Publications by authors named "Ada Cigala"

TIAP is an observational procedure to assess family functioning detecting simultaneously the role of each participant and the interdependence of relational behaviors. In particular, the procedure requires family members to play according to different interactive configurations (parent1-children; parent2-children, all together, children and parents as separate units) and therefore different microtransitions from one configuration to another. As such, the procedure allows to study how family members coordinate to maintain stability, promote change, and encourage members to explore different interactive configurations within the family system.

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Sensory integration is increasingly acknowledged as being crucial for the development of cognitive and social abilities. However, its developmental trajectory is still little understood. This systematic review delves into the topic by investigating the literature about the developmental changes from infancy through adolescence of the Temporal Binding Window (TBW) - the epoch of time within which sensory inputs are perceived as simultaneous and therefore integrated.

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The use of drawing as a research tool has often been the subject of debate in the field of developmental psychology, especially for the exploration of children's meanings on a specific topic. Methodological limitations do emerge when using drawing in research, especially in preschool age. One of the main critical aspects concerns the lack of systematic and standardized coding methods that include clear and operationalizable categories to analyze the content of the drawings, and that associate a brief interview with the children aimed at avoiding misinterpretations.

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Perspective taking is conceptualized as a multidimensional construct characterized by three components: cognitive, affective, and visual. The experience of psychological maltreatment impairs the child's emotional competence; in particular, maltreated children present difficulty in understanding and regulating emotions and in social understanding ability. In addition, the literature contains several contributions that highlight maladaptive behaviors of children with a history of maltreatment in peer interactions in the school context.

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Various studies focused on educational contexts (0-6 years) point out that early childhood multi-age classrooms provide better learning strategies and socio-emotional competences of children, compared to single-grade classrooms. However, these studies have also shed light on the significant role of teachers. The multi-age classroom in particular is an opportunity for child development, provided that teachers consider problem-solving, flexibility, and co-construction as effective education strategies.

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Background: Perspective taking, defined as the aptitude to understand the cognitive, affective, and visual point of view of others, represents a fundamental social ability for the development of socio-cognitive and affective skills.

Aims: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possibility of promoting perspective taking in typically developmental preschoolers using an evidence-based training procedure.

Sample And Method: The research used a pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental design in which 206 typically developmental preschoolers (104 males and 102 females) were categorized into the experimental or the control group.

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In the present article we provide an analytical review of 26 recent studies, which investigated triadic mother-father-child interactions through observational procedures. We focused on the methodological framework and compared the studies according to different criteria, in order to highlight the complexity of the object of study as well as the variety of dimensions and measures that have been used. Even if all the considered studies were designed to analyze triads, very few used coherently triadic categories; most of them focused on the individual members of the triad or on the parents with respect to the child.

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This paper presents a qualitative study aimed at exploring the role of health-care professionals in hospitalized children's emotional experiences. A total of 27 children and adolescents from ages 6 to 15 years admitted to the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology ward of an Italian hospital participated in the study. Each participant was asked to talk about an emotional experience of happiness, anger, sadness and fear, felt in the presence of a doctor or nurse on the ward.

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