The PhD program aims at providing advanced research training in the different fields of Social, Developmental Psychology and Educational Research
For four cycles, starting from the XXXV, the curriculum "Migration Studies: Psychological, Social and Educational issues" was active, linked to the three grants of the "Department of Excellence" project of the Department of Psychology of Development and Socialization Processes".
As regards the two active curricula, the Doctorate has the following educational objectives, as detailed below:
A) CURRICULUM ON SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
This doctoral program is intended to provide advanced research training. After this program students are expected to be able to conduct autonomous research activity in several social psychology domains (e.g. processes and contents of social cognition, attitudes and their change, interpersonal relationships, group processes and social influence, social communication, prejudice, intergroup relations and social identity) and concerning different areas and contexts such as the health, the political, the economic, the intercultural and the organizational ones, furthermore this doctoral program aims at providing advanced research training for operating in different areas of Environmental Psychology, with the aim of ( a) understanding psychological processes that occur between people and daily life environments, with particular attention to their physical and technological features ( environmental perceptions and attitudes, environmentally relevant or 'ecological' behaviours, place attachment and identity, environmental satisfaction, pro-environmental intentions, participation and commitment, etc.) and (b) collaborating with other disciplinary and technical fields in charge of designing and managing these environments.
To this aim, the students will be provided with:
- Advanced awareness of different theoretical paradigms in social psychology;
- Updated knowledge of recent developments of research on cognitive processes (controlled and automatic ones) and self-regulation;
- An adequate knowledge and experience background able to develop the capacity to collaborate with the various disciplinary fields traditionally linked to the interests of environmental psychology, such as architecture, urban planning, bio-ecological sciences, environmental management, etc.
- Strong methodological expertise, both in terms of the ability to design studies operationally coherent with the chosen theoretical and epistemological paradigms, and with the context in which they are conducted (laboratory vs field studies), both in terms of qualitative and quantitative data analysis expertise.
B) DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
This doctoral program provides research expertise in educational settings and developmental psychology. Regarding educational research, the goal is to carry out research projects related to education (vocational training and apprenticeships), teachers' training, and educational policies. In research in the field of developmental psychology, the goal is to provide advanced knowledge of the methods and techniques of research in developmental psychology. Students will learn to plan, define and develop research in the study of different biological, social, and cultural aspects related to the development of children and adolescents, with particular attention to the development of cognitive and emotional skills. Furthermore, the doctoral program provides specialized training within an innovative and interdisciplinary perspective that refers to cultural, post-modern, socio-constructionist psychology. Psychological processes are considered emergent products of social and discursive interaction among participants in specific socio-cultural systems of everyday activity (such as families, workplaces, and educational settings).
To this aim, the students will be provided with:
- An advanced awareness of the different theoretical paradigms present in the field of developmental psychology and educational research;
- An updated knowledge of the most recent developments in the field of behaviour, personality, and gender identity, taking into account socio-family background variables and education and training paths
- A background of knowledge and experience-oriented towards multidisciplinary collaboration with the various disciplinary and technical fields.
- A specific methodological competence in terms of the ability to plan investigations that are operationally consistent with the theoretical and epistemological paradigms adopted, as well as with the context in which they are carried out (laboratory investigation vs field investigation), and in terms of attention to the aspects qualitative and quantitative.
Resources linked to national and international agreements and/or calls and to the projects that tutors and supervisors propose with funds relating to national PNRR and PRIN are made available to all Ph.D. students of the various cycles.
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