The principal aim of the study was to examine the psychometric properties and construct validity of the General Decision‐Making Scale (GDMS) in a sample of 700 adolescents (aged 15–19 years). Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses provide evidence for a solid five‐dimension structure reflecting the theorized construct: rational, intuitive, dependent, avoidant and spontaneous. No differences were found with respect to gender; however older adolescents used more rational decision‐making style than younger ones and had lower mean scores on intuitive, avoidant and spontaneous scales. Correlations between GDMS and both Sensation Seeking and Locus of Control scales provided substantiation for the convergent validity. Higher school achievements were positively associated with a rational decision‐making style while the number of absences from school was positively related to spontaneous and avoidant styles. Data encourage the use of GDMS not only in the research of personality but for educational and counseling purposes.

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Differences in time perspective dimensions between moderate and severe ideators suggest that these groups should be considered and analyzed as two discrete groups in further research.

This study examines the relationship between attachment to parents and peers,\ud time perspective and psychological adjustment in adolescence. 2,665 adolescents (M\ud age = 17.03 years, SD = 1.48) completed self-report measures about parent and peer\ud attachment, time perspective, sympathy and self-determination. Subjects were divided into\ud four groups based on their parent and peer attachment scores: high parent and high peer\ud attachment, low peer and low parent, high parent and low peer, low parent and high peer.\ud Higher levels of negative past of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory were revealed,\ud by post hoc analyses, in the group with low attachment to parent and peer. Unlike adolescents\ud with low attachment to parents, adolescents who reported a secure attachment to\ud parents had higher scores on positive past, hedonistic present, and future. Adolescents with\ud high attachment to parent and peer and adolescents with high parent but low peer\ud attachment had the highest scores on competence and authonomy

This study analysed the attachment patterns of 28 late-adopted children (placed when they were between four and seven years of age) and their adoptive mothers. The change in the children's internal working models (IWMs) within seven to eight months of their placement was evaluated. In addition, we wanted to observe the influence of a secure-autonomous maternal state of mind in facilitating the change in the children's IWMs and the possible associations between the maternal IWMs and the children's IWMs in the adoptive dyads. The separation-reunion procedure (SRP) was used for the late-adopted children in order to assess their attachment behavioural patterns, and the Manchester Child Attachment Story Task (MCAST) was used to evaluate their attachment narrative patterns. The adoptive mothers completed the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) in order to classify their state of mind with regard to attachment. The results showed a significant change in the attachment behavioural patterns of late-adopted children, from insecure to secure (p = .002). Furthermore, the children who presented this change were predominantly placed with secure-autonomous adoptive mothers (p = .047), although the link between the adoptive mothers' representations of their attachment history and their adopted children's completed narratives was not significant. In conclusion, it seems possible to revise the attachment behaviour of late-adopted children but, for about one-third of children, the adverse history will persist at a narrative/representational level.

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A new self-report measure of adolescent's self-presentation is described. The self-report scale was administered to 760 16-19-year-old subjects. Results of a factor analysis supported 6 identifiable factors reflecting different concepts, theoretically discussed, related to self-presentation: ability to regulate self-image, social sensitivity, body self-confidence, social self-confidence, social openness, and social desirability. The scale showed good convergent validity and internal consistency. Assertive tactics were predicted through ability to regulate self-image, social self-confidence, and social openness, whereas defensive tactics were predicted only through social openness and social sensitivity. The implications of the findings for future theoretical and empirical development of research in this field are discussed.