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LanguagesEnglish, French
Publications (12) View all
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Article: Perceived Organizational Stressors and Interpersonal Relationships as Predictors of Job Satisfaction and Well-Being among Hospital Nurses
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ABSTRACT: The purposes of the present study were to examine: a) the most relevant sources of workplace pressure for nurses; b) gender and age differences in occupational stressors; c) wh ich co mbination of sources of stress, ways of coping, Type A style and locus of control was the best predictor of job satisfaction and both physical and mental health; Data were collected amongst 976 nurses employed in seven public hospital in Northern Italy, who co mp leted the Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI). Results suggested that turnover and amount of work were the most relevant sources of stress. Perceived stressors were higher for female who felt themselves less healthy than their male colleagues, which used non-working time to disperse stress. Statistical analysis produced significant differences in perceived occupational stressors among age ranges. Multivariate analysis for total sample revealed organizational factors and relationships with people the best predictors of job satisfaction and both physical and mental health, respectively. Co mparisons with O.S.I. normat ive Italian data showed several differences in perceived sources of pressure and occupational stress outcomes. Implications of the findings and limitat ions of the study are discussed in terms of possible targets for action aimed to enhancing quality of the work environment relationships and nurse satisfaction.International Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences. 12/2012; 2012(2):196-207. -
Article: Diagnostic memory assessment in Italian-born Australians.
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ABSTRACT: In many English-speaking countries neuropsychological assessment of non-English speakers is often performed in English or through an interpreter. Relying on interpreters often involves unstandardized and ad hoc translations of tests which may limit valid assessment. In a sample of 75 Italian-born elderly Australians from the general community (48 women and 27 men, aged 56-90 years) we administered standardized and normed psychological tests in both English (WMS-III, WAIS-III, BNT, Schonell Graded Word Reading Test) and Italian (Milan Overall Dementia Assessment, MODA). We examined the hypothesis that long-term retrieval ability assessed in English is primarily influenced by cognitive abilities assessed in Italian and by English language competence. Regression analysis showed that the strongest predictor of long-term retrieval in English was long-term retrieval in Italian (R2 = 0.229, F(72) = 29.12, p<0.01). After inclusion of an estimate of general cognitive ability in Italian, English language competence failed to add significantly to variance explained in memory tested in English (p > 0.05). Results of the present study support the view that long-term retrieval memory is not significantly affected by second language proficiency after control of cognitive ability assessed in Italian. As a consequence, if an Italian-born elder Australian with English as a second language scores poorly on a diagnostic memory test, this result may be due to cognitive impairment rather than language issues. If, instead, we attribute poor performance to language competence, an increased risk of false negative diagnosis may arise.International Psychogeriatrics 03/2011; 23(7):1133-43. · 2.24 Impact Factor -
Article: Functional independence and preference effects on the acquisition of multiply-controlled mands and tacts
Journal of Applied Radical Behavior Analysis. 01/2010; 1:82-98. -
Article: Acute psychosocial challenge and cardiac autonomic response in women: the role of estrogens, corticosteroids, and behavioral coping styles.
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ABSTRACT: Theoretical statements, as well as clinical and experimental data, suggest that the amplitude of cardiovascular reactivity to acute stressors can be a good predictor of preclinical and clinical cardiovascular states. The aim of the present study is to investigate the role of estrogens, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical activity, and the behavioral profile in individual cardiac autonomic reactivity to brief laboratory stressors in women. Thirty-six adult, healthy women were exposed to a stress interview and a mental task test, each lasting 5 min. They were assigned to two experimental groups: D4, i.e. 4 days after menses beginning (follicular phase, n=18), and D14, i.e. 14 days after menses beginning (ovulatory phase, n=18). The cardiac measurements in the baseline, stress and recovery periods consisted in heart rate (average R-R interval) and parasympathetic tone (r-MSSD) quantification, while the HPA axis activity and stress reactivity were assessed via plasma cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone concentrations. The ethological profile during the interview was drawn by means of non-verbal behavior analysis. The cardiac, adrenocortical and behavioral responses to the two stressors were similar in groups D4 and D14, despite significantly higher estradiol levels in the latter. Subjects with higher pre-stress cortisol levels had higher heart rate and lower vagal activity in the baseline, stress and recovery phases. Women showing higher level of submission were characterized by higher heart rate acceleration and vagal withdrawal during both the interview and the recovery phase. In addition, the subjects that exhibited greater displacement during the interview were also characterized by lower heart rate increments and less pronounced vagal suppression during post-stress recovery. In conclusion, the present results do not support a clear buffering role of estrogens in cardiovascular response to acute stressors. However, they confirm that baseline HPA axis activity can be predictive of cardiac autonomic activity and stress responsiveness. They also highlight the modulating role of the individual style of behavioral coping in cardiac sympathovagal stress reactivity. Therefore, the objective assessment of the individual behavioral profile via the analysis of non-verbal communication patterns might represent a powerful tool for identifying subjects with higher risk of cardiac events.Psychoneuroendocrinology 06/2007; 32(5):451-63. · 5.81 Impact Factor -
Article: Evaluation of contextual variability in prediction of reinforcer effectiveness
Education and training developmental disabilities. 01/2005; 40:117-130.
