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In condizioni di stress, ottenuto sul campo o indotto sperimentalmente, si verificano dei cambiamenti nella natura e nell’intensità dei processi affettivi (emozioni, motivazioni). Cambiamenti opposti simmetrici avvengono in condizioni di comfort. Una delle prime procedure per determinare gli stati di stress temporaneo consiste nella somministrazione di difficili compiti di logica (15 minuti), con feedback erronei o ambigui e pressione sociale. Ad esempio, alcune Matrici di Raven molto difficili, sono state proposte individualmente ai partecipanti. I primi due autori hanno poi trovato un'altra procedura ugualmente efficace e ancor più vantaggiosa per alcuni aspetti: la "rievocazione disegnata" di esperienze personali stressanti. I trattamenti di comfort corrispondenti sono, in primo luogo, una sessione di rilassamento progressivo in penombra, oppure, nel secondo caso, la "rievocazione disegnata" di personali esperienze piacevoli e positive. Per valutare i cambiamenti emotivi, abbiamo preparato scale bipolari a sette passi centrate sulle emozioni principali. Per quanto riguarda le motivazioni, abbiamo usato una lista di nove sistemi motivazionali (Bonaiuto, 1967). L'intero insieme di item costituivano la cosiddetta Scala di auto-valutazione, somministrata prima e dopo un trattamento specifico, ottenendo così una misura attraverso le differenze tra le due valutazioni successive. Analisi fattoriali sono state condotte per la selezione dei principali fattori emozionali e motivazionali. Sono stati studiati e misurati anche riverberi affettivi sui processi cognitivi. Under stress conditions, obtained in the field or experimentally induced, changes occur in the nature and intensity of affective processes (emotions, motivations). Symmetrical changes occur under opposite (comfort) conditions. One of the first procedures for determining temporary stress states consists of administering difficult logical tasks (15 minutes), with erroneous or ambiguous feedback and social pressure. For example, some very difficult Raven Matrices were individually assigned to participants. The first two authors later found another procedure equally effective and even more advantageous for certain aspects: the “Drawing Recollection” of personal stressful experiences. The corresponding comfort treatments are, firstly, a progressive relaxation session in penumbra; or, in a second case, the “drawing recollection” of personal pleasant and positive experiences. To assess the emotional changes, we prepared seven-point bipolar scales centering on the main opposing emotions. As regards motivations, we used a list of nine motivational systems (Bonaiuto, 1967). The whole set of items made up the so-called Self-Appraisal Scales, administered before and after a specific treatment, thereby obtaining a measure through the differences between the two successive assessments. Factor analyses were conducted for selecting the main emotional and motivational factors. Affective reverberations on cognitive processes were also studied and measured.

Attraverso l'applicazione di uno strumento personologico su base proiettiva (Building Inclination Test) vengono distinte personalità molto tolleranti o, all'opposto, molto intolleranti del conflitto e dell'incongruità.Si misurano gli effetti sull'apprezzamento estetico di opere d'arte armoniche o fortemente incongrue e conflittuali. Viene rilevato un effetto di interazione tra personalità e tipo di immagini. Si conclude che le indagini svolte contribuiscono a confermare il ruolo dell'esperienza estetica come emozione che accompagna la soddisfazione di esigenze determinanti nell'osservatore.

An experimental assessment of the effectiveness of university counselling was conducted through the “Stress Drawing Recall” Technique applied before and after a clinical colloquium with 70 uni- versity students of both genders, aged 18 - 35 years, who had requested this service. Another 70 students waiting to undergo the colloquium were interviewed as a control group. Two parallel se- ries of drawings depicting personal stress situations were collected and, after evaluation by three expert judges in “double-blind” conditions, led to establishing five forms of development of the graphic language from the first to second drawing, defined as follows: a) distension, with a reduc- tion in stress indicators and increase in comfort indicators; b) explicit representation of conflict resolution; c) appearance of new elements, with persisting conflict; d) increase in stress indicators; e) invariant or equivalent repetition of the stress drawing. Results showed that students who un- derwent the clinical colloquium (experimental group) changed their stress drawings mainly in the direction of distension and conflict resolution, while the control group had more invariant or equivalent repetition of the stress situation ( X42 = 62.77; p < 0.001). The events depicted in the stress drawings were divided into three categories: a) limited short-term stressful situations due to mainly external agents; b) externally induced stressful situations with intense emotional reso- nance; c) wide-ranging long-lasting stressful situations with great involvement of the self. The participants were divided into: a) very anxious subjects; b) averagely anxious subjects; c) not very anxious subjects, on the basis of their scores on two questionnaires: the MPI (1959) and the STAI (1970). There is a correspondence between the subjects’ level of conflict and extension of the de- picted stress. This confirms the usefulness of the Stress Drawing Recall Technique in psychological counselling

An innovative critique of existing studies on creativity has revealed the opportunity of distin- guishing between different varieties of creative tasks, and namely creativity for “Continuity”, “Opposition” and “Detachment”, considering relations between products and perceived models. This theoretical contribution has led to a specific evaluation procedure: the COD Creativity test. Considering the influences of dynamic processes on creative processes, it is worth experimentally studying the effects of short-term stress or comfort treatments. The similarities and differences between various existing studies are examined. A non-invasive but effective procedure, compared to classic techniques, is described: the “drawing recall” of stressful or relaxing real experiences, accompanied by detailed evaluations of the emotional sphere. In a specific investigation, creativity turned out to be significantly lower after acute stress with respect to comfort treatment. In con- clusion, the cognitive, decisional and activity processes involved in creativity operations can be considered as strictly reflecting emotional dynamic processes, as well as the experiences gained during the stress or comfort treatments. Results are explained considering the role of conflict overload in stress as a factor of incongruity and uncertainty intolerance, inhibiting the production of bizarre and unusual ideas and configurations, and thus reducing essential aspects relevant to the evaluation of creativity levels. From clinical point of view, we underline that decades of research has generally shown that being more rigid is associated with poorer mental health. Our experimental study gives confirmation of the link between stress and intolerance of uncertainty and incongruity; this correlation could augment the negative impact of stressors on anxiety levels. In summary, people with high level of intolerance of uncertainty and, generally, with high level of intolerance of incongruity, develop mental rigidity, and this traits constellation represent a risk for mental health.

The influence of incongruity intolerance levels on people’s aesthetic preference of three categories of classic and modern artistic paintings was examined. The study uses pictures that trigger in the observer the amodal completion, which involves the application and confirmation of already consolidated mental schemata, or the perceptual contradiction, which highlights their non-confirmation, generating incongruity experience. As in a first preliminary study conducted by Bonaiuto, Biasi, Giannini, & Chiodetti (2001) with advertising images, incongruity intolerance levels were assessed with the Building Inclination Test (BIT). Also in this new study, we apply the BIT tool in order to select sixty young adults, divided into three subgroups: 20 very incongruity intolerant participants, 20 very incongruity tolerant ones, and 20 intermediate participants, both genders equally subdivided. Moreover, we selected eighteen colour laser reproductions of classical and modern artistic paintings on A4 paper sheets: six show the predominant completion phenomena, other six are based on clear incongruous situations and the last six show completion phenomena mixed with incongruity. Each participant individually evaluated each illustration on aesthetic and physiognomic aspects, using 11-point scales. Double-blind experimental conditions were assured. The results show that very incongruity intolerant participants highly aesthetically appreciate the completion pictures, but they do not like the incongruent pictures. Differently the very incongruity tolerant participants are able to appreciate all three types of images presented, and attribute positive aesthetic scores also to the incongruent and thus conflictual pictures. The third group of participants is characterized by intermediate level of incongruity intolerance and obtain intermediate scores. Collected data confirm our research paradigm based on the theoretical model of overloading of conflict, and stress the role of the individual level of intolerance of incongruity in the dynamics of aesthetic preferences. This survey also allows to obtain an effect of generalization of the theoretical model through the empirical verification with different types of images.

The “Colour Family Drawing Test” applied a classification of colours on an emotional basis leading to the distinction between “Alarming and Serious” (black, grey, violet, olive-green, dark blue, red, yellow) and “Reassuring and Playful” hues (pink, sky blue, orange and pastel colours). 120 partic- ipants (aged 7 - 10 years, both genders), attending Rome primary schools, were individually ex- amined. They sat at a table with a white A4 card, 24 colour pencils, a black pencil, an eraser and received the instruction: “Draw your family”. The research objective concerns the introduction of colours and the evaluation of emotional meaning of the colours used by children in drawing their families. The families had been preliminarily evaluated as Harmonious or Very Conflictual Fami- lies through a semi-structural interview conducted with the children’s teachers. The drawings made by children of Harmonious Families consistently used reassuring, playful colours (p < 0.01); children of Conflictual Families used alarming, serious colours (p < 0.01). The parents also com- piled the LDM Inventory, in order to have a confirmation of their level of psychological conflict. 33 “Very harmonious” parents and 22 “Very Conflictual” parents were selected. A comparison re- vealed that N/H scores were significantly lower in parents of Very Conflictual Families compared to the opposite ones (t53 = 2.95; p < 0.01). Conflictual Parents do not develop harmonious inter- personal relations, preferring overt aggression, with particular consequences for the family’s emotional atmosphere and for the children’s personality.

We apply the Colour Family Drawing Test, as a development of the traditional black and white test, for cross-cultural comparison. The participants, aged 7 - 10 years, both genders, were examined individually. Each subject sat at a single table with a white rectangular card of standard size, 24 well-sharpened colour pencils, a black pencil, an eraser and other appropriate tools. S/he received this verbal instruction: “Draw your family”. The procedure was firstly applied to 120 participants attending primary schools of Rome (Biasi, Bonaiuto and Levin, 2014). The families were evaluated through a semi-structural interview conducted with the children’s teachers and divided into: Harmonious versus Very Conflictual Families. The drawings made by children of Harmonious Families consistently used “Reassuring and Playful Colours” (Pink, Orange, Sky Blue, Light Green, Light Yellow, other pastel colours); and were larger, tidier and more proportioned to respect the opposite group. Children belonging to Conflictual Families used mostly “Alarming and Serious Colours” (Grey, Black, Dark Bleu, Violet, Olive Green) and their drawings were less extended, more often disordered and had typical deformations such as figures too thin. A second investigation examined 120 participants belonging to Asian immigrant families residing in Italy. A third investigation examined 120 participants belonging to Russian families of Moscow. Both last two investigations obtained very similar results on the use of colours, and gave a confirmation of the relevance of the Colour Family Drawing Test.

Abbiamo messo a punto un progetto di innovazione didattica per la Psicologia generale in sede universitaria. L’attività ha comportato la costruzione e l’applicazione di filmati volti a favorire l’apprendimento di componenti sostanziali della disciplina. Gli argomenti hanno riguardato la psicologia della personalità, la percezione visiva, la psicologia ambientale e dell’arte, vari processi affettivi, ecc. I filmati realizzati hanno suscitato interesse e sono stati impiegati in Corsi di laurea triennali o specialistici; inoltre in varie Scuole di Specializzazione.Parallelamente abbiamo avviato indagini sulle relazioni tra l’impiego di questi dispositivi didattici, le emozioni attivate, i livelli di apprendimento ed altri effetti osservati negli allievi.Sull’impiego di videoregistrazioni nella didattica universitaria non è difficile trovare riscontri e riferimenti nella letteratura pertinente (Boyatzis, 1994; Kirsh, 1997). Il nostro contributo è centrato sul ruolo del materiale artistico quale ingrediente di pregio nella comunicazione volta a favorire la comprensione e il ricordo.L’allestimento dei filmati si giova delle moderne tecnologie informatiche, quali il programma applicativo per montaggio digitale Final Cut Pro 3. In funzione dell’argomento preordinato vengono scelte brevi sequenze videoregistrate tratte dal repertorio contemporaneo di opere di buon livello tecnico e artistico. Le sequenze ricavate vengono montate in successione, con opportuni intervalli, dissolvenze, ecc.; facendo premettere e seguire titolazioni, commenti scritti e parlati, accompagnamento musicale. I cortometraggi così realizzati, collocati su videocassette o DVD, vengono proiettati nell’ambito dei corsi, in aule attrezzate e debitamente oscurate. All’esposizione e alla fruizione fanno seguito operazioni di verifica psicologica che utilizzano scale bipolari di valutazione e questionari con domande aperte. I partecipanti sono adulti d’ambo i generi: studenti universitari in età dai 19 anni in avanti, afferenti a moduli didattici di Psicologia generale; o, ancora, laureati afferenti a Scuole di Specializzazione in discipline psicologiche e pedagogiche.Un primo esempio d’indagine è stato condotto utilizzando un cortometraggio centrato sulle caratteristiche di due patterns comportamentali interessanti per la psicologia della personalità e la psicologia della salute: i cosiddetti “Tipo A” e “Tipo B”. Il video è stato proiettato, con una breve introduzione, a piccoli gruppi indipendenti di Allievi, per un totale di 96 partecipanti con età media di a. 27;9 (Bonaiuto, Biasi & Cordellieri, 2002). Al termine della proiezione è stata proposta la compilazione d’una scheda di valutazione del filmato, con scale e domande inerenti alle qualità emotive, ad alcuni aspetti fisionomici e al valore estetico, nonché alle capacità informative attribuite. Sono stati inoltre registrati i contenuti appresi. I dati raccolti sono stati sottoposti alle opportune analisi statistiche e ad un lavoro interpretativo di tipo psicodinamico.Sia i punteggi oggettivi di apprendimento implicito (in funzione del numero di concetti pertinenti memorizzati), sia il potere informativo-istruttivo attribuito al filmato, risultano significativamente superiori.La soddisfazione motivazionale, che accompagna l’emozione estetica, facilita quindi l’acquisizione e l’introiezione di un maggior numero di contenuti, percepiti come positivi.