Suchergebnisse

In the wake of the innovative thrusts of scholastic evaluation systems comingfrom the international and European context, as well as the development inthis last decade of Learning Analytics (LA), as a new sector of Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL), the scientific approach to educational researchbroadens its horizons and invites us to understand how Research, Technology,Pedagogy and Evaluation can/should constructively dialogue.In fact, in view of the sudden development of the LA, the need to connectthe collection and analysis of data on school evaluation in direct synergywith the pedagogical and psychological principles of learning processes andthe interpersonal dynamics activated in governance emerges more andmore.The present study, starting from the political scenario and from the technologicalevolution mentioned above, aims to illustrate the pedagogical structureof the project "Valu.E for schools - Supporting school self-evaluation",promoted by INVALSI, whose purpose is to "test and evaluate the effectivenessof different training models to support school self-evaluation activities."It presents itself as an innovative heuristic purpose that opens up interestingand fertile spaces for dialogue between educational research, professionaltraining and self-evaluation of schools. ; Sulla scia delle spinte innovative dei sistemi di valutazione scolastica provenientidal contesto internazionale ed europeo, nonché dello sviluppo in questoultimo decennio del Learning Analytics (LA), quale nuovo settore delTechnology-Enhanced Learning (TEL), l'approccio scientifico alla ricerca educativaallarga i suoi orizzonti e ci invita a comprendere come Ricerca, Tecnologia,Pedagogia e Valutazione possano/debbano dialogare costruttivamente.A fronte del repentino sviluppo del LA emerge sempre più, infatti, la necessitàdi connettere la raccolta e l'analisi dei dati in ambito scolastico in direttasinergia con i principi pedagogici e psicologici dei processi di apprendimentoe alle dinamiche interpersonali attivate nella governance.Il ...

This paper reports the data of an exploratory research conducted with a group of Roman citizens who were asked what they thought about the possibility of assessing the parenting of families considered at risk over the parental expertise. Citizens were interviewed and the interviews were submitted to AET, Emotional Analysis of the Text. Assessing parenting often involves families with internal conflicts. We think the conflict is not only there. Conflicts also cross the theoretical, legal, and political hypotheses, which base the opportunity to intervene within the issues involved in parental evaluation. They are also found in the relationship between families and services. Legal and sociological literature advise the presence of these conflicts and discuss the issues; whereas the psychological and psychiatric one is focused on the application of techniques, whether they are evaluation, psychotherapy, re-education. This perspective does not consider the conflicting complexity which founds the parental evaluation, but it is focused only on the family. We were interested in analysing, in this context, what is the citizens' perception of the evaluation of parenting, who are their potential customers and users; in particular, if and how these conflictual dynamics are perceived by them. After the analysis of the interview, the data outline three cultures. One proposes the traditional Italian family, the feminised family and designated to the care of members in difficulty within the home wall; family today in a strong crisis within processes of change. Another proposes the centrality of the court and the legal culture, founded on evaluations and resolving actions that often can result in child custody actions. These two cultures contrast: when the traditional family is missing, the court appears. There is no counseling which concerns the changes of the family. Psychological and neuropsychiatric counseling agencies do not appear in the data, except for social services, in any case subordinated to the court. A third culture proposes an "ideal" adult, who with balance and reflection skills, has to face a fearful context, but it is an isolated individual, without a relational context of reference. This culture seems to opposite the dissolution of relational contexts – state, organizations, family – to the idealized individual, self-determined and alone. The development of psychological function in the assessment of parenting concerns two aspects: the importance of studying the complexity of the social mandate and the intervention with the conflicting relationships of the family and of all the other actors involved.

The article provides a systematic test of the consequences of the electoral system for the format of the party system & the frequency of single-party majority cabinets. The test is based on Lijphart's 1994 data set (extended from 1990 to 1 Nov 2002), but excludes some of his cases, & introduces an additional indicator of the number of parties. Thanks to these changes in the research design, the variance explained by multivariate regression is much higher than Lijphart's results, especially as long as the elective parties (ie, the psychological effects of the electoral system) are concerned. At the same time, the post-1990 data show a decline of the predictive power of the main independent variable ("effective" threshold). In order to explain this decline, the author argues that the growing destructuration of Western parties & party systems occurring since the early 1990s should be taken into account. Indeed, entering into the regression an indicator of such a process (total net volatility) compensates for most of the threshold's lost explanatory power, thus suggesting that destructuration is a far more significant variable than previously recognized by the relevant literature. 11 Tables, 27 References. Adapted from the source document.

Over the past twenty years, the global spread of online social networking and communication tools has inspired a lot of research on the connections between media revolutions and political innovations. Whereas in the twentieth century the question of media effects was mainly investigated in psychological and social research, political philosophers have been increasingly engaged in the current debate. Focusing on the hypothesis according to which innovative information and communication technologies imply premises and promises of a new balance of political power, this article aims to clarify its multidimensional nature from the perspective of some of the classic thinkers on politics, with particular reference to the political and cognitive impact of printing technologies. Though only dealing with ideas that were formulated before the twentieth century, the author identifies some general principles and implications applicable to contemporary research concerning the structural changes in political organizing, that we should expect as outcome of the recent evolution of information and communication technologies.

In the last 25 years, a vast empirical literature has seriously chal- lenged many assumptions on which the standard microeconomic approach is based. Inspired by this evidence, behavioural economics suggests that a research program that integrates the economic, psychological and neuro- scientific literature can provide a theory of human decision-making with stronger descriptive, predictive and normative power. This interdisci- plinary approach does not necessarily imply abandoning the neoclassical modelling tools and losing analytical tractability. As an example, the evo- lution of the economic theory on intertemporal choice is presented, show- ing that some standard economic assumptions can be viewed as special cases in which self-control and dynamic consistency are always guaranteed.

The paper presents the results of qualitative field research about the phenomenon of NEETs - Not (engaged) in Education, Employment or Training - investigated with the constructivist Grounded Theory methodology. The research, which involved 82 young people aged between 18 and 24 years, began in November 2015 and ended with the analysis of data collected in December 2018. In line with the methodological indications of the constructivist Grounded Theory (GT) (Charmaz, 2000, 2006, 2014), field research was immediately accompanied by open coding, using all that was useful for saturation of the categories.The constant critical reflection, conducted throughout the process of my research, has led to detect and define 3 core categories that are fundamental to the definition of a substantive theory. The permanent orientation emerges as a social need because it promotes and increases the psychological well-being of NEETs. The comparison between the "initial" questions of research and the 3 core categories, conceptually valid, allowed me to start the process of focusing and analyzing the possible correlations. Correlations capable of supporting a scientifically strong definition, for the proposal of a substantive theory, emerging from the three initial questions of the research.1. How do you "selfassess" NEETs with respect to the world of work? Psychological area: to understand the characteristics of the NEET individual. How to contribute to its identity awareness about operating (occupying and acting) a role. To train him/her to reflect on his/her own interests, in accordance with his/her own authentic purposeful Self (Di Fabio, 2014). The question aims to understand how:a) to increase the capacity to make choices (Self confidence in decision making);b) to make them feel/perceive that they are ready (Self efficacy and Self capability);c) to raise the skills to manage problems (Self-empowerment and problem solving).2. How do NEETs live their "condition"? Psychosociological area: to investigate the context and environment of NEETs' life. The answers to this question must allow them to understand what they are, first and foremost:a) the causes to which they attribute their current NEET situation (external/internal);b) the roads they would like to take to move towards work (Self orientation);c) their thoughts and attitudes towards current social policies (active/passive).3. How do you represent the labour market? Sociopsychological area: relationship aspect; ability to stay in relationships. In the answers you want to understand:a) what they thought when they were at school in the world of work (imagination about their own future);b) how their thoughts on the world of work are today compared to those years (alignment to their own reality).c) what knowledge, what information they possess of the working possibilities of their territory (awareness of employment opportunities). Keywords: NEETs, Self-empowerment, purposeful Self, Self orientation, resiliency, decision making. Abstract in italiano Il documento presenta i risultati della ricerca sul campo qualitativa sul fenomeno dei NEET - Non (impegnati) nell'istruzione, nell'occupazione o nella formazione - indagati con la metodologia costruttivista della Grounded Theory. La ricerca, che ha coinvolto 82 giovani di età compresa tra 18 e 24 anni, è iniziata a novembre 2015 e si è conclusa con l'analisi dei dati raccolti a dicembre 2018. In linea con le indicazioni metodologiche della Grounded Theory (Charmaz, 2000, 2006, 2014), la ricerca sul campo è stata immediatamente accompagnata da una codifica aperta, utilizzando tutto ciò che è stato utile per la saturazione delle categorie.La costante riflessione critica, condotta durante tutto il processo della mia ricerca, ha portato a rilevare e definire 3 categorie fondamentali che sono fondamentali per la definizione di una teoria sostanziale. L'orientamento permanente emerge come un'esigenza sociale perché promuove e aumenta il benessere psicologico dei NEET. Il confronto tra le domande "iniziali" della ricerca e le 3 categorie fondamentali, concettualmente valide, mi ha permesso di iniziare il processo di focalizzazione e analisi delle possibili correlazioni. Correlazioni in grado di supportare una definizione scientificamente forte, per la proposta di una teoria sostanziale, che emerge dalle tre domande iniziali della ricerca.1. In che modo NEET "selfassess" rispetto al mondo del lavoro? Area psicologica: comprendere le caratteristiche dell'individuo NEET. Come contribuire alla consapevolezza dell'identità sull'operare (occupare e recitare) un ruolo. Formarlo per riflettere sui propri interessi, in accordo con il proprio Sé autentico e propositivo (Di Fabio, 2014). La domanda mira a capire come:a) aumentare la capacità di fare delle scelte (fiducia in se stessi nel processo decisionale);b) farli sentire / percepire di essere pronti (autoefficacia e capacità di auto);c) aumentare le competenze per gestire i problemi (auto-responsabilizzazione e risoluzione dei problemi).2. In che modo i NEET vivono la loro "condizione"? Area psicosociologica: indagare il contesto e l'ambiente della vita dei NEET. Le risposte a questa domanda devono consentire loro di capire cosa sono, innanzitutto:a) le cause alle quali attribuiscono la loro attuale situazione NEET (esterna / interna);b) le strade che vorrebbero percorrere per spostarsi verso il lavoro (orientamento personale);c) i loro pensieri e atteggiamenti nei confronti delle attuali politiche sociali (attivo / passivo).3. Come rappresenti il mercato del lavoro? Area socio-psicologica: aspetto relazionale; capacità di rimanere in relazione. Nelle risposte che vuoi capire:a) cosa hanno pensato quando erano a scuola nel mondo del lavoro (immaginazione per il proprio futuro);b) come sono oggi i loro pensieri sul mondo del lavoro rispetto a quegli anni (allineamento alla propria realtà).c) quali conoscenze, quali informazioni possiedono delle possibilità di lavoro del loro territorio (consapevolezza delle opportunità di lavoro). Parole chiave:NEETs, orientamento, resilienza, Self efficacy, decision making, Self empowerment, Self orientation. ; The paper presents the results of qualitative field research about the phenomenon of NEETs - Not (engaged) in Education, Employment or Training - investigated with the constructivist Grounded Theory methodology. The research, which involved 82 young people aged between 18 and 24 years, began in November 2015 and ended with the analysis of data collected in December 2018. In line with the methodological indications of the constructivist Grounded Theory (GT) (Charmaz, 2000, 2006, 2014), field research was immediately accompanied by open coding, using all that was useful for saturation of the categories.The constant critical reflection, conducted throughout the process of my research, has led to detect and define 3 core categories that are fundamental to the definition of a substantive theory. The permanent orientation emerges as a social need because it promotes and increases the psychological well-being of NEETs. The comparison between the "initial" questions of research and the 3 core categories, conceptually valid, allowed me to start the process of focusing and analyzing the possible correlations. Correlations capable of supporting a scientifically strong definition, for the proposal of a substantive theory, emerging from the three initial questions of the research.1. How do you "selfassess" NEETs with respect to the world of work? Psychological area: to understand the characteristics of the NEET individual. How to contribute to its identity awareness about operating (occupying and acting) a role. To train him/her to reflect on his/her own interests, in accordance with his/her own authentic purposeful Self (Di Fabio, 2014). The question aims to understand how:a) to increase the capacity to make choices (Self confidence in decision making);b) to make them feel/perceive that they are ready (Self efficacy and Self capability);c) to raise the skills to manage problems (Self-empowerment and problem solving).2. How do NEETs live their "condition"? Psychosociological area: to investigate the context and environment of NEETs' life. The answers to this question must allow them to understand what they are, first and foremost:a) the causes to which they attribute their current NEET situation (external/internal);b) the roads they would like to take to move towards work (Self orientation);c) their thoughts and attitudes towards current social policies (active/passive).3. How do you represent the labour market? Sociopsychological area: relationship aspect; ability to stay in relationships. In the answers you want to understand:a) what they thought when they were at school in the world of work (imagination about their own future);b) how their thoughts on the world of work are today compared to those years (alignment to their own reality).c) what knowledge, what information they possess of the working possibilities of their territory (awareness of employment opportunities). Keywords: NEETs, Self-empowerment, purposeful Self, Self orientation, resiliency, decision making.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed our habits, making us rediscover a different dimension from everyday life and forcing us, in no time, to readjust our lifestyle.The global outbreak of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has had a huge psychological impact on individuals around the world.In particular, individuals with eating and weight disorders may experience greater emotional distress resulting in an increase in food psychopathology, exacerbation of mental health and difficulties in self-management.The aim of this research is to understand how the restrictive and isolation measures issued by governments to contrast and contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are changing the eating habits and lifestyles of the population and what psychological consequences they entail.To this end, an anonymous survey has been planned and launched through the development of an online questionnaire to be administered to Italian adult population.The future intent is to be able to plan, taking into consideration the results obtained, interventions with an integrated Gestalt approach, which can contribute to achieving good food awareness and thus avoid an increase in all those psychopathologies that are favored or aggravated by behavioral habits incorrect, and to appropriately manage complications and critical issues in people suffering from eating and weight disorders. ; The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed our habits, making us rediscover a different dimension from everyday life and forcing us, in no time, to readjust our lifestyle.The global outbreak of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has had a huge psychological impact on individuals around the world.In particular, individuals with eating and weight disorders may experience greater emotional distress resulting in an increase in food psychopathology, exacerbation of mental health and difficulties in self-management.The aim of this research is to understand how the restrictive and isolation measures issued by governments to contrast and contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are changing the eating habits and lifestyles of the population and what psychological consequences they entail.To this end, an anonymous survey has been planned and launched through the development of an online questionnaire to be administered to Italian adult population.The future intent is to be able to plan, taking into consideration the results obtained, interventions with an integrated Gestalt approach, which can contribute to achieving good food awareness and thus avoid an increase in all those psychopathologies that are favored or aggravated by behavioral habits incorrect, and to appropriately manage complications and critical issues in people suffering from eating and weight disorders. Key words: Eating habits; COVID-19 emergency; Eating disorders Abstract in italiano La pandemia di COVID-19 ha cambiato notevolmente le nostre abitudini facendoci riscoprire una dimensione diversa del vissuto quotidiano e costringendoci, in pochissimo tempo, a riadattare il nostro stile di vita.Lo scoppio globale della nuova malattia da coronavirus (COVID-19) ha avuto un enorme impatto psicologico sugli individui di tutto il mondo.In particolare, gli individui con disturbi alimentari e del peso potrebbero sperimentare un maggiore disagio emotivo con conseguente aumento della psicopatologia alimentare, esacerbazione della salute mentale e difficoltà di autogestione.L'obiettivo della presente ricerca è comprendere come le misure restrittive e di isolamento emanate dai governi per contrastare e contenere la diffusione del virus SARS-CoV-2, stiano modificando le abitudini alimentari e gli stili di vita della popolazione e quali conseguenze psicologiche implichino. A tal fine si è progettata ed avviata un'indagine anonima nella popolazione adulta italiana attraverso l'elaborazione di un questionario online. L'intento futuro è quello di poter programmare, tenendo in considerazione i risultati ottenuti, interventi ad approccio gestaltico integrato, che possano contribuire al raggiungimento di una buona consapevolezza alimentare ed evitare così un incremento di tutte quelle psicopatologie che sono favorite o aggravate dalle abitudini comportamentali scorrette, e per gestire in modo appropriato le complicanze e criticità in soggetti affetti da disturbi alimentari e del peso. Parole chiave: Abitudini Alimentari; Emergenza Covid-19; Disturbi alimentari

The increase in migration movement worldwide, and the consequent growth of multi-ethnic classes in schools have impacted on the implementation of ethnic bullying, a subtype of bias-based bullying in which victims are targeted because of their ethnic background. Despite the serious consequences of this discriminatory behaviour on the actors involved, research on the role of ethnicity in bullying is still limited. Upon these considerations, the present work aims to shed light on the role of structural factors and psychological mechanisms, explaining ethnic bullying in schools among natives and students with immigrant backgrounds. Specifically, this study is composed of three distinct parts: 1) a systematic review of the association between school and classes' ethnic diversity and bullying and victimization; 2) a cross-sectional study on the role of ethnic diversity (legal and perceived) on bullying victimization; 3) a longitudinal study on the differential impact of COVID-19 on victimization and emotional symptoms, focusing on natives and students with immigrant background. Finally, the main results of the three studies are discussed, the implications for future studies and interventions are suggested and, policy and education practices are recommended.

In recent decades fascinating studies in developmental psychology, especially in infant research (for review see Lavelli, 2007) and recent discoveries in neuroscience (Welsh, et al, 2007; Siegel, 2001; Pally, 2007) have brought great interest to study the mode of sharing subjective experiences (affective states, intentions and attentional focus) in children and adults.It therefore appears today in the clinic is a growing consensus about the fact that the psychological disorder can be read as a deficit in intersubjective processes of affect regulation (see Benecke C. et al 2005; psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual-PDM, 2006) leading many authors to assume the centrality of affect regulation in the construction of the psychotherapeutic process of change (just to name a few Tronick, Greenberg, Stern, Sander, Fonagy, Beebe, Philippot, Rimé etc.). As previously stated, this study has led us to hypothesize that the long process of therapy is to assist with the sessions continue, a growing "emotional attunement" between the communication styles of both patient and therapist. And also to speculate that this synchronization can represent the existence of a significant positive correlation between the increased level of "emotional synchronization" and increased capacity for regulation of emotions by the patient.The research results despite the limitations of small sample showed encouraging results about the verification of the existence of an increasing degree of attunement between therapist and patient long psychotherapy sessions and also showed a good degree of positive correlation between the increase the latter construct and emotional regulation through the implicit mode of expression and nonverbal communication.

The essay proposes a reflection on the theme of digital awareness within the normative and socio-cultural context of child protection, with respect to the rapid and continuous transformation of digital media in contemporary society and the intensification of the dynamics of domestication of socio-cultural practices mediated by technological devices (Silverstone, 1995). Specifically, the reflection on digital awareness in this essay proposes an interpretative key of protection of a sociological nature, mainly focused on information and education, i.e. on the enhancement of cognitive and metacognitive tools of the individual, especially in the age of development, to safeguard their emotional, psychological and social integrity when establishing relationships and socio-cultural interactions through the media device. Starting from the definition of digital awareness, within the theoretical framework on digital skills, shared by the European Union in recent years (DigComp 2.0), we will try to reflect on the degree of diffusion and rooting of this same competence in the new generations, starting from the presentation of a research of the observatory Mediamonitor Minori, and then propose recommendations and educational suggestions in order to allow and encourage a process of development of this type of competence in the new generations, as well as raise awareness of the institutional bodies to activate more systematic educational and information policies for citizens.

The unemployment is an important issue for all other groups of society such as adults, women, people with disabilities, migrants and of course, the main goal is the fighting for this problem for the whole society. However, there is also a fact that the problem amongst young generation affects more deeply to the society's present and future. Furthermore, solving the unemployment problem of today's youth should be noted that this would mean to solve the employment problem of the adults of the future. Therefore, in this study, the phenomenon of the growing rates of unemployment especially amongst young people is drawn attention and the picture of youth unemployment in Europe will be explored. Generally, youth unemployment leads to several significant social and personal problems in the areas of physiological, psychological, economic due to that as the most efficient labour capacity, it remains idle, as it will be specified in detail in the study. The lack of homogeneous structure of youth unemployment and also, their very high mobility tend to be a problem with youth unemployment. Correspondingly young people are belonging to the different education, skills, psychological structure, it complicates the solution of the problem. This issue exists as well as almost in all parts of the world, such as both in developed and developing countries as a common problem. The result of this problem is a much more complex rather than it looks actually. For this reason, the changing rates of youth unemployment are calling for changes in policies and it raises some key issues that policy-makers will need to address. Different policies which are the reflection of the education systems, labour market institutions and socio-cultural characteristics of the EU countries have been evaluated by these Member States in the transition of young people from school to work. This can be carried out applying various policy recommendations in the different fields that are described in the current research study. In order to examine the youth unemployment driving factors and analyse their impact, empirical data was obtained for EU-15 countries as a whole. The statistical data was composed of the different variables, such as minimum wage, youth employment to population ratio, unemployment, poverty rate, GNI per capita, youth population. Then, when data analysis and review of academic literature finished, results and discussions were accomplished in the present paper. This also involved possible recommendations for a more effective development in the countries of EU.

Le attività di ricerca descritte in questa tesi si focalizzano sullo sviluppo dei quartieri ad energia netta zero (NZE settlements) in un caso di studio reale in Italia. Questo studio fa parte di un più ampio progetto di ricerca chiamato ZERO-PLUS (acronimo di "Achieving near Zero and Positive Energy Settlements in Europe using Advanced Energy Technology"), che fa a sua volta riferimento al programma internazionale Horizon 2020. Il progetto prevede la costruzione di quattro quartieri NZE in casi di studio reali in Europa, cioè in Italia, Francia, Cipro e Regno. In particolare, l'insediamento italiano è composto da soluzioni avanzate per l'involucro edilizio, sistemi innovativi di produzione di energia e gestione integrata delle risorse energetiche a livello di quartiere. Tuttavia, l'obiettivo di ottenere edifici ad alte prestazioni energetiche può essere raggiunto solo se si considera l'influenza contemporanea delle caratteristiche tecniche e dell'occupazione. Studi recenti riportano che, man mano che gli edifici diventano più efficienti dal punto di vista energetico, il comportamento degli occupanti gioca un ruolo sempre più importante nel consumo. Pertanto, una costruzione progettata per essere un "Net Zero Energy Building" (NZEB) potrebbe generare un consumo maggiore del previsto se le ipotesi fatte nel processo di simulazione non sono rispettate durante l'uso reale. D'altra parte, le prestazioni effettive di tecnologie innovative e ad alta efficienza devono essere verificate rispetto alle prestazioni previste. In quest'ottica, uno degli obiettivi di questo studio è quello di evidenziare i punti critici che possono influenzare le prestazioni energetiche, reali e attese, di nuovi edifici volti a soddisfare lo standard di energia netta zero. L'analisi è stata quindi eseguita attraverso la simulazione dinamica calibrata di un edificio continuamente monitorato. Nel dettaglio, le impostazioni dei parametri di comfort da parte degli occupanti e la loro interazione con l'involucro e i sistemi influenzano direttamente il funzionamento degli edifici e i relativi usi energetici. Gli strumenti di simulazione (EnergyPlus e DesignBuilder) sono stati impiegati per dimostrare il potenziale impatto degli stili di vita degli occupanti e delle diverse composizioni domestiche sull'uso di energia e sulle condizioni di comfort termico. I risultati rivelano chiaramente il loro impatto. I risparmi in termini di consumo annuale di energia possono arrivare fino al 60% nel passaggio da comportamenti errati a "verdi". Infatti, questo studio mira a focalizzare l'attenzione sull'urgente bisogno di modelli di riferimento relativi a problemi comportamentali umani che influenzano l'uso di energia negli edifici, in particolare negli NZEB. Infine, l'importanza dei fattori psicologici viene sempre più riconosciuta nel guidare il movimento NZEB. Questo studio sviluppa un esteso "Technology Acceptance Model" (TAM) per spiegare l'intenzione dei consumatori di adottare gli NZEB nel contesto dei quartieri NZE lo esamina attraverso un'ampia indagine condotta attraverso i canali dei social media. I risultati mostrano che la conoscenza soggettiva, l'utilità percepita, i cambiamenti climatici percepiti, l'atteggiamento nei confronti degli NZEB nel contesto dei quartieri NZE e le preoccupazioni ambientali generali misurate dalla scala "New Ecological Paradigm" (NEP), sono i determinanti psicologici significativi dell'intenzione di adottare gli NZEB nel contesto dei quartieri NZE. Si è anche riscontrato che la mancanza di conoscenze soggettive relative agli NZEB, e in particolare ai quartieri NZE, potrebbe costituire una potenziale barriera psicologica tra i consumatori intervistati. I fattori psicologici identificati forniscono riferimenti ai responsabili politici per sviluppare efficacemente strategie di intervento comportamentale per i consumatori e allocare risorse negli schemi di promozione dei quartieri NZE. This thesis focus on research activities within the context of the development of a Near Zero Energy (NZE) settlement in a real case study in Italy. This study is part of a wider research project called ZERO-PLUS (acronym of "Achieving near Zero and Positive Energy Settlements in Europe using Advanced Energy Technology"), which is in the International Horizon 2020 programme. The project involves the construction of four real-life case study NZE settlements in Europe, i.e. in Italy, France, Cyprus, and UK. In particular, the Italian settlement is composed of advanced solutions for the building envelope, innovative energy production systems, and integrated resources energy management at the settlement level. However, the objective of obtaining high performance energy buildings can be reached only if considering the contemporaneous influence of technical characteristics and occupancy. Recent studies report that as buildings become more energy efficient, the behavior of occupants plays an increasing role in energy consumption. Therefore, a construction designed to be a Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) might consume higher than expected if the occupant behavior assumptions made in the simulation process are not respected during the real use. On the other hand, the effective performance of innovative and high efficiency technologies must be checked against predicted performance. In this view, one of the goals of this study is to highlight the critical points that may affect the energy performance, real and expected, of new buildings aimed at meeting the net zero energy standard. The analysis has, therefore, been performed through calibrated dynamic simulation of a continuously monitored building. In detail, indoor comfort settings by the occupants and their interaction with the envelope and the systems directly affect the operation of buildings and related energy uses. Simulation tools (EnergyPlus and DesignBuilder) were employed to demonstrate the potential impact of occupant behavior lifestyles and different household compositions on energy use and thermal comfort conditions. The results clearly reveal their impact. The savings in terms of annual energy consumption can reach up to 60% in the transition from wrong to "green" behaviour. Indeed, this study aims at focusing the attention on the urgent need of reference models related to human behaviors that influence the energy use in buildings, especially in NZEBs. Finally, the importance of psychological factors is also increasingly being recognized in driving the NZEB movement. This study develops an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to explain consumers' intention to adopt NZEBs in NZE settlement framework and examines it through an extensive survey conducted via social media channels. The results show that subjective knowledge, perceived usefulness, perceived climate change, attitude towards NZEBs in NZE settlement framework and general environmental concern measured by the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale, are the significant psychological determinants of intention to adopt NZEBs in NZE settlement framework. It is also found that lacking subjective knowledge related to NZEBs, and in particular NZE settlements, could be a potential psychological barriers among the surveyed consumers. The identified psychological factors provide references for policymakers to effectively develop consumers' behavioral intervention strategies and allocate resources in NZE settlements promoting schemes.

Sex and sexuality hold considerable social and political importance. With the ever more constant presence of digital media in our lives, the relationship between communication technologies, sex and sexuality has become a priority issue for policy makers and institutions, especially in regard to young people. Simultaneously and, in recent years, we have seen an increase in studies in the field of sex media (Attwood 2018), with a certain predominance of works from the psychological and medical fields. Nonetheless, there is a scarce quantity of work that focuses on what it means for researchers to work in this field. Recalling the concept of 'dirty work', this paper serves as a starting point for a broader discussion on what it means to study the relationship between (digital) media, sexuality and young people in sociology and media studies, in Italy. It pays particular attention to the recognition of this field of study within academia, teaching, research, phases of results publication and personal planning. This work also insists on the need for full recognition of the importance and value of studies that concern the perceptions, preferences, assumptions, and social and cultural conditions surrounding practices such as sexting, erotic chat, sharing sexually explicit photos, dating and searching for sexual information, among others. This paper ultimately defines the main road that will allow sociology and media studies to take back territory that has long been the prerogative of medicine and psychology. In turn, this will provide educators, policy makers, health professionals and other stakeholders new tools to support the creation of gazes more inclined to understand than judge, with an eye to the political form of sexuality, the logic of the media and the sexual citizenship of young people.