant-based beverages and, in particular, the search for nutritional and balanced compounds plays a key role in consumption choices. Finally, despite that the almonds cultivation for the traditional 'almond milk' production is typical in various Italian regions, consumers expressed averagely a weak connection with this product. In conclusion, considering our results, the market development of PPBs at a national level might be supported by marketing strategies dedicated to different individuals' profiles. At the same time, however, direct actions on the production process are needed to improve the organoleptic profile of these products and meet the dissatisfaction expressed by consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Interdependent Happiness Scale (IHS) has been used in different socio-cultural contexts, no study has tested the measurement invariance across countries. Because previous research did not agree on the dimensionality of the scale, we primarily investigated the factorial structure of the IHS, comparing the one-factor model to three-factor, second-order, and bifactor models. We also evaluated the applicability of the IHS to Italian (N = 290) and Polish samples (students: N = 253; community: N = 241) using a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. We investigated also whether the scale measures an aspect of happiness different from satisfaction with life. The bifactor model fitted the sample data better than alternative models in all samples. The general factor accounted for over 90% of the reliable variance in the total IHS score for all samples. Our study supported the configural and metric invariance of the bifactor model in the Italian and Polish versions of the IHS, ensuring the comparability of correlations involving the IHS scores in the two different cultures and samples. We showed that IHS is not redundant with the SWLS, although the two concepts are deeply intertwined. Our findings provided support for a conceptualization of interdependent happiness as a hierarchically organized construct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two studies were conducted to examine the factor structure of attitude toward ambiguity, a broad personality construct that refers to personal reactions to perceived ambiguous stimuli in a variety of context and situations. Using samples from two countries, Study 1 mapped the hierarchical structure of 133 items from seven tolerance–intolerance of ambiguity scales (N = 360, Italy; N = 306, United States). Three major factors—Discomfort with Ambiguity, Moral Absolutism/Splitting, and Need for Complexity and Novelty—were recovered in each country with high replicability coefficients across samples. In Study 2 (N = 405, Italian community sample; N =366, English native speakers sample), we carried out a confirmatory analysis on selected factor markers. A bifactor model had an acceptable fit for each sample and reached the construct-level invariance for general and group factors. Convergent validity with related traits was assessed in both studies. We conclude that attitude toward ambiguity can be best represented a multidimensional construct involving affective (Discomfort with Ambiguity), cognitive (Moral Absolutism/Splitting), and epistemic (Need for Complexity and Novelty) components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prolonged periods of restrictions on people's freedom of movement during the first massive wave of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that most people engaged in all their daily activities at home. This suggested the need for the spatial features of the home and its occupants' perception of them to be investigated in terms of people's wellbeing. The present study was conducted on a large sample (N = 1354) drawn from different Italian regions. It examined the relationship between the "objective" and "subjective" dimensions of the home, measured in terms of objective home crowding and satisfaction with the space at home, in relation to perceived stress and the perceived risk of COVID-19 infection during the lockdown. The results showed that perceived stress is influenced by objective home crowding through the mediation of satisfaction with the space at home. These associations were more pronounced in younger generations. The negative association between satisfaction with the space at home and perceived stress was higher, the lower the perceived COVID-19 risk. • Data were collected during the first national lockdown in Italy (2020). • The greater the objective crowding, the lower the satisfaction with the space at home. • The lower the satisfaction with the space at home, the higher the perceived stress. • This latter association was stronger when the perceived COVID-19 risk was lower. • All these associations were stronger in younger generations than in older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgressive conduct and opposition towards the rules often characterize adolescence. During the development, antisocial and aggressive behavior could be a way to grow personally and to be independent. According to previous studies results, the family has a high impact on teens' aggressive behaviors and moral disengagement. Our research involved 2328 Italian adolescents (13-19 years old) who have filled in the following questionnaires: deviant behavior questionnaire; aggression questionnaire; family communication scale; moral disengagement scale; the multidimensional scale of perceived social support. Our study investigated the role of family structure on deviance propensity through family climate and anger dysregulation joint influence. We conducted a mediation analysis to reach this goal using structural equation modeling (SEM). We have also conducted a multigroup analysis in order to evaluate gender differences in the SEM. Results showed that both family climate and anger dysregulation mediated the relationship between family structure and deviance propensity. The multigroup analysis revealed that the indirect relationship between variables through family climate is significant for both boys and girls (higher in females); variables indirect relationship through anger dysregulation was significant only for girls. These data could be useful for prevention and intervention programs on children-parent relationships and to reduce antisociality and teenager's aggressive behavior.