XXXVII CYCLE

Carlotta Acconito (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1000-3489)

My research focuses on decision-making processes and aims to outline best practices to guide people through the complexity of decision-making. Having a clear vision of decision-maker’s mechanism, considering the context, and exploring the information communicated to make the best possible choice are the major steps to study decision-making.

Supervisor: Prof. Michela Balconi

Keywords: Decision-making, Neuroscience, Assessment, Communication, Critical Context

Giulia Ciuffo  (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4031-0890)

My research mainly focuses on perinatally. Specifically, my Ph.D. project will investigate the antecedents of childbirth-related PTSD, validate the Italian version of the City Birth Trauma Scale, as well as explore the impact of childbirth-related PTSD on the parent-infant relationship.

Supervisor: Prof. Chiara Ionio

Keywords: Pregnancy, Parent-infant Relationship, Childbirth, Trauma, Mental Health

Francesca De Salve (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9784-2914)

My research mainly focuses on young individuals with At-Risk Mental States (ARMS). These individuals are more prone to develop full-blown psychosis, because of both state and trait risk factors. My doctoral project aims at investigating the role of personality traits and mentalizing abilities in this population.

Supervisor: Prof. Oasi Osmano

Keywords: Personality Traits, PID-5, At Risk Mental States (ARMS), Psychopathology, Mentalization

Shata Diallo (https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0333-479X)

My research focuses on social and organizational psychology, specifically Diversity & Inclusion. The Doctoral Research explores how Organizational Culture of Differences (OCDs) impacts the quality of life at work. Quality of life is viewed as fostering creativity, innovation, and balancing productivity with employee wellbeing.

Supervisor: Prof. Caterina Gozzoli

Keywords: Diversity Management, Organizational Culture of Difference, Workforce Diversity, Human Resources Management, Quality of Life at Work

Manuel Faggiano (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6114-1796)

My research interests regard interpersonal relationships, particularly couples. My Ph.D. project focuses on the use of Social Network Sites (e.g., WhatsApp and Instagram) within couples, especially exploring how partners intentionally use those Platforms to communicate things they won’t communicate face-to-face, and outcome of such communication, using a mixed-method approach.

Supervisor: Prof. Silvia Donato; Prof. Ariela Pagani; Prof. Dominik Schoebi

Keywords: Couple Relationships, Interpersonal Relationships, Social Network Sites, Mixed Method, APIM

Valentina Ferrari (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3415-6666)

My field of research concerns green exercise, namely physical activity practiced in natural outdoor places, and its relationship with the connection with nature and community. My work aims to foster a new stream of research concerning the benefits of outdoor green sports for young people while investigating the moderating variables.

Supervisor: Prof. Daniela Marzana; Prof. Chiara D'Angelo

Keywords: Outdoor Sport in Natural Spaces, Sense of Community, Relatedness to Nature, Orienteering

Francesca Grosso (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5232-8313)

My field of research focuses on the mind-body relationship, not understood as a structural dualism, but in a circular and dialectical relationship. As such, I investigate the field of health psychology in order to promote effective interventions and improve the lives of people and patients as active agents.

Supervisor: Prof. Francesco Pagnini

Keywords: Mind-body Relationships, Women's Health, Placebo, Mindfulness

Chiara Manna (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4013-185X)

My research area explores psychological variables in chronic pelvic pain (CPP). CPP significantly impacts patients' daily life. Psychological factors like anxiety, depression, and pain catastrophizing are linked to CPP. The project aims to investigate the role of psychological flexibility in these patients.

Supervisor: Prof. Gianluca Castelnuovo

Keywords: Chronic Pain, Pelvic pain, ACT, Psychological Flexibility, Multidisciplinary

Giacomo Andrea Minazzi (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1262-0701)

My research interest revolves around psychiatric care and group rehabilitation interventions in this field. Specifically, my Ph.D. project aims to identify ways of assessing the 'good functioning' of group rehabilitation activities offered in a residential psychiatric setting in Lombardy, based on a Grounded Theory and according to a PREM approach.

Supervisor: Prof. Cesare Cavalera

Keywords: Psychiatry, Groups, Grounded Theory, PREM Interventions

Carlotta Morozzi (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6837-8331)

The study concerns how competencies learned in non-formal and informal contexts (e.g., volunteering, sports) are enhanced in organizations. Qualitative research will be conducted using observations, focus groups, and interviews with HRs and managers to create a repertoire of competencies and practices to help organizations avoid wasting skills.

Supervisor: Prof. Caterina Gozzoli

Keywords: Informal and Non-formal learning, Skill waste, Organizational culture practices

Eleonora Pagani (https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2488-2108)

My research focuses on the relationship between emotion regulation and well-being. I want to investigate if emotion regulation can be an underlying mechanism of the functioning of well-being by analyzing ER as a theoretical framework for the effectiveness of positive psychology intervention and whether ER is associated with better outcomes after an intervention.

Supervisor: Prof. Stefania Balzarotti

Keywords: Emotion Regulation, Wellbeing, Psychophysiological Measurements, Positive Psychology Intervention, Positive Psychology, Hope

Paleologo Michele (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8075-2450)

My research area focuses on consumer and health psychology. Specifically, I am exploring participatory and multistakeholders research methodologies in the areas of sustainable production and consumption as well as care system improvement.

Supervisor: Prof. Guendalina Graffigna

Keywords: Consumer psychology, Participative Research, Citizen Science, Sustainability, Health Psychology

Sara Petrilli (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9570-2774)

My research focuses on working modalities (remote working, working from office) and workplaces reconfiguration in the New Normal and how they can have an impact on people's identity and meaning-making connected to work.

Supervisor: Prof. Silvio Carlo Ripamonti

Keywords: Workplaces, Work Identity, Meaning Making, Workspaces Reconfiguration

Harriet Pinel (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9775-755X)

My research interests concern the use of nudges to promote behavioral change in workplace environments, mainly related to sustainable behaviors. Specifically, my Ph.D. project concerns the promotion of energy-saving behaviors and the improvement of industrial waste separation in an Italian manufacturing plant. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches are adopted.

Supervisor: Prof. Edoardo Lozza

Keywords: Nudge, Economic Psychology, Workplace, Pro-environmental Behaviors, Sustainability

Marta Pizzolante (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3078-7505)

My research primarily revolves around exploring the influence of aesthetic experiences facilitated by emerging technologies like Virtual Reality. The objective is to examine the combined effects of art and new technology on human well-being, as these experiences have the potential to profoundly affect individuals on emotional and cognitive levels.

Supervisor: Prof. Andrea Gaggioli

Keywords: Aesthetics, Virtual Reality, Transformative Experiences, Complex emotions

Matteo Paolo Robba (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1755-1864)

My research interests concern behavioral finance and sustainable consumption. Specifically, my doctoral project investigates consumers's decision to invest in socially responsible investments (SRI), or a financial approach that combines economical profits with sustainability concerns. The purpose is to understand which psychological and personal characteristics are associated with sustainable investments.

Supervisor: Prof. Paola Iannello

Keywords: Socially Responsible Investments; Investment Decision-making; Financial Market Participation; Individual differences; Sustainability

Maria Sansoni (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5189-7159)

My research focuses on using technologies to assess or implement interventions that target well-being. My first line of research focuses on improving cancer patients' well-being using a multidimensional approach, while the second one, aims at assessing Instagram users' well-being, with particular attention to body dissatisfaction.

Supervisor: Prof. Giuseppe Riva

Keywords: Well-Being, Virtual Reality, Social Media, Cancer, Empathy, Communication

Ester Tommasini (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2796-0688)

My research focuses on Irisin, a newly discovered hormone released in response to exercise. It plays a crucial role as a regulator of the physical and cognitive benefits derived from exercise. I investigate the effects of exercise on the release of irisin and its impact on wellbeing and cognitive functions.

Supervisor: Prof. Daniela Tavian 

Keywords: Health-enhancing Physical Activity, Physical Health, Health psychology, wellbeing, biomarkers, myokines.

Sara Zannelli (https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1645-4107)

My project aims to explain consumers' motivations for buying counterfeit and luxury products. It will investigate luxury consumption practices from the non-academic bibliography and, by scaling the Slippery Slope Framework model in the consumer world, explore consumer barriers and drivers in the counterfeit market.

Supervisor: Prof. Cinzia Castiglioni

Keywords: Counterfeiting, Luxury Goods, Slippery Slope Framework, Consumer Behavior

XXXVI CYCLE

Stefano Besana (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9715-9533)

This study emphasizes transformative experiences' significance in our lives and economy. It explores their profound emotional and cognitive impact, synthesizes literature, applies TED principles to create an emotional space, and investigates effects using qualitative, quantitative, and neuroscience methodologies.

Supervisor: Prof. Andrea Gaggioli

Keywords: Ted, Positive Psychology, Transformative Experience, Experience Design, Immersive Spaces, Change, Psycap, Transformative Experience Design, Positive emotions

Laura Colautti (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7803-3721)

The present research aims at investigating the relationships between decision making (under ambiguous and risky conditions) and executive functions both in healthy older adults and in patients affected by Parkinson's disease.

Supervisor: Prof. Alessandro Antonietti; Prof. Paola Iannello

Keywords: Decision Making, Executive Functions, Cognition, Aging, Parkinson's Disease, Dopamine, Iowa Gambling Task, Game of Dice Task

Giovanni Fumagalli (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6625-2057)

My research aims at validating an alternative approach for psychopathological diagnosis, called the “Basic and Continuum Diagnostic Model” (BCDM). This system promotes a simple structure for diagnosis, easy to remember and use, and an impressive reduction in the number of diagnostic categories.

Supervisor: Prof. Davide Margola

Keywords: Psychopathology, DSM, PDM, Efectiveness of psychotherapies, Idiographic psychology, Diagnosis, Demand analysis

Valentina Granese (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9066-9861)

By means of a mixed method approach, the aim of my research is to evaluate the efficacy of a group reminiscence therapy intervention in reducing caregiver burden, anxiety and depression, while increasing life satisfaction. The intervention will be applied to a group of caregivers of older adults with dementia.

Supervisor: Prof. Gianluca Castelnuovo

Keywords: Psychology of Aging; Older Adults, Dementia, Caregiving, Cognitive Impairment, Cognitive Stimulation, Active Ageing, Healthy Aging, Technologies and Aging

Martina Sansone (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2074-4045)

The aim of the research is to shed light on how cognitive and socio-emotional factors can interplay in decision-making occurring within complex real-life environments by adopting a neuroscientific multimethod approach, that focuses on the investigation of the neural underpinnings of decision-making processes.

Supervisor: Prof. Michela Balconi

Keywords: Cognitive Neuroscience, Consumer Neuroscience, Neuromanagement, Neuroeconomics, Decision-making, Complex Environments

Giulia Sesini (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2728-7764)

The goal of my research thesis is twofold: to explore the relationship between the affective and symbolic dimension attributed to money and financial practices, and to investigate differences between emerging adult (still structuring their personal and professional life) and mature individuals (with a more stable situation).

Supervisor: Prof. Edoardo Lozza

Keywords: Economic Psychology, Psychology of Money, Consumer Behavior, Money Management, Investment Behavior, Sustainable Practices

Denise Vagnini (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3796-7202)

My thesis investigates the effects of a multidisciplinary lifestyle group intervention on the psychological health of breast cancer survivors, employing mixed-methods research and assuming a holistic approach to cancer care that draws on theoretical models of the mind-body relationship.

Supervisor: Prof. Emanuela Saita

Keywords: Health Psychology, Psycho-oncology, Breast Cancer, Cancer Patients, Cancer Survivors, Exercise Oncology, Mind-body Interventions, Quality of Life, Cancer Caregivers, Dyadic Coping