Primi et al. The Early Elementary School-AMAS We have also demonstrated the equivalence of the scale across languages (Italian and English). Overall, the findings confirmed the validity and reliability of the new scale in assessing the early signs of math anxiety and in measuring differences between genders and educational contexts. We have also shown that MA was already related to math performance, and teacher's ratings of children's math ability at this young age. Additionally, we have found no gender differences in MA in our samples of 6-and 7year-old children, an important finding, given the strong evidence for gender differences in MA in older age groups.

Since test performance is increasingly relevant in educational and occupational circles, the assessment of test anxiety—the phenomenological, physiological, and behavioral responses to the negative consequences that often emerge in evaluative situations—has become increasingly important to scholars and practitioners. One of the most widely employed scales to measure test anxiety in adolescents is the German Test Anxiety Inventory (in German: Prufungsangstfragebogen, PAF). The current study investigated the psychometric properties of the PAF when administered to Italian students. Our research found evidence of validity, supported the five-factor structure, and demonstrated the test’s good internal consistency. Moreover, the invariance of the dimensional structure across genders was examined. Overall, this study provides evidence for the reliability and validity of the PAF among Italian students.

Objective: Symptoms of ADHD need to be present in at least two different settings to suggest a diagnosis, so multi-informant assessment approaches are usually adopted. The Conners’ Rating Scales offer three versions, completed by parents (Conners 3-P), teachers (Conners 3-T), and youth (Conners 3-SR). Nonetheless, there is a lack of studies examining the psychometric properties of the Parent and Teacher versions and the relation between each version of the Conners 3 scales. Method: The present work examined the psychometric properties of the Parent and Teacher scales in terms of the structural validity and reliability of their Content scales in an Italian sample. Moreover, to support the need to administer all Conners 3 scales together and to exclude their potential redundancy, cross-informant agreement between parents, teachers, and children was assessed. Results: Results supported the Conners 3 scales as reliable and valid tools to assess ADHD and provided evidence for their non-redundancy. Conclusion: The non-redundancy of the Conners 3 may promote clinicians to adopt a multi-informant perspective

The Conners' Rating Scales are one of the most used instruments for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Nonetheless, in the latest edition, the Inattention scale was not statistically supported. This study examined the dimensionality of the Italian version of the Conners 3-Self-Report scale testing both a five-factor structure including Inattention and a four-factor model combining Inattention and Learning Problems. Moreover, the generalizability of the detected structure through measurement invariance was verified. The Italian version of the scale was completed by 971 children (53% males, mean age: 12.76 years) randomly split in a calibration sample ( n = 464) and a validation sample ( n = 507). Confirmatory factor analyses detected a five-factor structure (i.e. Inattention, Hyperactivity/Impulsivity, Learning Problems, Defiance/Aggression, and Family Relations), and measurement invariance was confirmed. Findings provided statistical evidence for the Inattention subscale, supporting the Conners 3-Self-Report Scale as effectively aimed to assess the two dimensions of ADHD and its main comorbid difficulties.

Impulse control disorders (ICDs), including compulsive gambling, buying, sexual behaviour and eating, are not only a severe disorder that can affect the general, nonclinical population, but also a serious, increasingly recognized psychiatric complication in Parkinson's disease (PD). Previous research detected some risk factors for their occurrence in PD patients and in the general population, including impulsivity. However, impulsivity is a multidimensional construct that comprises several aspects, including reflection impulsivity and delay discounting. The present work assessed different facets of impulsivity in both PD patients and in the healthy controls (HCs) to examine whether they scored differently, and if the occurrence of ICDs in PD patients and in the HCs was predicted by different aspects of impulsivity. The results showed that ICDs in PD patients were predicted by a strong preference for immediate rewards, whereas ICDs in the HCs were predicted by a deficient reflective ability. The present findings may help clinicians in the early identification of PD patients who could develop ICDs by simply assessing their impulsivity in terms of delay discounting. Furthermore, this work contributed to identify another risk factor for ICDs in the non-clinical population.