Nicla CUCINELLA
Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Edificio 15, Palermo, 90128, Italy.
e-Mail: nicla.cucinella@unipa.it
Education
Laurea Magistrale in Psicologia del Ciclo di Vita (LM-51)
Current Positions
PhD Student in Health Promotion and Cognitive Sciences
PhD project title and a short abstract
PhD project title
Sensitive bio-behavioural connections: The role of Sensory Processing Sensitivity and secure script in parenting
Ph.D. project short abstract
My Ph.D. project explores sensitive bio-behavioral connections, focusing on the role of Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) and secure attachment scripts in parenting. SPS is an individual trait that highlights differences in responsiveness to environmental stimuli, with significant implications for highly sensitive parents. The study investigates how maternal SPS affects parent-child interactions at emotional and physiological levels and examines the potential protective role of secure attachment scripts.
Through a multi-phase methodology, 150 mother-child dyads will be recruited to assess the association between SPS, bio-behavioral reactivity, and the child’s psychosocial adjustment. The project phases include online questionnaires, attachment interviews, physiological assessments, and laboratory observations of mother-child interactions. It is hypothesized that higher levels of SPS are linked to greater reactivity, but psychological support, such as secure attachment scripts, can mitigate negative reactions, fostering more positive interactions and better child adjustment.
Supervisor: Prof.ssa Sonia Ingoglia
Main research areas of interest
- social-emotional competence and emotional-behavioral difficulties in preschool age;
- parenting stress and parenting practices;
- the relations between parenting and children’s psychosocial adjustment;
- research methodology and data analysis in psychology.
Researcher ID
ORCID = https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0000-0001-6692-1257
Scopus = https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57959000700
ResearchGate= https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nicla-Cucinella