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Nicoletta CAVAZZA

Professore Ordinario
Dipartimento di Comunicazione ed Economia

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Pubblicazioni

2024 - Does perceived inequality promote abstention and protest voting? A study of the 2022 Italian general election [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, N.; Volpato, C.; Roccato, M.
abstract

We focus on the role of perceived economic inequality as a possible antecedent of abstention and protest voting in the 2022 Italian general election. In particular, we hypothesize that citizens’ per- ceived economic inequality (and the perception that it will grow), reinforced by the negative emotions the perception trigger, may undermine citizens’ trust in institutions. We also investigate whether the erosion of trust is associated with abstention (as an exit option) and protest voting, operationalized as voting for Fratelli d’Italia (FdI), i.e. the only party that did not support the Draghi government (as a voting voice option). We analysed data from the two waves of an online election survey conducted by ITANES (the Italian National Election Study) on a quota sample of the Italian adult population and tested a moderated – mediated model aimed at predicting the association between perceived inequality when eliciting negative emotions, and the probability of voting for FdI or not casting a valid vote. The mediating variable was institutional distrust and the moderating variable was (lack of) political interest. The analyses confirmed that perceived economic inequality does play a role in promoting abstention and protest voting.

2023 - Can a heterogeneous gastronomic environment reduce food neophobia? It depends on political orientation [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, Margherita; Ferretti, Fabrizio; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

This paper reports an empirical study investigating the negative relationship between the perceived exposure of individuals to a heterogeneous gastronomic environment and their level of food neophobia, over and above the known individual antecedents. In addition, considering the social roots of food neophobia, we tested whether participants’ political orientation moderated this relationship. Our results confirmed these hypotheses: liberals’ food neophobia decreased with increasing gastronomic heterogeneity, but this was not true for conservatives. The implications of these findings are important in both theory and practice as they highlight a contextual factor that may reduce food neophobia, an individual orientation that has a negative impact on both health and the environment.

2023 - Development and validation of the Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy (CVH) Scale [Articolo su rivista]
Cena, L.; Cavazza, N.; Roccato, M.
abstract

Working with a wide quota sample of the Italian adult population, surveyed in the 5th wave of the CoCo (Consequences of COVID-19) project (N = 1,143), we developed and validated the COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy (CVH) Scale, composed of four 4-category items assessing participants’ attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine. Structural equations modelling showed that the CVH Scale is unidimensional and invariant across participants’ gender, age, area of residence, and perceived economic status. Moreover, the scale had good convergent validity. We discuss the strengths and limitations of the CVH Scale and potential avenues for further research.

2023 - Didactic and narrative persuasion: An experiment to promote colorectal cancer screening [Articolo su rivista]
Scaglioni, G.; Chiereghin, A.; Squillace, L.; De Frenza, F.; Kregel, J. M.; Bazzani, C.; Mezzett, F.; &, ; Cavazza, N.
abstract

We tested whether a didactic and a narrative video (i.e. educational content and personal stories versus irrelevant information) could boost colorectal cancer (CRC) screening intention directly and through cognitive predictors of CRC screening behavior. We also tested whether exposure to a story changed participants' affective forecasting, reducing the perception of negative emotions associated with CRC screening (disgust, embarrassment, and fear). The study was conducted online with a between-participants design and recruiting a convenience sample (N =375). We found that, compared with watching the control video, being exposed to the narrative video about CRC screening was indirectly associated with greater screening inten- tion via vicarious experience and positive attitudes, whereas watching the didactic video was positively associated with CRC screening intention only among participants who had received an invitation letter but did not get screened, and among those yet to receive an invitation to screen. In the latter group, screening intention was boosted through positive attitudes. Our findings do not confirm that stories change affective forecasting, but narration likely fosters messages acceptance through vicarious experience. We also found support for the effectiveness of physicians' rec- ommendations in promoting CRC screening, an intervention that might be effectively administered through a generalized, cost-effective video.

2023 - Psychosocial Predictors of Colorectal Cancer Screening Intention: An Experiment on the Invitation Letter [Articolo su rivista]
Scaglioni, G; Chiereghin, A; Bazzani, C; Mezzetti, F; Cavazza, N
abstract

Background: In Italy, attendance rates for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening are suboptimal. The present work analysed cognitive and emotional predictors of CRC screening intention and tested an intervention on a real invitation letter to improve CRC screening intention, both directly and in interaction with the predictors of our model. Methods: Our model included variables from the theory of planned behaviour and the emotional barriers to bowel screening scale. We applied six changes to an invitation letter used in Italy to avoid the repetition of words like ‘faeces’, ‘blood’, or ‘occult’ and reduce the prompting of disgust. The 228 participants were randomly assigned to a between-participants design (original letter vs. manipulated letter). Results: Disgust hindered CRC screening intention, while embarrassment, fear, and subjective norms (i.e., perception of the social pressures to attend CRC screening) were not associated with intention to screen. More positive attitudes towards CRC screening were associated with a higher intention to screen. The positive association between perceived behavioural control and CRC screening intention was stronger for participants who read the letter with fewer (vs. more) references to bodily waste. Letter manipulation did not affect intention to screen. Conclusions: The disgust associated with faecal matter is a critical factor in determining CRC screening attendance, and it should be acknowledged as such in public policies. Until new screening tests avoiding the activation of this emotional reaction are concretely available, public campaigns should improve CRC screening participation by boosting both positive attitudes towards screening and patients’ perceived behavioural control

2023 - The role of disgust as an emotional barrier to colorectal cancer screening participation: a systematic review and meta-analysis [Articolo su rivista]
Scaglioni, G.; Guidetti, M.; Cavazza, N.
abstract

Objective: Worldwide colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates are suboptimal. This systematic review and meta-analysis examine the role of disgust in CRC screening avoidance. Design: A systematic literature search was conducted. In all, 46 studies were included in the review. Among these, 16 studies were compared with a meta-analytical approach in order to 1) estimate the effect size of state disgust on screening intention and attendance; 2) examine whether methodological characteristics moderate the effect of state disgust on screening behaviour; 3) estimate the effect sizes of trait disgust and type of exam kit on state disgust. Results: In the reviewed studies, state disgust was often associated with CRC screening and especially with CRC screening avoidance. The meta-analysis confirmed low-to-moderate negative effects of state disgust on screening intention and attendance. Population sampling strategy was the only significant moderator of the effect of state disgust on screening attendance, i.e. studies that used convenience (versus random/representative) samples found a significantly lower effect size. Trait disgust and type of exam kit exerted a large and a moderate-to-large positive effect, respectively, on state disgust. Conclusions: Disgust can boost CRC screening avoidance. Further studies and interventions must be designed to help patients in overcoming this emotional barrier.

2023 - Veg*ns’ and omnivores’ reciprocal attitudes and dehumanization: The role of social dominance orientation, ingroup identification, and anticipated reproach [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, Margherita; Graziani, Anna Rita; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Two studies compared omnivores’ and veg*ns’ attitudes and dehumanization tendencies toward each other and identified the social psychological factors explaining them. Study 1 (N = 208, Italians) showed that veg*ns’ hold less positive attitudes toward omnivores than the reverse, and attributed to them less human uniqueness and nature; these differences were explained by veg*ns’ stronger identification with the ingroup and higher perceptions of reproach from the outgroup, even if omnivores’ higher levels of social dominance orientation worsened their attitude toward veg*ns. Study 2 (preregistered, N = 200, mostly from UK) overall replicated Study 1 findings at the explicit level. Interestingly, omnivores’ and veg*ns’ implicit attitudes were equally positive (but less positive than self-reported attitudes) and not predicted by the same mediators associated with the explicit measures. This work suggests that neither veg*ns nor omnivores hold negative attitudes toward each other: they were both positive or neutral toward the outgroup, even if at the explicit level this positivity is greater for omnivores.

2023 - When a woman asks a sexist constituency to be voted: was Giorgia Meloni’s gender an advantage, a disadvantage or an irrelevant factor in the 2022 Italian general election? [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, N.; Roccato, M.
abstract

In this study, we investigated whether Giorgia Meloni’s gender was an advantage, a disadvantage or an irrelevant factor in the 2022 Italian general election. Using datasets from two election surveys conducted with two quota samples of the adult Italian population, Ns = 1,572 (ITANES dataset) and 1,150 (COCO dataset), we predicted the vote in the election as a function of participants’ gender, beliefs about gender and their interaction, controlling for the key sociodemographic and political variables. Two multinomial logistic regression revealed that gender and beliefs about gender were neither additively nor multiplicatively associated with the vote. We therefore conclude that Meloni’s gender did not affect the outcome of the 2022 Italian general election

2023 - When a Politician Disappoints: The Role of Gender Stereotypical Expectations in Post-Scandal Judgment [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, M.; Graziani, A. R.; Scaglioni, G.; Cucchi, S.; Cavazza, N.
abstract

This study examines how evaluations of male and female politicians are worsened by corruption scandals that disappoint expectations of honesty. Participants evaluated a fictitious politician before and after watching a video about a corruption scandal involving that politician. The manipulated variables were the politician’s sex and whether they shared participants’ political affiliations. Results showed that a female politician affiliated with the participants’ preferred party was the most damaged by the scandal because she had the highest expectations of honesty placed upon her.

2022 - Adding Insult to Injury: The Effects of Intimate Partner Violence Spillover on the Victim’s Reputation [Articolo su rivista]
Pagliaro, S.; Cavazza, N.; Paolini, D.; Teresi, M.; Johnson, J. D.; Pacilli, M. G.
abstract

This article examined indirect consequences for the victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) in terms of ostracism and reputational threats. Through an experimental vignette survey, we compared bystanders’ reactions to either an intimate partner violence episode or a generic violence episode. A victim of IPV (vs. generic violence) received a more negative moral evaluation and was considered as more responsible for the violence perpetrated on her. This made participants not only anticipate a less positive reputation attributed to the victim but also report less willingness to approach and defend the victim and include her in relevant ingroups 1 year after the episode.

2022 - Dining with liberals and conservatives: The social underpinnings of food neophobia [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, M.; Carraro, L.; Cavazza, N.
abstract

Although food and politics seem to be distant domains, socio-political ideology and food neophobia (i.e., reluctance to eat unfamiliar food) may be related. Conservatives' high threat sensitivity and the inherently threatening nature of novel foods (the existential explanation), along with conservatives' negative attitudes toward minority outgroups (e.g., foreigners) and the role of the latter in introducing novel foods to a culture (the social explanation), led us to expect that socio-political ideology would predict food neophobia over and above their common roots. Across two correlational and two experimental studies (N = 627), socio-political ideology emerged as a strong predictor of food neophobia. In addition, the findings did not support the existential explanation, while confirming the social explanation of the ideology- food neophobia link: Conservatives seem more neophobic than liberals not because of their higher threat sensitivity but rather because they hold more negative attitudes toward foreigners who are associated with those foods.

2022 - Editorial: Computational Commensality [Articolo su rivista]
Mancini, M.; Cavazza, N.; Higgs, S.; Huisman, G.; Van Den Boer, J.; Niewiadomski, R.
abstract

2022 - Household crowding during the COVID-19 lockdown fosters anti-democracy even after 17 months: A 5-wave latent growth curve study [Articolo su rivista]
Russo, S.; Colloca, P.; Cavazza, N.; Roccato, M.
abstract

In an earlier cross-sectional study, Roccato et al. (2021) showed that household crowding during the COVID-19 lockdown was positively related to support for anti-democratic political systems. However, little is known about the persistence of these effect over time. In this study, we examined its duration in a longitudinal study structured in five waves, the first in May–June 2019 (before the COVID-19 outbreak, N = 1504) and the others during the pandemic, in April 2020 (during the lockdown, N = 1199), October 2020 (N = 1156), April 2021 (N = 1148), and October 2021 (N = 1151). The increase in support for anti-democratic systems associated with household overcrowding in the initial phase of the lockdown (Wave 2) did not change over the subsequent 17 months. Moreover, the effect was stronger among those who had high (compared with low) trust in democratic political institutions before the pandemic. Strengths, limitations, and potential developments of the study are discussed.

2022 - How and why is the COVID-19 crisis impacting trust in institutions? A two-wave longitudinal study in Italy [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, N; Russo, S; Colloca, P; Roccato, M
abstract

Using a quota panel of the adult Italian population (N = 1,192), we conducted a two-wave longitudinal study to analyse how and why the COVID-19 crisis affected Italians’ trust in institutions. Between May-June 2019 (before COVID-19) and April 2020 (the peak of the pandemic), trust in political institutions (political parties, parliament, and local administrations) and in super partes national institutions (the President of the Republic, the judiciary, and the police) increased, whereas trust in international institutions (the European Union and the United Nations) decreased. A mediation model showed that anxiety and collective angst were positively associated with seeking information about COVID-19 from institutional and relational sources. In turn, seeking information from institutional sources further increased trust in institutions, whereas seeking information from social media and friends did not. The same pattern held for trust in epistemic authorities (the national health care system, civil protection and scientists), which was measured only in the second wave. These results suggest that it is extremely important to pay attention to public communication strategies, as they play a crucial role in transforming individual and collective distress in times of crisis into trust in institutions, even net of the effect of information from relational sources. The strengths and limitations of the study are discussed, and directions for possible future research are suggested.

2022 - Left and right in the age of populism: has the populist zeitgeist permeated citizens’ representation of ideological labels? [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, N.; Colloca, P.; Roccato, M.
abstract

This article explores whether the current populist zeitgeist has changed the social representation of the political labels ‘left’ and ‘right’ in terms of their relevance, understanding and meaning. We merged two post-electoral quota samples of the Italian adult population. The first (N = 1,377) was collected in 2006 by the ITANES research group, the second in 2019 (N = 1,504) for this study. We analysed the relevance of left and right in politics as the frequency with which participants placed themselves on the left–right axis; its understanding as the frequency with which participants answered at least one of two open-ended questions about the meaning of such categories, and the meaning participants gave to left and right in politics through content analysis of their responses to the open-ended questions above. From 2006 to 2019, the relevance and understanding of left and right declined. In terms of meanings, references to the traditional elements of left and right became less common, while references to specific leaders, and the notion of ‘left’ and ‘right’ in politics no longer making sense, became more widespread; moreover, none of the other populist categories significantly changed their frequency. This study expands the scope of the previous research on this topic also by identifying the critical role that political interest plays in the changes on which we have focused. Strengths, limitations and implications of the study are discussed.

2022 - Relative deprivation, populist orientation and populist vote: A field research [Articolo su rivista]
Cena, L.; Cavazza, N.; Roccato, R.
abstract

2022 - VEG*NS’ AND OMNIVORES’ RECIPROCAL ATTITUDES: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL DOMINANCE ORIENTATION, INGROUP IDENTIFICATION, AND ANTICIPATED REPROACH [Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Guidetti, Margherita; Graziani, Anna Rita; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Previous research has investigated the existence of and reasons for the commonplace prejudice omnivores hold against vegetarians and vegans (“veg*ns”), with only a couple of recent studies also examining the other way round. Two studies, ran in different contexts, aimed to assess and compare omnivores’ and veg*ns’ attitudes toward each other and to identify the social psychological factor explaining them. Study 1 (N = 216, Italian) showed that veg*ns’ attitudes toward omnivores were more negative than the reverse and that this difference was fully explained by veg*ns’ stronger identification with the ingroup and higher perceptions of reproach from the outgroup, even if omnivores’ higher levels of social dominance orientation (SDO) worsened their attitude toward the outgroup. Study 2 (N = 200, mostly from UK) aimed to confirm these findings in a different context, also measuring implicit attitudes. Results replicated Study 1 findings at an explicit level. Interestingly, veg*ns’ and omnivores’ implicit attitudes toward each other were equally positive and were not predicted by the same mediators associated with explicit attitudes, i.e., ingroup identification, anticipated reproach and SDO. The implications of the results for both theory and practice are discussed.

2021 - Are we gaining or losing ground? Dynamic perceptions of public opinion influence willingness to speak out and participate in land use conflicts [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, N.; Roccato, M.
abstract

Using an Italian land use conflict on the building a high-speed railway (HSR) as case study, we analyzed how perceived changes in public opinion influence (a) people’s willingness to speak out, and (b) subsequently their intentions to engage in action (N = 311). Regardless of whether they were on the majority or minority side of the conflict, citizens’ willingness to speak out was positively asso- ciated with their perceptions that their position was becoming more or less widespread within public opinion, especially among participants with extreme attitudes toward the HSR. Willingness to speak out about the HSR mediated the relation between increasing support discrepancy and intention to participate in the conflict. Strengths, limitations and implications are discussed.

2021 - CIBO, GIUDIZIO SOCIALE, STEREOTIPI DI GENERE E SOCIAL MEDIA: GLI EFFETTI DEL FOODPORN SU INSTAGRAM [Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Guidetti, Margherita; Graziani, Anna Rita; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

I social media sono spesso usati come strumenti di impression management e diversi studi hanno indagato gli effetti di foto, informazioni di profilo e selfie sul giudizio sociale. Anche il cibo ha una grande potenzialità espressiva: le persone si formano un’impressione degli altri in base a quello che mangiano e a loro volta usano il cibo per autopresentarsi. La distinzione tra cibi stereotipicamente maschili e femminili sembra essere particolarmente saliente e informativa. Presentiamo due esperimenti in cui abbiamo esplorato gli effetti del foodporn sul giudizio sociale manipolando tra i partecipanti le foto di piatti (maschili vs femminili vs controllo nello Studio 1, animali vs vegetali nello Studio 2) pubblicate su un profilo Instagram di un target fittizio (uomo vs donna). Il primo studio (N = 195) conferma che semplicemente postare la foto di un piatto stereotipico sul proprio profilo Instagram può produrre un’impressione corrispondente negli osservatori e quindi influenzare il desiderio di un incontro reale. L’obiettivo del secondo studio era di verificare se i pregiudizi reciproci già emersi tra onnivori e veg*ni, considerati come categorie, si estendano anche ai singoli individui, e di esplorare il ruolo degli stereotipi di genere. Abbiamo quindi confrontato (tra partecipanti onnivori vs veg*ni, N = 175) i profili IG di un uomo vs una donna descritti come onnivori vs vegani e accompagnati da foto di prodotti animali vs vegetali. I risultati suggeriscono una preponderanza degli stereotipi di genere rispetto alle dinamiche intergruppi: solo i primi influenzano gli atteggiamenti e le intenzioni comportamentali dei partecipanti, migliori nei confronti di uomini onnivori e donne vegane. Nel complesso, questi studi mostrano che le foto di piatti che le persone condividono così spesso sui propri profili social hanno una straordinaria capacità comunicativa, soprattutto in relazione alle impressioni di femminilità e mascolinità. Saranno discusse le implicazioni teoriche e pratiche.

2021 - Coping with the COVID-19 pandemic through institutional trust: Rally effects, compensatory control, and emotions [Articolo su rivista]
Roccato, M.; Colloca, P.; Cavazza, N.; Russo, S.
abstract

Objective: Exogenous shocks trigger rally effects, leading the public opinion toward increased trust in institutions. Rally effects have an important social function because they help society react to shocks rapidly and efficiently as a single unit and cohesively face the threat. However, little is known about the individual functions that these effects fulfil. In this study, we aimed to analyze the individual functions of the rally effect. Method: In a three-wave longitudinal study on a quota sample of the Italian adult population (N = 1070), we analyzed the individual consequences of the increase in institutional trust triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: A path analysis showed that increased trust in political, super partes and international institutions fostered well-being, reducing anxiety, collective angst, and anger via the mediation of participants’ perceived control over their lives. Conclusion: Beyond their well-known social functions, rally effects fulfil the individual function of favoring people's psychological well-being.

2021 - Emotional Barriers to Bowel Screening in Italy: Scale psychometric properties and effects on screening attendance [Articolo su rivista]
Scaglioni, G.; Cavazza, N.
abstract

Objective: To assess a three-factor version of the Emotional Barriers to Bowel Screening (EBBS) scale; analyze the scale's psychometric properties; and investigate the associations of fecal disgust, embarrassment, and fear with colorectal cancer (CRC) screening avoidance. Methods: Retrospective design: We asked participants to rate negative emotions associated with CRC screenings as well as whether they had ever attended a fecal occult blood test. Sample: 268 Italian adults aged 45−74 years. Measures: negative emotions, screening knowledge, CRC risk perception, demographic and background data, and hypothetical medical help-seeking. Analyses: Confirmatory factor analyses, correlations, logistic regressions. Results: The EBBS scale is a multidimensional instrument and, at least where fecal tests are of interest, can be used without the insertion disgust subscale. The analyzed negative emotions were negatively correlated with screening attendance and positively correlated with intention to delay seeking medical help. However, logistic regression models showed that, of the three analyzed emotions, fear about outcome was the only significant predictor of screening behavior and delaying medical care. Conclusions: Further studies can adopt the version of the EBBS scale that is most suitable for their research contexts. Interventions must be designed to reassure patients.

2021 - Finally, the chance to eat healthily: Longitudinal study about food consumption during and after the first COVID-19 lockdown in Italy [Articolo su rivista]
Caso, D.; Guidetti, M.; Capasso, M.; Cavazza, N.
abstract

With the COVID-19 outbreak, structural constraints and social psychological factors changed the dietary habits of many people. This two-wave longitudinal study performed in Italy aimed to explore people's perceptions of changes in healthy and unhealthy food consumption before and during the first lockdown and the possible persistence of such changes after its official end, as a function of the number of people cohabiting, negative emotion activation, and individual eating styles. A total of 728 Italian adults completed self-reported food consumption measures and related psychological variables at both time points. In the lockdown period, participants reported an increase in healthy food consumption and involvement in cooking and a decrease in the consumption of junk food. This general pattern was stronger for both young and restrained eaters. The intensity of negative emotions and the number of cohabitants were not associated with the examined behaviour. In the post-lockdown period, the new consumption pattern acquired during the confinement was partially discontinued: participants cut down their healthy food consumption as well as their involvement in food preparation, but they continued to reduce their junk food intake. These results suggest that people's food consumption patterns can easily improve when the situation is favourable (e.g., more time and opportunities for cooking healthy meals) and offer an interesting theoretical contribution to understanding the factors useful in promoting healthy eating, in the event of a future outbreak.

2021 - Household crowding can have political effects: An empirical study on support for anti-democratic political systems during the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, N.; Russo, S.; Colloca, P.; Roccato, M.
abstract

We analysed some political consequences of household crowding during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown across a wide quota sample of the Italian adult population, stratified as concerns gender, age, level of education, geographical area of residence, and size of area of residence, interviewed before (May–June 2019) and during (April 2020) the lockdown (N = 1,047, 51.2% women, Mage = 50.44, SD = 14.36). Path analysis showed that household crowding during the lockdown was positively associated with support for anti-democratic political systems, through the partial mediation of the perceived relative impact of COVID-19 on one's family and of expectations of future lifestyle restrictions due to the pandemic. These associations did not depend on participants' pre-pandemic socio-economic status and predisposition to strong political leaders. Strengths, limitations, and possible developments of the study are discussed.

2021 - Is Politics Still a Masculine Thing? Stereotypical Male Description Activates the Prototype of the Politically Committed Individual Worthy of a Vote [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, N.; Pacilli, M. G.
abstract

In the last few centuries, women in Western countries have achieved revolutionary advancements in terms of civil and social rights. Nevertheless, women continue to be underrepresented in leadership positions, and this major issue needs to be tackled. In the present research, comprising two studies, we aimed to test the role of gender stereotype salience in affecting the extent to which individuals view women and men as being close to the ‘politically involved individual’ prototype and its influence on the intention to vote for women and men. In both studies, we found that the increased perceived likelihood of a target to participate in politics when described as a real man (Study 1) or as stereotypically masculine (irrespective of his/her sex, Study 2), in respect to the other conditions, mediated participants’ willingness to vote for them in case of candidacy.

2021 - Men and Women Defending Themselves from Political Scandals: Gender Stereotypes and Proneness to Forgive Scandalous Politicians [Articolo su rivista]
Cucchi, S.; Graziani, A. R.; Guidetti, M.; Cavazza, N.
abstract

Many studies have highlighted the role of gender stereotypes in impressions of politicians. In general, a politician’s image benefits from behaving consistently within gender stereotypes. The present study tested whether this also applied to different image restoration tactics employed by male versus female politicians after a scandal. We assessed participants’ evaluation of a fictitious male or female politician soon after a scandal and then after his or her defence. We used a 3 × 2 experimental design to compare the effectiveness of three defensive tactics involving different degrees of assertiveness vs. submissiveness as a function of a politician’s gender. All tactics were overall effective in improving the damaged reputation of the fictitious politician but, as expected, using the excuse of mitigating circumstances (submissive) was more beneficial to female politicians while diffusing responsibility by accusing another person (assertive) was more beneficial to male politicians, both in terms of global attitude and stereotypical evaluations (communality and agency, respectively). The tactic of mortification and requests for forgiveness did not have different effects by gender. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

2021 - More guilty if woman: The role of gender and causal attribution in political scandals’ impact [Articolo su rivista]
Cucchi, S.; Cavazza, N.
abstract

Political scandals can have a great impact for the perpetrator, but negative consequences may vary considerably depending on such factors as personal characteristics of the involved political actors or citizens’ expectations. The present study investigated the effect of the gender of the politician involved in different kinds of scandals deriving from the transgression of gender role-based expectations and the role of participants’ attribution of responsibility (internal vs. external) on their evaluation of the perpetrator. Results showed that participants did not express different evaluations of the female versus male politician when their behavior testified to a lack of qualities stereotypically associated to men and women. But when participants attributed the responsibility of the scandal to the perpetrator, women were punished more severely than their male colleagues. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

2021 - Moving away from Populist Votes. The Role of Anxiety during the COVID-19 Pandemic [Articolo su rivista]
Russo, S.; Colloca, P.; Cavazza, N.; Roccato, M
abstract

We analysed the relations between anxiety and populist votes, using informa- tion from a quota panel of the Italian adult population (N = 628), surveyed twice, in May-June 2019 (before the COVID-19 pandemic) and in April 2020 (at the peak of the pandemic). We found that vote instability rose between 2019 and 2020. The number of participants who moved away from populist parties was greater than that of participants who moved towards them. Moreover, the relation between anxiety and moving away from a populist vote was positive and significant, while that between anxiety and moving towards a populist vote did not reach statistical significance. Strengths, limitations and possible developments are discussed.

2021 - The Lasting Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Support for Anti-Democratic Political Systems: A Six-Month Longitudinal Study [Articolo su rivista]
Roccato, M.; Russo, S.; Colloca, P.; Cavazza, N.
abstract

Objectives: We aimed to analyze the enduring effects exerted by COVID-19 exposure and subjective economic threats on support for anti-democratic political systems. Method: We performed a two-wave longitudinal study on a quota panel of the Italian adult population (N = 1,073), surveyed first in April 2020, during the first peak of the pandemic (T1) and the first lockdown, and second in October 2020, at the onset of the second peak of the pandemic and of the second lockdown (T2). Results: A mediation model showed that COVID-19 exposure and subjective economic threats, measured at T1, fostered a negative evaluation of how the government managed the pandemic, which, in turn, had a positive association with support for anti-democratic political systems, both measured at T2. Conclusion: The existential threats related to the COVID-19 pandemic have enduring political consequences, undermining people's support for democracy, even six months after their onset.

2020 - A Democratic Emergency After a Health Emergency? Exposure to COVID-19, Perceived Economic Threat and Support for Anti-Democratic Political Systems [Articolo su rivista]
Roccato, M.; Cavazza, N.; Colloca, P.; Russo, S.
abstract

Objectives: The urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic has led governments to impose restrictions on individual freedom and required citizens to comply with these restrictions. In addition, lockdowns related to COVID-19 have led to a significant economic crisis. We aimed to study how the pandemic and related economic threats have impacted support for anti-democratic political systems. Method: We analyzed data from a quota panel of the Italian adult population (N = 1,195), surveyed once before and once during the pandemic. Results: A hierarchical regression model showed that exposure to COVID-19 and perceived economic insecurity were associated with support for anti-democratic political systems, independent of participants’ predispositions toward a strong leader. Conclusion: An authoritarian personality is not a necessary precondition for individual anti-democracy: when facing severe personal threats, anyone could restore a subjective sense of control over the social world by becoming anti-democratic, independent of their initial predisposition to support anti-democratic political systems.

2020 - Come si mangia in quarantena: L’alimentazione emotiva durante l’emergenza coronavirus. [Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Caso, D.; Guidetti, M.; Capasso, M.; Cavazza, N.
abstract

2020 - Food for Boys and Food for Girls: Do Preschool Children Hold Gender Stereotypes about Food? [Articolo su rivista]
Graziani Anna, Rita; Guidetti, Margherita; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Family meals are occasions for socializing children to gender roles and the symbolic meaning of food and eating. One of the relevant symbolic meaning of food concerns its gender connotation: Meat, especially red meat, is considered the quintessential male food, whereas fruit, vegetables, dairy, desserts, and fish are considered typical female food. These food-gender associations have been mainly investigated in adulthood; only a few studies involved children. The present study examined preschool children’s explicit and implicit food-gender stereotypes, their stereotypical food likings, and mothers’ influence in the transmission of such stereotypes. A group of 137 Italian preschool children (4–6 years-old) performed two tasks: (a) an Implicit Association Test (IAT) measuring the association between meat and vegetable dishes and male and female faces and (b) a “waiter’s game” in which they assigned images of different foods to men, women, boys, and girls depicted on cards. Moreover, they were asked to indicated their likings for the food employed in the waiter’s game. Mothers were given a questionnaire assessing gender-based stereotypes about food and eating habits. The results showed that boys already associated meat with men and vegetables with women at the implicit level and expressed a preference for masculine foods. Such stereotyping did not emerge at the implicit level for girls or at an explicit level for either girls or boys. Moreover, mothers’ attitudes and behaviors predicted, at least in part, their children’s food-gender explicit stereotypes but not children’s implicit stereotypes. Stereotyped food likings were predicted by children’s explicit stereotypes.

2020 - Il nudge e le tattiche di persuasione [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, N.
abstract

quando si parla di persuasione, l’idealtipo che viene in mente è probabilmente quello della comunicazione persuasiva. Per molto tempo la persuasione è stata studiata nella psicologia sociale quasi esclusivamente nei termini di processi di cambiamento di atteggiamenti, credenze, opinioni, che si attivano in una situazione di comunicazione diretta o mediata, dando poi per scontato che a questo cambiamento segua un comportamento coerente (comprare, votare, proteggersi, ecc.). Se è vero che il nudge non modifica necessariamente il piano cognitivo individuale, è però vero che alcune delle modalità di influenza incluse nella tipologia a cui Savadori fa riferimento nel suo saggio sono riconducibili alla comunicazione persuasiva più tipica:«comunicare informazioni prima sottaciute», così come «comunicare i rischi in forma di avvertenze (warnings) come sui pacchetti di sigarette» sono tattiche che …

2020 - Impression formation via #foodporn: Effects of posting gender-stereotyped food pictures on instagram profiles [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, N.; Graziani, A. R.; Guidetti, M.
abstract

Previous studies suggested that food may have gender connotations and plays an important role in impression formation. Since sharing food images through social networks is becoming more and more common, the aim of the present study was to examine whether such images influence observers' judgements of a target. Specifically, we hypothesised that posting images of gender-stereotyped dishes would affect impression formation as a function of their congruence with the sex of the profile owner. In a 2 × 3 study, we varied the sex of the owner of a fictitious Instagram profile, and the image-set composition (masculine dishes vs feminine dishes vs neutral images). Subsequently, we measured the perceived femininity/masculinity, gender-stereotyped traits, and the desire to interact with the profile owner. Results confirmed that food pictures can communicate a profile owner's characteristics, showing that posting masculine dishes dampened women's femininity and the attribution of feminine traits to the target, irrespective of gender, and indirectly reduced participants' intention to meet both targets through the lower attribution of feminine traits (i.e., communion). Moreover, posting gender-congruent food images promoted the congruent gendered impression in observers (i.e., femininity for the woman and masculinity for the man) and in turn increased the desire to interact with him/her. These findings contribute to the understanding of the socio-psychological functions at the basis of sharing one's own eating/cooking experiences on social networks, showing that this behavior has an informational role for observers.

2020 - Intergroup contact and prejudice toward immigrants: A multinational, multilevel test of the moderating role of individual conservative values and cultural embeddedness [Articolo su rivista]
Barni, D.; Cavazza, N.; Russo, S.; Vieno, A.; Roccato, M.
abstract

We performed a multilevel, multinational analysis of the 2014 European Social Survey dataset (N = 33,597, nested in 19 countries) to study how individual conservative values and cultural embeddedness moderate the link between contact with immigrants and the attitudes toward them. A combination of frequency and positivity of contact with immigrants showed a negative association with ethnic prejudice while, conversely, participants’ conservative basic values were directly and positively associated with prejudice. National cultural embeddedness was not as- sociated with the dependent variable. Neither individual conservative values nor cultural em- beddedness moderated the association between contact and prejudice. Strengths, limitations, implications and future directions of this study are discussed.

2020 - Overindulging in food: How overeating may increase women’s preference for stereotyped activities and objects [Articolo su rivista]
Graziani, Anna Rita; Guidetti, Margherita; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Two experiments were designed to examine how transgressing the gender-based norm of restricting food intake (i.e., the “eating lightly” social norm), provoked in women the desire to engage in stereotypically feminine activities, such as watching a romance movie or wearing feminine items in order to balance the negative consequences of overindulging in food. Study 1 (N = 110) showed that after recalling an overeating episode (vs. remembering a situation in which they were able to control their food ingestion), women (but not men) experienced negative emotions that increased their desire to watch romance movies. Study 2 (N = 123) showed that an imagined overeating experience was perceived by women as an unfeminine behavior. This perception in turn induced negative emotions that increased the likelihood of preferring feminine objects. Finally, for these women, the choice of feminine objects improved their self-ascribed femininity. Our results contribute to the understanding of overeating as an identity-relevant behavior for women—able to generate psychological consequences beyond the food domain.

2020 - Scelte alimentari. Foodies, vegani, neofobici e altre storie [Monografia/Trattato scientifico]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita
abstract

Loretta segue la dieta dell’ananas, Guido deve controllare il colesterolo, Martina è diventata vegana, Francesco è celiaco, Rakid rispetta le usanze della sua religione, Cinzia mangia solo cibo biologico con la garanzia che i lavoratori siano stati pagati equamente. In questa frammentazione, che tutti noi sperimentiamo nel quotidiano, diventa arduo condividere lo stesso pasto. Fruttariani, vegani, crudisti, macrobiotici… Com’è diventato il nostro rapporto con il cibo? E che cosa raccontano di noi le nostre scelte alimentari?

2020 - Three Roads to Populism? An Italian Field Study on the 2019 European Election [Articolo su rivista]
Roccato, M.; Cavazza, N.; Colloca, P.; Russo, S.
abstract

Objectives: We predicted populist orientation and vote for two populist parties, the Five Star Movement (FSM) and the League, in the 2019 European election by focusing on perceived economic threat, perceived cultural threat, dissatisfaction with representative democracy, and on first-order interactions. Method: We surveyed a quota sample of the Italian adult general population (N = 1,504) and tested a latent moderated structural equations model aimed at predicting participants’ populist vote and populist orientation. Results: Perceived cultural threat and dissatisfaction with democracy were positively associated with populist orientation. Dissatisfaction with democracy was positively associated with votes for the FSM, while perceived cultural threat was positively associated with votes for the League. Perceived economic threat was negatively associated with votes for the League. Conclusion: Populist orientation and populist vote share just some predictors, and are associated with main effects only, but not with interactions between perceived cultural, economic, and political variables.

2019 - Assessment of Citizens’ Populist Orientations: Development and Validation of the POPulist ORientation (POPOR) Scale [Articolo su rivista]
Roccato, M.; Corbetta, P.; Cavazza, N.; Colloca, P.
abstract

Objectives: We developed and validated the POPulist ORientation (POPOR) Scale (composed of six five-category items), operationalizing populist orientation as a unidimensional construct composed of six facets: (1) anti-economic, financial, and intellectual establishment attitude; (2) anti-political establishment; (3) conception of the people as a homogeneous and virtuous entity; (4) consideration of the people as legitimated to take part directly in political decision-making processes; (5) need for a strong leader; and (6) loss of relevance of the traditional ideologies. To prevent response bias, we gave the POPOR Scale a forced-choice format and a balanced structure. Method: We surveyed a quota sample of 1,348 Italians extracted from the general population and analyzed the structure of the scale and its convergent validity via confirmatory factor analysis. Results: The POPOR Scale showed a unidimensional structure and a good convergent validity. Supplemental analyses showed its structural invariance across gender, age, education, and area of residence

2019 - Attitudinal ambivalence [Altro]
Cavazza, N.; Pillaud, V.; Butera, F.
abstract

This is an annotated bibliography on attitudinal ambivalence

2019 - Cibo da maschi e da femmine: stereotipi di genere associati agli alimenti in età prescolare [Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Graziani, Anna Rita; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Numerosi studi mostrano l’esistenza di stereotipi di genere riguardo al cibo (Vartanian, Herman, Polivy, 2007). La carne rossa è considerata il tipico cibo maschile e consumarla in pubblico rappresenta per gli uomini una strategia per affermare la propria virilità (Vartanian, 2015). Frutta, verdura, latticini, pesce e dolci sono considerati cibi tipicamente femminili e consumarli rappresenta per le donne un modo per comunicare la propria femminilità (Vartanian et al., 2007). Sono poche le ricerche in questo ambito che coinvolgono bambini, ma sapere se e quando i bambini scelgono o evitano determinati alimenti (e.g., verdure) sulla base di questi stereotipi di genere (e.g., sono cibo da femmine) potrebbe avere importanti implicazioni per i programmi di educazione alimentare. Abbiamo condotto uno studio per esplorare se i bambini in età prescolare (4-6) possiedano stereotipi di genere legati al cibo a livello esplicito e implicito e abbiamo verificato il ruolo delle madri nell’influenzarne lo sviluppo. 137 bambini hanno partecipato insieme alle madri. I bambini hanno completato uno IAT che misurava l'associazione tra carne e verdure con volti maschili e femminili e assegnato immagini di cibi diversi a uomini, donne, bambini e bambine. Le madri, invece, hanno risposto a un questionario per valutare gli stereotipi di genere riguardo al cibo e le abitudini alimentari. I risultati mostrano che a livello implicito i bambini, soprattutto i maschi, tendono già ad associare la carne agli uomini e le verdure alle donne. Inoltre, gli stereotipi e i comportamenti alimentari delle madri influenzano, almeno in parte, l’associazione esplicita cibo-genere.

2019 - Conservatori e progressisti a tavola: le radici sociali della neofobia alimentare. [Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Guidetti, M.; Carraro, L.; Cavazza, N.
abstract

2019 - Gender stereotypes about food in pre-school children. [Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Graziani, Anna Rita; Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita
abstract

There is a large body of literature showing a close connection between food and gender stereotypes (Vartanian, Herman, Polivy, 2007). Meat, especially red meat, is considered the quintessential male food and consuming it, especially in social occasions, represents a tool to affirm men’s virility (Vartanian, 2015). Fruits, vegetables, dairy products, desserts and fish, on the other hand, are considered a typical feminine food, and choosing such foods represents a way for women to increase their femininity in the eyes of their co-eaters (Vartanian et al., 2007). The literature review shows that the food gender stereotypes has been mainly investigated in adulthood, whereas there are few studies involving children. The aim of the present study is to verify whether pre-school age children already express gender stereotypes related to food both explicitly and implicitly. Furthermore, we have verified whether mothers, with their attitudes and behaviours towards food, can influence this association. 137 children (4-6 years) participated in the study by completing two tasks: in the first they had to associate images of different foods with images of men, women, children and girls. In the second, they had to complete a IAT measuring the association between foods (meat and vegetables) and male and female faces. Mothers were given a questionnaire that explored gender stereotypes about food and their eating habits. The results show that male children already associate meat with men and vegetables to women and that generally mothers with their behaviours and attitudes seem to influence this association. The theoretical and practical implications will be discussed.

2019 - Political ideology moderates the relationship between outgroup size and prejudice toward immigrants: A longitudinal, multilevel study [Articolo su rivista]
Russo, Silvia; Barni, Daniela; Cavazza, Nicoletta; Roccato, Michele; Vieno, Alessio
abstract

With the aim of understanding the relationship between the presence of immigrants and prejudice toward them, we tested two competing predictions drawn from the outgroup threat theory and the contact hypothesis. We also tested whether such relationship differed depending on individual political ideology. The results of a multilevel analysis conducted on longitudinal data from an Italian sample (N = 3,871, nested in 103 Italian counties) revealed that, in line with the group threat theory, the association between the immigrants' group size and prejudice was positive only among right-wingers. Strengths, limitations, and possible developments of this research are discussed.

2019 - ‘Strangers in Their Own Land’: Development and Validation of a Balanced, Unidimensional Scale to Measure the Sense of Threat to Local Traditions [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, N.; Colloca, P.; Corbetta, P.; Mosso, C. O.; Roccato, M.
abstract

Individuals and communities all over the world are experiencing rapid societal changes due to economic, social, cultural, and political cross-national interconnections. Social scientists agree on the importance of understanding the psychological, social, and cultural implications of this globalization process (Diaz & Zirkel, 2012; Scholte, 2005). These analyses cannot ignore the reaction of people who feel threatened in their consolidated social practices by the growing exposure to the symbolic cues of social changes, leading them to feel like ‘strangers in their own land’ (Hochschild, 2016). However, a solid and convincing scale measuring people’s perception of threat to local traditions does not exist. This hinders a solid testing of this psychological consequence of globalization. To fill this gap, we developed and validated the Sense of Threat to Local Traditions (SETLOT) Scale with a wide quota sample of the Italian adult population.

2018 - Captatio Benevolentiae: Potential Risks and Benefits of Flattering the Audience in a Public Political Speech [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, N.; Guidetti, M.
abstract

Given that flattery is a form of impression management and a persuasive tool in interpersonal communication, two experiments investigated the effect of a (fictitious) political candidate praising the audience during a meeting. The flattery was addressed to the social category to which participants belong (direct flattery condition) or to another social category (observed flattery condition). The flattering message (vs. control condition) employed in the context of a public speech induced a more positive candidate evaluation on both the members of the flattered audience and the observers. The effect was not mediated by degree of message scrutiny, nor by suspicion of source ulterior motives, and it was not moderated by the level of identification with the audience. This suggests that the compliment to the audience leads the members of the flattered category to reciprocate liking and the observers to transfer the source’s attitude recursively (TAR effect). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

2018 - Editoriale [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, N.; Castelli, L.
abstract

2018 - La Persuasione [Monografia/Trattato scientifico]
Cavazza, N.
abstract

Terza edizione aggiornata del volume La persuasione 1996 pari autore

2018 - Lega and Five-star Movement voters: exploring the role of cultural, economic and political bewilderment [Articolo su rivista]
Corbetta, P.; Colloca, P.; Cavazza, N.; Roccato, Michele
abstract

We explore the motivations behind the electoral success of the Lega and the Five-star Movement at the 2018 Italian general election. In most of the literature on populism, the success of the new European populist parties is interpreted as stemming from the process of globalisation, which has produced the so-called ‘modernisation losers’: ‘cultural losers’ (people who are disorientated by changes in values, by new waves of migration and by the loss of national sovereignty to the European Union) and ‘economic losers’ (those for whom the globalisation process has meant economic hardship, downward social mobility and occupational uncertainty). It is these ‘modernisation losers’ who are claimed to have voted for the populist parties. To this two-fold theoretical hypothesis, we added another: the rise in populism can be explained by the democratic malaise, and particularly by the crisis of mainstream parties, which have steadily lost their function as a link between the people and politics. We analyse the role of these three antecedents of populism – labelled as cultural, economic and political – drawing on 2018 Italian National Election Studies (ITANES: see www.itanes.org/en) data. Votes for the Lega were motivated by ‘cultural populism’, while those for the Five-star Movement could be ascribed to ‘political populism’, stemming from citizens’ growing mistrust – generalised and latent in Western democracies – of political institutions, activated in Italy by favourable structural conditions and external circumstances.

2018 - Quando la cena diventa pesante: Le conseguenze degli stereotipi di genere a tavola. [Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
Graziani, Anna Rita; Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita
abstract

According to a widespread gender-based stereotype, women are expected to «eat lightly» and when they eat small amount of food appear more feminine than when they eat a lot. However, while many studies focused on the relationship between gender stereotypes and the amount of food eaten from observers’ point of view, less attention has been paid to the consequences women experience after an overeating episode. In the present contribute we review some of the recent studies focused on the psychological and behavioral consequences of an overeating episode.

2018 - The Social Utility of Ambivalence:Being Ambivalent on Controversial Issues Is Recognized as Competence [Articolo su rivista]
Pillaud, V.; Cavazza, N.; Butera, F.
abstract

Research on attitudinal ambivalence is flourishing, but no research has studied how others perceive its expression. We tested the hypothesis that the expression of attitudinal ambivalence could be positively valued if it signals careful consideration of an issue. More specifically, ambivalence should be judged higher on social utility (competence) but not on social desirability (warmth), compared to clear-cut attitudes. This should be the case for controversial (vs. consensual) issues, where ambivalence can signal some competence. The participants in four experiments indeed evaluated ambivalence higher on a measure of social utility, compared to clear-cut (pro-normative and counter-normative) attitudes, when the attitude objects were controversial; they judged pro-normative attitudes higher for both social utility and social desirability when the attitude objects were consensual. Attitudinal ambivalence can therefore be positively valued, as it is perceived as competence when the expression of criticism is socially accepted.

2018 - Validation of the revised Food Neophobia Scale (FNS-R) in the Italian context [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, M.; Carraro, L.; Cavazza, N.; Roccato, M.
abstract

Measuring individuals' level of food neophobia, i.e., the reluctance to eat novel food, is a critical task since it negatively affects diet variety and quality. Using structural equations models, the revised Food Neophobia Scale (FNS-R) was validated with a sample of 711 Italian adults. After deleting 4 items characterized by both low face validity and a suboptimal association with the other items, and after correcting statistically for the acquiescent response-set, the resulting 6-item, fully balanced FNS-R showed a good construct validity. Moreover, it showed the expected positive correlations with General Neophobia and with Disgust Sensitivity. Finally, it resulted invariant across participants’ genders, age classes, and levels of education, and across methods of administration (paper-and-pencil and on-line). Strong points and possible developments of the study are discussed.

2017 - Overeating May Influence Movie Choice: Restoring Gender Identity When Threatened by Food Consumption. [Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Graziani, Anna Rita; Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita
abstract

The present study showed that an overeating experience is perceived by women, as a negative and threatening experience, which leads them to restore their gender identity by engaging in a stereotypically feminine activity, such as watching a romance movie.

2017 - Portion size tells who I am, food type tells who you are: Specific functions of amount and type of food in same- and opposite-sex dyadic eating contexts [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita; Butera, Fabrizio
abstract

Previous research has shown that women eating small portions of food (vs. eating big portions) are perceived as more feminine, whereas men eating large portions are perceived as more masculine. The specific type of food items have also been shown to carry connotations for gender stereotyping. In addition, matching the co-eater's food quantity is also a means to ingratiate him or her. Thus, a potential motivational conflict between gender identity expression and ingratiation arises when people eat in opposite-sex dyads. Scholars have, thus far, focused their attention on one of these two dimensions at a time, and rarely in relation to the co-eaters’ sex. The present study investigated, through a restaurant scenario, the way in which women and men, when asked to imagine having lunch in dyads, combine food choice and quantity regulation as a function of the co-eater's sex. Results showed that participants use the quantity dimension to communicate gender identity, and the food type dimension to ingratiate the co-eater's preferences by matching her/his presumed choice, following gender-based stereotypes about food. In opposite-sex dyads, dishes that incorporate the two dimensions were chosen above the expected frequency.

2017 - Scandali politici e opinione pubblica: Impatto e strategie di ripristino della reputazione [Articolo su rivista]
Cucchi, Silvia; Cavazza, N.
abstract

La presente rassegna si propone di fare il punto sulle conoscenze prodotte dalla psicologia politica relativamente alle dinamiche che si verificano a seguito degli scandali politici e che coinvolgono l’opinione pubblica. Innanzitutto abbiamo tentato di definire l’impatto sul piano cognitivo, affettivo e comportamentale dell’elettorato sia nell’immediato sia nel medio-lungo periodo. In secondo luogo, abbiamo individuato i fattori in grado di moderare tale impatto. Infine, ci siamo chieste quali sono le strategie comunicative di ripristino della reputazione a disposizione dei politici sotto accusa, e quali risultino più efficaci. La rassegna termina con una discussione degli interrogativi ancora aperti.

2017 - The Tone Dilemma: Comparing the Effects of Flattery and Verbal Aggression in a Political Speech [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

In the realm of political communication, the effects of personal verbal attacks on political opponents have long been studied. However, less well understood are the effects of flattery on such opponents. I present an experiment showing that praising a political opponent elicits an audience’s positive emotions, which in turn positively influences source trustworthiness, and ultimately increases the likelihood of voting for that source. In contrast, attacking an opponent elicits aversion, which in turn negatively influences source trustworthiness, thus reducing the likelihood of voting for the source.

2016 - CONCERN FOR PERSONAL REPUTATION WITHIN GROUPS: THE EFFECT OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND FEAR OF SOCIAL EXCLUSION [Articolo su rivista]
Pagliaro, Stefano; Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita; Alparone, Francesca Romana; Giannella, Valeria Amata
abstract

Literature shows that concern for personal reputation varies as a function of both individual and contextual factors, with entitativity of the group to which a person belongs emerging as a key antecedent of individual’s concern for personal reputation. The present research focuses on a further antecedent of the phenomenon, that is, accountability to the group. We presented participants with a high entitative ingroup and ma- nipulated accountability (vs. anonymity) of their response to other in-group members. Results showed that being accountable to the ingroup determines higher concern for personal reputation, and this relation is mediated by the fear of social exclusion.

2016 - Il cibo come veicolo di identità: quando mangiare troppo influenza la preferenza per un genere cinematografico [Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Graziani, Anna Rita; Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita
abstract

L'associazione tra assunzione di cibo e percezione di mascolinità o femminilità è stata ampiamente dimostrata e discussa in letteratura. Gli studi mostrano in modo inequivocabile che, a differenza degli uomini, le donne (e la loro femminilità) sono giudicate sulla base della quantità di cibo ingerito. Tuttavia, la maggior parte degli studi si è concentrata sul rapporto tra gli stereotipi di genere e la quantità di cibo consumato dal punto di vista dell'osservatore, meno attenzione è stata rivolta alle conseguenze che le persone sperimentano dopo un episodio di eccesso di cibo. Lo scopo del presente studio è di verificare come l'eccesso di cibo in una situazione pubblica sia percepito dalle donne, ma non dagli uomini, come un’esperienza minacciosa che le spinge a ripristinare la propria identità di genere attraverso un'attività stereotipicamente femminile come guardare un film romantico. I 110 partecipanti allo studio hanno compilato un questionario nel quale è stato chiesto loro di ricordare un episodio in cui durante un pranzo o una cena al ristorante avevano ecceduto mangiando troppo (vs. un episodio in cui avevano mangiato la quantità di cibo necessaria per sentirsi sazi ma non appesantiti) e di esprimere la preferenza verso diversi generi di film (romantico, commedia, azione e thriller). Dai risultati emerge che le donne, dopo aver ricordato un episodio di eccesso di cibo (rispetto a una situazione in cui erano in grado di controllare la loro assunzione di cibo) mostrano un maggior desiderio di vedere un film romantico rispetto agli altri generi. Inoltre, le emozioni negative legate all'esperienza eccesso di cibo (eg., disagio, colpa o vergogna) mediano l'effetto dell’eccesso di cibo sul desiderio di guardare un film romantico. La stessa strategia di ripristino non si osserva negli uomini. Questi risultati offrono un contributo teorico ma anche applicativo.

2016 - Perceived Disagreement and Heterogeneity in Social Networks: Distinct Effects on Political Participation [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, Margherita; Cavazza, Nicoletta; Graziani, Anna Rita
abstract

Although the coexistence of conflicting opinions in society is the very core of democracy, people’s tendency to avoid conflict could keep them away from political discussion and participation. On the other hand, being exposed to diverse political views could motivate citizens to participate. We conducted secondary analyses on two 2013 ITANES (Italian National Election Studies) probability samples in order to test the hypotheses that perceived network disagreement (between an individual and her/his discussion partners) and heterogeneity (among discussants holding different political opinions) exert independent and opposite effects on political participation through motivation and knowledge. Results converged in showing that disagreement dampened, while heterogeneity encouraged, political participation (voting, propensity to abstain in future, offline and online activism, and timing of vote decision) by decreasing or increasing, respectively, political interest and, in turn, knowledge.

2016 - Social influence processes on adolescents’ food likes and consumption: the role of parental authoritativeness and individual self-monitoring [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, Margherita; Cavazza, Nicoletta; Conner, M.
abstract

This cross-sectional study investigated how parents and friends influence adolescents’ food likes and consumption. 709 adolescent-parent and 638 adolescent-friend dyads completed a questionnaire, allowing us to compare target-parent and target-friend resemblances both on food likes and consumption, while distinguishing between cultural influence and dyadic unique influence. In addition, we identified two psychosocial predictors of resemblance, namely parenting style and adolescents' self-monitoring. As expected, results indicated that authoritative parenting style increased target-parent resemblance in food likes (directly) and consumption (indirectly), and self-monitoring orientation increased target-friend resemblance in food likes (directly) and consumption (indirectly). We also showed that target-friend resemblance was more culture-based than target-parent resemblance, suggesting that parental influence is more specific to the dyadic relation than is peer influence.

2016 - The political meaning of dining out: Testing the link between lifestyle and political choice in Italy [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Corbetta, P.
abstract

The debate that has arisen around the weakening of the traditional cleavages’ heuristic power in explaining vote suggests considering the role of lifestyles in designing politically meaningful social aggregates. We investigated the relationship between lifestyle and voting behavior, establishing the degree to which this relationship traces the effect of the socio-structural categories (e.g. social class) or is, at least in part, independent of them. Through a k-means clustering, we individuated a typology of four Italian lifestyles; we showed its relation to socio-demographic features and its ability to discriminate participants’ political attitudes. The subscription to each lifestyle was significantly associated with voting behavior, net of the variance accounted for by the traditional cleavages. The theoretical implication and further direction of research are discussed.

2016 - When political candidates “go positive”: The effects of flattering the rival in political communication [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

In the field of political communication, the effects of negative propaganda strategies have been long studied. In the current work, I investigated the perceived and actual persuasiveness of an unexplored positive propaganda strategy, i.e., addressing a flattery to the rival in a political speech. In a 2 × 2 full-factorial design experiment, a fictitious candidate (a man or a woman) flattered, or did not flatter, an opponent in a political speech. Results showed that when the candidate flattered a rival s/he influenced the likelihood of being voted through source trustworthiness evaluation, irrespective of the candidate’s gender. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

2015 - Affordant Shapes of Product Holder Influence Product Evaluation and Purchase Intention [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Gabrielli, Veronica
abstract

Several studies have shown that stocking products on a display stand (vs. on a shelf) favors purchasing. However, little is known about whether the spatial layout of the display stand (i.e., its shape) may influence consumers ’ evaluation of the product and their purchase intention. The present research aims to investigate the role of the shape of an in-store display as a contextual cue potentially able to influence consumers’ evaluation of the exposed product and their subsequent purchasing intention. Two experiments were carried out in which we manipulated the shape of the product holder and the brand name as a function of brand awareness. We found that a meaningful shape representing the product induced a more positive product evaluation and indirectly, a greater intention to purchase in respect to shelf, when the product was a little- known brand (Study 1). Furthermore, the strongest effect occurred when the display stand facilitated product affordance in consumers ’ minds (Study 2). These results confirmed that the ability of the immediate context (i.e., the display stand) to evoke an action with an object (the product) influences the perceiver evaluation and behavioral intention towards the object itself. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

2015 - Ancora molta strada. Risposta ai commenti [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Corbetta, Piergiorgio
abstract

Risposta ai commenti

2015 - Editorial [Articolo su rivista]
Castelli, L.; Cavazza, N.
abstract

2015 - Ingredients of gender-based stereotypes about food: Indirect influence of food type, portion size and presentation on gendered intentions to eat [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita; Butera, Fabrizio
abstract

The association between certain foods and masculinity or femininity has been widely discussed in different disciplines. However, extant research has yet to clarify which are the critical dimensions lending this gender connotations to food and thus impacting on the willingness to eat it. We present a study on the role of food type, portion size, and dish presentation as potential factors constituting the gender-based stereotype about food, and their indirect or mediated effect on the intention of men and women to eat certain feminine/masculine stereotyped foods. We manipulated the three features cited above in a 2 (food type: Caprese vs. hamburger) x 2 (portion size: small vs. big) x 2 (presentation: elegant vs. rough) full factorial design. Results confirmed a model of moderated mediation: the Caprese salad, the small portion and the elegantly presented dish (in respect to the hamburger, the big portion and the roughly presented dish) tend to be considered “feminine food”, and thus women expressed a more pronounced intention to eat it than men. The implications of the findings for both theory and practice are discussed.

2015 - The gender-based stereotype about food is on the table. Food choice also depends on co-eater’s gender [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita; Butera, Fabrizio
abstract

Previous research has shown that different foods are stereotypically associated with gender and that eating in a role-congruent way fulfills an impression management function. On the other hand, other studies revealed that adapting one’s food consumption to that of the co-eaters is a means to gain social approval as well. In the present study, we bridge these two distinct lines of research by studying what happens when the two norms (conforming to the gender-based stereotype and imitating the co-eater) conflict, that is with opposite-sex co-eaters. Results indicated that the tendency to match the co-eaters’ supposed consumption generally appeared over and above one’s gender-congruent choice. In addition, as expected, gender differences also emerged: while men were always willing to adapt to the co-eaters, women’s intention to eat the feminine food was independent from the co-eaters’ gender.

2015 - Tribù di consumo e identità politica: stili di vita fra cleavages tradizionali e individualizzazione [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Corbetta, Piergiorgio
abstract

Nel presente saggio illustriamo il dibattito interdisciplinare che si è sviluppato sul ruolo delle appartenenze sociali significative nella costruzione dell’orientamento politico e nella scelta di voto da parte dei cittadini. Presenteremo le ragioni che ci hanno portato ad esplorare il ruolo degli stili di vita, basati sulle scelte di consumo e di tempo libero, come espressione di raggruppamenti sociali caratterizzati anche da un livello significativo di omogeneità politica e come possibili fonti attuali di identificazione. Riportiamo inoltre le prove empiriche già disponibili che confermano l’esistenza di una relazione significativa fra stili di vita basati sui consumi e comportamento di voto al netto degli effetti dovuti ai fattori socio-strutturali (in primis quelli della classe sociale). Infine, indichiamo nell’approfondimento degli stili di vita come espressione di raggruppamenti sociali capaci di generare identificazione una promettente pista di ricerca futura.

2015 - Who Cares for Reputation? Individual Differences and Concern for Reputation [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita; Pagliaro, Stefano
abstract

Reputation is highly important within groups as it provides a number of benefits, both instrumental (including access to valuable resources and the likelihood to influence others) and symbolic ones (e.g., satisfaction of fundamental esteem needs). In the present paper, we proposed and found that the degree to which people are concerned about their reputation is sensitive to personality differences. We found evidence that prevention focus and others’ approval as contingency of self-worth predict concern for reputation via self-monitoring orientation (mediation model). Results are discussed in terms of reputation management, and future research avenues are proposed.

2014 - Antecedents of Concern for Personal Reputation: The Role of Group Entitativity and Fear of Social Exclusion [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; S., Pagliaro; Guidetti, Margherita
abstract

In three studies we tested whether concern for personal reputation varies as a function of the entitativity of the community or group to which individuals belong. The first correlational study (N ¼ 135) showed that perceived group entitativity was positively correlated with concern for personal reputation expressed by its members. The second 2 2 factorial design experiment (N ¼ 104) confirmed that, regardless of the kind of group, the level of manipulated entitativity enhances individuals’ concern for repu- tation. Finally, the third 2 2 factorial design experiment (N ¼ 98) indicated that this link is fully mediated by the fear of social exclusion. This research contributes to defining conditions influencing reputation management processes.

2014 - Fake online reviews: a study on eWOM influence when suspicions arise [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita
abstract

Online reviews are widespread and can strongly affect consumer choice. However, the audience may know that these tools can be used and counterfeited for propaganda goals. We present an experiment 2 (falsity suspicion vs. control condition) x 2 (valence order: positive reviews first vs. negative reviews first) factorial design aimed at exploring what happens when people get suspicious about reviews’ authenticity. As expected, results showed that suspicion hinders careful information processing. In addition, it affected restaurant evaluation by increasing the number of positive reviews hypothesized as fake, which in turn reduced positive reviews perceived as useful, dragging the judgement toward the negative pole (partial mediation). The implications are discussed.

2014 - Healthy at home, unhealthy outside: Food groups associated with family and friends and the potential impact on attitude and consumption [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, Margherita; Cavazza, Nicoletta; Graziani, Anna Rita
abstract

Two studies were conducted to investigate adolescents' tendency to associate healthy food with family and junk food with friends, at both an explicit and implicit level. Study 2 also explored whether family and peer influences on food attitudes and consumption can be exerted through these mere associations, testing the moderating effect of social identity. Overall, results confirmed that our participants tended to associate healthy food with family and junk food with friends, both deliberatively (at the explicit level) and automatically (at the implicit level). In addition, these mere associations predicted food consumption frequency, either directly (fruit-family) or indirectly through attitude (snacks-friends), for participants highly identified with the corresponding reference group. The present research contributes to a deeper understanding of the social meaning of food by focusing on the associations of different food types with different social contexts and provides suggestions for improving health education and prevention programs.

2014 - L’ampiezza della disparità [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

rapporto fra uso del linguaggio sessista e ampiezza delle disparità di genere

2014 - Swearing in Political Discourse: Why Vulgarity Works [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita
abstract

An experimental study investigated the effect of politicians’ profanity and gender on their perceived and actual persuasiveness. Results showed that a candidate’s use of swear words increased the perception of language informality and improved the general impression about the source. The latter effect was particularly strong for male candidate, as female candidate was already evaluated positively, irrespective of her cursing. In addition, though the manipulation of the politician’s vulgarity did not directly affect participants’ self-reported likelihood of voting for him or her, an indirect effect through language informality and impression about the candidate emerged. On the contrary, profanity use reduced perceived persuasiveness of the message, suggesting that the influence of swearing could be automatic and unaware. Theoretical implications are discussed.

2014 - The influence of in-store product holders on orientation towards the product and on purchase intention [Articolo su rivista]
Gabrielli, Veronica; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

The present research aims to test the communicative efficacy of an in-store marketing activity consisting of placing products on an end-of-aisle display stand. Two studies were conducted to test the positive effect exerted by the display stand applied to two convenience goods: a very familiar product (i.e. toothpaste in Study 1) and a less familiar one (i.e. instant chocolate pudding mix in Study 2). These two convenience goods were each articulated in three brands as a function of their awareness. Results of both experiments showed that end-of-aisle display stands significantly influenced consumers' attitude towards the product and, indirectly, their purchase intention.

2014 - Ways of thinking about the incinerator: A typology of citizens' mindsets [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Rubichi, Sandro
abstract

This paper considers the social representation of an incinerator plant operating for more than 30 years in a medium-sized city in Italy. A survey was carried out with a representative sample of an Italian town, a community that was not generally hostile to it. On the basis of self-efficacy and trust in institutions, and by applying cluster analyses, we obtain evidence for four distinct groups labelled as Fatalists, Collaboratives, Activists ,and Delegants. The four groups express systematic variations in social representation. We discuss the theoretical and practical impacts of these results.

2013 - L'impatto della crisi economica sul voto [Capitolo/Saggio]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Corbetta, P.; Roccato, M.
abstract

1. Essere e sentirsi insicuri 2. La crisi entra in scena 3. L'impatto dell'insicurezza economica sulle opinioni politiche 4. L'impatto dell'insicurezza economica sul voto 5. Insicurezza economica e sfiducia politica

2013 - Parents and Children in the Political Socialisation Process: Changes in Italy Over Thirty-Five Years [Capitolo/Saggio]
Corbetta, P.; Tuorto, D.; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

In 1975 a team of sociologists and political scientists directed by Samuel Barnes and Max Kaase conducted an ambitious research on political attitudes in eight Western nations, including Italy. The investigation was extended to a sub-sample of adolescents (16-20 years old), whose parents were already part of the general sample. This dataset of parent-child pairs has never been analyzed before. Recently, our group has replicated the research using a questionnaire which largely reproduce the same questions asked in 1975, in order to study what has changed in intergenerational transmission of political attitudes in Italy 35 years after the first survey. Relevance of parental legacy for the political socialization has been largely discussed in the literature (Hyman 1959; Butler e Stokes 1974; Jennings e Niemi 1974). Recent studies (Jennings et al. 2001; Quintelier et al. 2007) have remarked the persistence of such influence, despite of changes in political context and familiar life. Our paper aims to tackle the topic testing two alternative hypothesis. According to the first one, declining importance of the traditional political ideologies (social-communist and catholic), which have dominated Italian political culture longer than other Western countries, should have produced a consistent weakening of parental transmission of political values. However, in the last two decades family has played an increasing crucial role in young Italians’ lives. Empirical evidence of this renewed importance are, for example, a delayed leaving home transition and a high level of direct monetary support from parents to children (two elements which connote Italian context more than other Western countries: see Buzzi, Cavalli and de Lillo 2002). The conflict culture of the ‘60s and ‘70s, characterized by the crisis of family’s authority, seems to be less relevant today. Thus, it is possibile to hypothesize a stronger parental legacy than that expressed in the past. In our analysis we will use parent-child (son/daughter) and random adult/adolescent indexes of similarity on different political attitudes and behaviours (party choice, left-right scale, interest in politics, trust in institutions, political and social participation, etc.) in order to estimate the net “parental effects” controlling for the more general “contextual effects”. We will also study the different impact of fathers and mothers (on sons and daughters), as well as the differences due to some structural variables such as social class, religion, territorial culture (i.e. South against North).

2013 - Psicologia sociale [Direzione o Responsabilità Riviste]
Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

2013 - The Social Value of Being Ambivalent: Self-Presentational Concerns in the Expression of Attitudinal Ambivalence [Articolo su rivista]
V., Pillaud; Cavazza, Nicoletta; F., Butera
abstract

We tested whether individuals can exert control over the expression of attitudinal ambivalence and if this control is exerted with self-presentational concerns. Using the self-presentation paradigm, participants reported more ambivalence about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in a standard and a self-enhancement (present yourself positively) conditions than in a self-depreciation (present yourself negatively) condition, on felt (Experiments 1a and 2a) and potential ambivalence, in its cognitive (Experiments 1b and 2b) and affective components (Experiments 1b and 2c). The role of ambivalent attitudes in conveying a positive social value was confirmed by the fact that the above effect was found on a controversial attitude object (GMOs), but the opposite appeared on a noncontroversial one (e.g., tooth brushing, a truism; Experiment 3). Such a reversal was obtained by directly manipulating the perception of controversy on GMOs (Experiment 4). Attitudinal ambivalence may thus serve an adaptive function, that is, achieving a positive social value.

2012 - Genitori e figli 35 anni dopo: la politica non abita più qui [Articolo su rivista]
P. G., Corbetta; D., Tuorto; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

La trasmissione intergenerazionale dei tratti politici all’interno della famiglia, in particolare dai genitori ai figli, è stato un tema ampiamente discusso nella letteratura politologica degli anni Cinquanta e Sessanta e, anche recentemente, diversi studi hanno messo in evidenza la persistenza di tale legame. La nostra ricerca si propone di mettere a confronto la similarità/dissimilarità tra genitori e figli su una dimensione chiave come l’autocollocazione sinistra-destra in due momenti distanti nel tempo, nel 1975 e nel 2010. Una survey recente (2010) su un campione rappresentativo di diadi genitori-figli ha replicato lo studio condotto nel 1975 da Samuel Barnes e Max Kaase (Eight Western nations) su un sottocampione di adolescenti e di genitori. I risultati dell’analisi mostrano l’emergere di importanti discontinuità tra i due periodi. Il livello generale di dissimilarità politica tra genitori e figli non si è modificato significativamente nel corso del tempo ma la localizzazione della differenza è cambiata, essendo questa concentrata nel 1975 in famiglie con genitori di destra e figli di sinistra, mentre oggi il dissenso politico in famiglia è maggiore là dove il figlio è tendenzialmente di destra e poco interessato alla politica. Inoltre, a differenza del passato, la condivisione di orientamenti politici tra genitori e figli non è più correlata ad altre similarità su atteggiamenti e valori politici, come se sinistra e destra fossero diventate un “guscio vuoto” privo di contenuto politico.

2012 - Pettegolezzi e reputazione [Monografia/Trattato scientifico]
Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Il pettegolezzo e potente e pervasivo, la reputazione altrui è il suo vero bersaglio. Proprio come gli attori, ciascuno di noi vive una vita davanti e una dietro le quinte: scoprire cosa nasconde il retroscena degli altri senza rivelare il nostro può essere un gioco divertente quanto spietato. Di questo gioco tratta il libro. E' vero che partecipano più le donne degli uomini? E quanta verità passa attraverso il gossip? In realtà sia il pettegolezzo sia la reputazione svolgono anche funzioni importanti nel rafforzare i legami sociali, rendere prevedibile la realtà e promuovere comportamenti cooperativi

2012 - Presentazione dell'edizione italiana [Prefazione o Postfazione]
Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Attualità della prima ricerca sul campo condotta da Festinger e coll. per testare la teoria della dissonanza cognitiva.

2012 - The transmission of attitudes towards food: Two-fold specificity of similarities with parents and friends [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, Margherita; M. T., Conner; A. J., Prestwich; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Objectives. The present study explored whether similarity of students’ food attitudes with those of their parents and friends varies as a function of both the food and type of measurement. We expected greater resemblance with parents for attitudes towards fruit and for implicit attitudes and greater resemblance with friends for attitudes towards snacks and for explicit attitudes.Design. We compared the resemblance in implicit and explicit attitudes towards fruit and preference for sweet over savoury snacks between target-parent and target-friend pairings. The parental-peer mutual influence effect was separated from cultural effect by comparing real and random dyads.Methods. Target participants were 85 students who recruited one parent and one best friend each. All participants completed online two Implicit Association Tests and rated their liking for fruit and sweet/savoury snacks.Results. Our target participants’ attitudes towards fruit were predicted by those of their parents rather than friends, with this relationship being detected through implicit but not explicit measures. Conversely, target participants’ preference for sweet over savoury snacks was predicted with those of their friends but not parents, with this relationship being detected through explicit but not implicit measures.Conclusions. Young adults’ resemblance to parents and friends, in terms of food attitudes, seems specific both to the food type and to the attitude measure, suggestingthat parents’ influence concerns healthy food and is exerted at an implicit attitude level; whereas friends’ influence concerns junk food and is exerted at an explicit attitude level.The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

2011 - Dimensione espressiva degli orientamenti politici [Capitolo/Saggio]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; M., Roccato
abstract

Perché l’interpretazione in termini di scelta razionale non funziona: Dall’identità sociale alla identità politica A che cosa serve l’identità sociale: organizza in memoria le informazioni che già possediamo, guida la costruzione di nuova conoscenza e orienta le nostre relazioni, e contemporaneamente assolve a una funzione espressiva, permettendo di dire a noi stessi e agli altri chi siamo, chi o che cosa amiamo, odiamo, temiamo e così via.Tuttavia, la strumentazione teorica dell’identità sociale è stata usata abbastanza poco per studiare l’identità politica.Identificazioni vecchie e nuove. Il destino delle identità in termini di classe sociale, genere, territorio. La classificazione in stili di vita può avere oggi rilevanza politica?Tipicamente, la ricerca politologica, sociologica e psicosociale davano grande importanza ai cleavages sociali, all’identificazione di partito e a quella ideologica. Ora che tutto vacilla, sono emerse nuove identità, da esprimere attraverso la partecipazione visibile e invisibile.Come si autodefiniscono gli italiani politicamente. Uso e abuso delle autodefinizioni politiche, apolitiche, prepolitiche e identificazione nei movimenti che propongono una visione alternativa dell’organizzazione sociale ed economica (No-global, Rete dei movimenti).Dalle identificazioni orizzontali a quelle verticali: la proiezione sul leader Preferenza per candidati con valori e personalità simili ai propriL’elettore trova la propria casa nella mappa geografica della politica: gli effetti di assimilazione e contrasto. ConclusioniQuali sono le implicazioni del significato espressivo del comportamento politico, in particolare su:stabilità delle scelte di voto efficacia delle strategie comunicative da parte dei protagonisti della politica.

2011 - Looking for the “right” amount to eat at the restaurant: Social influence effects when ordering. [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Graziani, Anna Rita; Guidetti, Margherita
abstract

Two studies are presented showing that the social facilitation of eating has its roots in the phase of ordering food, both in an ecologically valid context (a real restaurant) and in a simulated context (a mock scenario). In both studies people ordered a number of dishes as a function of their co-eater group size.We contend that this is due to the activation of the ‘‘social meal’’ script assuming a normative nature. In line with our hypothesis, participants’ self-monitoring orientation moderated the effects of group size on the amount of food people ordered.

2010 - Anche le fotografie hanno un orientamento politico: personalizzazione della politica e categorizzazione delle immagini di propaganda. [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; A., Serpe; Graziani, Anna Rita; Rubichi, Sandro
abstract

Gli studi qui presentati mostrano che la congruenza fra immagini di propaganda politica e la rappresentazione simbolica condivisa che gli elettori hanno degli schieramenti facilita la codifica corretta delle immagini stesse. Per raggiungere questo scopo ci siamo riferiti al contesto italiano in cui il processo di personalizzazione della politica è avvenuto in maniera asimmetrica (ha coinvolto più la destra della sinistra). I risultati evidenziano che il processo di personalizzazione asimmetrica si riflette sulla rappresentazione delle due coalizioni che a sua volta influenza il processo di categorizzazione delle immagini. Infatti, indipendentemente dall’orientamento politico dei partecipanti, la fotografia di un singolo candidato (reale come nello studio 1 o fittizio come nello studio 2) è attribuita con maggior frequenza al centro-destra, mentre la fotografia di un gruppo eterogeneo di persone è attribuita con maggiore frequenza al centro-sinistra.

2010 - De gustibus: l’influenza sociale nella costruzione dei repertori alimentari [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, Margherita; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

La presente rassegna si propone di fare il punto sulla conoscenza oggi disponibile circa il ruolo delle influenze che genitori e pari esercitano sulla formulazione degli atteggiamenti verso il cibo e la messa in atto dei comportamenti alimentari nell’infanzia e nell’adolescenza. Dopo aver brevemente delineato i processi di acquisizione degli atteggiamenti e dei comportamenti alimentari, illustriamo i processi attraverso i quali si esercita l’influenza dei genitori sui figli (trasmissione dei geni, restrizione del campo di esperienza alimentare, modellamento, pratiche e stili parentali), quella dei figli sui genitori e quella fra pari, discutendo gli esiti in cui tali processi sfociano. La rassegna si conclude con l’indicazione delle direzioni di approfondimento per la ricerca in questo ambito.

2010 - Psicologia del consumatore [Traduzione di Libro]
Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

C'è chi, uscendo dal supermercato, osserva incredulo il proprio carrello stracolmo. C'è chi apre l'armadio e vede cose mai uscite di lì dopo esserci arrivate la prima volta. Ma quali sono le dimensioni sociopsicologiche che influenzano i nostri comportamenti di consumo? Avvalendosi degli strumenti della psicologia sociale questo libro apre la "scatola nera" della decisione di acquisto e ne svela i meccanismi di funzionamento. Una lettura utile e stimolante che integra i fattori cognitivi individuali (il modo in cui noi percepiamo le informazioni relative al prodotto) con i fattori interpersonali (la formazione delle impressioni suscitate dal venditore), contestuali (la percezione di un contesto gradevole) e socioculturali (il modo in cui prendiamo il comportamento degli altri a modello).

2010 - Right-wing face, left-wing faces: The matching effect in the realm of political persuasion. [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Graziani, Anna Rita; A., Serpe; Rubichi, Sandro
abstract

We present two studies showing that a matching effect in persuasion can be observed between message content and the shared symbolic representation of the message object. The experimental paradigm was built on the Italian political context where citizens hold asymmetrical symbolic representations about the right-wing and the left-wing (i.e., centered on the leaders in the former, and on the coalition in the latter). Since 2001, both coalitions have focused their persuasive strategies principally on candidate image. Thus, the right-wing coalition is in a communicative congruence condition, whereas the left-wing coalition is in an incongruent condition. Results showed that when the coalitions use these images in corresponding ways, they provoke in the audience an impression of message efficacy, enhancing their persuasiveness.

2010 - the impact of safety training programs on workers’ psychosocial orientation and behaviour [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Serpe, Alessandra
abstract

Safety training programs are one of the tools provided for by law in order to promote workers’ safe behaviours. However, to date few studies have been carried out in order to assess the effectiveness of these training programs. Our study, conducted on a sample of 345 workers of three companies in northern Italy, aimed to test the hypothesis that the impact of safety training on unsafe behaviours is mediated by workers’ psychosocial orientation with regards to safety, in particular by factors such those that the Theory of Planned Behaviour consider predictors of the behavioural intention (i.e., attitudes towards behaviour, subjective norms or perception of safety climate, and perceived behavioural control). Our results showed that those workers who had attended a training program reported behaving unsafely less frequently than those who had not. This was not due to a better knowledge of the norms, but was mediated by positive attitudes towards safe behaviour and the perception of a safety climate. In addition, we found that liking of the training program played a motivational role in enhancing the effects of training on safe behaviour.

2009 - Between ideology and social representations: Four theses plus (a new) one on the relevance and the meaning of the political left and right. [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; P., Corbetta; M., Roccato
abstract

This study analyses the relevance and the meaning given by Italians to the politicallabels ‘left’ and ‘right’ between 1975 and 2006. Based on responses to the open-endedquestion ‘What do you mean by “left/right” in politics?’, the study compares five alternativehypotheses on the meaning of the left-right axis and show that, despite the alleged end ofideologies, the relevance of the axis has increased over time. A core of abstract meaningspersists throughout the thirty-year period considered. As the importance of abstract meaningshas increased over time, reference to more concrete contents (such as ‘parties’ and‘leaders’) has decreased.The findings thus support the hypothesis that the left-right axis hasthe functional characteristics of social representations.

2009 - Capire il comportamento di voto: dalla debolezza dei fattori «sociologici» all’insostenibile tesi dell’individualizzazione [Articolo su rivista]
P., Corbetta; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

In the present paper we analyze the evolution of the relation between the vote in the political election in Italy and the following six structural factors: social class, religion, geographical area, age, gender and education. Considered time span is the forty years period between 1968 and 2008. We chose to carry out the analysis of the six factors using the same technique, thus allowing us to study the single and comparable effect of the variables at hand. Results confirm that every factors taken into consideration lost a great deal of their influence on the vote over time, and in particular religion and gender. Many scholars have interpreted these results in terms of individualization of the political choices and have focalized their attention on individual cognitive process in a rational choice frame. We criticize this interpretation claiming for the need to unfold new and meaningful social entities as sources of political identification.To reach this goal, we finally put forward the proposal to study the networks of personal relations as fuzzy categories of identification and lifestyles as forms through which they are expressed.

2009 - Comunicazione e persuasione [Monografia/Trattato scientifico]
Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Questo volume fa il punto su quanto si sa delle strategie persuasive nella pubblicità, nella politica, nei media, e nelle relazioni interpersonali

2009 - Effects of safety climate on safety norm violations: Exploring the mediating role of attitudinal ambivalence toward personal protective equipment [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Serpe, Alessandra
abstract

Problem. Research on the role of organizational and psychosocial factors in influencing risk behaviors and the likelihood of injury at work showed that safety climate has great impact also on workers’ behavior. However, the mechanisms through which this impact operates are still partially unclear. Method. In order to explore the role that attitudinal ambivalence towards wearing PPE might play in mediating the impact of safety climate on safety norm violations, a questionnaire was administered to 345 Italian workers. Results. Three dimensions of safety climate (i.e. company safety concern, senior managers’ safety concern, supervisors’ attitudes towards safety) were found to be positively associated with the individual ambivalence level, whereas the fourth one (i.e. work pressure) was negatively correlated with it. In turn, low levels of ambivalence were associated with a lower tendency to break the safety norms, even though the perception of a good safety climate also maintained a direct effect on unsafe behaviors.

2009 - La dimensione sinistra-destra e le sue euristiche: Cambiamenti in Italia 1975-2006 [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; P., Corbetta; M., Roccato
abstract

La dimensione sinistra-destra può essere concepita come base per la generazione di euristiche utili agli elettori per ridurre la complessità dei giudizi politici. Abbiamo ipotizzato che diverse regole di decisione vengano generate a partire dalla contrapposizione sinistra-destra, in funzione di fattori individuali (motivazione e abilità cognitiva) e contestuali (culturali e politici). Per testare questa ipotesi abbiamo analizzato le risposte date da due campioni rappresentativi della popolazione italiana – uno intervistato nel 1975 (N = 1657) e l’altro nel 2006 (N = 1377) alla stessa domanda aperta sul significato che essi attribuiscono alle etichette «sinistra» e «destra» in politica. Emergono cinque principali regole di decisione che variano per grado di astrazione. Vengono discusse le differenze osservate fra il 1975 il 2006 nell’uso delle euristiche e la loro relazione con fattori individuali nel quadro dei cambiamenti contestuali. In conclusione, le etichette «destra» e «sinistra» sono strumenti funzionali al bisogno di semplificazione persistenti nel trentennio considerato, anche se la motivazione e le capacità cognitive degli italiani, così come il loro contesto politico, sono cambiati.

2008 - Beding without breaking: Examining the role of attitudinal ambivalence in resisting persuasive communication [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Butera, F.
abstract

The present research aims at showing that ambivalence serves an adaptive function: to preserveattitudes and to resist persuasion. In two experiments, participants were exposed to a counter-attitudinalmessage attributed to an ingroup majority. Results of both experiments showed that participants low inambivalence changed their attitude more at the indirect than at the direct level, whereas highly ambivalentparticipants did the opposite. Thus, while manifest resistance did not prevent participants low in ambivalencefrom latent change, the coexistence of pro and con components within the attitude structure allowed highlyambivalent participants to comply with the majority at the direct level by expressing one of the components,thereby reducing the impact of the message at the indirect level.

2008 - Destra e sinistra. Vale ancora la pena di parlarne? [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Corbetta, P.
abstract

È dai tempi della Rivoluzione francese che la distinzione sinistra-destra strutturail discorso politico europeo. Quella di allora era una divisione spaziale dalsignificato politico assai circoscritto, che in termini di identità politica si limitavaa separare i favorevoli dai contrari alla monarchia. A distanza di due secoli, questadistinzione è ancora rilevante nel discorso politico contemporaneo?

2008 - From the parish to the polling booth. Evolution and interpretation of the political gender gap in Italy: 1968-2006. [Articolo su rivista]
Corbetta, P; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Traditionally, in Western democracies women tended to be more conservative than men. More recently, a strong tendency towards dealignment has occurred, followed by a process of realignment. We analyze the evolution of the political gender gap in Italy between 1968 and 2006, showing that the political gender gap has disappeared over the course of the 2000s. We interpret this trend in the context of social role theory: the political gender gap is explained by different structural characteristics such as occupational status, education, and religiousness. The latter, in particular, plays a particularly significant role and affects the gender gap through an individual’s social network rather than through the pressure to conform to specific values.

2008 - Il colore politico dell’insicurezza [Capitolo/Saggio]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Corbetta, P.; Roccato, M.
abstract

In questo capitolo ci occuperemo della relazione fra insicurezza e voto politico. Le discipline psicologico-sociali suggeriscono che l’esperienza di insicurezza è multiforme. Fra le diverse forme che può assumere, prenderemo qui in considerazione l’insicurezza personale, ossia la sensazione che, anche se ci comportiamo nel modo giusto, noi (ma anche i nostri beni e i nostri familiari) non siamo al sicuro da pericoli non controllabili e potenzialmente fatali. Da un lato ci chiederemo se la diffusione di questa sensazione è venuta aumentando rispetto alle predenti elezioni del 2006, e dall’altro se – come hanno sostenuto molti commentatori subito dopo le elezioni – la percezione di insicurezza è stata una molla importante nel decidere i risultati delle ultime consultazioni.

2008 - L’Italie par le menu: attitudes et pratiques dans les choix alimentaires. [Capitolo/Saggio]
Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Nous avons analysé la représentation exprimée par les italiens quant à leur rapports entre alimentation et santé, en focalisant l’attention sur la perception des aspects normatifs, idéaux et réels et de leurs rapports entre eux.

2008 - Me, us or them: who is more conformist? Perception of conformity and political orientation [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; MUCCHI FAINA, A.
abstract

Research has shown that people perceive others as more vulnerable thanthemselves to media communication, and their political out-group as more vulnerable thantheir political in-group. In the present study, the authors predicted that the same two biaseswould appear with respect to another kind of influence—conformity—but that participants’judgments would display a different pattern according to their political orientations. Rightwingand left-wing university students were asked to evaluate conformity and to estimatehow conformist they, their political in-group, their political out-group, and other groups are.As hypothesized, right-wingers expressed more ambivalence toward conformity and viewedit less negatively than did left-wingers. Political orientation had no impact on the discrepancybetween self and others, but it did moderate the in-group–out-group discrepancy.

2008 - Presentazione [La psicologia a tavola] [Prefazione o Postfazione]
Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Presentazione del libro: La psicologia a tavola

2008 - Quando la difesa del territorio diventa voto [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Corbetta, P.
abstract

Analisi del ruolo dell'identificazione territoriale nelle scelte di voto alle elezioni politiche 2008.

2008 - Structure of the relationship between parents' and children's food preferences and avoidances: An explorative study [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, Margherita; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

The aims of the present research were to uncover the underlying structure of the relationship between parents’ and children’spreferences and avoidances in the food domain, and to determine whether this structure revealed any differences as a function ofchildren’s age. Two hundred and eighty-two parent–child dyads (children aged 10–20) completed a self-administered questionnaire oneating attitudes and practices. The results led to a descriptive model of the connection between parents’ and children’s food repertories,made of four overlap and four autonomy areas. This structure was then compared with the structure that emerged from random pairs ofan adult and a child/adolescent. Our findings showed that parents’ repertory had an anchoring function in the formation of that of theirchildren, not only in terms of imitation, but also in terms of influencing the direction of differentiation and innovation. As far as thesecond aim of our study is concerned, only two out of eight areas (that of parent preferences limitation, and that of child autonomousavoidances) differed in relation to the children’s age. The theoretical and practical impact of these results is discussed.

2007 - Comunicazione persuasiva [Capitolo/Saggio]
Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Ciò che rende interessante agli occhi degli psicologi la funzione persuasiva della comunicazione è il fatto che avere le competenze che rendono l’attore sociale un protagonista attivo dei processi di influenza non significa necessariamente essere capaci di esercitarla o di resisterle direttamente in funzione dei propri scopi. Resta un ampio margine rappresentato dalle situazioni comunicative nelle quali gli individui si fanno influenzare molto più di quanto avrebbero voluto o riescono a convincere i propri interlocutori molto meno di quanto avrebbero desiderato.Proprio perché è evidente a tutti questo margine di manovra ha senso lo studio e la concettualizzazione di ciò che rende la comunicazione efficace in termini persuasivi.Questo genere di concettualizzazione deve necessariamente partire dalla definizione dell’obiettivo dell’influenza: cosa vuol dire persuadere qualcuno? Qual è la natura del cambiamento che si deve produrre?

2007 - I predittori psicosociali degli infortuni sul lavoro [Articolo su rivista]
Serpe, A; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Il fenomeno infortunistico costituisce uno dei problemi prioritari per la salute dei lavoratori. La presente rassegna illustra e discute i risultati delle ricerche che hanno preso in esame i predittori psico-sociali dei comportamenti a rischio e/o degli infortuni come conseguenza di azioni intenzionali di violazione delle norme di sicurezza. In particolare, sono qui analizzati gli effetti esercitati da: clima di sicurezza, atteggiamenti individuali, percezione del rischio, esperienza pregressa di infortuni, percezione di controllo, locus of control e formazione dei lavoratori. Saranno discussi limiti concettuali e metodologici delle ricerche e individuati gli interrogativi ancora aperti.

2007 - ¿Crisis transitoria o cambio? Vacas locas y representaciones sociales de la carne [Capitolo/Saggio]
Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

In un’epoca in cui gran parte delle attività di scambio sociale si svolge a tavola e nella quale si valorizza enormemente il turismo a lungo raggio, tutti hanno potuto notare quanto il fatto di cibarsi sia per l’essere umano un atto prima di tutto culturale. La funzione del cibo non si esaurisce mai nella sua necessità fisiologica. “L’alimentazione è un fatto biosociale totale” (Lahlou, 1998: 6).Fra tutti gli elementi che contengono sostanze nutritive gli individui, infatti, operano una categorizzazione fra commestibile/non commestibile attraverso un processo di elaborazione sociale specifica di ogni cultura. Non a caso questo ambito è stato analizzato in profondità, attraverso diversi approcci, dagli antropologi culturali, i quali si sono focalizzati di volta in volta sulla individuazione dei fattori che spiegano l’emergere delle regole culinarie, la struttura e l’istituzionalizzazione dei contatti con il cibo (i pasti e le loro caratteristiche), i rituali che li accompagnano. Diventa sempre più evidente che una semplice analisi dei criteri di scelta degli alimenti sulla base del rapporto fra i costi che comporta il procacciamento e i benefici che sono in grado di apportare o sull’adattamento all’ambiente fisico e alle risorse che esso offre non è sufficiente per dare conto del comportamento alimentare umano.

2006 - Emozioni. Il cuore a sinistra [Capitolo/Saggio]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Corbetta, P.
abstract

La politica, i partiti, il voto possono essere oggetto di emozioni per i cittadini? O per meglio dire: possono ancora esserlo oggi? Il quesito che ci poniamo in questo capitolo non è solo una curiosità fine a se stessa. E’ interessante conoscere la dimensione emotiva del rapporto fra il cittadino e la politica, anche perché secondo molti psicologi, quando l’essere umano si pone in relazione con il proprio ambiente (fisico e sociale) e comincia a formarsi una conoscenza di esso, lo fa, prima ancora che su una base descrittiva, su una base emotiva. Anzi, la dimensione affettiva accompagna sempre il pensiero, mentre non è vero l’inverso: possiamo cioè avere reazioni di tipo emotivo nei confronti di un oggetto, una persona, una entità perfino prima di riuscire ad individuarlo sul piano cognitivo, cioè a riconoscerlo e a farsene una rappresentazione cognitiva. Per questa ragione precisare la natura dell’esperienza emotiva è sempre molto informativo.

2006 - Guardare la politica da lontano [Capitolo/Saggio]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Corbetta, Pg; Roccato, M.
abstract

Nel primo capitolo di questo volume è stata decisamente contestata l’immagine di un’Italia elettorale «spaccata a metà come una mela», denunciando la confusione concettuale fra equivalenza delle parti e loro polarizzazione: infatti, un paese può benissimo essere diviso in due parti politiche approssimativamente della stessa entità senza che queste siano di necessità radicalmente contrapposte fra loro. In questo capitolo vogliamo andare avanti in questo ragionamento, sostenendo che la rappresentazione più appropriata per il nostro paese è quella che vede la presenza non di due (anche se non necessariamente l’una contro l’altra armate), ma di tre Italie.

2006 - L'ambivalenza come esperienza di rapporto emotivo con la politica [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

La presente ricerca si focalizza sull’analisi dell’ambivalenza emotiva come una caratteristica degli atteggiamenti che i cittadini sviluppano verso gli oggetti della politica. E’ stato somministrato un questionario ad un campione rappresentativo di italiani maggiorenni (N = 1048). I risultati mostrano che l’ambivalenza non è caratteristica degli individui periferici da un punto di vista socio-demografico (per es. le persone anziane, le donne, le persone con basso titolo di studio), da un punto di vista politico (le persone che non esprimono una collocazione), né da un punto di vista psicosociale (le persone che non sono motivate e competenti rispetto alla politica). Essa, inoltre, attenua la differenza fra la valutazione della propria parte politica e di quella opposta e ostacola la percezione dell’avversario come minaccia.

2006 - La persuasione [Monografia/Trattato scientifico]
Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Ognuno di noi è fonte e bersaglio di messaggi persuasivi destinati ad avere più o meno successo. I processi attraverso cui possono essere modificati atteggiamenti, opinioni e comportamenti delle persone rappresentano uno degli ambiti più indagati dalla psicologia sociale. Tratto peculiare della persuasione è l'elemento intenzionale, come si può vedere ogni qualvolta un agente (venditore, candidato, genitore, medico, ecc.) si adopera affinché il «target» (cliente, elettore, figlio, paziente, ecc.) assuma il suo punto di vista sostituendolo al proprio. Il volume offre una panoramica completa e aggiornata sul tema, presentando gli ultimi modelli teorici, i filoni di ricerca sia tradizionali sia recenti e gli strumenti per valutare l'efficacia dei messaggi persuasivi.

2005 - Atteggiamenti, rappresentazioni sociali e cambiamento: il ruolo della comunicazione [Capitolo/Saggio]
Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Il problema che ci poniamo qui è quello della evoluzione nel tempo di questi costrutti psicologici, cioè a dire della genesi e del cambiamento dei sistemi di credenze e valutazione di oggetti sociali. E’ curioso constatare che nei due ambiti questo tema è stato sviluppato in modo molto asimmetrico. Nell’ampia letteratura psico-sociale che oggi abbiamo a disposizione sugli atteggiamenti, la questione che riguarda la loro formazione non occupa grande spazio, mentre al contrario possiamo contare su risultati e modelli concettuali che sono l’esito di programmi di ricerca decennali sui processi di cambiamento. Nel campo delle rappresentazioni sociali, al contrario, lo stesso Moscovici nella formulazione originaria della teoria ha cominciato con il porsi il problema della genesi, mentre l’aspetto relativo alla loro evoluzione è marginalmente affrontato da un punto di vista teorico e ancor più da un punto di vista empirico.

2005 - Le emozioni nella politica [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Corbetta, P.
abstract

Importanza e ruolo delle emozioni nell’orientamento e nella decisione politica: la politica, i partiti, il voto possono essere oggetto di emozioni?

2005 - Psicologia degli atteggiamenti e delle opinioni [Monografia/Trattato scientifico]
Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Con il termine «atteggiamento» gli psicologi sociali indicano quell’aspetto fondamentale dell’esperienza umana che è la valutazione di oggetti, situazioni, eventi, persone e gruppi – strumento grazie al quale si articola la relazione tra l’individuo e il suo mondo sociale. Il volume delimita concettualmente il costrutto di atteggiamento, differenziandolo rispetto a termini ad esso affini come preferenze, opinioni, valori. Oltre a fornire una sintesi delle conoscenze oggi disponibili sul tema degli atteggiamenti e sulle forme che essi assumono nel sistema cognitivo, il testo precisa le funzioni che assolvono, la loro relazione con i comportamenti e i processi attraverso cui cambiano. Particolare attenzione è dedicata al ruolo dei fattori sociali nella formulazione e nel mantenimento degli atteggiamenti. Inoltre la questione della rappresentazione della realtà in termini valutativi è stata affrontata anche nell’ottica della costruzione e condivisione sociale delle valutazioni. Per questa ragione il volume non trascura di approfondire il rapporto fra il costrutto di atteggiamento e quello di rappresentazioni sociali.

2003 - Rappresentazioni del fenomeno “droga” e percezione dell’insicurezza in adolescenza [Capitolo/Saggio]
Ravenna, M.; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Sono ormai numerose le ricerche i cui risultati concordano nell’evidenziare come il sentimento di insicurezza sia legato al modo in cui le persone si rappresentano il proprio ambiente di vita [Roche, 1993; Zani e Cicognani, 1998]. Gli eventi oggettivi che minacciano la tranquillità dei cittadini (scippi, rapine, molestie ecc.) agiscono sul sentimento soggettivo di sicurezza tramite la mediazione di una rielaborazione cognitiva di tali eventi. Nella ricerca che presentiamo abbiamo scelto di limitare l’indagine alla fascia degli adolescenti proprio perché uno dei fattori cruciali per la modulazione del campo rappresentazionale è l’implicazione personale rispetto all’oggetto della rappresentazione: nel nostro caso dunque il grado di familiarità che i partecipanti manifestano rispetto alle sostanze stupefacenti e al loro uso.

2003 - Rappresentazioni del rapporto fra alimentazione e salute in diverse fasi della vita: norme e funzioni di un cibo che fa bene [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Fischler, C.
abstract

La ricerca indaga le rappresentazioni del rapporto fra alimentazione e salute in tre fasi della vita. I risultati discussi riguardano un campione rappresentativo di italiani suddivisi in tre fasce di età. E’ stato somministrato un questionario finalizzato a cogliere la percezione del controllo sul mantenimento della salute, con un particolare accento sulla rilevanza delle norme implicite che governano il comportamento alimentare sano e sulle funzioni del cibo.I risultati mostrano che i più giovani riconoscono, al pari degli altri, l’importanza degli alimenti per il mantenimento della salute, ma esprimono una rappresentazione della alimentazione scarsamente centrata sugli aspetti normativi. Fra le funzioni dell’alimentazione privilegiano quella del piacere, mentre quelli della fascia intermedia esprimono una rappresentazione molto ancorata alle esigenze di una vita frenetica. Dagli intervistati ultrasessantenni emerge una rappresentazione molto normativa del rapporto con il cibo, centrata sia sulla selezione attenta e critica degli alimenti, sia sull’osservanza di una certa ritualità dei contatti quotidiani con il cibo. Questa rappresentazione si riflette in un livello elevato di soddisfazione circa le proprie abitudini alimentari e la qualità del cibo consumato.

2003 - Ricerche e protagonisti della psicologia sociale [Monografia/Trattato scientifico]
Palmonari, ; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Questo volume presenta alcune ricerche esemplari che hanno scandito il percorso della psicologia sociale moderna, ponendosi come pietre miliari della disciplina e inaugurando filoni di studio tuttora aperti. È convinzione dei curatori che, per cogliere appieno ciò che caratterizza la psicologia sociale, non si debbano lasciare scomparire nell’oblio alcuni contributi concettuali e di ricerca che hanno permesso di affrontare e di interpretare, in una prospettiva genuinamente socio-psicologica, alcuni dei problemi più sentiti dalla società contemporanea. Vengono così restituiti con il giusto rilievo e in tutta la loro pregnanza gli apporti di personalità come Newcomb, Lewin, Sherif, Hovland, Milgram, Latané, Darley e Tajfel.

2003 - Una nuova bellezza: studi sull’effetto persuasivo di una fonte che aderisce ad un modello socialmente desiderabile [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Palmonari,
abstract

Assumendo il quadro concettuale proposto dal Modello Unimodale della persuasione (Kruglanski e Thompson, 1999), vengono presentati due studi che partono dall’ipotesi che se una comunicazione persuasiva è veicolata da una fonte che aderisce ad uno stereotipo largamente diffuso nella nostra cultura e socialmente condiviso, le inferenze che si producono grazie ad esso risultano più rilevanti nella percezione dei soggetti rispetto alle caratteristiche tradizionalmente incluse nelle ricerche sugli effetti delle caratteristiche della fonte, ovvero la bellezza fisica in senso stretto e la affidabilità. Abbiamo manipolato la presenza/assenza della firma di uno stilista sulla t-shirt nelle foto di due ragazze (una attraente, l’altra meno) alle quali abbiamo attribuito uno fra due messaggi persuasivi relativi a due prodotti diversi e abbiamo rilevato il giudizio dei soggetti nei confronti dei prodotti e l’intenzione comportamentale (di acquisto). I risultati mostrano che la presenza della firma sulla maglia induce differenze sistematiche sulle dimensioni relative alle impressioni della fonte e un migliore giudizio del prodotto. Nel secondo studio abbiamo ipotizzato che questo effetto persuasivo della fonte che aderisce ad uno stereotipo positivo attivato in maniera automatica sparisca nel caso in cui lo stesso stereotipo venga attivato in maniera esplicita attraverso i contenuti che lo caratterizzano.I risultati mostrano ancora una volta un forte effetto della presenza della firma sia sulla preferenza accordata al prodotto sia sull’intenzione di acquisto, mentre nessun effetto statisticamente significativo emerge a proposito della manipolazione dello stesso stereotipo in forma esplicita.

2002 - Comunicazione persuasiva e relazioni asimmetriche fra i gruppi [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Palmonari, A.
abstract

La presente ricerca parte dallo scopo di approfondire il ruolo della appartenenza a gruppi sociali della fonte e del ricevente di una comunicazione persuasiva quando i gruppi ricoprono posizioni asimmetriche.Abbiamo ipotizzato che in condizioni di messaggio pertinente alla appartenenza di gruppo, l’attribuzione ad una fonte in-group o out-group non sia mai elaborata come informazione periferica. Ci aspettavamo che i riceventi del gruppo dominato procedessero ad una elaborazione maggiore rispetto ai riceventi del gruppo dominante, data la maggiore esigenza dei primi di mantenere sotto controllo le possibilità di migliorare la propria posizione Inoltre, ci aspettavamo che le argomentazioni della fonte di gruppo dominato fossero analizzate più approfonditamente, come nel caso delle fonti minoritarie.I risultati mostrano che i membri dei due gruppi analizzano in profondità le argomentazioni del messaggio proposto, ma in particolare sono i riceventi del gruppo dominato a prestare attenzione ai contenuti. E questi ultimi sono influenzati soprattutto da una fonte out-group che propone argomentazioni forti.Lo stesso pattern di risultati si ritrova in relazione alle intenzioni comportamentali.

2002 - Psicologia sociale [Monografia/Trattato scientifico]
Palmonari, ; Cavazza, Nicoletta; Rubini,
abstract

Questo volume presenta un panorama completo della psicologia sociale, illustrando e integrando i temi sviluppati di preferenza dalla cosiddetta «scuola americana» (come la cognizione sociale) e quelli privilegiati dalla «scuola europea» (come le rappresentazioni sociali). Nella prospettiva degli autori, infatti, le teorie implicite e le immagini della realtà di cui dispongono gli individui come attori sociali sono un prodotto delle loro strutture cognitive, ma appaiono ancorate per la loro origine all’interazione sociale. Uno strumento chiaro, duttile e aggiornato per accostarsi alla disciplina.

2001 - Ecstasy, cocaina ed hashish nelle rappresentazioni dei giovani. [Articolo su rivista]
M., Ravenna; Cavazza, Nicoletta; Nardelli, R. E. POTENTE R.
abstract

La ricerca indaga il modo in cui gli adolescenti si rappresentano tre tipi di sostanze psicoattive (ecstasy, cocaina e hashish), le funzioni che queste possono esercitare nel fronteggiare le difficoltà che si associano al superamento dei compiti di sviluppo. E’ stato somministrato un questionario a 805 giovani e adolescenti costruito allo scopo di individuare il campo di riferimento comune delle tre rappresentazioni, la sua articolazione in relazione alla diversa implicazione nel consumo e i mo-di attraverso i quali i bisogni soggiacenti al ricorso alle droghe concorrono a rafforzare il Sé e l’identità nelle situazioni sociali.I risultati mostrano l’emergere di rappresentazioni specifiche e differenziate per ogni sostanza target anche se presentano alcune sovrapposizioni. L’hashish viene considerata per eccellenza la sostanza assunta da persone spericolate, impulsive, un po’ superficiali e irresponsabili al fine di apparire più in sintonia con il gruppo. La cocaina appare come una sostanza assunta soprattutto per migliorare le proprie prestazioni da individui solitari e centrati su di sé. L’ecstasy infine viene rappresentata come la droga della notte e della discoteca, in linea con quanto diffuso dai mass media. L’implicazione personale nel consumo appare un principio organizzatore dell’articolazione dei campi rappresentazionali soprattutto per quel che riguarda la concezione e le emozioni relative al consumatore, così come lo sono l’età dei rispondenti e la loro appartenenza di genere. Si conferma anche l’ipotizzato rapporto fra concezioni relative ai bisogni di rafforzamento del sé e ricorso a so-stanze psicoattive.

2001 - Individui e gruppi di fronte alla comunicazione persuasiva [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Covizzi, C.
abstract

In tema di comunicazione persuasiva, le ricerche empiriche nel quadro delle teorie oggi più accreditate (Petty e Cacioppo, 1986; Chaiken, 1981; Kruglanski, Thompson e Spiegel, in press) hanno spesso privilegiato l'aspetto cognitivo, prestando meno attenzione a fattori squisitamente sociali (per esempio, le appartenenze sociali dei partners della comunicazione, le relazioni asimmetriche fra i gruppi sociali). Ci sono eccezioni a questa affermazione. Alcune ricerche (Mackie, Worth e Asuncion, 1990; Mackie, Gastardo-Conaco e Skelly, 1992), hanno evidenziato come l’appartenenza sociale della fonte della comunicazione rispetto ai riceventi concorra ad influenzare il livello di approfondimento della elaborazione cognitiva dei contenuti. Dalle ricerche sulle comunicazioni di massa, soprattutto di stampo sociologico, d'altra parte, giungono alcune suggestioni in questo senso: viene spesso sottolineato, infatti, il ruolo del gruppo sociale (famiglia, gruppo dei pari, scuola) nel mitigare gli effetti antisociali dei media nei confronti degli adolescenti. In questi gruppi si renderebbero disponibili modelli valoriali alternativi a quelli proposti in TV (Losito, 1995) e si creerebbero le occasioni per un confronto critico dei contenuti mediali (Greenfield, 1984).In linea con questa concezione in questo lavoro si ipotizza che l’esposizione in gruppo (vs individualmente) ad una comunicazione persuasiva televisiva favorisca una maggiore elaborazione dei contenuti veicolati e quindi una maggiore resistenza al cambiamento degli atteggiamenti. L’esposizione di gruppo infatti dovrebbe favorire la rielaborazione collettiva di contenuti e di argomentazioni che si rendono disponibili grazie al confronto fra i soggetti. Viene presentato un esperimento al quale hanno preso parte 120 soggetti casualmente ripartiti fra 8 condizioni sperimentali derivanti dall’incrocio di 3 variabili indipendenti a 2 modalità. Tali variabili sono:-livello di coinvolgimento nella tematica proposta dalla comunicazione persuasiva: alto vs basso-condizioni di esposizione alla comunicazione persuasiva: individuale vs di gruppo-discussione sul tema: spontanea vs indotta.I risultati mostrano che la condizione di esposizione, in gruppo vs individuale, al filmato influisce sia sulla ricezione del messaggio (comprensione + ricordo) sia sulla estensione della lista dei pensieri. Coerentemente con la nostra ipotesi, i soggetti che si trovano in gruppo elaborano in maniera più approfondita i contenuti della comunicazione. I tre fattori considerati (livello di coinvolgimento nella tematica, induzione o meno della discussione/riflessione dei contenuti, condizioni di esposizione) risultano equivalenti funzionali rispetto alla elaborazione cognitiva. Per quanto riguarda il cambiamento, i risultati mostrano una interazione di terzo livello fra i fattori considerati dovuti soprattutto alla maggiore resistenza al cambiamento dei soggetti esposti in gruppo, a basso coinvolgimento e che hanno discusso spontaneamente i contenuti della comunicazione a cui sono stati esposti.

2001 - Percezione dell'influenza della tv e orientamento politico: l'effetto della terza persona in un contesto maggioritario imperfetto [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Palmonari, A.
abstract

La ricerca parte dall’ipotesi che l’«effetto della terza persona», più volte evidenziatonella letteratura relativa alla costruzione dell’opinione pubblica, sia modulatodalla appartenenza categoriale di soggetto e target, definita su criteri di rilevanza politica.Tale effetto consiste nel considerare gli altri più influenzabili di se stessi. Abbiamosomministrato un questionario a 314 adulti (180 uomini, 131 donne, 3nr) tra i 18 e 69anni, nel quale era compreso un compito di associazione di parole ai termini stimoloPropaganda, Mass Media e Persuasione, e uno di formulazione di giudizi di influenzabilitàdi 13 target (più se stesso) da parte dei mass media. I risultati mostrano che lepersone che si dichiarano di destra o di sinistra differenziano se stessi (poco influenzabili)dai membri dell’ingroup (anch’essi relativamente poco influenzabili) e dai membridell’outgroup (molto influenzabili). Mentre dai soggetti che si dichiarano di centro ermergonosolo differenze fra sé e gli altri non modulate dai rapporti intergruppi. Allostesso modo le persone molto interessate alla politica giudicano le persone meno interessatealla politica come più vulnerabili alla influenza rispetto ai membri del proprioingroup. Lo stesso effetto di modulazione intergruppi non emerge per categorizzazioninon pertinenti all’ambito politico (appartenenza di genere). Dall’analisi delle rappresentazioniche emergono dal compito di associazioni di parole si rileva che le persone chesi identificano al centro dell’arco politico considerato riportano contenuti riferiti aimass media connotati in senso negativo, mentre le persone di destra e di sinistra condividonouna rappresentazione dei mass media più centrata sulla funzione divulgativa.

2000 - Rappresentazioni dello “sballo” ed atteggiamenti nei confronti della discoteca in un campione di giovani consumatori di sostanze psicoattive. [Articolo su rivista]
Ravenna, M.; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Cette recherche étudie les representations de trois types de substances psychotropes (extasy, haschisch et cocaïne, les substances les plus diffusées et les plus consommées actuellement par les jeunes Italiens) chez des adolescents. Il s’agit de substances qui bénéficient d’un degré d’acceptabilité sociale différencié et qui produisent des effets pharmacologiques différents: effets activants dans le cas de l’extasy et surtout de la cocaïne, ou effets qui provoquent des altérations des fonctions perceptives dans le cas de l’haschisch.

1999 - Oltre gli effetti delle comunicazioni di massa: studio esplorativo sulla rappresentazione del potere di influenza della TV [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Palmonari, A.
abstract

La ricerca riguarda le rappresentazioni sociali del potere di persuasione dei mezzi di comunicazione di massa.Lo studio degli effetti persuasivi delle comunicazioni di massa ha interessato molti scienziati sociali fin dalla nascita dei primi sistemi di comunicazione allargata all'inizio di questo secolo. Katz (1980) descrive la ricerca sulle comunicazioni di massa come una storia fatta di oscillazioni tra concezioni opposte: ad una fase in cui si sottolinea il potere incontrastabile di influenza dei media su folle di spettatori passivi si contrappone una fase successiva in cui si evidenzia la capacità degli individui di contrastare attivamente i tentativi di persuasione, rendendo gli effetti dei media pressoché trascurabili e così via. D'altronde, lo sforzo sistematico di individuare strategie di persuasione che consentano cioè di orientare i sistemi di opinioni delle persone verso direzioni determinate, emerge in stretta associazione con l'esigenza da parte del potere politico di assicurarsi il consenso. La ricerca si proponeva di individuare il modo in cui la dialettica fra queste concezioni contrapposte proprie del mondo scientifico si riflette nell'opinione pubblica, viene da questa rielaborata in sistema di credenze, ovvero in rappresentazioni sociali.