DOCTORATE in Mind and Technologies in Digital Society

Doctorate research strands

These research strands have as their shared objective the understanding of the processes of construction and functioning of the mind in the current social interaction contexts. More specifically, they will deepen issues related to the study of motivations, cognitive and emotional processes, interpersonal exchanges and socio-communication dynamics in connection with the technology-mediated interaction changes.

Characteristics of the use of technologies over lifetime

This research strand deepens the features of the use of technologies and social networks in the course of the different periods of life (childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age) in connection with the specific developmental tasks of each one of them as well as the role of family relationships, of peers and educational and socializations bodies in understanding the use of technologies during the developmental phase. In addition, the research will pay special attention to the development of the mind in the childhood and to the establishment of an online and offline identity.

Key words:

Developmental phases, family, developmental tasks, Identity, peers’ role, communication, ageing.

Recommended readings

• Fullwood, C., James, B. M., Chen-Wilson, C. H. (2016). Self-concept clarity and online self-presentation in adolescents. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 19(12), 716-720
• Giedd, J. N., & Denker, A. H. (2015). The adolescent brain: insights from neuroimaging. In Brain crosstalk in puberty and adolescence (pp. 85-96). Springer, Cham.
• Pachucki, M. C., Ozer, E. J., Barrat, A., Cattuto, C. (2015). Mental health and social networks in early adolescence: a dynamic study of objectively-measured social interaction behaviors. Social science & medicine, 125, 40-50.
• Padilla-Walker, L. M., Coyne, S. M., Kroff, S. L., Memmott-Elison, M. K. (2018). The protective role of parental media monitoring style from early to late adolescence. Journal of youth and adolescence, 47(2), 445-459.
• Pisano, L., Mastropasqua, I., Cerniglia, L., Erriu, M., Cimino, S. (2017). Adolescents’ online and offline identity: a study on self-representation. Social & Behavioural Sciences, 5, 3.
• Sherman, L. E., Greenfield, P. M., Hernandez, L. M., Dapretto, M. (2018). Peer influence via instagram: effects on brain and behavior in adolescence and young adulthood. Child development, 89(1), 37-47.

Designing cognitive interfaces and mediated interaction environments

This research strand deepens the study of perceptive, regulatory and emotional processes involved in the interaction between the individual and technologies as well as the design (or the design supporting activities) taking into account the various psychological processes that are triggered. Specific attention will be devoted to the issues linked to the interaction between an operator/user and technology, to the techniques used to assess this interaction and maximize it in the various domains of human working. The research work is also focused on the study of implicit knowledge and in the motor intentionality associated to the use of technologies and of the forms of communication and language according to a multimedia perspective.

Key words:

Fluid interface, social machine, multimedia communication, ergonomics, perception, virtual enviroments.

Recommended readings

• Bagnara, S., Marti, P., Pozzi, S. (2015). Le dimensioni sociali del design. Sistemi intelligenti, 27(1), 127-140.
• Bagnara, S (2015) Embodied Cognition and Ergonomics. Journal of Ergonomics 05(01)
• Falcone, R., Capirci, O., Lucidi, F., Zoccolotti, P. (2018). Articolo Bersaglio: Prospettive di intelligenza artificiale: mente, lavoro e società nel mondo del machine learning. Giornale Italiano di Psicologia, 45(1), 43-68.
• Norman, K. L. (2017). Cyberpsychology: An introduction to human-computer interaction. Cambridge university press.
• Parasuraman, R., Sheridan, T. B., Wickens, C. D. (2008). Situation awareness, mental workload, and trust in automation: Viable, empirically supported cognitive engineering constructs. Journal of cognitive engineering and decision-making, 2(2), 140-160.
• Pinna B., Deiana, K. (2019). When the whole is equal to the sum of its parts: A new approach to study face and body perception and representation. Vision Research, 157, 252-263.

Models and methods of analysis of the digital ecosystems  

This research strand aims at deepening the methodologies of selection, extraction and analysis of social interaction on online platforms (Social Media Analysis, Decision Theory, Critical Infrastructures, Big Data) in order to understand the digital ecosystems in the light of the theoretical models developed to understand online social behaviors, such as reputation, origin of impressions of personality, psychology of  the intra-group and inter-group dynamics and of the communication and persuasion techniques.

Key words:

Sentiment analysis, behavioral features in HCI, social media, social dynamics, digital ecosystems

Recommended readings

• Amaral, L. A. N., Scala, A., Barthelemy, M., Stanley, H. E. (2000). Classes of small-world networks. Proceedings of the national academy of sciences, 97(21), 11149-11152.
• Barabasi A. (2004). Link. La scienza delle reti. Torino: Einaudi Borgatti S.P., Mehra A., Brass D.J., Labianca G. (2009). Network analysis in the social sciences. Science, 323: 892-895 Brass D.J.(2012).
• D’Andrea, A., D’Ulizia, A., Ferri, F., Grifoni, P. (2015). EMAG: An extended multimodal attribute grammar for behavioural features. Digital Scholarship in the Humanities, 32(2), 251-275.
• Ferri, F., D’Ulizia, A., Grifoni, P. (2019) A grammar inference approach for language self-adaptation and evolution in digital ecosystems.  Journal of Intelligent Information Systems, 1-22.
• Lea, M., Williams, K. D., & Spears, R. (2004). A Social Psychology of the Internet.
• Quattrociocchi, W., & Vicini, A. (2016). Misinformation.: Guida alla società dell'informazione e della credulità. FrancoAngeli.

Education and technologies

Research work has the double aim (1) of analyzing the impact that the new technologies have on cognitive processes to promote learning and citizenship in the digital society; and (2) of design educational and environments to foster critical thinking, autonomous and collaborative learning, metacognitive strategies and the whole set of multiliteracies required to responsibly deal with the digital society. In general, they will take into account the digital technologies (for example, Artificial Intelligence, Mixed/Augmented/Virtual Reality, Data Science) that can have an impact on the various phases of educational design, such as analysis, design, development, delivery and assessment.

 Key words:

Digital competence, complex systems, technology enhanced learning, learning environments, mixed reality, educational data science, media literacy

Recommended readings

• Cope, B., & Kalantzis, M. (Eds.). (2000). Multiliteracies: Literacy learning and the design of social futures. Psychology Press.
• De Toni, A. F., & Comello, L. (2005). Prede o ragni - Uomini e organizzazioni nella ragnatela della complessità. Utet libreria, Torino.
• Di Mele L. (2017) Complessità e Tecnologie Scolastiche, in: (a cura di Marina Rui) Design the Future! Proceedings Multiconferenza EM&M Italia 2016, p. 80-90
• Floridi, L. (2017). La quarta rivoluzione: come l'infosfera sta trasformando il mondo. Raffaello Cortina.
• Garito, M. A. (2013). Teaching and Learning on the Internet: A New Model of University, the International Telematic University UNINETTUNO. Computer Technology and Application, 4(9).
• Garito, M.A. (2015). L'Università nel XXI Secolo tra tradizione e innovazione. Mc Graw-Hill 2015
• Lowyck, J. (2014). Bridging learning theories and technology-enhanced environments: A critical appraisal of its history. In Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (pp. 3-20). Springer, New York, NY.

Assistive technologies, accessibility and integration

This research strand deepens the study, design and possible uses of technologies at the support of people with special needs. More specifically, they will analyze the use of technologies in situations of typical and atypical development (for example, autism, deafness) in order to promote the social integration of people with disabilities overcoming or reducing disadvantaged conditions. Particular attention will be devoted to the study of augmented reality and virtual reality for the access and integration of people with sensory impairments and special needs.

 Key words:

typical and atypical development, accessibility, communication, integration, special needs.

Recommended readings

• Capirci, O. (2016). Dal Gesto al Linguaggio. La lingua dei segni nelle disabilità comunicative, 13. Milano: Franco Angeli, pp. 13-26.
• Falcone, R., Capirci, O., Lucidi, F., Zoccolotti, P. (2018). Articolo Bersaglio: Prospettive di intelligenza artificiale: mente, lavoro e società nel mondo del machine learning. Giornale Italiano di Psicologia, 45(1), 43-68.
• Jeffs, T. L. (2010). Virtual reality and special needs. Themes in science and technology education, 2(1-2), 253-268.
• Lasorsa, F., Sparaci, L. & Capirci, O. (2017). I gesti nei bambini con Disturbo dello Spettro Autistico: deficit o risorsa comunicativa? in: Neuropsicologia dello Sviluppo, Vicari, S. & Caselli, C. (Eds.), Il Mulino: Bologna
• Mastrogiuseppe M., Capirci O., Cuva S., Venuti P. (2014), Gestural communication in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders during mother-child interaction, Autism, 1-13.
• Volterra, V., Capirci, O., Rinaldi, P., Sparaci, L. (2018). From action to spoken and signed language through gesture. Some basic issues for a discussion on the evolution of the human language –ready brain. Interaction Studies, 19:1-2, 216-238.

Civil responsibility, deviances and online aggression

This research area will promote studies aimed at understanding online aggressive and deviant behavior and the development of technologies aimed at promoting an aware, critical and responsible use of mediated technological interactions. More specifically, they will deal with the question of online moral disengagement in relation with the technological affordances and with emotional and behavioral regulation within context mediated interaction in connection with the various ethical expressions (civic-engagement, digital responsibility) as well as with the deviant ones (for example, online racisms, cyber-bullying, fake news). In addition, it will be discussed the role of the juridical regulation of social networks and the role of the analysis of the current and potential legislative response, while paying particular attention to the assessment of the appropriateness of the positive penal system protecting individual freedom and reputation and to the design of targeted measures and effective regulatory criteria in order to face online deviances.

 Key words:

Responsibility, ethics, deviance, self-regulatory processes, internet, aggression, regulatory criteria

Recommended readings

• D’Errico, F., & Paciello, M. (2018). Online moral disengagement and hostile emotions in discussions on hosting immigrants. Internet Research, 28(5), 1313-1335.2.
• Del Vicario, M., Bessi, A., Zollo, F., Petroni, F., Scala, A., Caldarelli, G., ... & Quattrociocchi, W. (2016). The spreading of misinformation online. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(3), 554-559.
• Ellemers, N., van der Toorn, J., Paunov, Y., van Leeuwen, T. (2019). The psychology of morality: A review and analysis of empirical studies published from 1940 through 2017. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 1088868318811759.
• Flor,  R. (2012) Lotta alla “criminalità informatica” e tutela di “tradizionali” e “nuovi” diritti fondamentali nell’era di internet su www. penalecontemporaneo.it
• Ford, D. P., Garmsiri, M., Hancock, A. J., Hickman, R. D. A Review and Extension of Cyber-Deviance Literature: Why It Likely Persists.
• Newman, J., & Tonkens, E. (2011). Participation, responsibility and choice: Summoning the active citizen in western European welfare states. Amsterdam University Press.
• Picotti, (2019) Diritto penale e nuove tecnologie: una visione d'insieme, in Trattato di diritto penale, Cybercrime (Ed.) Cadoppi, Canestrari, Manna, Papa, Torino.
• Runions, K.C., & Bak, M. (2015). Online moral disengagement, cyberbullying, and cyber-aggression. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 18(7), 400-405.

Problematic use of technologies

This research strand deepens the study of innovative and interdisciplinary methods of assessment and intervention in the whole life while focusing on the predictive factors of moderation and mediation of psychopathological risk connected with problematic use of technologies and with its effects on the emotional-behavioral functioning (for example, Internet addiction). The role of family, peers and bio-psycho-social factors connected with psychopathological risk will be analyzed with regards to the use of social networks, of the Web in general (also through behavioral paradigms in lab-based models assessing the role of the gratification systems in online and offline gambling).

 Key words:

Internet addiction, childhood, adolescence, intervention, online gambling and gaming

Recommended readings

• Cerniglia, L., Griffiths, M., Cimino, S., De Palo, V., Monacis, L, Sinatra, M., Tambelli, R. (2019) A latent profile approach for the study Internet gaming disorder, social media addiction, and psychopathology in a normative sample of adolescents. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 211873.
• Cerniglia, L., Zoratto, F., Cimino, S., Laviola, G., Ammaniti, M., & Adriani, W. (2017). Internet Addiction in adolescence: Neurobiological, psychosocial and clinical issues. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 76, 174-184.
• Cheever, N. A., Moreno, M. A., Rosen, L. D. (2018). When Does Internet and Smartphone Use Become a Problem?. In Technology and adolescent mental health (pp. 121-131). Springer, Cham.
• Machimbarrena, J., Calvete, E., Fernández-González, L., Álvarez-Bardón, A., Álvarez-Fernández, L., González-Cabrera, J. (2018). Internet risks: An overview of victimization in cyberbullying, cyber dating abuse, sexting, online grooming and problematic internet use. International journal of environmental research and public health, 15(11), 2471.

Culture and Identity in the Digital Society

Through this research strand, they deal with the study and design of narrative strategies and of use of technologies to promote culture, the interaction with the Other, cross-culturalism. They will deepen the study of the images of the Other and the new dynamics of identity construction in the current cultural and media context, the theories and creative practices for the use of technologies for cultural popularization, the use and role of digital humanities in intercultural dialogue. Special attention will be devoted to the narrative, cinema, literary, museum’s and media strategies and technologies as learning tools and, more widely speaking, of “education to the different” that can be used at several levels. 

Key words:

culture, popularization, narrative technologies, identity construction, cross-culturalism, digital humanities

Recommended readings

• Berry D.M. (a cura di), Understanding Digital Humanities. Palgrave Macmillan, London 2012.
• Moll, N., (2017) “L’imagologia interculturale nell’attuale contesto culturale e mediale”, in Moll N., Sinopoli F., (a cura di), Prospettive imagologiche transnazionali, Lithos, Roma.
• Moll, N., “Violenze linguistiche e strategie narrative di autodifesa”, in Von Kulessa R., Moll N.,  Reichardt D., Sinopoli F. (a cura di), Paradigmi di violenza e transculturalità. Il caso italiano (1990-2015). Atti del convegno di Villa Vigoni 8-11 ottobre 2014, Oxford/Bern/Frankfurt, Peter Lang, 2018, pp. 303-325
• Ribeiro, S.P.M. (2016). Developing intercultural awareness using digital storytelling”, in Language and Intercultural Communication, 16 (1), 69-82.
• Viganò, D.E., Scarafile, G. (2007). L’adesso del domani. Raffigurazioni della speranza nel cinema moderno e contemporaneo, Effatà Editrice, Cantalupa (TO)
• Viganò, D.E. (2009). La musa impara a digitare. Uomo, media e società, Lateran University Press, Città del Vaticano.
• Viganò, D.E. (2011). Cari maestri. Da Susanne Bier a Gianni Amelio i registi si interrogano sull’importanza dell’educazione, Cittadella Editrice, Assisi.