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This paper reports some experiments on probabilistic reasoning designed to investigate the impact of the probabilistic problem presentation format (verbal-numerical and graphical-pictorial) on subjects' confidence in the correctness of their performance, other than the calibration between confidence and accuracy. To understand the potential effect of the format, these dimensions were assessed by monitoring contextual and individual variables: time pressure, numerical and visuospatial abilities, statistical anxiety and attitudes towards statistics. The participants included 257 Psychology students without statistical knowledge, recruited from Italian and Spanish universities, who fulfilled self-report validated measures. The students expressed their retrospective judgments of confidence item-by-item in relation to each probabilistic problem. This approach enabled the computation of two measures of calibration (the Bias Index - the Confidence-Judgment Accuracy Quotient). The results indicated that the problem presentation format did not exert a significant main effect on confidence, with the exception of when the interaction between the format and one subscale of the attitudes towards the statistics test was considered. The Bias Index, however, was significantly related to the interaction between format and time pressure. The study offers a point of reflection in relation to the potential effect exerted by the problem format and time constraint in calibration.

Background Violence against healthcare workers in psychiatric settings is a concern in the literature. Violence effects for healthcare professionals and organizations include an absence from work due to injury or illness, a decreased job satisfaction, and a lower quality of work. The aim of this study is to identify the consequences of violence on the health, work habits, and performance of nurses working with psychiatric patients. Methods The study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 18 nurses from different hospitals and territorial psychiatric settings in Southern Italy. The interviews were conducted from July to December 2020 by telephone and were recorded with the consent of the participants. The collected data were transcribed and analyzed. Results The narratives revealed five main themes: (1) Feelings about the violence experienced; (2) the effects of violent incidents on nurses; (3) features of the mental health setting related to the phenomenon of the assault; (4) the care and organizational aspects to prevent the assault; and (5) the care in psychiatric settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aggressions resulted in a change in the nurses' work habits and performances; they were more careful after the aggression and modified their approach to the patient. Additionally, the nurses discussed developing skills and strategies to protect themselves and avoid aggression. Conclusions Aggression has a negative impact on the health and work performance of nurses. Adopting personal and nursing strategies in place to prevent aggression allows them to improve the patient care and to protect themselves from such incidents. The creation of a safer work environment by healthcare organizations in which professionals work can improve their health, job performance, and the effectiveness of psychiatric nursing care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic represented substantial risks to hospital workers' physical and mental health. The availability of validated measures on the impact of the pandemic on workplaces is crucial for developing data-driven interventions. The primary purpose of our study was to translate it into Italian and assess factor structure, psychometric properties, and measurement invariance of the Pandemic Experiences and Perceptions Scale (PEPS). Methods: The survey was completed by 766 workers from an Italian hospital. We examined the internal structure of the PEPS using confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) techniques and testing the invariance for clinical vs. nonclinical workers. Results: The six-factor ESEM solution showed an excellent fit to the data (CFI=0.956, TLI=0.932, RMSEA=0.050), supporting the superiority of the ESEM solution. The factorial invariance of the PEPS across occupational roles (clinical vs. nonclinical hospital workers) was supported, and the ESEM-based McDonald's omega was good for all factors. Conclusions: The results from this study provided evidence for the factorial validity, reliability, and measurement invariance across occupational roles of the Italian version of the PEPS. Thus, the Italian version of the PEPS is a reliable and valid tool for assessing pandemic experiences and perceptions among Italian workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The academic environment is known for its high demands in research, teaching, and administration, that along with increasing publish or perish culture can lead to reduced psychological well-being and mental health issues. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the associations between workaholism, work engagement, and burnout among academics in Montenegro. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was used to develop anonymous online survey. Data was collected from 131 participants employed as teaching and research staff at public and private universities. To measure the variables of interest we used: ultra-short Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-3), the work-related burnout subscale from the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI-7) and the Dutch Work Addiction Scale (DUWAS-10). Psychometric network analysis was employed to examine the relationships among variables. RESULTS: The findings revealed two distinct clusters: the first containing the dimensions of work engagement and the second containing burnout and the dimensions of workaholism. The two clusters were connected with the dimensions of dedication - burnout having the strongest edge (–0.25 and –0.40). In the cross-sample network the strongest connection was burnout –working excessively (.35). No significant differences in network density (0.80 (12/15 edges)) and global strength (p = 0.159) in the networks of public and private universities were found. CONCLUSION: Results of the network centrality and the edge strength analyses suggest that the interventions focused at increasing dedication while not fostering a work environment that encourages working excessively might be the key to preventing and reducing burnout in academia across contexts of public and private universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]