Margherita Lanz

The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence technologies, particularly generative Artificial Intelligence, has revolutionized numerous domains, including education. This study investigates the adoption of ChatGPT, a prominent generative Artificial Intelligence tool, among 409 Italian university students (Mage = 23.24 years, SD = 2.61; 58.3% female) using the Technology Acceptance Model as a theoretical framework. A path analysis model was employed to examine the relationships between Technology Acceptance Model variables influencing ChatGPT’s adoption. Findings suggest that perceived usefulness is the most influential factor, strongly affecting students’ attitudes toward ChatGPT and their intentions to use it, and indirectly influencing its actual use. Perceived usefulness of ChatGPT is higher in students who have positive social norms related to technology use and perceive ChatGPT as easy to use, which, in turn, is predicted by a high level of technology self-efficacy and low level of technology anxiety. The results provide insights for academic institutions on how to facilitate the adoption of ChatGPT, contributing to more inclusive and effective education. Enhancing technology self-efficacy, promoting positive social norms related to technology use, and reducing technology anxiety are crucial for facilitating ChatGPT’s integration into academic settings.

The Multidimensional Subjective Financial Well-Being Scale (MSFWBS) has demonstrated strong validity in assessing subjective financial well-being among emerging adults in WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) contexts. However, evidence from developing countries remains limited and mixed. This study aimed to validate the Persian version of the MSFWBS among emerging adults in Iran. Adopting a contemporary view to validity, the scale was first translated and culturally adapted to ensure face and content validity. Subsequently, a series of Structural Equation Models were conducted to collect evidence of score structure, reliability, generalizability, and both convergent and criterion-related validity. Data were collected from 356 participants aged 18–29 in Sanandaj, Iran. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the original five-factor structure, with good fit indices and high internal consistency. Measurement invariance was confirmed across gender, age, living arrangement, and occupational status. Additionally, significant associations with personal income and life satisfaction provided further evidence for convergent and criterion-related validity, respectively. Overall, the findings suggest that the Persian version of the MSFWBS is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing subjective financial well-being among Iranian emerging adults. The study contributes to expanding research in non-WEIRD populations and supports the broader cross-cultural applicability of the MSFWBS in developing economies.

A robust body of research provides evidence of a strong connection between identity development and age-related functioning. A sense of financial identity may be an important precursor of adult self-sufficiency. For this reason, the study of financial identity (i.e., the answer to the question “Who am I from a financial point of view?”) as a domain-specific component of identity development during the transition to adulthood is a timely and important topic worldwide. In order to properly investigate the financial identity domain, a reliable and valid instrument is needed. The aim of the current study is to test both a variable-centered model and a person-centered model of the 12-item Financial Identity Scale in an international sample of 4,960 emerging adults from ten different countries: Austria, Finland, Hungary, India, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, and the United States. The variable-centered model of the Financial Identity Scale suggests that the 12 items measure four latent factors, each corresponding to a different identity status: achievement, foreclosure, diffusion, and moratorium. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed this model in seven out of ten countries, and approximate measurement invariance indicated that Financial Identity Scale scores were comparable across these countries. The person-centered model of the Financial Identity Scale suggests that the four statuses of financial identity present three different configurations in the population: pathfinders, followers, and drifters. The latent profile analysis conducted in the current study identified four distinct profiles, the first three of which correspond to those in the original model, and a fourth which was labelled “Indecisive”. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

This study conducts a bibliometric analysis of research on the psychological adaptation of international students (PAIS) in higher education. As the number of international students continues to grow worldwide, understanding their psychological adaptation is crucial for enhancing their academic and social experience. This study analyzes academic publications indexed in Scopus from 1986 to 2024 using Bibliometrix and VOSviewer. The analysis identifies leading authors, countries, and journals in the field of PAIS. A key finding reveals a moderate annual growth rate of 4.71% in publications, with the USA leading in research output. Prominent themes include psychological adjustment, acculturation, and social support. Emerging trends highlight the increasing focus on psychological support, identity, and mental health. This study offers a comprehensive overview of the PAIS research landscape, providing valuable insights for scholars and practitioners aiming to support the psychological adaptation of international students.

The present study focuses on the role of family support to young adult children during COVID‐19 in ameliorating the negative financial impact of the pandemic. Guided by the Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory of stress and coping, we conceptualize the negative financial impact due to COVID‐19 as a source of financial stress that would be associated with lower levels of both financial wellbeing and positive outlook of young adults. We rely on data collected from a multinational sample of young adults (ages 18–30) from six countries (China, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovenia, US; N = 2102) over a 3‐month period (July 2020–September 2020). We tested the potential effects of two types of support (i.e., parental financial support and family emotional support) using path analysis. While we find a consistent positive association between family emotional support and both financial wellbeing and positive outlook, we also find a consistent negative association between parental financial support and financial wellbeing, and a nonsignificant or negative association (Lithuania only) with a positive outlook. The significant interaction between COVID‐19 financial impact and family emotional support on young adults' positive outlook reveals that the benefit of family emotional support is more evident when the negative financial impact is low or moderate. We discuss the implications of these findings in assisting young adults to cope with financial disruptions.

A multidimensional model of emerging adults’ subjective financial well-being was proposed (Sorgente and Lanz, Int Journal of Behavioral Development, 43(5), 466–478 2019). The authors also developed a 5-factor scale (the Multidimensional Subjective Financial Well-being Scale, MSFWBS) intending to measure this construct in the European context. To date, data using this instrument have been collected in nine countries: Austria, Canada, Finland, India, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, and Turkey. In the current study, data from these countries were analysed to test the validity of this model internationally. In particular, using an international sample of 4,475 emerging adults, we collected the following kinds of validity evidence for the MSFWBS: score structure, reliability, generalizability, convergent, and criterion-related evidence. Findings suggest that the MSFWBS (1) yields valid and reliable scores, and (2) works well in individualistic and economically developed countries, producing comparable scores. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.

The present study tested the Gudmunson and Danes (2011) family financial socialization model (FFSM) using three waves of longitudinal data gathered from a college cohort of emerging adults in the United States. Specifically, we aimed to test the validity of this model in emerging adulthood (Aim 1), to verify whether the effect of the parent's socialization on a child's end financial outcome is mediated by intermediary financial outcomes (Aim 2), and to verify whether the effects found when testing the FFSM are stable across time points (Aim 3). Our findings indicate that of eight paths in the model between family socialization processes and financial socialization outcomes, seven paths were significant, thereby lending support for the validity of FFSM in emerging adulthood (Aim 1). Second, we found no mediation effects of parental financial socialization on emerging adult financial behavior and well-being via the internalization of parents' beliefs, values, and practices (Aim 2). We offer plausible explanations for this result. Last, we verified that the financial socialization processes and their effects are generally invariant across the beginning, the middle, and the end of the emerging adulthood (Aim 3). We interpret our findings in the context of the extant literature on emerging adults' transition to adult independence and provide insights for practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Although studies have highlighted the role played by couple and parental relationships for children's psychosocial adjustment, especially in challenging situations, research on these two relationship domains has largely developed separately and mostly focussed on negative couple processes. However, Family Systems Theory highlights how these subsystems are interconnected, and studies inspired by this theoretical framework provide evidence of how the quality of the interparental relationship predicts the parent–child relationship. This study focussed on the association between two relational resources (dyadic coping and parent–child relationship quality) and children's emotional difficulties during the outbreak of the COVID‐19 pandemic in Italy. Five hundred ninety‐one Italian parents filled in an online self‐report questionnaire. A path analysis model was estimated to test the mediating role of parent–child relationship quality in the association between partner positive dyadic coping and children's emotional difficulties. The findings showed both a direct effect and an indirect effect of partner positive dyadic coping on children's emotional difficulties, because parent–child relationship quality partially mediated this association. Enhancing parents' ability to cope together with stress and the quality of the parent–child relationship might contribute to decrease children's vulnerability to emotional difficulties in challenging times.

Perception of domestic and extra‐domestic environment plays a key role in structuring reality, representing the boundary between private and public life. COVID‐19 pandemic led to changes both inside and outside domestic borders, modifying those reciprocal perceptions. The aim of this study was to assess perceptions of domestic and extra‐domestic environments after the first wave of COVID‐19 pandemic on a representative Italian sample, and how such perceptions were related to individuals' well‐being at individual, family and social levels. Participants filled an online self‐report questionnaire in July 2020. Cluster analyses were conducted on domestic and extra‐domestic environment perceptions, leading to the identification of four clusters. Clusters were compared in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, and individual, family and social factors. Identified clusters report different levels of well‐being at each level. The role of factors is identified, and possible implications are discussed. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.