Dr L. Francesca Scalas[back]

After completing a degree in Developmental and Educational Psychology at the University of Cagliari (Italy) in 1999, she won a Research Fellowship from the University of Cagliari (2000 - 2002), for a project on Personality and risk taking in adolescence.

From 2001 to 2004 she completed her Doctorate in Cognitive Psychology at the University of Rome "La Sapienza". In April 2005 the Doctorate was completed with an empirical thesis on "Appearance and self-esteem: the role of Actual-Ideal Discrepancy".

From September 2002 she worked as a Researcher at the University of Cagliari and gained teaching experience in:

- 2003 - 2005, on General Psychology part 1 (History, Methods, Perception, Attention, Memory, Language, Learning/Education).

- 2005 - 2007, on General Psychology part 1 & 2 (History, Methods, Perception, Attention, Memory, Learning/Education, Language, Intelligence and Problem Solving, Emotion and Motivation).

-2008-2009, on Education and Learning Processes in Psychology

From January 2007 she became a Post-doctoral Fellow at the Department of Education - University of Oxford.

She studies subjects connected with self-concept, adolescence, methodology. Her main research interest is the relationship between specific and global domains of self-concept, in connection with the factors that can mediate/moderate this relationship.

This topic is particularly relevant in order to better understand the processes and mechanisms that can influence self-concept enhancement. In fact positive self-concepts are recognised across social science as important outcomes and mediating variables that facilitate a range of desirable outcomes. The nature of the links between specific and global domains of self-concept has fascinated researchers since the pioneering work of James (1890). From a substantial point of view, the most central question in self-concept research is how effects of multidimensional, specific components of self (e.g., physical, social, academic) on global self-esteem are moderated and/or mediated by framing factors such as ideal standards (Actual-Ideal Discrepancy - AID) and importance of specific components (Importance Weighted Average -IWA). Despite a long history of debate and research, empirical support for key theoretical predictions based on these models is weak mainly because of methodological issues.

In her doctoral thesis she developed an approach based on structural equation modeling to provide tests of the AID model, more appropriate from a methodological point of view. During her work in Oxford with Prof. Marsh this latent-variable strategy has been perfected, and provided support for AID model in relation to the physical appearance subdomain of self-concept.The next step in this research would be the application of the latent approach to other domains of self-concept and to other framing factors.

From this research interest, Prof. Marsh and Dr Scalas developed a successful ESRC proposal: “Relations Between Specific and Global Domains of Self-concept: A Substantive-Methodological Synergy”. This project will examine the relations between specific and global domains of self-concept using a new latent-variable approach. It has the intention to positively contribute to: a) self-concept theory, by providing answers to central but still unresolved questions that have plagued social science researchers for more than a century; b) methodology, by developing and applying new latent-variable approaches to models based on frame of reference factors that have broad applicability to the social sciences; and c) policy/practice, by providing background information to develop self-concept enhancement programmes that could benefit from information about gender and group differences, but also programmes oriented to prevent disorders and unhealthy behaviours connected with unrealistic ideals or concerns, such as eating disorders.

Selected publications

Scalas L.F., Marsh, H.W. (2008). A stronger latent-variable methodology to actual-ideal discrepancy. European Journal of Personality, 22, 629-654. doi 10.1002/per.694.

Ginns P., Marsh H.W., Behnia M., Cheng J., Scalas L.F. (in press). Quality assurance of research degrees: the Student Research Experience Questionnaire. British Journal of Educational Psychology.

Marsh, H.W., Scalas L.F. (in press). Self-concept and learning: Reciprocal effects model between academic self-concept and academic achievement. To appear in B. McGaw, E. Baker, P. P. Peterson (Eds.) International Encyclopedia of Education, 3rd edition. Elsevier.

Scalas L.F., Meleddu M. (2007). Rapporto tra domini specifici e globali nella spiegazione dell'autostima. Annali della Facoltà di Scienze della Formazione dell'Università di Cagliari, 129.140. [Relationship between specific and global domains in the explanation of self-esteem]

Meleddu M., Scalas L.F. (2006). Personality and complex systems. An expanded view. In G. Minati, E. Pessa, M. Abram (Eds). Systemics of Emergence: Research and Development. Springer, pp. 193-206.

Cianchetti C., Corona S., Foscoliano M., Scalas F., Sannio-Fancello G. (2005). Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test: proposal of a supplementary scoring method. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, vol. 20, issue 4, pp. 555-558.

Meleddu M., Scalas L.F. (2003). La molteplicità del sé. Disagio emotivo, vissuto corporeo e adolescenza. Carocci, Roma. [The variety of the self. Emotional discomfort, physical-self and adolescence]

Meleddu M., Scalas L.F. (2003). Physical-Self Discrepancies, Emotional Discomfort and Gender in Adolescence. Cognitive Processing. International Quarterly of Cognitive Science, vol. 4, issue 2, pp. 67-85.

Meleddu, M., Scalas, L.F., Guicciardi M. (2002). Contributo alla validazione italiana del Physical Self-Description Questionnaire, Bollettino di Psicologia Applicata, 237, pp. 36-52. [A contribution to the validation of an Italian version of the Physical Self-Description Questionnaire]

Meleddu, M., Scalas, L.F. (2002). Validazione di una versione italiana dell'Emotional Autonomy Scale, Bollettino di Psicologia Applicata, 238, pp. 43-58. [Validation of an Italian version of the Emotional Autonomy Scale]

• - Conference Presentations:

Scalas L.F., Marsh, H.W. (2008). New latent-variable approach to actual-ideal discrepancy theory: Actual and Ideal Appearance, Physical Self-concept, and Global Self-Esteem. XXIX International Congress of Psychology. Berlin, 20-25 July.

Meleddu M., Scalas L.F., Guicciardi M. (2008). Personality factors, self-cognitions and happiness in adolescence. XXIX International Congress of Psychology. Berlin, 20-25 July.

Scalas, L.F., Meleddu, M., Guicciardi M. (2007). Physical self-esteem and appearance in adolescents that practise physical activity at different levels. 12th European Congress of Sport Psychology. Halkidiki, 4-9 September 2007

Meleddu M., Scalas L.F. (2006). Personality, possible selves and academic achievement. XXVI International Congress of Applied Psychology, Athens 16-21 July 2006.

Scalas L.F. (2006). Effetti della discrepanza reale-ideale e della chiarezza del sé sul legame tra aspetto fisico e autostima. Congresso Nazionale AIP - Sezione di Psicologia Sperimentale, Rovereto 13-15 settembre 2006. [Effects of actual-ideal self-discrepancy and self-concept clarity on the relationship between appearance and self-esteem. National Congress of the Italian Association of Psychology - Experimental Psychology Section. Rovereto 13-15 September 2006].

Meleddu M., Scalas L.F. (2006). Analisi preliminare di una versione italiana della Scala per la Ricerca di Sensazioni - Forma V. Congresso Nazionale AIP - Sezione di Psicologia Sperimentale, Rovereto 13-15 settembre 2006. [Preliminar investigation on an Italian version of the Sensation Seeking Scale - Form V. National Congress of the Italian Association of Psychology - Experimental Psychology Section. Rovereto 13-15 September 2006]

Meleddu M., Scalas L.F. (2005). Individuazione della struttura fattoriale di un Questionario per la Percezione dei Rapporti Familiari (QPRF). Congresso Nazionale AIP - Sezione di Psicologia Sperimentale, Cagliari 18-20 settembre 2005. [Factorial structure of a Questionnaire on the Perceived Relationships within the Family. National Congress of the Italian Association of Psychology - Experimental Psychology Section. Cagliari 18-20 September 2005].