Research: Use of nature for emotion regulation
Valeria Vitale is a PhD candidate at the doctoral program in Social and Developmental Psychology and Educational Research (Curriculum in Social Psychology), by the Department of Psychology of Developmental and Socialization Processes, at the Sapienza University of Rome.
Her main research interests concern the impact of environmental factors on affective states, health and well-being, and also the influence of emotions on our behaviors and cognitive processes.
In her PhD research project, she is exploring the potential use of natural spaces for emotion regulation, with the creation of a novel measure to specifically investigate these aspects.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
• The influence of emotion on cognitive processes
• Emotion regulation strategies
• Social interaction and interpersonal communication
• Affective appraisal of environmental stimuli
• Coping and well-being
EDUCATION
• July 2019: Master's Degree in Applied Cognitive Psychology
University of Padua - Padua (IT)
Degree mark: 110L/110
Dissertation in Environmental Psychology: Environment and restorative qualities: Do the presence of plants affect the performance of a working memory task?
• July 2017: Bachelor’s Degree in Sciences and Psychological Techniques
University of Federico II – Naples (IT)
Degree mark: 106/110
Dissertation in Developmental Psychology: How to express yourself to be understood: Some adolescents’ ways of self-expressiveness.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
• April 2021 – Oct 2021
Research Assistant at the Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology - University of Vienna (AT)
• Sep 2020 – Jan 2021
Research Assistant (post-grad training) at the Department of Experimental Psychology - University of Granada (ES)
• Nov 2019 – May 2020
Research Assistant (post-grad training) at the Department of Social Psychology - University of Amsterdam (NL)
• March – June 2019
Research Assistant (Internship) at the Department of Psychology - Keele University (UK)
• Nov 2018 – Feb 2019
Research Intern at the Department of General Psychology - University of Padua (IT)
AWARDS/GRANTS
• Erasmus+ for Traineeship, 2019, University of Padua, used to carry out an internship abroad (UK).
• “Mille e una lode” grant 2018-2019, from the University of Padua, used as integration of Erasmus scholarship.
PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS
• Vitale, V., Martin, L., White, M. P., Elliott, L. R., Wyles, K. J., Browning, M. H., ... & Fleming, L. E. (2022). Mechanisms underlying childhood exposure to blue spaces and adult subjective well-being: An 18-country analysis. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 101876.
• Vitale, V. (2021, October). “Contact with blue spaces in childhood and adulthood and psychological well-being: An 18-country analysis”. Presented at the biennial meeting of the International Conference on Environmental Psychology (ICEP).
• Under review: A. Lamont, M. Anglada-Tort & V. Vitale. (2021). Influencing musical memories: How and why young adult listeners ‘remember’ music over long-time spans.
• Sun, R., Balabanova, A., Bajada, C. J., Liu, Y., Kriuchok, M., Voolma, S., … Sauter, D. (2020, June 2). Emotional experiences and psychological wellbeing around the world. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/r7xaz.