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Ciucci E, Facci C, Carpenzano D, Sanesi M, Taddei M, Tomberli L, Tambasco G, Baroncelli A. Promoting Teachers' Social and Emotional Competence in Light of the Close Connection between Professional Role and Personal Characteristics: Preliminary Evidence of the Efficacy of the "ME4YOU" Training Program. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2024; 21:511. [PMID: 38673422 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21040511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Within the field of research on the promotion of teachers' social and emotional competence, the present paper illustrates preliminary evidence of the efficacy of a new training program named "ME4YOU" aimed at supporting teachers' self-reflexive competences to deal with the emotional and relational dimensions of teaching, with constant and continuous attention towards underlining the close connection between the way teachers perform as professionals at work and the way they function as individuals in their personal life. A total of 109 teachers from kindergarten to primary school took part in the experimental group, while 67 teachers constituted the control group; the two groups were compared using a pre-test/post-test approach with regard to some self-reported variables related to professional and personal aspects. Teachers in the experimental group exhibited increased levels of professional self-efficacy and self-efficacy as emotional socializers toward students' emotions; moreover-although with a more limited impact-they reported benefits with regard to their personal life (i.e., reduced denial of own emotions and improved authenticity). The findings are discussed highlighting that health promotion among teachers is both of value in itself and an investment that can generate health in the whole school system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Ciucci
- Department of Education, Languages, Interculture, Literatures and Psychology, University of Florence, 50121 Florence, Italy
| | - Carolina Facci
- Department of Education, Languages, Interculture, Literatures and Psychology, University of Florence, 50121 Florence, Italy
| | - Daniela Carpenzano
- Department of Education, Languages, Interculture, Literatures and Psychology, University of Florence, 50121 Florence, Italy
| | | | | | - Lucrezia Tomberli
- Department of Education, Languages, Interculture, Literatures and Psychology, University of Florence, 50121 Florence, Italy
| | - Giovanna Tambasco
- Non-Profit Organization EbiCo, University of Florence, 50123 Florence, Italy
| | - Andrea Baroncelli
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
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Ciucci E, Baroncelli A, Facci C, Righi S, Frick PJ. Callous-Unemotional Traits and Emotion Perception Accuracy and Bias in Youths. Children (Basel) 2024; 11:419. [PMID: 38671636 DOI: 10.3390/children11040419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated the associations among conduct problems, callous-unemotional (CU) traits, and indices of emotion recognition accuracy and emotion recognition bias obtained from human faces. Impairments in emotion recognition were considered within broader, impaired emotional and social functioning. The sample consisted of 293 middle-school students (51.19% girls; M age = 12.97 years, SD = 0.88 years). In general, CU traits were associated with less accuracy in recognizing emotions, especially fearful and angry faces, and such deficits in emotional recognition were not associated with conduct problems independent of CU traits. These results support the importance of studying potential deficits in the recognition of emotions other than fear. Furthermore, our results support the importance of considering the role of CU traits when studying emotional correlates of conduct problems. For children scoring high on CU traits, the emotion recognition accuracy of anger was low irrespective of the level of conduct problems, whereas in children scoring low on CU traits, less accuracy in recognizing emotions was related to increases in conduct problems. Finally, our results support the need for research to not only focus on accuracy of emotional recognition but also test whether there are specific biases leading to these inaccuracies. Specifically, CU traits were associated not only with lower accuracy in recognizing fearful faces but also with a tendency to interpret fearful faces as angry. This suggests that the emotional deficit associated with CU traits is not just a deficit in empathic concern toward others distress but also includes a tendency to overinterpret emotions as potential threats to oneself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Ciucci
- Department of Education, Languages, Interculture, Literatures and Psychology, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, Complesso di San Salvi Padiglione 26, 50135 Florence, Italy
| | - Andrea Baroncelli
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education, University of Perugia, Piazza Giuseppe Ermini 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Carolina Facci
- Department of Education, Languages, Interculture, Literatures and Psychology, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, Complesso di San Salvi Padiglione 26, 50135 Florence, Italy
| | - Stefania Righi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child's Health, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, Complesso di San Salvi Padiglione 26, 50135 Florence, Italy
| | - Paul J Frick
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, 208 Audubon Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
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Baroncelli A, Taddei MG, Giommi R, Lenzi E, Facci C, Ciucci E. Cybersex and Attachment Styles: Proposal of the Emotional and Relational Aspects in Cybersex Activities (ERACA) Questionnaire. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023; 20:7151. [PMID: 38131703 PMCID: PMC10742891 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20247151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The current study presents the development and the initial validation of a new questionnaire to assess individual differences in emotional and relational aspects related to cybersex activities (i.e., the ERACA). A total of 246 adults (105 females, mean age = 31.89 years, SD = 10.03) coming from the general adult population participated in the study. The items of the ERACA were developed considering the extant literature, and an exploratory factor analysis approach indicated a three-factor structure (i.e., the gratification of the Self through the objectification of other people, the gratification of the Self through relational aspects, betrayal, and infidelity). The associations between the dimensions of the ERACA and dimensional measures of both attachment styles and online sexual behaviors indicated that different aspects related to the quality of the relationships play a different role in individual differences concerning emotional and relational aspects of cybersex activities. The discussion emphasizes the potential usefulness of the ERACA questionnaire for both research purposes and from a health-promoting point of view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Baroncelli
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy;
| | | | - Roberta Giommi
- Istituto Internazionale di Sessuologia, Istituto Ricerca e Formazione, 50123 Florence, Italy; (R.G.); (E.L.)
| | - Elena Lenzi
- Istituto Internazionale di Sessuologia, Istituto Ricerca e Formazione, 50123 Florence, Italy; (R.G.); (E.L.)
| | - Carolina Facci
- Department of Education, Languages, Intercultures, Literatures, and Psychology, University of Florence, 50121 Florence, Italy;
| | - Enrica Ciucci
- Department of Education, Languages, Intercultures, Literatures, and Psychology, University of Florence, 50121 Florence, Italy;
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Kemp EC, Ray JV, Frick PJ, Robertson EL, Fanti KA, Essau CA, Baroncelli A, Ciucci E, Bijttebier P. Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU) Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance in an Adolescent Multinational Sample. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol 2022:1-12. [PMID: 36450005 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2022.2148531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU) is a widely used, comprehensive measure of callous-unemotional (CU) traits. While the ICU total score is used frequently in research, the scale's factor structure remains highly debated. Inconsistencies in past factor structure research appear to be largely due to the use of small non-representative samples and failure to control for method variance (i.e., item wording direction). METHOD The current study used a multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) approach that considers both trait and method variance to test the factor structure of a 22-item version of the self-report ICU in a multinational community sample of 4,683 adolescents (ages 11-17). RESULTS Results showed that a hierarchical four-factor model (i.e., one overarching CU factor, four latent trait factors) that controlled for method variance (i.e., by allowing residuals from positively worded items to covary) provided the best fit (χ2 = 2797.307, df = 160, RMSEA=.059, CFI=.922, TLI=.888, SRMR=.045). CONCLUSIONS After controlling for method variance, the best-fitting factor structure is consistent with how the ICU was developed and corresponds to the four symptoms of Limited Prosocial Emotions (LPE) specifier in the DSM-5 criteria for Conduct Disorder (CD). In addition, measurement invariance of this factor structure across age (i.e., younger versus older adolescents) and sex was supported. As a result, mean differences in ICU total score across age and sex can be interpreted as reflecting true variations in these traits. Further, we documented that boys generally scored higher than girls on the ICU, and this sex difference was larger in later adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Kemp
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University
| | - James V Ray
- Department of Criminal Justice, University of Central Florida
| | - Paul J Frick
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University
- Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University
| | | | | | | | - Andrea Baroncelli
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education, University of Perugia
| | - Enrica Ciucci
- Department of Education, Languages, Intercultures, Literatures, and Psychology, University of Florence
| | - Patricia Bijttebier
- School Psychology and Development in Context, KU Leuven
- KU Leuven Child and Youth Institute
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Baroncelli A, Perkins ER, Ciucci E, Frick PJ, Patrick CJ, Sica C. Triarchic Model Traits as Predictors of Bullying and Cyberbullying in Adolescence. J Interpers Violence 2022; 37:NP3242-NP3268. [PMID: 32597721 PMCID: PMC7769960 DOI: 10.1177/0886260520934448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The triarchic model of psychopathy includes a disinhibition dimension related to externalizing outcomes, a meanness dimension pertaining to callous-unemotional traits, and a boldness dimension referring to emotional stability and high confidence in peer relationships. Some dimensions of psychopathy have been extensively investigated in samples of children and adolescents; in particular, the callous-unemotional (meanness) dimension has been associated with aggression and bullying in numerous studies. However, the other dimensions of the triarchic model have been relatively unexplored in samples of adolescents. Thus, we tested for associations between the triarchic dimensions and bullying and cyberbullying behaviors (i.e., proactive, goal-directed, and repetitive aggressive behaviors) in a sample of 580 high school students aged 14 to 19 years. Logistic regression analyses showed that (a) meanness and disinhibition scores were uniquely associated with traditional bullying, whereas only meanness was uniquely associated with cyberbullying; (b) boldness scores moderated the relationship between disinhibition and cyberbullying, such that disinhibition was related to cyberbullying only at low levels of boldness; and (c) these patterns were maintained when accounting for overall levels of conduct problems and were not moderated by the experience of victimization. Our findings suggest that the triarchic model of psychopathy can contribute to an understanding of youth engagement in bullying and cyberbullying.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Paul J. Frick
- Louisiana State University
- Australian Catholic University
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Baroncelli A, Tomberli L, Taddei M, Ciucci E. Facing the pandemic lockdown questionnaire - FPLQ: A brief tool to assess individual differences in front of pandemic experience. Curr Psychol 2022; 42:1-18. [PMID: 35095240 PMCID: PMC8781700 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-02701-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents the development and the initial validation of a self-report questionnaire (the Facing the Pandemic Lockdown Questionnaire - FPLQ) focused on the way in which people faced the impact of the lockdown related to the Coronavirus Disease 19. 504 adults (81.55% females; M age = 32.71 years, SD = 11.19) took part to the study. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a 15-item 4-factor structure, invariant for gender and age: two dimensions related to maladaptive processes (i.e., "Perception of low social connectedness and lack of routines" and "Health worry") and two dimensions related to adaptive processes (i.e., "Positive re-thinking" and "Perception of online social connectedness"). Further, we investigated the associations between these dimensions and measures pertaining cognitive (i.e., internal and external health locus of control), emotional (i.e., positive and negative affect), and relational (i.e., attitude and behaviors toward civic engagement) processes, also testing the moderating role of gender and age. Finally, the potential usefulness of this new tool for both extant and future psychological research was highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Baroncelli
- Department of Education, Languages, Intercultures, Literatures, and Psychology, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, Complesso di San Salvi Padiglione 26, 50135 Florence, Italy
| | - Lucrezia Tomberli
- Department of Education, Languages, Intercultures, Literatures, and Psychology, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, Complesso di San Salvi Padiglione 26, 50135 Florence, Italy
| | - MariaGiulia Taddei
- Department of Education, Languages, Intercultures, Literatures, and Psychology, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, Complesso di San Salvi Padiglione 26, 50135 Florence, Italy
| | - Enrica Ciucci
- Department of Education, Languages, Intercultures, Literatures, and Psychology, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, Complesso di San Salvi Padiglione 26, 50135 Florence, Italy
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Matiz A, Fabbro F, Paschetto A, Urgesi C, Ciucci E, Baroncelli A, Crescentini C. The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Affect, Fear, and Personality of Primary School Children Measured During the Second Wave of Infections in 2020. Front Psychiatry 2022; 12:803270. [PMID: 35111088 PMCID: PMC8801446 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.803270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In relation to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, a large body of research has identified a negative impact on individuals' affectivity, frequently documented by increased prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms. For children, this research was less extensive, was mainly based on caregivers' reports and neglected personality assessment. In order to measure the impact of the pandemic, and the fears it caused, on primary school children's affect and personality, 323 (180 boys and 143 girls) Italian third, fourth and fifth graders were assessed between October and November 2020, namely during the second wave of COVID-19 infections in Italy, with validated self-reports of affect (Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children, PANAS-C), fear of COVID-19 (Fear of COVID-19 Scale, FCV-19S) and personality (junior Temperament and Character Inventory, jTCI). In comparison with PANAS-C and jTCI normative scores collected prior to the pandemic, data obtained from children in 2020 showed unchanged affect scores in the overall sample, a decrease of Positive Affect in girls, and a decrease in the Harm Avoidance and an increase in the Self-Transcendence scales of personality. Fear of COVID-19 scores were positively correlated with Negative Affect scores and negatively predicted by children's personality profile of resilience (calculated using scores on the Harm Avoidance and the Self-Directedness scales of personality). These results suggested that Italian primary school children, especially boys, maintained their pre-pandemic levels of affect (or restored them after the first COVID-19 wave) and partially diverged from the typical development of personality in an apparently positive sense, namely toward more courageous/optimistic and spiritual profiles. This sort of children's post-traumatic growth might also be attributed to children's family and education systems, which should continue to be supported to promote and maintain community mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Matiz
- Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Franco Fabbro
- Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
- Institute of Mechanical Intelligence, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Paschetto
- Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Cosimo Urgesi
- Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, Neuropsychiatry and Neurorehabilitation Unit, Lecco, Italy
| | - Enrica Ciucci
- Department of Education, Languages, Intercultures, Literatures and Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Andrea Baroncelli
- Department of Education, Languages, Intercultures, Literatures and Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Cristiano Crescentini
- Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
- Institute of Mechanical Intelligence, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Sica C, Ciucci E, Baroncelli A, Frick PJ, Patrick CJ. Not Just for Adults: Using the Triarchic Model of Psychopathy to Inform Developmental Models of Conduct Problems in Adolescence. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol 2019; 49:897-911. [PMID: 30908077 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2019.1574228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The triarchic model of psychopathy was advanced to reconcile differing historic conceptions of this condition and alternative approaches for assessing it. The current study was undertaken to expand the empirical evidence base for the triarchic model by examining its correlates in adolescents, with measures of particular relevance to developmental theories of antisocial behavior. Self-report scales assessing the triarchic constructs were administered along with measures of conduct problems, callous-unemotional traits, attachment style dimensions, negative emotionality, and hyperactivity/inattention to 608 Italian adolescents (272 girls; M age = 16.70 years). The disinhibition dimension of the triarchic model was related most highly to general externalizing outcomes, such as conduct problems and hyperactivity-inattention, in this adolescent sample. The meanness dimension was selectively related to callous-unemotional traits and other measures of limited prosocial emotions and to affiliation motives that emphasize social gain. Triarchic boldness was associated with greater emotional stability and greater confidence in peer relationships. Of interest, an interaction between meanness and boldness was evident in predicting a lower need to understand one's own and others' emotions. These results provide a valuable illustration of the potential of the triarchic model to help advance developmental models of antisocial behavior in youth. Public Significance Statement This study examined how dimensions of psychopathy described by the triarchic model relate to measures of problem behaviors and affective-interpersonal style in an adolescent sample. Scores on the three triarchic dimensions-disinhibition, meanness, and boldness-showed meaningful contrasting relations with conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, callous-unemotional traits, emotional proclivities, and attachment style dimensions. This work illustrates how the triarchic model conceptualization can help advance developmental models of the emergence of antisocial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Sica
- Department of Health Sciences, Psychology Section, University of Firenze
| | - Enrica Ciucci
- Dipartimento di Formazione, Lingue, Intercultura, Letterature e Psicologia (FORLILPSI), University of Firenze
| | - Andrea Baroncelli
- Dipartimento di Formazione, Lingue, Intercultura, Letterature e Psicologia (FORLILPSI), University of Firenze
| | - Paul J Frick
- Learning Science Institute of Australia, Australian Catholic University.,Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University
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Ciucci E, Baroncelli A, Toselli M, Denham SA. Personal and Professional Emotional Characteristics of Early Childhood Teachers and Their Proneness to Communicate with Parents and Colleagues About Children’s Emotions. Child Youth Care Forum 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10566-017-9431-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Ciucci E, Kimonis E, Frick PJ, Righi S, Baroncelli A, Tambasco G, Facci C. Attentional Orienting to Emotional Faces Moderates the Association Between Callous-Unemotional Traits and Peer-Nominated Aggression in Young Adolescent School Children. J Abnorm Child Psychol 2017; 46:1011-1019. [PMID: 29046999 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-017-0357-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are associated with aggressive behavior but preliminary research suggests this relationship is modified by patterns of emotional processing. This study examined whether attentional orienting to emotional faces moderated the association between CU traits and peer-nominated aggression in 251 middle school students (53% females, mean age = 13.24 years, SD = 0.73). Attentional orienting was assessed using an emotional faces (i.e., angry, fearful, happy, sad, and neutral) variant of the dot-probe task. Students also completed a self-report measure of CU traits and their classmates made peer nominations of aggression. Logistic regression analyses showed that peer-nominated aggression was positively related to CU traits at low levels of attentional orienting to angry faces, whereas aggression was unrelated to CU traits at high levels of attentional orienting to angry faces. That is, peer-nominated aggression was greatest for youth high on CU traits who were not engaged by angry faces. These findings support the importance of considering different patterns of emotional responding when studying the association between CU traits and aggressive behavior in youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Ciucci
- Department of Education and Psychology, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, Complesso di San Salvi Padiglione 26, 50135, Florence, Italy.
| | - Eva Kimonis
- School of Psychology, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Paul J Frick
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
- Learning Sciences Institute of Australia, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Stefania Righi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research & Child's Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Andrea Baroncelli
- Department of Education and Psychology, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, Complesso di San Salvi Padiglione 26, 50135, Florence, Italy
| | - Giovanna Tambasco
- Department of Education and Psychology, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, Complesso di San Salvi Padiglione 26, 50135, Florence, Italy
| | - Carolina Facci
- Department of Education and Psychology, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, Complesso di San Salvi Padiglione 26, 50135, Florence, Italy
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Tassi F, Ciucci E, Baroncelli A, Batani A. Callous-unemotional traits, borderline personality, and self-injury in gothic subculture. European Journal of Developmental Psychology 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/17405629.2017.1320279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fulvio Tassi
- Department of Education and Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Enrica Ciucci
- Department of Education and Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Andrea Baroncelli
- Department of Education and Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Azzurra Batani
- Department of Education and Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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Ciucci E, Baroncelli A, Tambasco G, Laurent J, Catanzaro SJ, Joiner TE. Measuring Positive Affect, Negative Affect, and Physiological Hyperarousal among Italian Youth: Translations of the PANAS-C and PH-C. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10862-017-9596-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Ciucci E, Baroncelli A, Grazzani I, Ornaghi V, Caprin C. Emotional Arousal and Regulation: Further Evidence of the Validity of the "How I Feel" Questionnaire for Use With School-Age Children. J Sch Health 2016; 86:195-203. [PMID: 26830506 DOI: 10.1111/josh.12370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2014] [Revised: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 04/09/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability to understand and manage emotional experience is critical to children's health. This study confirmed the validity of the How I Feel (HIF) Questionnaire, a measure of children's emotional arousal and regulation, exploring its associations with measures of emotional and social functioning. METHODS The sample was comprised of 1379 Italian students (aged 8 to 12 years) who attended schools interested in the study aims. Participants completed the 30-item HIF scale, and measures of emotional self-efficacy and social desirability (SD). Factor structures were assessed using confirmatory factor analysis. Invariance by age and gender, internal consistency, temporal stability, and concurrent validity were also tested. RESULTS A 3-factor model was identified: frequency and intensity of (1) positive emotion--PE (8 items, α = .82), (2) negative emotion--NE (12 items, α = .86), and (3) positive and negative emotion control--EC (10 items, α = .77). This factor structure was invariant across age and gender groups. The HIF displayed moderate longitudinal stability over a 15-month period and a low social desirability effect. Positive emotion was positively associated with social acceptance and visibility, and negatively with social withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS The HIF is a reliable and valid measure for research and school intervention promoting students' emotional and mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Ciucci
- Department of Education and Psychology, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi, 12 Complesso di San Salvi Padiglione 26, 50135 Florence, Italy.
| | - Andrea Baroncelli
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi, 12 Complesso di San Salvi Padiglione 26, 50135 Florence, Italy.
| | - Ilaria Grazzani
- Department of Human Sciences 'R. Massa', University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo, 1, 20126 Milan, Italy.
| | - Veronica Ornaghi
- Department of Human Sciences 'R. Massa', University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo, 1, 20126 Milan, Italy.
| | - Claudia Caprin
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo, 1, 20126, Milan, Italy.
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Abstract
The authors investigated the association of traditional and cyber forms of bullying and victimization with emotion perception accuracy and emotion perception bias. Four basic emotions were considered (i.e., happiness, sadness, anger, and fear); 526 middle school students (280 females; M age = 12.58 years, SD = 1.16 years) were recruited, and emotionality was controlled. Results indicated no significant findings for girls. Boys with higher levels of traditional bullying did not show any deficit in perception accuracy of emotions, but they were prone to identify happiness and fear in faces when a different emotion was expressed; in addition, male cyberbullying was related to greater accuracy in recognizing fear. In terms of the victims, cyber victims had a global problem in recognizing emotions and a specific problem in processing anger and fear. It was concluded that emotion perception accuracy and bias were associated with bullying and victimization for boys not only in traditional settings but also in the electronic ones. Implications of these findings for possible intervention are discussed.
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15
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Ciucci E, Baroncelli A. The emotional core of bullying: Further evidences of the role of callous–unemotional traits and empathy. Personality and Individual Differences 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2013.09.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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16
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Baroncelli A, Ciucci E. Unique effects of different components of trait emotional intelligence in traditional bullying and cyberbullying. J Adolesc 2014; 37:807-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2014.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2014] [Revised: 05/21/2014] [Accepted: 05/25/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Ciucci E, Baroncelli A. Emotion-related personality traits and peer social standing: unique and interactive effects in cyberbullying behaviors. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw 2014; 17:584-90. [PMID: 25055248 DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2014.0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the unique and interactive effects of emotion-related personality traits (i.e., callousness and uncaring traits) and peer social standing (i.e., social preference and perceived popularity) on cyberbullying behaviors in preadolescents. A total of 529 preadolescents (247 boys, 46.69%) were recruited from an Italian middle school (Mage=12 years and 7 months; SD=1 year and 2 months). The participants primarily consisted of Italian children (91.12%). A series of binary logistic regression analyses parted by gender were conducted to examine the main and interactive effects of self-reported emotion-related variables and peer-reported social standing in the prediction of self-reported cyberbullying behaviors, while controlling for cyber victimization and grade effects. In girls, an uncaring disposition was directly associated with cyberbullying behaviors, whereas in boys this association only emerged for those with low perceived popularity. Our results indicated that, in developing anti(cyber)bullying programs, school researchers and practitioners should jointly consider individual and contextual factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Ciucci
- 1 Department of Education and Psychology, University of Florence , Florence, Italy
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Ciucci E, Calussi P, Menesini E, Mattei A, Petralli M, Orlandini S. Seasonal variation, weather and behavior in day-care children: a multilevel approach. Int J Biometeorol 2013; 57:845-856. [PMID: 23238531 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-012-0612-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2012] [Revised: 11/08/2012] [Accepted: 11/08/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
This study analyzes the effect of weather variables, such as solar radiation, indoor and outdoor air temperature, relative humidity and time spent outdoor, on the behavior of 2-year-old children and their affects across different seasons: winter, spring and summer. Participants were a group of 61 children (33 males and 28 females) attending four day-care centers in Florence (Central Italy). Mean age of children at the beginning of the study was 24.1 months (SD = 3.6). We used multilevel linear analyses to account for the hierarchical structure of our data. The study analyzed the following behavioral variables: Activity Level, Attentional Focusing, Frustration, and Aggression. Results showed a different impact of some weather variables on children's behavior across seasons, indicating that the weather variable that affects children's behavior is usually the one that shows extreme values during the studied seasons, such as air temperature and relative humidity in winter and summer. Studying children and their reactions to weather conditions could have potentially wide-reaching implications for parenting and teaching practices, as well as for researchers studying social relationships development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Ciucci
- Department of Psychology, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12 Complesso di San Salvi Padiglione 26, 50135, Florence, Italy,
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Ciucci E, Baroncelli A, Franchi M, Golmaryami FN, Frick PJ. The Association between Callous-Unemotional Traits and Behavioral and Academic Adjustment in Children: Further Validation of the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10862-013-9384-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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20
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Ciucci E, Calussi P, Menesini E, Mattei A, Petralli M, Orlandini S. Weather daily variation in winter and its effect on behavior and affective states in day-care children. Int J Biometeorol 2011; 55:327-337. [PMID: 20607307 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-010-0340-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2009] [Revised: 02/24/2010] [Accepted: 06/07/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to analyze the impact of winter weather conditions on young children's behavior and affective states by examining a group of 61 children attending day-care centers in Florence (Italy). Participants were 33 males, 28 females and their 11 teachers. The mean age of the children at the beginning of the observation period was 24.1 months. The day-care teachers observed the children's behavioral and emotional states during the morning before their sleeping time and filled in a questionnaire for each baby five times over a winter period of 3 weeks. Air temperature, relative humidity, air pressure and solar radiation data were collected every 15 min from a weather station located in the city center of Florence. At the same time, air temperature and relative humidity data were collected in the classroom and in the garden of each day-care center. We used multilevel linear models to evaluate the extent to which children's emotional and behavioral states could be predicted by weather conditions, controlling for child characteristics (gender and age). The data showed that relative humidity and solar radiation were the main predictors of the children's emotional and behavioral states. The outdoor humidity had a significant positive effect on frustration, sadness and aggression; solar radiation had a significant negative effect only on sadness, suggesting that a sunny winter day makes children more cheerful. The results are discussed in term of implications for parents and teachers to improve children's ecological environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Ciucci
- Department of Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
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21
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22
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Buzzetti R, Ciancio A, Ciucci E, Celli V, Giovannini C. [ACTH of lymphocytic origin under normal and pathological conditions]. Ann Ital Med Int 1991; 6:357-63. [PMID: 1666515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Evidence has accumulated that human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) may release adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and endorphin-like peptides into the culture medium when stimulated with different substances such as Newcastle disease virus and the lipopolysaccharide of Escherichia coli. However, to our knowledge, no quantitative assessment of ACTH-LIR (like-immunoreactivity) in human PBMC has been reported. We thus utilized a radioimmunoassay for ACTH to find a median of 30 pg of ACTH-LIR in 10(7) PBMC of 11 normal subjects. ACTH-LIR was also detected in 7 different cell lines derived from patients with lymphoid and myeloid malignancies, two of them, JM and U937, showed values of 135 and 108 pg/10(7) cells respectively. Stimulation with IL-1 beta at the concentration of 1000 U/mL induced, after 48 h, a significant increase of intralymphocytic ACTH levels when compared to basal and 24 h values. The chromatographic characterization of this ACTH-LIR showed, at least, three molecular forms of immunoreactive ACTH; molecular weights were 31 kD POMC, 22 kD ACTH and 4.5 kD ACTH. We used northern blotting with human genomic DNA probe for POMC gene to evidence specific mRNA in PBMC; mRNA was also observed in a T lymphocyte cell line derived from a patient with lymphoma. We conclude that PBMC produce ACTH-LIR which may act as a paracrine immunomodulator similar to lymphokine and/or may signal the adrenal gland to secrete glucocorticoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Buzzetti
- Cattedra di Neuroendocrinologia, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza
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23
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Abstract
Beta-endorphin (beta-Ep) plasma levels are higher in obese patients than in normal subjects. To establish that this finding constitutes hyperendorphinemia, 28 obese patients aged 12-55 years, six males and 22 females, (weighing 61-117 kg) were investigated twice by an overnight 1-mg p.o. dose dexamethasone suppression test (DST) before and after weight loss. beta-Ep was measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Before body weight loss, beta-Ep was higher than normal and unresponsive to DST, whereas ACTH and cortisol were suppressible. After weight loss, beta-Ep was slightly reduced but still insensitive to DST. ACTH and cortisol were responsive as usual. Findings suggest a resistance to DST in obesity as far as beta-Ep is concerned. The disorder persists even after weight loss, indicating that hyperendorphinemia is not secondary to body weight excess. Accordingly, one can argue that the unresponsiveness of the endorphinergic system to its physiological feedback is a pathophysiological characteristic of obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Giovannini
- Department of Neuroendrocrinology, University of Rome, Italy
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24
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Giovannini C, Ciucci E, Facchinetti F. [Plasma levels of beta-endorphin , ACTH and cortisol in obese patients subjected to several weight-loss treatments]. Recenti Prog Med 1990; 81:301-5. [PMID: 2165628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
It is now well-known that the plasmatic levels of beta-endorphin (B-Ep) in subjects suffering from hyperphagie obesity during childhood, adolescence and adult age, are higher than those of normal weight standard-wright. The causes are still unknown. In obese subjects, there is also a dissociation between plasmatic levels of B-Ep and of ACTH, in spite of the common origin of Proopiomelanocortin (POMC). On the basis of these observations we studied the plasmatic levels of B-Ep, ACTH and cortisol, basal and after DXM, before and after the reduction of body weight. With the aim of evaluating pharmacological interference, the obese subjects were treated with diet alone or diet associated with an anorectic and serotoninergic drug (fenfluramin). The results have shown that after slimming, obtained with diet alone or with the help of the serotoninergic drug, the hyperendorphinemia persists both in basal conditions and after the DXM test. The verification of such behaviour in some psychiatric diseases supports our assumption of a link between hyperendorphinemia, behaviour alterations, hyperphagy and obesity.
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Giovannini C, Barletta C, Burla F, Ciucci E, Vagiri D, Facchinetti F. [Neuroendocrine changes and affective disorders in patients with hyperphagic obesity]. Recenti Prog Med 1990; 81:124-7. [PMID: 2142322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Circulating levels of cortisol and beta-endorphin were evaluated in basal condition and following dexamethasone administration in 20 healthy subjects and in 60 subjects suffering from hyperphagic obesity. Moreover, mental tests were administered to these subjects in order to evaluate the affective state. Our data showed that in obese patients B-Ep plasma levels were significantly higher than those of the control group, while cortisol plasma levels were similar in the two groups. Dexamethasone administration decreased cortisol plasma levels in normal and obese subjects, while did not modify B-Ep plasma levels in obese subjects. However, after dexamethasone administration 16.6% of the obese subjects did not show a complete decrease of cortisol level. This group of subjects obtained the highest scores for depression and hypochondria to MMPI.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Giovannini
- Istituto di Neuroendocrinologia, Università La Sapienza, Roma
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26
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Giovannini C, Ciucci E, Clementi R, Cugini P, Facchinetti F, Negri M. Beta-endorphin, insulin, ACTH and cortisol plasma levels during oral glucose tolerance test in obesity after weight loss. Horm Metab Res 1990; 22:96-100. [PMID: 2157655 DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-1004859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
In order to clarify a possible relationship between opioid peptides and glucose homeostasis in obesity we studied Beta-Endorphin (B-Ep), ACTH, cortisol and insulin plasma levels in response to an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in 8 subjects after a hypocaloric diet for 90 days. We obtained through this treatment a weight loss superior to 30% of the initial weight excess (WE) compared with ideal body weight. Moreover, we compared the obtained results with our preliminary study that was performed with the same protocol but without caloric restriction. B-Ep was measured by RIA after silicic acid extraction and G75 Sephadex column chromatography. ACTH, insulin and cortisol were measured directly on plasma by an RIA method. Basal and during OGTT-induced levels of glucose, insulin, ACTH and cortisol decreased in comparison with the values obtained before diet. Conversely, B-Ep remained higher than normal both in the basal condition and during OGTT, and showed values consistently similar to those before diet. These data show that hyperinsulinemia is corrected by weight loss, while hyperbetaendorphinemia remains unchanged. Accordingly, it can be suggested that no direct relationship occurs between hyper-B-Ep-hyper-IRI in obesity. A further insight into the role of hyper-B-Ep in obesity is, thus, necessary, assuming as hypothesis that the increase in B-Ep may be a cause and not a corollary of the polymorphic aspects of obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Giovannini
- Neuroendocrinology, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy
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27
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Giovannini C, Ciucci E, Monzani A, Valentini M, Silferi M. [Disassociation of B-EP (beta-endorphin), ACTH and blood cortisol in normal subjects]. MINERVA ENDOCRINOL 1988; 13:115-7. [PMID: 2845244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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28
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Giovannini C, Bernardini F, Cassetta MR, Ciucci E, Cugini P, Fabbri G, Facchinetti F. [Obesity: an example of the dissociation of beta-endorphin from ACTH]. Recenti Prog Med 1987; 78:434-7. [PMID: 2829324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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29
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Giovannini C, Barletta C, Buzzetti R, Ciucci E, Cassetta MR, Scavo D. [Results of diet therapy of obesity in relation to the event that triggered the onset of the disease. Considerations 10 years after the withdrawal of the treatment]. Clin Ter 1987; 120:17-23. [PMID: 2973851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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30
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Giovannini C, Barletta C, Buzzetti R, Ciucci E, Cassetta MR, Scavo D. [Endogenous opiates and essential obesity]. Recenti Prog Med 1986; 77:329-32. [PMID: 3024270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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