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Cavioni V, Conte E, Grazzani I, Ornaghi V, Cefai C, Anthony C, Elliott SN, Pepe A. Validation of Italian students' self-ratings on the SSIS SEL brief scales. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1229653. [PMID: 37868591 PMCID: PMC10585268 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1229653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Despite increasing interest in measuring social and emotional learning (SEL), there is a lack of European-validated tools for assessing the efficacy of SEL programs. The aim of this study was to validate an Italian version of the social skills improvement system (SSIS) SEL brief scales-student form. Methods Participants were 1,175 students (mean age: 11.02 years; SD: 2.42; range: 8-16 years; males: 46.8%) recruited at schools in Northern Italy. Statistical analyses and results Initial confirmatory factor analysis encountered a series of challenges, implying non-convergence of the original five-factor measurement model (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making) based on the Collaborative on Academic Social Emotional Learning (CASEL) competency framework established with students in the United States. Further exploratory and confirmatory analyses supported a four-factor model that remained partially invariant across gender groups. The Italian version of the SSIS SEL brief scales was thus shown to be an efficient measurement tool for estimating social and emotional learning in students. Discussion We discuss the implications of findings in relation to selecting valid and reliable instruments for assessing children's and adolescents' SEL competencies, while considering the culturally-situated nature of the constructs under study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Cavioni
- Department of Humanities, Literature, Cultural Heritage, Education Sciences, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Conte
- “R. Massa” Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Ilaria Grazzani
- “R. Massa” Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Veronica Ornaghi
- “R. Massa” Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Carmel Cefai
- Department of Psychology, University of Malta, Msida, Malta
| | - Christopher Anthony
- School of Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Stephen N. Elliott
- Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Alessandro Pepe
- “R. Massa” Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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Abstract
Children's unique developmental and contextual needs make it challenging to measure empathy validly and reliably. This scoping review is the first to collate currently available information about self-report, other-report, and performance-based questionnaire measures of empathy for children aged up to 11 years. Following the guidelines for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR; Tricco et al., 2018), a literature search using PsycINFO, Scopus, and Google Scholar identified 24 relevant measures of empathy in children, with publication years spanning 1958 to 2019. Questionnaires could broadly be classified into four groups, according to the extent to which they were developed with children's developmental needs and contexts in mind, and were based on contemporary theory and research findings. There was a distinction between performance-based measures, which elicited children's empathy-related responses to novel content and therefore assessed situational state empathy, and self- and other-report measures, which rated children's general empathic tendencies and thus assessed dispositional trait empathy. Results highlighted the importance of researchers having clarity on their definition of empathy and choosing measures consistent with this, and the merit of utilizing a multimodal assessment approach.
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Peets K, Vecchio TD. The distinction between provoked and unprovoked aggression in toddlerhood, and associations with empathy‐related processes. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/sode.12650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kätlin Peets
- Department of Psychology St. John's University Jamaica United States
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Li B, Blijd-Hoogewys E, Stockmann L, Vergari I, Rieffe C. Toward feeling, understanding, and caring: The development of empathy in young autistic children. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2022:13623613221117955. [PMID: 35999700 DOI: 10.1177/13623613221117955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Empathy is a highly valued human capacity. Yet, autistic people are often portrayed as lacking in empathy. Recent research, which views empathy as a complex construct emerging from multiple interrelated emotional and cognitive processes, argues that, although many autistic people do have difficulty understanding others' emotions, and this may hinder them from responding to others in a prosocial manner, they are not indifferent to other people's feelings. Hoping to contribute to a better understanding of the unique challenges that autistic children face in their empathy development, we followed the development of four empathy abilities: emotion contagion, attention to others, emotion acknowledgment, and prosocial actions, in 1- to 6-year-old autistic children, in comparison with non-autistic children. Once a year, for 4 consecutive years, children's empathy abilities were evaluated by experimenters who acted out emotional episodes to provoke empathy in children, and by parents who filled out empathy questionnaires. We found that autistic children experienced indeed more difficulty attending to others, acknowledging others' emotions, and initiating prosocial actions toward others. However, according to parents, they did not differ from their non-autistic peers in feeling along with others' negative emotions. This indicates that it might not be the case that autistic children did not want to act empathetically toward others. Rather, they might not know how to do so. Notably, despite these difficulties, when looking at children's developmental trajectories, autistic children showed similar improvements over time as non-autistic children. This provides evidence that autistic children have the potential to learn and to improve their empathy skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boya Li
- Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Carolien Rieffe
- Leiden University, The Netherlands.,Twente University, The Netherlands.,University College London, UK
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Liang Z, Mazzeschi C, Delvecchio E. Empathy questionnaire for children and adolescents: Italian validation. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/17405629.2022.2096000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ziqin Liang
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education, University of Perugia, Italy
| | - Claudia Mazzeschi
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education, University of Perugia, Italy
| | - Elisa Delvecchio
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education, University of Perugia, Italy
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Brazzelli E, Pepe A, Grazzani I. Prosocial Behavior in Toddlerhood: The Contribution of Emotion Knowledge, Theory of Mind, and Language Ability. Front Psychol 2022; 13:897812. [PMID: 35719532 PMCID: PMC9198648 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.897812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
While scholars have previously investigated the respective contributions of emotional knowledge and language ability to toddlers' prosociality, no studies to date have featured a battery of multiple direct measures assessing both of these abilities plus theory of mind on the one hand, and prosocial behavior on the other hand. In contrast, we conducted the present cross-sectional study with a view to evaluating the unique contributions of each of these three social cognition variables as antecedents of prosocial conduct during toddlerhood, measuring them via a series of individually administered standardized tasks. Furthermore, given that the existing literature documents mixed gender effects, we also set out to explore the role of gender in toddlers' prosociality. Finally, we also controlled for any effects of age on the patterns of association among the key variables. Participants were 127 children aged between 24 and 36 months (M = 29.2 months; SD = 3.5). We identified significant correlations among the variables under study. In addition, stepwise multiple regression analysis suggested that each of the social cognition (SC) abilities – i.e., emotion knowledge, theory of mind, and language - made a unique contribution to explaining variance in prosocial behaviors (PB). These findings show that SC is already associated with PB in toddlerhood and suggest the importance of fostering social cognition competence from the early years, with a view to increasing children's propensity to engage in prosocial conduct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Brazzelli
- Lab for Developmental and Educational Studies in Psychology (https://www.labpse.it/en/), "R. Massa" Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Pepe
- Lab for Developmental and Educational Studies in Psychology (https://www.labpse.it/en/), "R. Massa" Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Ilaria Grazzani
- Lab for Developmental and Educational Studies in Psychology (https://www.labpse.it/en/), "R. Massa" Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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Grazzani I, Agliati A, Cavioni V, Conte E, Gandellini S, Lupica Spagnolo M, Ornaghi V, Rossi FM, Cefai C, Bartolo P, Camilleri L, Oriordan MR. Adolescents' Resilience During COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Mediating Role in the Association Between SEL Skills and Mental Health. Front Psychol 2022; 13:801761. [PMID: 35197901 PMCID: PMC8860228 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.801761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of social and emotional learning (SEL) skills and resilience in explaining mental health in male and female adolescents, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three self-report questionnaires were administered to 778 participants aged between 11 and 16 years (mean age = 12.73 years; SD = 1.73) and recruited from 18 schools in Northern Italy. The SSIS-SELb-S and the CD-RISC 10 assessed SEL and resilience skills respectively, while the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to measure mental health in terms of internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and prosocial behavior. We found that SEL and resilience skills were positively and significantly associated with each other, negatively associated with internalizing and externalizing problems, and positively related to prosocial behavior. Three linear regression analyses showed the significant role of resilience, age, and gender in explaining the variance of internalizing problems; the significant role of SEL skills, resilience, age, and gender in explaining the variance of externalizing problems; and the role of SEL skills, age, and gender in explaining prosocial behavior. Importantly, we found that resilience fully mediated the relationship between SEL skills and internalizing problems, partially mediated the relationship between SEL skills and externalizing problems and didn't mediate the relationship between SEL skills and prosocial behavior. The paper concludes with a discussion of the limitations of the study as well as its practical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Grazzani
- "R. Massa" Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessia Agliati
- "R. Massa" Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Valeria Cavioni
- "R. Massa" Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Conte
- "R. Massa" Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Sabina Gandellini
- "R. Massa" Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Mara Lupica Spagnolo
- "R. Massa" Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Veronica Ornaghi
- "R. Massa" Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Micol Rossi
- "R. Massa" Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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Sesso G, Brancati GE, Fantozzi P, Inguaggiato E, Milone A, Masi G. Measures of empathy in children and adolescents: A systematic review of questionnaires. World J Psychiatry 2021; 11:876-896. [PMID: 34733649 PMCID: PMC8546775 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v11.i10.876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Empathy has long been considered a multidimensional construct, encompassing cognitive, affective and behavioral domains. Deficits in empathic competences in early childhood contribute to psychopathology, and have been variably implicated in several clinical conditions, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and conduct disorders. AIM To identify and describe empirically validated questionnaires assessing empathy in children and adolescents and to provide a summary of related theoretical perspectives on empathy definitional issues. METHODS A systematic review of the literature was conducted. Three bibliographic databases were searched. A total of 47 studies were selected for final analysis and 16 distinct measures were identified and described. RESULTS Questionable to excellent levels of internal consistency were observed, while few studies assessed test-retest reliability. Although construct definitions only partially overlapped, affective and cognitive domains of empathy were the commonest internal factors that were often separately evaluated. New facets of the construct (i.e., somatic empathy and sympathy) and specific clinical populations (i.e., ASD) could be specifically addressed through more recent instruments. CONCLUSION The combination of different assessment methods is recommended in order to foresee further improvements in this field and try to overcome the problem of limited convergence with more objective measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Sesso
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa 56100, Italy
| | | | - Pamela Fantozzi
- IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Calambrone 56128, Italy
| | - Emanuela Inguaggiato
- IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Calambrone 56128, Italy
| | - Annarita Milone
- IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Calambrone 56128, Italy
| | - Gabriele Masi
- IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Calambrone 56128, Italy
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Soliman D, Frydenberg E, Liang R, Deans J. Enhancing empathy in preschoolers: a comparison of social and emotional learning approaches. THE EDUCATIONAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGIST 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/20590776.2020.1839883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Soliman
- Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Erica Frydenberg
- Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Rachel Liang
- Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jan Deans
- Early Learning Centre, University of Melbourne, Australia
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Brazzelli E, Grazzani I, Pepe A. Promoting prosocial behavior in toddlerhood: A conversation-based intervention at nursery. J Exp Child Psychol 2020; 204:105056. [PMID: 33341017 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2020.105056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The awareness that prosocial skills begin to develop during the early years, with lasting implications for social lives, underpins increasing efforts to find ways of promoting prosocial behavior in children. Nevertheless, few such intervention studies have been conducted with toddlers in educational settings. Following the line of inquiry that examines the role of conversation about inner states in the early development of socioemotional competence, the current study makes an original contribution by evaluating the efficacy of a conversational intervention (TEPP, Toddlers Empathy Prosociality Program) in fostering prosocial conduct in young children. A total of 142 toddlers (Mage = 29.78 months, range = 22-36) participated in a 2-month program during which specially trained teachers read prosocial stories to small groups of children and then involved the children in conversations about inner states and prosocial behavior (Condition 1), in conversations about concrete actions and physical states (Condition 2), or in free play activities (Condition 3). Children in Condition 1 were found to outperform their peers in Conditions 2 and 3 on both direct and indirect measures of prosocial behavior. Gender had a further slight influence on the study outcomes. Overall, the results confirmed that intervention based on conversation about inner states and prosocial actions can enhance the development of prosocial skills in toddlers, encouraging the implementation of early education programs targeting prosociality among peers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Brazzelli
- Department of Human Sciences for Education "R. Massa", University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy.
| | - Ilaria Grazzani
- Department of Human Sciences for Education "R. Massa", University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandro Pepe
- Department of Human Sciences for Education "R. Massa", University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
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Loheide‐Niesmann L, Lijster J, Hall R, Bakel H, Cima M. Toddlers' preference for prosocial versus antisocial agents: No associations with empathy or attachment security. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/sode.12487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jasmijn Lijster
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology Erasmus MC–Sophia Children's HospitalErasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam The Netherlands
- Department of Tranzo Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences Tilburg University Tilburg The Netherlands
| | - Ruby Hall
- Department of Tranzo Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences Tilburg University Tilburg The Netherlands
| | - Hedwig Bakel
- Department of Tranzo Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences Tilburg University Tilburg The Netherlands
| | - Maaike Cima
- Behavioural Science Institute Radboud University Nijmegen The Netherlands
- Conrisq Group Juvenile Youth Institutions (YouthCarePLUS) Zetten The Netherlands
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Ornaghi V, Conte E, Grazzani I. Empathy in Toddlers: The Role of Emotion Regulation, Language Ability, and Maternal Emotion Socialization Style. Front Psychol 2020; 11:586862. [PMID: 33192920 PMCID: PMC7606909 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.586862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated, through a cross-sectional study, whether and to what extent toddlers' empathy is associated with a set of individual and family factors known to foster positive social skills in early childhood: children's own emotion regulation, language ability, and maternal emotion socialization style. Participants were 320 toddlers (M age = 28.8 months; SD = 3.55) and their mothers. The children came from middle-SES families and were recruited at 34 infant-toddler centers. We used parent-report measures to assess the toddlers' competences and a self-report questionnaire to evaluate maternal emotion socialization style (coaching vs. dismissing). Toddlers' empathic responses, as reported by their mothers, were positively and significantly correlated, respectively, with their positive emotion regulation, language skills, and maternal emotion-coaching style. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that emotion regulation and maternal emotion-coaching style contributed to explaining variance in toddlers' empathy, after controlling for the effects of children's age and language ability. Moderation analysis showed that emotion regulation skills did not moderate the relationship between maternal emotion-coaching style and children's empathy. We discuss the implications of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Ornaghi
- "Riccardo Massa" Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Conte
- "Riccardo Massa" Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Ilaria Grazzani
- "Riccardo Massa" Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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Lazdauskas T, Nasvytienė D. Psychometric properties of Lithuanian versions of empathy questionnaires for children. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/17405629.2020.1772048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Pepe A, Addimando L, Veronese G. Measuring Teacher Job Satisfaction: Assessing Invariance in the Teacher Job Satisfaction Scale (TJSS) Across Six Countries. EUROPES JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2017; 13:396-416. [PMID: 28904592 PMCID: PMC5590527 DOI: 10.5964/ejop.v13i3.1389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Work and organizational psychology has long been concerned with measuring job satisfaction in organizational contexts, and this has carried across to the field of education, leading to a research focus on the work-related satisfaction of teachers. Today, a myriad of organizations continue to assess employees’ job satisfaction on a routine basis (Liu, Borg, & Spector, 2004). Unfortunately, a sort of balkanization of the field has resulted in the production of dozens of specific measurement tools, making it difficult to cross-compare samples and contexts. The present paper tested the measurement invariance of the Teacher Job Satisfaction Scale (TJSS) in six international cohorts (Netherlands, United States, Russia China, Italy and Palestine) of in-service teachers (N = 2,819). Confirmatory factor analysis and multi-group invariance tests were applied. The TJSS-9 displayed robust psychometric proprieties and no substantial departures from measurement invariance (configural and metric). Future research is required to further test equivalence across additional countries, with view to developing a truly international tool for measuring job satisfaction in teaching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Pepe
- Department of Human Sciences "R. Massa", University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Loredana Addimando
- Department of Teaching and Learning, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Locarno, Switzerland
| | - Guido Veronese
- Department of Human Sciences "R. Massa", University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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