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Abstract

Focus groups were used in order to develop a new measure of adolescents' emotional autonomy from parents. The procedure started from an in depth analysis of the literature concerning the construct and a definition of the dimensions which characterize it. Following our idea of the construct, we developed a list of 60 items, getting some of them from existing instruments. Twenty-four adolescents participated in the focus group discussions about the adequacy of the items to measure emotional autonomy. Following their feedbacks a second version of the list with 59 items was presented in a focus group with experts in the field of developmental and clinical psychology, who were called to judge the ability of each item to evaluate the construct. Resulting from the indications emerged in this discussion, a final version of the scale with 66 items was developed and called UNIPA Adolescent Emotional Autonomy Inventory.

Keywords

Focus Group, Emotional Autonomy, Adolescence, Parent-Adolescent Relationship, Scale Development

Author Bio(s)

Maria Grazia Lo Cricchio, Ph.D. in Public Relations at Palermo University, Italy, is a visiting student at Tel Aviv University with the groups of Prof. Daniel Bar-Tal and Izhak Schnell working on intercultural relations and conflict management. Her research interests include the study of psychological adaptation in children, adolescents and emerging adults, as well as emotional development during childhood and adolescence, and socialization practices in immigrant families. She may be contacted at Dipartimento di Scienze Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e della Formazione, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed.15, 90128 Palermo (Italy); Phone: 0039 091 23897724; Fax: 0039 091 6513825; Email: mariagrazia.locricchio@unipa.it.

Alida Lo Coco is a Full professor in Developmental and Educational Psychology at the University of Palermo (Italy) and Coordinator of the several research projects in the Developmental Psychology and Education area. Her research interests include the study of social and emotional development during childhood and adolescence, socialization practices in immigrant families, psychological well-being in emerging adults as well as the analysis of mutual intercultural relations during the lifespan. She may be contacted at Dipartimento di Scienze Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e della Formazione, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed.15, 90128 Palermo (Italy); Phone: 0039 091 23897724; Fax: 0039 091 6513825; Email: alida.lococo@unipa.it.

Sonia Ingoglia is Assistant professor in Psychometrics at the Department of Psychological and Educational Sciences of the University of Palermo (Italy). She deals with structtural equation models and longitudinal data analysis. Her research interests include the study of parent-child relations in adolescence and emerging adulthood as well as social competence in early childhood. She may be contacted at Dipartimento di Scienze Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e della Formazione, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed.15, 90128 Palermo (Italy); Phone: 0039 091 23897719; Fax: 0039 091 6513825; Email: sonia.ingoglia@unipa.it.

Francesca Liga is Assistant Professor of Developmental and Educational Psychology at the Department of Cognitive, Psychological and Educational Sciences and Cultural Studies of the University of Messina (Italy). Her research areas focus on different aspects of developmental psychology, particularly regarding risk and protective factors in adolescence and the process of adolescents’ individuation. She may be contacted at Dipartimento di Scienze cognitive, Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e degli Studi culturali, Università degli Studi di Messina, via Bivona 6/7, 98122 Messina (Italy); Phone: 0039 090 6766078; Fax: 0039 090 51940; Email: ligaf@unime.it.

Rodan Di Maria, PhD, teaches and researches in the fields of philosophy, communication and social sciences, and is a long time co-operator of Università degli Studi di Palermo. He is an expert in qualitative research techniques. His monographic works include research on different topics such as intercultural communication and education, communication styles in organized football supporters, cultural and communicative implications in underground cinema and music, cultural aspects of youth extreme political movements. He may be contacted at Dipartimento di Scienze Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e della Formazione, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed.15, 90128 Palermo (Italy); Phone: 0039 091 23897720; Fax: 0039 091 6513825; Email: rodan.dimaria@gmail.com.

Cristiano Inguglia is Assistant professor in Developmental and Educational Psychology at the University of Palermo (Italy) and Coordinator of the Italian staff of the international research program MIRIPS (Mutual Intercultural Relations in Plural Societies), promoted by Prof. J. Berry. His research interests include the study of psychological adaptation in children, adolescents and emerging adults of different backgrounds as well as the analysis of the intercultural relations during the development. He may be contacted at Dipartimento di Scienze Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e della Formazione, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed.15, 90128 Palermo (Italy): Phone: 0039 091 23897720: Fax: 0039 091 6513825: Email: cristiano.inguglia@unipa.it.

Pasquale Musso, Ph.D. in Public Relations at Palermo University, Italy, is a Visiting student at UCLA working with the group of Prof. P. Bentler on multivariate analysis with latent variables and structural equation modeling. Component of the Italian staff of the international research program MIRIPS (Mutual Intercultural Relations in Plural Societies), promoted by Prof. J. Berry. His research interests focus on ethnic identity development, mutual intercultural relations in a developmental perspective, positive youth development, and citizenship and intercultural education. He may be contacted at Dipartimento di Scienze Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e della Formazione, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed.15, 90128 Palermo (Italy); Phone: 0039 091 23897720; Fax: 0039 091 6513825; Email: pasquale.musso@unipa.it.

Publication Date

2-29-2016

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2016.2234

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