Papers by Antonio Zuffianò
The use of multiple informants (e.g., caregivers and teachers) is recommended to obtain a compreh... more The use of multiple informants (e.g., caregivers and teachers) is recommended to obtain a comprehensive profile of children's social emotional development. Evidence to date indicates that only a small-to-moderate degree of convergence exists between different informants' assessments of children's social-emotional functioning, especially when the contexts of such informants' observations are also different. However, whether caregivers and teachers primarily disagree about children's dispositional emotional tendencies or situational emotional fluctuations remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the extent to which caregivers and teachers converged in their evaluation of children's dispositional and state sympathy (i.e., a relatively internal and low visibility emotional response of concern for another's wellbeing) in a nationally representative sample of Swiss children (N = 1,273) followed from 6 to 12 years of age. Using analyses based in latent state–trait theory, we found that caregivers and teachers showed moderate-to-large agreement (r = 0.510) at the dispositional, trait level of children's sympathy, but only a small level of agreement in their assessments of children's situational, state-like manifestations of sympathy (r = 0.123). These findings highlight the differential convergence of adults' ratings of one core dimension of children's social-emotional development, i.e., sympathy, at the dispositional and situational levels, and, relatedly the need to investigate the reasons behind discrepancies at both levels of analysis. We elaborate on practical implications for designing social-emotional screening tools across different informants and contexts.
With a diary study, we tested the positive effect of prosociality on life satisfaction. Fifty-six... more With a diary study, we tested the positive effect of prosociality on life satisfaction. Fifty-six Spanish undergraduate students (45 females; Mage = 21.08 years) rated their life satisfaction, prosociality, self-esteem, and physical appearance for 5 consecutive days. Multilevel results indicated that within-individual positive deviations in prosociality (i.e., behaving more prosocial than usual) were uniquely and significantly associated with higher life satisfaction on that specific day. Students' self-esteem, physical appearance, and positive daily events were also predictive of life satisfaction. Exploratory analyses revealed that the positive effect of prosociality on life satisfaction was significant only for those students with low or medium levels of satisfaction with their physical appearance. The findings are discussed in relation to the individual determinants of subjective well-being during early adulthood.
We assessed the extent to which feelings of sympathy and aggressive behaviors co-developed
from 6... more We assessed the extent to which feelings of sympathy and aggressive behaviors co-developed
from 6 to 12 years of age in a representative sample of Swiss children (N = 1,273). Caregivers
and teachers reported children's sympathy and overt aggression in three-year intervals. Secondorder
latent curve models indicated general mean-level declines in sympathy and overt
aggression over time, although the decline in sympathy was relatively small. Importantly, both
trajectories were characterized by significant inter-individual variability. A bivariate secondorder
latent curve model revealed a small–moderate negative correlation between the latent
slopes of sympathy and overt aggression, suggesting an inverse co-developmental relationship
between the constructs from middle childhood to early adolescence. In terms of predictive
effects, an autoregressive cross-lagged model indicated a lack of bidirectional relations between
sympathy and overt aggression, underscoring the primacy of the variables’ rank-order stability.
We discuss the co-development and developmental relations of sympathy and aggression, their
potential conjoint social-emotional mechanisms, and the practical implications thereof
Knowing every child’s social-emotional development is important as it can support prevention and ... more Knowing every child’s social-emotional development is important as it can support prevention and intervention approaches to meet the developmental needs and strengths of children. Here, we discuss the role of social-emotional assessment tools in planning, implementing, and evaluating preventative strategies to promote mental health in all children and adolescents. We, first, selectively review existing tools and identify current gaps in the measurement literature. Next, we introduce the Holistic Student Assessment (HSA), a tool that is based in our social-emotional developmental theory, The Clover Model, and designed to measure social-emotional development in children and adolescents. Using a sample of 5946 students (51% boys, Mage = 13.16 years), we provide evidence for the psychometric validity of the self-report version of the HSA. First, we document the theoretically expected 7-dimension factor structure in a calibration sub-sample (n = 984) and cross-validate its structure in a validation sub-sample (n = 4962). Next, we show measurement invariance across development, i.e., late childhood (9- to 11-year-olds), early adolescence (12- to 14-year-olds), and middle adolescence (15- to 18-year-olds), and evidence for the HSA’s construct validity in each age group. The findings support the robustness of the factor structure and confirm its developmental sensitivity. Structural equation modeling validity analysis in a multiple-group framework indicates that the HSA is associated with mental health in expected directions across ages. Overall, these findings show the psychometric properties of the tool, and we discuss how social-emotional tools such as the HSA can guide future research and inform large-scale dissemination of preventive strategies.
A common situation in the evaluation of intervention programs is the researcher’s possibility to ... more A common situation in the evaluation of intervention programs is the researcher’s possibility to rely on two waves of data only (i.e., pretest and posttest), which profoundly impacts on his/her choice about the possible statistical analyses to be conducted. Indeed, the evaluation of intervention programs based on a pretest-posttest design has been usually carried out by using classic statistical tests, such as family-wise ANOVA analyses, which are strongly limited by exclusively analyzing the intervention effects at the group level. In this article, we showed how second order multiple group latent change modeling (SO-MG-LCM) could represent a useful methodological tool to have a more realistic and informative assessment of intervention programs with two waves of data. We offered a practical step-by-step guide to properly implement this methodology, and we outlined the advantages of the LCM approach over classic ANOVA analyses. Furthermore, we also provided a real-data example by re-analyzing the implementation of the Young Prosocial Animation, a universal intervention program aimed at promoting prosociality among youth. In conclusion, albeit there are previous studies that pointed to the usefulness of MG-LCM to evaluate intervention programs (Curran & Muthén, 1999; Muthén & Curran, 1997), no previous study showed that it is possible to use this approach even in pretest-posttest (i.e., with only two time points) designs. Given the advantages of latent variable analyses in examining differences in interindividual and intraindividual changes (McArdle, 2009), the methodological and substantive implications of our proposed approach are discussed.
The study analyzed the factorial and concurrent validity of the Student-Teacher Relationship Scal... more The study analyzed the factorial and concurrent validity of the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) using an Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) approach. Participants were 368 Italian children aged 3 to 6 (M = 4.60, SD = 0.98). The three-factor ESEM solution fit the data better than the classical confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) model and the measurement invariance of the scale was confirmed across sex and age (3-4 vs. 5-6 years) groups. The concurrent validity of the STRS was investigated within the ESEM approach using children’s social behaviors as validity criteria. Findings supported the goodness of ESEM over CFA and attested to the validity of the STRS to understanding the teacher-child relationship quality in young children.
With a diary study of 4- and 8-year-olds, we tested the association between daily deviations in a... more With a diary study of 4- and 8-year-olds, we tested the association between daily deviations in anger and aggressive behavior, and whether this link was moderated by feelings of guilt and sympathy. Caregivers reported their children’s anger and aggression for 10 consecutive days (470 records; N = 80, 53 % girls). To calculate daily anger deviations from average anger levels, we subtracted each child’s average anger score (i.e., across 10 days) from his/her daily anger scores. Children reported their guilty feelings in response to vignettes depicting intentional harm, as well as their dispositional sympathy levels. Multilevel modeling indicated that within-child spikes in daily anger were associated with more aggression, above and beyond between-child differences in average anger levels. However, this association was weaker for children who reported higher levels of guilt. Sympathy did not moderate the anger-aggression link. We discuss potential implications for affective-developmental models of aggression and interventions that target anger-related aggression.
Empathy has been identified as a core component of social and emotional functioning across develo... more Empathy has been identified as a core component of social and emotional functioning across development. Various prevention and intervention programs have utilized components of empathy-related responding to promote the development of children’s and adolescents’ social-emotional functioning and impede their aggression in school contexts. In this article, we assess the effectiveness of select school-based empathy interventions and the extent to which they align with developmental theory and research. First, we review current conceptualizations of empathy-related responding, identify its components, outline its normative development, and describe the need for developmentally tailored interventions. We then identify and assess the effectiveness and developmental sensitivity of 19 school-based programs with strong empirical support that target empathy-related responding across childhood and adolescence. Although the majority of these programs showed some degree of developmental differentiation between grades, none considered developmental differences within grades. Commencing interventions earlier in development and targeting higher numbers of empathy-related constructs were, in part, associated with larger effects. We discuss how future research can bridge the gap between basic developmental research and the design of developmentally tailored interventions to promote empathy-related responding.
This study evaluates the temporal structure of daily self-esteem and the relative contribution of... more This study evaluates the temporal structure of daily self-esteem and the relative contribution of a range of theoretically motivated predictors of daily self-esteem. To assess self-esteem stability, a daily version of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale (RSE, Rosenberg, 1965) was administered to 278 undergraduates for five consecutive days. These short-term longitudinal data were analysed using the Trait State Error (TSE) modelling framework. The TSE decomposes multi-wave data into three components: (1) a stable trait component, (2) a state component, and (3) an error component. Significant predictors of the trait component of self-esteem observed across five days were: (1) emotional stability, and (2) the congruence between implicit and explicit self-esteem. Significant predictors of the state components of self-esteem were daily positive and negative events. We discuss the implications of these results for future research concerning self-esteem stability.
Heightened attention to sociomoral conflicts and arousal at the
prospect of committing moral tran... more Heightened attention to sociomoral conflicts and arousal at the
prospect of committing moral transgressions are thought to
increase the likelihood of negatively valenced moral emotions
(NVMEs; e.g., guilt) in children. Here, we tested this biphasic model
of moral emotions with a psychophysiological framework. For a
series of vignettes depicting moral transgressions, 5- and 8-yearolds
(N = 138) were asked to anticipate their emotions as hypothetical
victimizers. Their responses were coded for the presence and
intensity of NVMEs. In addition, their heart rate (HR) was calculated
for three intervals of interest: a baseline period, the presentation
of vignettes, and the anticipation of emotions following
vignettes. We used multilevel modeling to examine how change
in children’s HR across these intervals related to the intensity of
their NVMEs. Those who experienced greater HR deceleration from
baseline to vignettes and greater acceleration from vignettes to
anticipated emotions reported more intense NVMEs. We discuss
the potential attention- and arousal-related processes behind children’s
physiological reactivity and anticipated emotions in contexts
of moral transgression.
Given the prevalence of anger-related aggression in school and out-of-school contexts, research o... more Given the prevalence of anger-related aggression in school and out-of-school contexts, research on counteracting the anger-aggression link in children and adolescents is likely to have implications for educators and practitioners. Here, we tested moral guilt and sympathy as potential moderators of the anger-aggression link in a sample of 4-, 8-, and 12-year-olds (N = 242). Caregivers reported their children’s aggression and anger levels with a questionnaire. Children reported their moral guilt (in response to vignettes depicting intentional harm) and sympathy levels in an interview. Moral guilt and sympathy interacted with anger in relation to aggression. Controlling for age, sex, socio-economic status, and inhibitory control, high anger was significantly related to high aggression, but not when children and adolescents had high guilt or sympathy. We discuss the potential roles of moral guilt and sympathy in mitigating the anger-aggression link.
Tyler Colasante, Antonio Zuffianò , Tina Malti
Journal of Personality, 2014
Objective: The present study examined the longitudinal relations of adolescents' selfreported ego... more Objective: The present study examined the longitudinal relations of adolescents' selfreported ego-resiliency to their emotional self-efficacy beliefs in expressing positive emotions and in managing negative emotions as they moved into early adulthood. Method: Participants were 239 females and 211 males with a mean age of 17 years (SD = .80) at T1, 19 years (SD = .80) at T2, 21 years (SD = .82) at T3, and 25 years (SD = .80) at T4. A four-wave cross-lagged regression model and mediational analyses were used. Results: In a panel structural equation model controlling for the stability of the constructs, reciprocal relationships across time were found between egoresiliency and emotional self-efficacy beliefs related to the expression of positive emotions and to the management of negative emotions. Moreover, the relation between ego-resiliency assessed at T1 and T3, and ego-resiliency assessed at T2 and T4 was mediated through emotional self-efficacy beliefs (at T2 and T3, respectively), and vice versa. Conclusions: The posited conceptual model accounted for a significant portion of variance in ego-resiliency and has implications for understanding the development of ego-resiliency.
Journal of Personality, 2014
Objective: The present longitudinal study examined the role of quality of friendship in mediating... more Objective: The present longitudinal study examined the role of quality of friendship in mediating the relation of prosociality to self-esteem over time.
Journal of Adolescence, 2014
The goal of this study was to identify heterogenic longitudinal patterns of change in prosocial b... more The goal of this study was to identify heterogenic longitudinal patterns of change in prosocial behavior from adolescence to early adulthood and their association with change in Big Five Factor (BFF) personality traits from adolescence until early adulthood. Participants were 573 Italian adolescents aged approximately 13 at the first assessment and 21 at the last assessment. Using growth mixture modeling, low increasing (LI; 18%), medium quadratic (MQ; 26%), and high quadratic (HQ; 54%) trajectories of prosocial behavior were distinguished. Generally, the LI trajectory group predicted an increase in Conscientiousness over time, whereas the HQ trajectory group predicted greater change in Agreeableness and Openness. In addition, positive changes in Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Openness between ages 13 and 21 predicted a higher probability of belonging to the HQ prosocial group. Findings support a malleable perspective on personality and identify longterm positive pathways for youths' prosocial development. Ó
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2014
Prosocial behaviors are considered integral to
intervention goals that seek to promote successfu... more Prosocial behaviors are considered integral to
intervention goals that seek to promote successful youth
development. This study examines the effect of a schoolbased intervention program entirely designed to promote
prosocial behaviors called Promoting Prosocial and Emotional Skills to Counteract Externalizing Problems in
Adolescence (Italian acronym CEPIDEA). The CEPIDEA
curriculum was incorporated into routine educational
practices and included five major components that reflect
the personal determinants of prosocial behavior during
adolescence. The present study assessed 151 students
(48.7 % female; Mage=12.4) of the intervention school
and 140 students (51.2 % female; Mage=13.0) of the
control school at three points. A multi-group latent curve
analysis revealed that the intervention group, compared
with the control group, showed an increase in prosocial
behavior, interpersonal self-efficacy beliefs, and agreeableness along with a decrease in physical aggression
above and beyond the normative developmental trend of
the these variables. Participants of the intervention also
obtained higher grades than the control group at the end of
middle school. Moderation effects for prosocial behavior
and agreeableness evidenced that those who benefited most
from the intervention were those adolescents with lower
normative development of prosocial behavior, low initial
level of agreeableness, and high initial level of physical
aggression. The results also showed that the increase of
prosocial behaviors mediated the decline of verbal aggression in adolescents who had attended the intervention.
These findings suggest that interventions aimed at promoting prosocial behaviors while having the potential to
support positive outcomes may also counteract or redirect
negative trajectories of functioning.
This paper examines whether trust and trustworthiness measured at age 8 predict subsequent trajec... more This paper examines whether trust and trustworthiness measured at age 8 predict subsequent trajectories in prosocial behavior
Prosocial behaviour has its roots in infancy and early childhood. To fully capture its importance... more Prosocial behaviour has its roots in infancy and early childhood. To fully capture its importance it is essential to understand how it develops across ages, the factors that contribute to individual differences, its moral and value bases, the clinical aspects of low and excessive prosocial behaviour, and its relevance for schooling.
We examined links between sharing, respect for moral others, and sympathy in an ethnically divers... more We examined links between sharing, respect for moral others, and sympathy in an ethnically diverse sample of 7- and 15-year-olds (N = 146). Sharing was assessed through children's allocation of resources in the dictator game. Children reported their respect towards hypothetical characters performing moral acts. Sympathy was evaluated via caregiver and child reports. Respect and caregiver-reported sympathy interacted in predicting sharing: Higher levels of respect were associated with higher levels of sharing for children with low, but not medium or high, levels of sympathy. The motivational components of other-oriented respect may compensate for low levels of sympathetic concern in the promotion of sharing.
his study examined links between inhibitory control, moral emotions (sympathy and guilt), and rep... more his study examined links between inhibitory control, moral emotions (sympathy and guilt), and reparative behavior in an ethnically diverse sample of 4- and 8-year-olds (N = 162). Caregivers reported their children's reparative behavior, inhibitory control, and moral emotions through a questionnaire, and children reported their guilt feelings in response to a series of vignettes depicting moral transgressions. A hypothesized meditation model was tested with inhibitory control relating to reparative behavior through sympathy and guilt. In support of this model, results revealed that high levels of inhibitory control were associated with high levels of reparative behavior through high levels of sympathy and guilt. However, the mediation of inhibitory control to reparation through guilt was significant for 4-year-olds only. Results are discussed in relation to the temperamental, regulatory, and affective-moral precursors of reparative behavior in early and middle childhood.
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Papers by Antonio Zuffianò
from 6 to 12 years of age in a representative sample of Swiss children (N = 1,273). Caregivers
and teachers reported children's sympathy and overt aggression in three-year intervals. Secondorder
latent curve models indicated general mean-level declines in sympathy and overt
aggression over time, although the decline in sympathy was relatively small. Importantly, both
trajectories were characterized by significant inter-individual variability. A bivariate secondorder
latent curve model revealed a small–moderate negative correlation between the latent
slopes of sympathy and overt aggression, suggesting an inverse co-developmental relationship
between the constructs from middle childhood to early adolescence. In terms of predictive
effects, an autoregressive cross-lagged model indicated a lack of bidirectional relations between
sympathy and overt aggression, underscoring the primacy of the variables’ rank-order stability.
We discuss the co-development and developmental relations of sympathy and aggression, their
potential conjoint social-emotional mechanisms, and the practical implications thereof
prospect of committing moral transgressions are thought to
increase the likelihood of negatively valenced moral emotions
(NVMEs; e.g., guilt) in children. Here, we tested this biphasic model
of moral emotions with a psychophysiological framework. For a
series of vignettes depicting moral transgressions, 5- and 8-yearolds
(N = 138) were asked to anticipate their emotions as hypothetical
victimizers. Their responses were coded for the presence and
intensity of NVMEs. In addition, their heart rate (HR) was calculated
for three intervals of interest: a baseline period, the presentation
of vignettes, and the anticipation of emotions following
vignettes. We used multilevel modeling to examine how change
in children’s HR across these intervals related to the intensity of
their NVMEs. Those who experienced greater HR deceleration from
baseline to vignettes and greater acceleration from vignettes to
anticipated emotions reported more intense NVMEs. We discuss
the potential attention- and arousal-related processes behind children’s
physiological reactivity and anticipated emotions in contexts
of moral transgression.
Tyler Colasante, Antonio Zuffianò , Tina Malti
intervention goals that seek to promote successful youth
development. This study examines the effect of a schoolbased intervention program entirely designed to promote
prosocial behaviors called Promoting Prosocial and Emotional Skills to Counteract Externalizing Problems in
Adolescence (Italian acronym CEPIDEA). The CEPIDEA
curriculum was incorporated into routine educational
practices and included five major components that reflect
the personal determinants of prosocial behavior during
adolescence. The present study assessed 151 students
(48.7 % female; Mage=12.4) of the intervention school
and 140 students (51.2 % female; Mage=13.0) of the
control school at three points. A multi-group latent curve
analysis revealed that the intervention group, compared
with the control group, showed an increase in prosocial
behavior, interpersonal self-efficacy beliefs, and agreeableness along with a decrease in physical aggression
above and beyond the normative developmental trend of
the these variables. Participants of the intervention also
obtained higher grades than the control group at the end of
middle school. Moderation effects for prosocial behavior
and agreeableness evidenced that those who benefited most
from the intervention were those adolescents with lower
normative development of prosocial behavior, low initial
level of agreeableness, and high initial level of physical
aggression. The results also showed that the increase of
prosocial behaviors mediated the decline of verbal aggression in adolescents who had attended the intervention.
These findings suggest that interventions aimed at promoting prosocial behaviors while having the potential to
support positive outcomes may also counteract or redirect
negative trajectories of functioning.
from 6 to 12 years of age in a representative sample of Swiss children (N = 1,273). Caregivers
and teachers reported children's sympathy and overt aggression in three-year intervals. Secondorder
latent curve models indicated general mean-level declines in sympathy and overt
aggression over time, although the decline in sympathy was relatively small. Importantly, both
trajectories were characterized by significant inter-individual variability. A bivariate secondorder
latent curve model revealed a small–moderate negative correlation between the latent
slopes of sympathy and overt aggression, suggesting an inverse co-developmental relationship
between the constructs from middle childhood to early adolescence. In terms of predictive
effects, an autoregressive cross-lagged model indicated a lack of bidirectional relations between
sympathy and overt aggression, underscoring the primacy of the variables’ rank-order stability.
We discuss the co-development and developmental relations of sympathy and aggression, their
potential conjoint social-emotional mechanisms, and the practical implications thereof
prospect of committing moral transgressions are thought to
increase the likelihood of negatively valenced moral emotions
(NVMEs; e.g., guilt) in children. Here, we tested this biphasic model
of moral emotions with a psychophysiological framework. For a
series of vignettes depicting moral transgressions, 5- and 8-yearolds
(N = 138) were asked to anticipate their emotions as hypothetical
victimizers. Their responses were coded for the presence and
intensity of NVMEs. In addition, their heart rate (HR) was calculated
for three intervals of interest: a baseline period, the presentation
of vignettes, and the anticipation of emotions following
vignettes. We used multilevel modeling to examine how change
in children’s HR across these intervals related to the intensity of
their NVMEs. Those who experienced greater HR deceleration from
baseline to vignettes and greater acceleration from vignettes to
anticipated emotions reported more intense NVMEs. We discuss
the potential attention- and arousal-related processes behind children’s
physiological reactivity and anticipated emotions in contexts
of moral transgression.
Tyler Colasante, Antonio Zuffianò , Tina Malti
intervention goals that seek to promote successful youth
development. This study examines the effect of a schoolbased intervention program entirely designed to promote
prosocial behaviors called Promoting Prosocial and Emotional Skills to Counteract Externalizing Problems in
Adolescence (Italian acronym CEPIDEA). The CEPIDEA
curriculum was incorporated into routine educational
practices and included five major components that reflect
the personal determinants of prosocial behavior during
adolescence. The present study assessed 151 students
(48.7 % female; Mage=12.4) of the intervention school
and 140 students (51.2 % female; Mage=13.0) of the
control school at three points. A multi-group latent curve
analysis revealed that the intervention group, compared
with the control group, showed an increase in prosocial
behavior, interpersonal self-efficacy beliefs, and agreeableness along with a decrease in physical aggression
above and beyond the normative developmental trend of
the these variables. Participants of the intervention also
obtained higher grades than the control group at the end of
middle school. Moderation effects for prosocial behavior
and agreeableness evidenced that those who benefited most
from the intervention were those adolescents with lower
normative development of prosocial behavior, low initial
level of agreeableness, and high initial level of physical
aggression. The results also showed that the increase of
prosocial behaviors mediated the decline of verbal aggression in adolescents who had attended the intervention.
These findings suggest that interventions aimed at promoting prosocial behaviors while having the potential to
support positive outcomes may also counteract or redirect
negative trajectories of functioning.