Factor analysis for responses to the WAIS-R by 1,630 adults of the Italian standardization sample produced two factor solutions in different age groups, and showed high factorial similarity when compared with the same American solution. An estimate of g factor and variance components showed some difference with American data: a lower proportion of g and common variance, and a greater specificity characterized the Italian version with an almost identical error variance. For both the estimate of g and variance components some change across age groups was observed with g and common variance increasing and specific variance decreasing from youngest to oldest groups.

The aim of this study was twofold: (a) to analyse developmental changes in the social games played by mothers and children during normal home activities; (b) to examine how mother's linguistic production during game episodes could be related to the child's pattern of language acquisition. Three mother‐child dyads were followed longitudinally for a 12‐month period starting when the children were 6 months old. Thirty‐minute observation sessions were carried out one in 20 days on average during a free‐play situation in the family environment. Videotapes were segmented into interaction episodes defined as games, and a distinction was made between conventional and non‐conventional games. Results were analysed in terms of both developmental changes and individual differences in characteristics of play behaviour. In all dyads, conventional games increased in significant linear fashion between 6 and 12 months of age and children became increasingly able to play an active role in them. The three dyads also showed consistent differences in some aspects of play behaviour as well as in mothers' style of linguistic production during game episodes and in children's rate of language acquisition. The role of early conventional games in assisting the child's transition to language is discussed.

The WAIS-R was administered to a sample of 180 young Italian adults (aged 19 to 35 years). A principal components analysis was conducted on the 11 subtests to investigate the factor structure. According to the criteria of extraction, one- and three-factor solutions are discussed. The oblique rotation provided evidence for three correlated factors, 1: Verbal, 2: Perceptual Organization, and 3: Freedom from Distractibility. However, to compare Italian results with those obtained in the USA and UK, an orthogonal rotation was performed. High coefficients of congruence point to similarity of factor loading matrices in all three countries.

Thinking disturbance and disorder of affects may be different in two subtypes of schizophrenia, the "florid" and the "withdrawal" syndromes. In Exner's approach to the Rorschach system, the diagnostic indicators of disordered thinking may point out large differences not only between schizophrenic and control subjects but also between different types of schizophrenics. The Rorschach protocols of 45 subjects (15 "florid" schizophrenics, 15 "withdrawn" schizophrenics, and 15 controls of the same age and education, matched by sex) were examined on several Exner indices. Compared with the control group, both schizophrenic types confirmed an impairment of perceptual accuracy and of reality testing as well as a reduced emotional control. Compared with the "withdrawn" group, the "florid" schizophrenic subjects showed significantly higher indices of poor perceptual functioning, of an inadequate organizational activity (more Whole and Z responses characterized by negative Form Quality) and greater disordered ideational production.

The principal aim of this study was to examine a health‐related disposition construct in elderly Italians by explorative factor analysis of the Multidimensional Health Questionnaire. The questionnaire had a two‐factor structure. The first factor was loaded by cognitive variables such as Health‐Efficacy, Health Control, Optimism, etc.; it predicted compliance with self‐rating health seeking behaviours and it was correlated with personality traits such as Emotional Stability and the Lie scale. The second factor comprised emotional dispositions including Health Anxiety, Health Depression, Health Preoccupation, etc. and it was negatively associated with Conscientiousness and Energy. Interesting results emerged for sex by age differences in both health factors. Moreover, men and women showed different correlation patterns between the health factors and the Five Factor Model. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.