Valeria De Cristofaro
Biographic Data
| ID | 359576 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Valeria De Cristofaro |
| GIVEN NAMES | Valeria |
| FAMILY NAME | De Cristofaro |
| SIGNATURE | DE CRISTOFARO V |
| AFFILIATIONS | Sapienza University of Rome |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4904-785X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 25 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 36 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 25 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2019 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Conspiratorial threat and intergroup boundaries
Nowadays, the use of conspiratorial narratives targeting marginalized groups, such as the LGBTQ+ community, is increasingly pervasive. These narratives depict LGBTQ+ people as a threat to the social order, undermining their rights and social inclusion. Across four studies ( N = 2111), we experimentally investigated whether exposure to an anti-LGBTQ+ conspiratorial narrative affects conspiracy beliefs and civic engagement among cis-heterosexual pe…
Too Zen to Act? Trait Mindfulness Negatively Associates With Economic Inequality‐Related Collective Action Through BIS Sensitivity
The present paper investigates the relationship between trait mindfulness, behavioural inhibition system (BIS) sensitivity, and collective action against economic inequality. Specifically, we investigate whether mindfulness was associated with collective action through emotional regulatory mechanisms. In Study 1 ( N = 675), a simple mediation analysis showed that higher levels of mindfulness were associated with lower BIS sensitivity which, in tu…
I Don't Care, So I Don't Participate’
In recent years, researchers have investigated the relationship between the tendency to justify the system and the collective action intentions; in particular, justifying the status quo has a detrimental effect on the intentions to undertake progressive collective action. In the present research, we explore this relationship, hypothesizing a possible role of empathic concern and prosocial orientation as key factors in explaining why justifying th…
LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs and collective actions
Recent times are characterized by increased participation in collective action that either supports or opposes greater equality for LGBTQ+ individuals. In this research, we focus on the Italian context, where both forms of collective action are highly present, and examine the role of LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs (i.e., beliefs that a powerful LGBTQ+ lobby exist that operates secretly to pursue its plans against cis‐heterosexual people and spread hom…
Reducing gender economic inequality
Research has shown that economic inequality and gender inequality go hand in hand. According to Oxfam (2024), Italy has a high level of economic inequality: the richest 1% of the population is 84 times richer than the poorest 20%, which is mainly composed of women. This article presents an experimental study ( N = 478) exploring an integrated model in which both emotional and cognitive mechanisms explain the effect of economic inequality on salar…
Addressing anti-Gypsyism with context-dependent psychological tools
Anti-Gypsyism is a deeply entrenched form of ethnic bias in Europe, characterised by realistic conflict perceptions, social norms approving bias, unacknowledged historical victimisation, and denial of cultural autonomy. Mainstream prejudice reduction interventions may have limited applicability to anti-Gypsyism, because prejudice is normative, hence people are not motivated to change their views; interventions focusing on increased liking, but no…
National Identity and Economic Inequality
This research examined the association of national identity with system justification and collective action against economic inequality specifically relating to socioeconomic status (Study 1), ethnicity (Study 2) and gender (Study 3) among both disadvantaged and advantaged groups. Additionally, in Study 3, we investigated the competing predictive role of national narcissism. Across all studies ( N = 3387) and regardless of group membership, we co…
Exploring the Joint Role of Outgroup Identification and Empathic Concern in Reducing Perceived Immigrant Threat and Motivating Pro-Immigrant Collective Action
The research explored the role of outgroup identification and empathic concern in reducing perceived outgroup threat and favoring collective action against social inequality. We implemented two distinct correlational Studies focused on the issue of the racial pay gap in Italy. Study 1 (N = 604) highlighted that Italian natives' identification with immigrants related to a reduced perceived immigrant threat through enhanced empathic concern toward …
Antecedent Ideological Profiles and Negative Socio-political Outcomes of LGBTQ+ Conspiracy Beliefs
Introduction Conspiracy theories and beliefs (CTBs) about LGBTQ+ people are often used as arguments in political debate in Italy and across Europe to hinder the passing of protective laws and negatively affect popular consensus regarding the promotion of anti-discrimination policies and the advancement of civil rights. Method We conducted two correlational studies in Italy starting the data collection at the end of 2022. In Study 1 ( N = 589), we…
Employment, collective action, and satisfaction
The present work proposes that the relation of employment conditions (i.e., unemployment and precarious work vs. permanent employment) with participation in collective action and satisfaction with life depends on the extent to which acceptance of inequality is high or low, and that collective action mediates the association between employment conditions and satisfaction with life. We analyzed data from the European Social Survey (Round 8, 2016) a…
A measure of positive and negative perception of migration
This paper reports the validation and psychometric properties of the Positive and Negative Perception of Immigrants Scale (PANPIS)—a new measure to assess positive and negative attitude towards immigrants. Across two studies ( N = 956), the psychometric evidence of the PANPIS is presented. As expected, exploratory factor analysis suggested a two factors and 14‐item structure, which was ratified using a confirmatory factor analysis. Corroboration …
Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual (LGB) peoples' leadership self-effectiveness
Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of the minority stress model and the model of positive identity in sexual minority people, the current research contributes to fill a gap in the previous literature, investigating the relationships among leadership self-effectiveness, internalized sexual stigma, positive identity, and adherence to traditional masculinity of gay, lesbian, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. Through a correlational study ( N = 449…
Examining and understanding patterns of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral jealousy
The present research proposes that dispositional mindfulness may play a key role in our understanding of romantic jealousy, conceptualized as a multidimensional construct consisting of three components: cognitive, emotional, and behavioral. All three components involve experiencing an outside threat, but diverse aspects of the experience are implied: cognitive jealousy entails thoughts and suspicions, emotional jealousy entails affective response…
The mindful way out of materialism
Conspiracy beliefs of Italian voters for populist parties
Grounded in the theoretical framework of the dual-process motivational model of ideology and politics, we investigated the mediational role of RWA and SDO on the relationship between voting for populist parties and conspiracy beliefs; the moderation of political interest was also explored. Collapsing different convenience samples gathered after the European election (2014/2015) and the General National Election (2018/2019) allowed us to analyse t…
Expectations about the “Natural Order of Things” and Conspiracy Beliefs about Covid-19
The COVID-19 pandemic represents an event that unsettled the social and economic life of many people. When individuals are faced with shocking events, they may need to find plausible explanations for such events to restore control and make sense of reality. The adoption of conspiracy beliefs may represent a functional strategy for this purpose. The present study investigated whether the endorsement of conspiracy beliefs may be associated with the…
Masculinity and Leadership Effectiveness (Self-)Perceptions
In line with the gay glass ceiling effect, sexual minorities are often target of discrimination within work-related contexts, thus potentially undermining their wellbeing at work. For gay men, discrimination may partially be attributed to gay men's stereotypical feminine perception, which does not fit with the stereotypically masculine traits required for leadership positions. Yet, when considering lesbian women, the masculine stereotypical view …
Proud to support social equality
Previous research has demonstrated that low social dominance orientation (social equality orientation) promotes empathy with disadvantaged group members. In three studies, we tested a model relating preference for egalitarianism to positive attitudes towards immigrants through emotional experiences (pride, guilt, moral anger/ anger, disgust). Studies 1 and 2 showed that social equality orientation was positively related to proimmigrant attitudes …
Assessing social dominance orientation and system justification as psychological pathways from practicing meditation to tax evasion intentions and support for tax progressivity
Recent research showed that trait mindfulness might reduce tax evasion intentions and increase support for tax progressivity. The present study proposed that these beneficial effects of being mindful can be explained theoretically by different associations with inequality‐related constructs: social dominance orientation and system justification. Specifically, we tested our predictions by comparing meditation practitioners to nonpractitioners. Res…
Explaining immigrant threat perceptions and pro‐immigrant collective action intentions through issue‐specific moral conviction and general need for closure
This research aimed at explaining immigrant threat perceptions and pro‐immigrant collective action intentions through moral conviction regarding the construction of the US–Mexico border wall and general need for closure (NFC). Among independent samples of Democrats and Republicans, we found that NFC (measured in Study 1, manipulated in Study 2) was negatively related to pro‐immigrant collective action intentions through enhanced immigrant threat …
Together to Welcome, Together to Exclude
This preregistered study examined whether positive and negative intergroup contact with migrants relates to collective action supporting and opposing migrants as well as to interpersonal exclusion toward them via the key processes identified in the Social Identity Model of Collective Action. Structural equation models conducted on cross-sectional data from 506 Italian and English participants showed that positive (negative) contact related to hig…
Personality and environmental outcomes
The overarching aim of the present research is to investigate whether and how HEXACO personality traits relate to climate change action, pro‐environmental behavior, and moral anger. A sample of 268 community participants provided responses for measures of the HEXACO model, moral anger, intention to engage in climate change action, and pro‐environmental behavior. Hierarchical tests indicated that (1) Openness to Experience outperformed the other H…
A Multilab Replication of the Ego Depletion Effect
There is an active debate regarding whether the ego depletion effect is real. A recent preregistered experiment with the Stroop task as the depleting task and the antisaccade task as the outcome task found a medium-level effect size. In the current research, we conducted a preregistered multilab replication of that experiment. Data from 12 labs across the globe ( N = 1,775) revealed a small and significant ego depletion effect, d = 0.10. After ex…
Social Exclusion and Anti-Immigration Attitudes in Europe
Managing immigration is a challenge at the political, economic, and social levels. Clarifying the social psychological antecedents behind the onset of negative attitudes towards immigrants might help overcome this challenge. The present study investigates the relationships between people’s experience of social exclusion, feelings of generalized interpersonal trust, and anti-immigrant attitudes across 23 European countries. We used data from the E…
When motivation is not enough
Retention of volunteers is a main issue for no‐profit organizations. In the present study, using a cross‐sectional design, determinants of volunteers’ intentions to continue their service were investigated in a sample of 116 volunteers at different Italian organizations (M age = 42.32, SD age = 15.91). Guided by the conceptual model of the volunteer process, we hypothesized that organizational socialization should mediate the link between prosoci…
Social Exclusion and Anti-Immigration Attitudes in Europe
Managing immigration is a challenge at the political, economic, and social levels. Clarifying the social psychological antecedents behind the onset of negative attitudes towards immigrants might help overcome this challenge. The present study investigates the relationships between people’s experience of social exclusion, feelings of generalized interpersonal trust, and anti-immigrant attitudes across 23 European countries. We used data from the E…
Examining and understanding patterns of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral jealousy
The present research proposes that dispositional mindfulness may play a key role in our understanding of romantic jealousy, conceptualized as a multidimensional construct consisting of three components: cognitive, emotional, and behavioral. All three components involve experiencing an outside threat, but diverse aspects of the experience are implied: cognitive jealousy entails thoughts and suspicions, emotional jealousy entails affective response…
Together to Welcome, Together to Exclude
This preregistered study examined whether positive and negative intergroup contact with migrants relates to collective action supporting and opposing migrants as well as to interpersonal exclusion toward them via the key processes identified in the Social Identity Model of Collective Action. Structural equation models conducted on cross-sectional data from 506 Italian and English participants showed that positive (negative) contact related to hig…
Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual (LGB) peoples' leadership self-effectiveness
Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of the minority stress model and the model of positive identity in sexual minority people, the current research contributes to fill a gap in the previous literature, investigating the relationships among leadership self-effectiveness, internalized sexual stigma, positive identity, and adherence to traditional masculinity of gay, lesbian, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. Through a correlational study ( N = 449…
Proud to support social equality
Previous research has demonstrated that low social dominance orientation (social equality orientation) promotes empathy with disadvantaged group members. In three studies, we tested a model relating preference for egalitarianism to positive attitudes towards immigrants through emotional experiences (pride, guilt, moral anger/ anger, disgust). Studies 1 and 2 showed that social equality orientation was positively related to proimmigrant attitudes …
When motivation is not enough
Retention of volunteers is a main issue for no‐profit organizations. In the present study, using a cross‐sectional design, determinants of volunteers’ intentions to continue their service were investigated in a sample of 116 volunteers at different Italian organizations (M age = 42.32, SD age = 15.91). Guided by the conceptual model of the volunteer process, we hypothesized that organizational socialization should mediate the link between prosoci…
National Identity and Economic Inequality
This research examined the association of national identity with system justification and collective action against economic inequality specifically relating to socioeconomic status (Study 1), ethnicity (Study 2) and gender (Study 3) among both disadvantaged and advantaged groups. Additionally, in Study 3, we investigated the competing predictive role of national narcissism. Across all studies ( N = 3387) and regardless of group membership, we co…
Antecedent Ideological Profiles and Negative Socio-political Outcomes of LGBTQ+ Conspiracy Beliefs
Introduction Conspiracy theories and beliefs (CTBs) about LGBTQ+ people are often used as arguments in political debate in Italy and across Europe to hinder the passing of protective laws and negatively affect popular consensus regarding the promotion of anti-discrimination policies and the advancement of civil rights. Method We conducted two correlational studies in Italy starting the data collection at the end of 2022. In Study 1 ( N = 589), we…
Explaining immigrant threat perceptions and pro‐immigrant collective action intentions through issue‐specific moral conviction and general need for closure
This research aimed at explaining immigrant threat perceptions and pro‐immigrant collective action intentions through moral conviction regarding the construction of the US–Mexico border wall and general need for closure (NFC). Among independent samples of Democrats and Republicans, we found that NFC (measured in Study 1, manipulated in Study 2) was negatively related to pro‐immigrant collective action intentions through enhanced immigrant threat …
When motivation is not enough
Retention of volunteers is a main issue for no‐profit organizations. In the present study, using a cross‐sectional design, determinants of volunteers’ intentions to continue their service were investigated in a sample of 116 volunteers at different Italian organizations (M age = 42.32, SD age = 15.91). Guided by the conceptual model of the volunteer process, we hypothesized that organizational socialization should mediate the link between prosoci…
Personality and environmental outcomes
The overarching aim of the present research is to investigate whether and how HEXACO personality traits relate to climate change action, pro‐environmental behavior, and moral anger. A sample of 268 community participants provided responses for measures of the HEXACO model, moral anger, intention to engage in climate change action, and pro‐environmental behavior. Hierarchical tests indicated that (1) Openness to Experience outperformed the other H…
A Multilab Replication of the Ego Depletion Effect
There is an active debate regarding whether the ego depletion effect is real. A recent preregistered experiment with the Stroop task as the depleting task and the antisaccade task as the outcome task found a medium-level effect size. In the current research, we conducted a preregistered multilab replication of that experiment. Data from 12 labs across the globe ( N = 1,775) revealed a small and significant ego depletion effect, d = 0.10. After ex…
Social Exclusion and Anti-Immigration Attitudes in Europe
Managing immigration is a challenge at the political, economic, and social levels. Clarifying the social psychological antecedents behind the onset of negative attitudes towards immigrants might help overcome this challenge. The present study investigates the relationships between people’s experience of social exclusion, feelings of generalized interpersonal trust, and anti-immigrant attitudes across 23 European countries. We used data from the E…
The mindful way out of materialism
Conspiracy beliefs of Italian voters for populist parties
Grounded in the theoretical framework of the dual-process motivational model of ideology and politics, we investigated the mediational role of RWA and SDO on the relationship between voting for populist parties and conspiracy beliefs; the moderation of political interest was also explored. Collapsing different convenience samples gathered after the European election (2014/2015) and the General National Election (2018/2019) allowed us to analyse t…
Expectations about the “Natural Order of Things” and Conspiracy Beliefs about Covid-19
The COVID-19 pandemic represents an event that unsettled the social and economic life of many people. When individuals are faced with shocking events, they may need to find plausible explanations for such events to restore control and make sense of reality. The adoption of conspiracy beliefs may represent a functional strategy for this purpose. The present study investigated whether the endorsement of conspiracy beliefs may be associated with the…
Masculinity and Leadership Effectiveness (Self-)Perceptions
In line with the gay glass ceiling effect, sexual minorities are often target of discrimination within work-related contexts, thus potentially undermining their wellbeing at work. For gay men, discrimination may partially be attributed to gay men's stereotypical feminine perception, which does not fit with the stereotypically masculine traits required for leadership positions. Yet, when considering lesbian women, the masculine stereotypical view …
Proud to support social equality
Previous research has demonstrated that low social dominance orientation (social equality orientation) promotes empathy with disadvantaged group members. In three studies, we tested a model relating preference for egalitarianism to positive attitudes towards immigrants through emotional experiences (pride, guilt, moral anger/ anger, disgust). Studies 1 and 2 showed that social equality orientation was positively related to proimmigrant attitudes …
Assessing social dominance orientation and system justification as psychological pathways from practicing meditation to tax evasion intentions and support for tax progressivity
Recent research showed that trait mindfulness might reduce tax evasion intentions and increase support for tax progressivity. The present study proposed that these beneficial effects of being mindful can be explained theoretically by different associations with inequality‐related constructs: social dominance orientation and system justification. Specifically, we tested our predictions by comparing meditation practitioners to nonpractitioners. Res…
Explaining immigrant threat perceptions and pro‐immigrant collective action intentions through issue‐specific moral conviction and general need for closure
This research aimed at explaining immigrant threat perceptions and pro‐immigrant collective action intentions through moral conviction regarding the construction of the US–Mexico border wall and general need for closure (NFC). Among independent samples of Democrats and Republicans, we found that NFC (measured in Study 1, manipulated in Study 2) was negatively related to pro‐immigrant collective action intentions through enhanced immigrant threat …
Together to Welcome, Together to Exclude
This preregistered study examined whether positive and negative intergroup contact with migrants relates to collective action supporting and opposing migrants as well as to interpersonal exclusion toward them via the key processes identified in the Social Identity Model of Collective Action. Structural equation models conducted on cross-sectional data from 506 Italian and English participants showed that positive (negative) contact related to hig…
Employment, collective action, and satisfaction
The present work proposes that the relation of employment conditions (i.e., unemployment and precarious work vs. permanent employment) with participation in collective action and satisfaction with life depends on the extent to which acceptance of inequality is high or low, and that collective action mediates the association between employment conditions and satisfaction with life. We analyzed data from the European Social Survey (Round 8, 2016) a…
A measure of positive and negative perception of migration
This paper reports the validation and psychometric properties of the Positive and Negative Perception of Immigrants Scale (PANPIS)—a new measure to assess positive and negative attitude towards immigrants. Across two studies ( N = 956), the psychometric evidence of the PANPIS is presented. As expected, exploratory factor analysis suggested a two factors and 14‐item structure, which was ratified using a confirmatory factor analysis. Corroboration …
Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual (LGB) peoples' leadership self-effectiveness
Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of the minority stress model and the model of positive identity in sexual minority people, the current research contributes to fill a gap in the previous literature, investigating the relationships among leadership self-effectiveness, internalized sexual stigma, positive identity, and adherence to traditional masculinity of gay, lesbian, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. Through a correlational study ( N = 449…
Examining and understanding patterns of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral jealousy
The present research proposes that dispositional mindfulness may play a key role in our understanding of romantic jealousy, conceptualized as a multidimensional construct consisting of three components: cognitive, emotional, and behavioral. All three components involve experiencing an outside threat, but diverse aspects of the experience are implied: cognitive jealousy entails thoughts and suspicions, emotional jealousy entails affective response…
Antecedent Ideological Profiles and Negative Socio-political Outcomes of LGBTQ+ Conspiracy Beliefs
Introduction Conspiracy theories and beliefs (CTBs) about LGBTQ+ people are often used as arguments in political debate in Italy and across Europe to hinder the passing of protective laws and negatively affect popular consensus regarding the promotion of anti-discrimination policies and the advancement of civil rights. Method We conducted two correlational studies in Italy starting the data collection at the end of 2022. In Study 1 ( N = 589), we…
LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs and collective actions
Recent times are characterized by increased participation in collective action that either supports or opposes greater equality for LGBTQ+ individuals. In this research, we focus on the Italian context, where both forms of collective action are highly present, and examine the role of LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs (i.e., beliefs that a powerful LGBTQ+ lobby exist that operates secretly to pursue its plans against cis‐heterosexual people and spread hom…
Reducing gender economic inequality
Research has shown that economic inequality and gender inequality go hand in hand. According to Oxfam (2024), Italy has a high level of economic inequality: the richest 1% of the population is 84 times richer than the poorest 20%, which is mainly composed of women. This article presents an experimental study ( N = 478) exploring an integrated model in which both emotional and cognitive mechanisms explain the effect of economic inequality on salar…
Addressing anti-Gypsyism with context-dependent psychological tools
Anti-Gypsyism is a deeply entrenched form of ethnic bias in Europe, characterised by realistic conflict perceptions, social norms approving bias, unacknowledged historical victimisation, and denial of cultural autonomy. Mainstream prejudice reduction interventions may have limited applicability to anti-Gypsyism, because prejudice is normative, hence people are not motivated to change their views; interventions focusing on increased liking, but no…
National Identity and Economic Inequality
This research examined the association of national identity with system justification and collective action against economic inequality specifically relating to socioeconomic status (Study 1), ethnicity (Study 2) and gender (Study 3) among both disadvantaged and advantaged groups. Additionally, in Study 3, we investigated the competing predictive role of national narcissism. Across all studies ( N = 3387) and regardless of group membership, we co…
Exploring the Joint Role of Outgroup Identification and Empathic Concern in Reducing Perceived Immigrant Threat and Motivating Pro-Immigrant Collective Action
The research explored the role of outgroup identification and empathic concern in reducing perceived outgroup threat and favoring collective action against social inequality. We implemented two distinct correlational Studies focused on the issue of the racial pay gap in Italy. Study 1 (N = 604) highlighted that Italian natives' identification with immigrants related to a reduced perceived immigrant threat through enhanced empathic concern toward …
Conspiratorial threat and intergroup boundaries
Nowadays, the use of conspiratorial narratives targeting marginalized groups, such as the LGBTQ+ community, is increasingly pervasive. These narratives depict LGBTQ+ people as a threat to the social order, undermining their rights and social inclusion. Across four studies ( N = 2111), we experimentally investigated whether exposure to an anti-LGBTQ+ conspiratorial narrative affects conspiracy beliefs and civic engagement among cis-heterosexual pe…
Too Zen to Act? Trait Mindfulness Negatively Associates With Economic Inequality‐Related Collective Action Through BIS Sensitivity
The present paper investigates the relationship between trait mindfulness, behavioural inhibition system (BIS) sensitivity, and collective action against economic inequality. Specifically, we investigate whether mindfulness was associated with collective action through emotional regulatory mechanisms. In Study 1 ( N = 675), a simple mediation analysis showed that higher levels of mindfulness were associated with lower BIS sensitivity which, in tu…
I Don't Care, So I Don't Participate’
In recent years, researchers have investigated the relationship between the tendency to justify the system and the collective action intentions; in particular, justifying the status quo has a detrimental effect on the intentions to undertake progressive collective action. In the present research, we explore this relationship, hypothesizing a possible role of empathic concern and prosocial orientation as key factors in explaining why justifying th…
Psychology (19 works) · Social Psychology (17 works) · Social and Intergroup Psychology (11 works) · Political science (10 works) · Social Psychology (9 works) · Developmental psychology (7 works) · Collective action (6 works) · Behavioral Health and Interventions (5 works) · Perception (5 works) · Politics (5 works)