Marianna Alesi
Biographic Data
| ID | 275973 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Marianna Alesi |
| GIVEN NAMES | Marianna |
| FAMILY NAME | Alesi |
| SIGNATURE | ALESI M |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Palermo |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-5277-8063 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 31 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 3 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 31 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2003 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Italian adaptation of the Japanese START Program for enhancing self-regulation in kindergarteners: A pilot study
Transitioning from kindergarten to primary school is crucial for children's development and often challenges their adaptation to classroom rules. To ensure well-being and success, children need behavioural self-regulation skills. To our knowledge, few intervention programs focus on activities supporting self-regulation related to classroom rules. This pilot study aims to validate the START Program by testing its six academic readiness lessons in …
Parenting adolescents with rare diseases: Representations of youth strengths and difficulties and perceived parental competence
BACKGROUND: Adolescence and the onset of emerging adulthood are periods of increasing autonomy; when a rare disease is present, parents may experience heightened psychological strain. Parenting self-efficacy is central to parenting competence, yet little is known about how parents' perceptions of adolescents' difficulties relate to this sense of competence in rare-disease contexts. OBJECTIVES: To examine associations between parent-perceived adol…
How conception of students’ intelligence, need satisfaction and frustration relate to teaching practices and self-efficacy in special education teachers
Virtual Reality Game Effect on Healthy Young Adults′ Executive Functions: A Pilot Study
Background The current pilot study is aimed at exploring the effect of a new virtual reality cognitive training with different environments (natural blue, natural green, and neutral) on young adults′ executive functions. Methods A sample of 38 participants (58% M, mean age = 23.7 years, SD = ±2.75) were randomly assigned to one of the three VR experimental conditions (natural blue, natural green, and neutral) or the control group (no training and…
Mindfulness training combined with cold water immersion effects on mood and perception of executive functioning in middle-aged and older adults: A pilot study
Background Age-related cognitive decline typically begins during middle age and persists into old age. In parallel, mood (and, in particular, anxiety and depression) can be a significant predictor of neurodegenerative pathologies. To prevent these negative consequences, mindfulness trainings were used to improve mood and executive functioning in middle-aged and older adults. Less is known about cold water immersion, which apparently favors cognit…
Immersive training programs for schoolchildren: A systematic review
Enriched Motor Program [EMP]: Adaptation of a Physical Activity Intervention for Enhancing Executive Functions in Children with ASD
This is the first implementation of EMP, which merges physical activities with cognitive stimuli to enhance EFs in children with ASD. It could be used by specialized centers and clinicians to support EFs through engaging activities, and it could be potentially recommended as a best practice for EF treatments in children with ASD
The role of teachers' conception of students’ intelligence, self-efficacy and need frustration and satisfaction in shaping tendencies in teaching practices
The present study investigates the influence of teachers' beliefs and personal factors on teaching practices by conducting two studies on their relationship (Study 1) and on the creation of teachers' profiles (Study 2). Data were collected on 447 Italian teachers (85 % female, mean age: 38.7 years, SD: ±4.49). Path analysis of Study 1 showed that teachers' beliefs significantly influenced their self-efficacy and their perception of teaching pract…
The mediating role of academic motivation in the relationship between self-efficacy and learning strategies during the Covid-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions imposed the use of Online Learning (OL) as the preferred tool for delivering school and academic lectures. Despite the flexibility of the OL tool, some features (such as the use of technology, lack of sense of belonging, and Internet connection) could have impacted the academic motivation of university students and their learning strategies. Therefore, the aim of the study is to clarify the role of academic moti…
Psychological dimensions associated with youth engagement in climate change issues: A person-centered approach
Climate change is one of the greatest global threats that has ecological, economic, social, and psychological consequences. Nowadays, young people are the target of political agenda since they represent potential future policymakers. Consequently, it is crucial to identify the psychological features that contribute to engagement of young people in climate change issue. This study aimed at identifying and describing different configurations of you…
Covid-19 Parental Vaccine Hesitancy: The Role of Trust in Science and Conspiracy Beliefs
The results of the current paper suggest that targeted campaigns should be aimed at parents with lower levels of education, mainly on social media, debunking the most common fake news or myths, independently from the type of vaccine, and highlighting the importance of scientific research for improving people's living conditions
Personality Traits and Sociodemographic Variables’ Effects on Parental Burnout During the Second and Fourth Covid-19 Waves in Italian Parents
(1) Background: Since the COVID-19 pandemic was a source of stress for families, this study aimed to investigate the influence of dispositional factors, such as personality traits and sociodemographic variables, on parental burnout among Italian parents during two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the study assessed personality traits and sociodemographic variables as protective or risk factors for parental burnout levels. (2) Methods: T…
Developmental outcomes in Italian young cancer survivors: The effect of lack of social support in physical activity practice on quality of life and mental health
Life expectancy among young cancer survivors has increased in the last decades. Unfortunately, young cancer survivors might still experience mental and physical issues due to cancer treatment. Moreover, although physical activity is a valid tool for increasing social support and reducing the risk of obesity, sedentary behaviour is very common among young cancer survivors. Therefore, the current pilot study aims to estimate lack of social support …
The Switch to Online Learning during the Covid-19 Pandemic: The Interplay between Personality and Mental Health on University Students
The switching from traditional to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic was challenging for students, determining an increase in physical and mental health problems. The current paper applied a two-step cluster analysis in a large sample of n = 1028 university students (Mage = 21.10 years, SD = 2.45 years; range: 18-30 years; 78.4% females). Participants responded to an online survey exploring neuroticism, trait/state anxiety, general self…
Preliminary evaluation of a short version questionnaire for Executive Functioning Self-Report (EF-SR)
Emotional Competence in Primary School Children: Examining the Effect of a Psycho-Educational Group Intervention: A Pilot Prospective Study
Emotional competence (EC) is a key component of children’s psychological, cognitive, and social development, and it is a central element of learning. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing a psycho-educational group intervention aimed at improving children’s emotional competence (EC), quality of integration and scholastic skills. A total of 229 children (123 females; M Age = 7.22 years; SD = 0.97 years) c…
Maternal Competence, Maternal Burnout and Personality Traits in Italian Mothers after the First Covid-19 Lockdown
This study aimed to investigate the maternal sense of competence and maternal burnout in Italian mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample was composed of 278 mothers of children/adolescents aged 4 to 17 years old. Participants were recruited after the end of the first spring total Italian lockdown (June-October 2020) through online advertisements on websites and social media. We hypothesized a model in which a specific personality trait, …
Happiness in Physical Activity: A Longitudinal Examination of Children Motivation and Negative Affect in Physical Activity
Sports, Executive Functions and Academic Performance: A Comparison between Martial Arts, Team Sports, and Sedentary Children
It is well known that curricular physical activity benefits children's executive functions and academic performance. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether there is an influence of extracurricular sports on executive functions and academic performance. However, it is less known which specific types of the sport better enhance executive functions in children; to investigate this issue, this study compared the performance on executive fun…
Effects of a Physical Activity Intervention on Physical Fitness of schoolchildren: The Enriched Sport Activity Program
Background: Physical fitness in youth is a predictor of health in adulthood. The main objective of the present study was to understand if an enriched sport activity program could increase physical fitness in a population of schoolchildren. Methods: In a sample of 672 children aged 10.0 ± 1.90 years, different motor skills were tested by the 1 kg and 3 kg ball throw (BT), the standing broad jump (SBJ), the 30 m sprint (30mS), the leger shuttle run…
Food literacy predictors and associations with physical and emergent literacy in pre-schoolers: Results from the Training-to-Health Project
Objective: Food literacy (FL) is a crucial need encompassing basic literacy and fundamental movement skills. The present study aimed to investigate the FL level in pre-schoolers and to evaluate the effect of potential predictors and the associations with gross motor and emergent literacy skills. Design: Cross-sectional study conducted within the Training-to-Health Project. Setting: Kindergartens ( n 21) in the Palermo City Council, Italy. Partici…
Effectiveness of a Physical Education Program on the Motor and Pre-literacy Skills of Preschoolers From the Training-To-Health Project: A Focus on Weight Status
Many studies reported a positive relationship between motor skills, cognitive functions, and school performance in school-age children; however, little is known in preschool children. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the effectiveness of a physical education program (PEP) on locomotor, object control skills, and pre-literacy cognitive functions in a wide population of preschoolers and verify whether weight status could influence th…
Effects of a Motivational Climate on Psychological Needs Satisfaction, Motivation and Commitment in Teen Handball Players
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the motivational climate created by the coach and perceived by a group of young high-performance handball players on their sport motivation, self-determination, sport psychological needs and sport commitment. The study participants were 479 young handball players. The age range was 16-17 years old. Players were administered a battery composed of a Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Question…
Scaffolding for motivation by parents, and child homework motivations and emotions: Effects of a training programme
Background and aimsBased on the principles of scaffolding for motivation and on the assumptions of self-determination theory, two studies aimed to assess the role played by perceived parental autonomy-supportive scaffolding on child homework autonomous motivation, self-efficacy, affect, and engagement.Samples and resultsThe results of Study 1, which involved 122 parents and their children, showed that the higher the parental autonomous motivation…
Investigating Parental Beliefs Concerning Facilitators and Barriers to the Physical Activity in Down Syndrome and Typical Development
Family is a crucial factor to determine the amount, the duration, and the complexity of children’s sport activities. This study aims at comparing the beliefs concerning the involvement in sport activities among parents of children with Down syndrome (DS) and parents of typically developing children (TDC). A phenomenological theoretical framework was adopted to realize semistructured interviews with the parents. The participants were 35 parents: 1…
Scaffolding for motivation by parents, and child homework motivations and emotions: Effects of a training programme
Background and aimsBased on the principles of scaffolding for motivation and on the assumptions of self-determination theory, two studies aimed to assess the role played by perceived parental autonomy-supportive scaffolding on child homework autonomous motivation, self-efficacy, affect, and engagement.Samples and resultsThe results of Study 1, which involved 122 parents and their children, showed that the higher the parental autonomous motivation…
Effectiveness of a Physical Education Program on the Motor and Pre-literacy Skills of Preschoolers From the Training-To-Health Project: A Focus on Weight Status
Many studies reported a positive relationship between motor skills, cognitive functions, and school performance in school-age children; however, little is known in preschool children. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the effectiveness of a physical education program (PEP) on locomotor, object control skills, and pre-literacy cognitive functions in a wide population of preschoolers and verify whether weight status could influence th…
Reading Comprehension: Think and Know Verbs
Verbs such as think, know, remember, and guess play a pivotal role in understanding, monitoring, and transformation of internal states. We focus on the specific words as think and know, polysemous cognitive verbs that show hierarchical organization and high frequency of use in children's and adults' lexicons. According to Booth and Hall's model, think and know present a conceptual organization that involves low conceptual levels (perception, memo…
Theories of Intelligence in Children With Reading Disabilities: A Training Proposal
Personal Conceptions of Intelligence: Cross-Cultural Comparisons Between Portuguese and Italian Students
This article presents some results of an intercultural study on personal conceptions of intelligence. The sample includes 1,540 students, 811 Italians and 729 Portuguese, from both sexes and of different socioeconomic statuses, of secondary Grades 10 and 12 and of the 1st grade of several university courses in both countries. The instrument used was The Personal Conceptions of Intelligence Scale (Faria, 2003), with 26 items, translated and adapte…
Measuring Collectivism and Individualism in the Third Millennium
The aim in this study was to validate the Auckland Individualism-Collectivism Scale (AICS) across populations from 5 different countries and identify better ways to interpret the scores. Data were collected from New Zealand, Portugal, China, Italy, and Romania. The results indicate that the AICS is not only valid but also highly reliable (α > .70). Cluster analysis identified 4 clusters: low collectivism – high individualism; high collectivism – …
Self-Esteem at School and Self-Handicapping in Childhood: Comparison of Groups with Learning Disabilities
Recent research has focused on the role of self-esteem and self-handicapping strategies in the school domain. Self-handicapping refers to maladaptive strategies employed by adults and children for protection and maintenance of positive school self esteem. In this study the self-esteem and the self-handicapping strategies of children with dyslexia, reading comprehension disabilities, and mathematical disabilities were compared to a control group w…
Emotional Profile and Intellectual Functioning: A Comparison Among Children With Borderline Intellectual Functioning, Average Intellectual Functioning, and Gifted Intellectual Functioning
Insufficient literature has been produced addressing children with borderline intellectual functioning (BIF) and gifted intellectual functioning (GIF). The goal of this work is to compare levels of self-esteem, depression, anxiety at school, and insecurity among children with BIF and GIF, and a control group of average intellectual functioning (AIF). There were participants of 104 children (fourth grade of primary school). Analyses revealed that …
Investigating Parental Beliefs Concerning Facilitators and Barriers to the Physical Activity in Down Syndrome and Typical Development
Family is a crucial factor to determine the amount, the duration, and the complexity of children’s sport activities. This study aims at comparing the beliefs concerning the involvement in sport activities among parents of children with Down syndrome (DS) and parents of typically developing children (TDC). A phenomenological theoretical framework was adopted to realize semistructured interviews with the parents. The participants were 35 parents: 1…
Scaffolding for motivation by parents, and child homework motivations and emotions: Effects of a training programme
Background and aimsBased on the principles of scaffolding for motivation and on the assumptions of self-determination theory, two studies aimed to assess the role played by perceived parental autonomy-supportive scaffolding on child homework autonomous motivation, self-efficacy, affect, and engagement.Samples and resultsThe results of Study 1, which involved 122 parents and their children, showed that the higher the parental autonomous motivation…
Effects of a Motivational Climate on Psychological Needs Satisfaction, Motivation and Commitment in Teen Handball Players
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the motivational climate created by the coach and perceived by a group of young high-performance handball players on their sport motivation, self-determination, sport psychological needs and sport commitment. The study participants were 479 young handball players. The age range was 16-17 years old. Players were administered a battery composed of a Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Question…
Effects of a Physical Activity Intervention on Physical Fitness of schoolchildren: The Enriched Sport Activity Program
Background: Physical fitness in youth is a predictor of health in adulthood. The main objective of the present study was to understand if an enriched sport activity program could increase physical fitness in a population of schoolchildren. Methods: In a sample of 672 children aged 10.0 ± 1.90 years, different motor skills were tested by the 1 kg and 3 kg ball throw (BT), the standing broad jump (SBJ), the 30 m sprint (30mS), the leger shuttle run…
Food literacy predictors and associations with physical and emergent literacy in pre-schoolers: Results from the Training-to-Health Project
Objective: Food literacy (FL) is a crucial need encompassing basic literacy and fundamental movement skills. The present study aimed to investigate the FL level in pre-schoolers and to evaluate the effect of potential predictors and the associations with gross motor and emergent literacy skills. Design: Cross-sectional study conducted within the Training-to-Health Project. Setting: Kindergartens ( n 21) in the Palermo City Council, Italy. Partici…
Effectiveness of a Physical Education Program on the Motor and Pre-literacy Skills of Preschoolers From the Training-To-Health Project: A Focus on Weight Status
Many studies reported a positive relationship between motor skills, cognitive functions, and school performance in school-age children; however, little is known in preschool children. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the effectiveness of a physical education program (PEP) on locomotor, object control skills, and pre-literacy cognitive functions in a wide population of preschoolers and verify whether weight status could influence th…
Happiness in Physical Activity: A Longitudinal Examination of Children Motivation and Negative Affect in Physical Activity
Sports, Executive Functions and Academic Performance: A Comparison between Martial Arts, Team Sports, and Sedentary Children
It is well known that curricular physical activity benefits children's executive functions and academic performance. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether there is an influence of extracurricular sports on executive functions and academic performance. However, it is less known which specific types of the sport better enhance executive functions in children; to investigate this issue, this study compared the performance on executive fun…
Preliminary evaluation of a short version questionnaire for Executive Functioning Self-Report (EF-SR)
Emotional Competence in Primary School Children: Examining the Effect of a Psycho-Educational Group Intervention: A Pilot Prospective Study
Emotional competence (EC) is a key component of children’s psychological, cognitive, and social development, and it is a central element of learning. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing a psycho-educational group intervention aimed at improving children’s emotional competence (EC), quality of integration and scholastic skills. A total of 229 children (123 females; M Age = 7.22 years; SD = 0.97 years) c…
Maternal Competence, Maternal Burnout and Personality Traits in Italian Mothers after the First Covid-19 Lockdown
This study aimed to investigate the maternal sense of competence and maternal burnout in Italian mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample was composed of 278 mothers of children/adolescents aged 4 to 17 years old. Participants were recruited after the end of the first spring total Italian lockdown (June-October 2020) through online advertisements on websites and social media. We hypothesized a model in which a specific personality trait, …
The Switch to Online Learning during the Covid-19 Pandemic: The Interplay between Personality and Mental Health on University Students
The switching from traditional to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic was challenging for students, determining an increase in physical and mental health problems. The current paper applied a two-step cluster analysis in a large sample of n = 1028 university students (Mage = 21.10 years, SD = 2.45 years; range: 18-30 years; 78.4% females). Participants responded to an online survey exploring neuroticism, trait/state anxiety, general self…
The mediating role of academic motivation in the relationship between self-efficacy and learning strategies during the Covid-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions imposed the use of Online Learning (OL) as the preferred tool for delivering school and academic lectures. Despite the flexibility of the OL tool, some features (such as the use of technology, lack of sense of belonging, and Internet connection) could have impacted the academic motivation of university students and their learning strategies. Therefore, the aim of the study is to clarify the role of academic moti…
Psychological dimensions associated with youth engagement in climate change issues: A person-centered approach
Climate change is one of the greatest global threats that has ecological, economic, social, and psychological consequences. Nowadays, young people are the target of political agenda since they represent potential future policymakers. Consequently, it is crucial to identify the psychological features that contribute to engagement of young people in climate change issue. This study aimed at identifying and describing different configurations of you…
Covid-19 Parental Vaccine Hesitancy: The Role of Trust in Science and Conspiracy Beliefs
The results of the current paper suggest that targeted campaigns should be aimed at parents with lower levels of education, mainly on social media, debunking the most common fake news or myths, independently from the type of vaccine, and highlighting the importance of scientific research for improving people's living conditions
Personality Traits and Sociodemographic Variables’ Effects on Parental Burnout During the Second and Fourth Covid-19 Waves in Italian Parents
(1) Background: Since the COVID-19 pandemic was a source of stress for families, this study aimed to investigate the influence of dispositional factors, such as personality traits and sociodemographic variables, on parental burnout among Italian parents during two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the study assessed personality traits and sociodemographic variables as protective or risk factors for parental burnout levels. (2) Methods: T…
Developmental outcomes in Italian young cancer survivors: The effect of lack of social support in physical activity practice on quality of life and mental health
Life expectancy among young cancer survivors has increased in the last decades. Unfortunately, young cancer survivors might still experience mental and physical issues due to cancer treatment. Moreover, although physical activity is a valid tool for increasing social support and reducing the risk of obesity, sedentary behaviour is very common among young cancer survivors. Therefore, the current pilot study aims to estimate lack of social support …
Virtual Reality Game Effect on Healthy Young Adults′ Executive Functions: A Pilot Study
Background The current pilot study is aimed at exploring the effect of a new virtual reality cognitive training with different environments (natural blue, natural green, and neutral) on young adults′ executive functions. Methods A sample of 38 participants (58% M, mean age = 23.7 years, SD = ±2.75) were randomly assigned to one of the three VR experimental conditions (natural blue, natural green, and neutral) or the control group (no training and…
Mindfulness training combined with cold water immersion effects on mood and perception of executive functioning in middle-aged and older adults: A pilot study
Background Age-related cognitive decline typically begins during middle age and persists into old age. In parallel, mood (and, in particular, anxiety and depression) can be a significant predictor of neurodegenerative pathologies. To prevent these negative consequences, mindfulness trainings were used to improve mood and executive functioning in middle-aged and older adults. Less is known about cold water immersion, which apparently favors cognit…
Psychology (25 works) · Developmental psychology (14 works) · Medicine (14 works) · Social Psychology (14 works) · Clinical Psychology (10 works) · Psychiatry (10 works) · Social Psychology (10 works) · Cognition (9 works) · Clinical Psychology (6 works) · Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports (6 works)