Observatory on Social Changes in Progress (MSA-COVID19)

Survey on the Italian population

In a press release dated April 16, the first results of the MSA COVID19 survey were released.
For information, visit the CNR website or download the PRESS RELEASE or the SUMMARY REPORT

External participants in Italy: Dr. Federica La Longa (INGV), Dr. Massimo Crescimbene (INGV), Prof. Maria Rita Parsi (Fondazione Fabbrica della Pace e Movimento Bambino ONLUS), Dr. Marco Lautieri, Enrico Petrangeli and Giacomo Mencarelli (CNR-Iret), Prof. Annalisa Versari (Unimore-DESU).

The “Social Changes in Progress-COVID19” (MSA-COVID19) observatory is a project of the National Research Council (CNR-Irpps) carried out in collaboration with the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) and the Fondazione Movimento Bambino ONLUS. The Observatory investigates the attitudes and behaviors of the population during the COVID19 emergency in relation to “social distancing”. Following the issuance of the #IoRestoaCasa decree by the Council of Ministers regarding the movement of natural persons within the national territory, there was a sudden and radical change in the habits and lifestyles of Italians, with a drastic reduction in all forms of sociality, changes in social interaction, and in the stability and organization of work.

From a diachronic perspective, the project aims to explore, analyze, understand, and propose forecasts regarding the psychosocial effects of social distancing and phenomena related to the contraction of social interaction and prolonged domestic cohabitation, in order to then define interventions to support the well-being of the population. The study concerns the interpersonal, individual, and economic dimensions of the crisis induced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Areas of investigation, methodology, and operational objectives

The MSA-COVID19 observatory conducts national surveys using electronic and semi-structured research questionnaires, as well as qualitative-quantitative in-depth activities on psycho-social phenomena that have emerged or changed as a result of the spread of COVID-19. The Observatory’s activities began at the start of social distancing and involved 3 research PHASES. The first 2 phases relate to statistical surveys carried out on the population at successive times with the aim of investigating four areas of interest: 1) socio-demographic information of the respondents; 2) Interaction in social distancing/rapprochement (detects changes in social interaction and the use of the web, and forms of deviance and distress); 3) Trust and opinions (concerns the evaluation of public organizations, opinions, and orientations); 4) Emotions and resilience (analyzes self-assessment, primary emotions, and resilience). Still referring to the interpersonal, individual, and economic dimensions of the crisis due to the coronavirus, research PHASE 3 aims to further explore and analyze the attitudes and behaviors of the population in the face of the regaining of greater freedom of movement and the restoration of social relations. The primary objective of PHASE 3 will be to verify the existence of a stabilization/chronicization of the problems under study.

Below are the main study dimensions: Housing and working conditions; Leisure activities; Online behavior and virtual communication; Digital divide; Hyperconnectivity; Interaction and deviance in the domestic environment; Ontological trust; Systemic trust; Proxemics; Cyberbullying; Gender, ethnic, and diversity stereotypes; Individual states; General orientations and opinions; Primary emotions; Resilience.

Regarding the first 3 research PHASES, surveys on non-probabilistic population samples were chosen, and the web and the CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interviewing) method were selected as the means of administering the questionnaires. The statistical surveys are anonymous, and the CAWI method guarantees the immediate recording of the data collected directly on the CNR server with the help of Lime Survey software.

The activities of the MSA-COVID19 Observatory include actions for the enhancement and visibility of the results. The primary purpose of the Observatory is the dissemination and communication of research results, namely the production of scientific publications, the transfer of the knowledge produced to the mass media, the scientific and healthcare world, political decision-makers, and citizens, including through guidance interventions and institutional websites and related social pages. The plan for disseminating research results is supported by the Press Office and the Communication and Public Relations Unit of the CNR, the press offices of the INGV, and the Fondazione Movimento Bambino ONLUS.

Data processing and research protocol

Research is conducted through questionnaires administered via CAWI using Limesurvey software, installed on a CNR server. The web space is secure (HTTPS) and managed by CNR system administrators. The questionnaire does not collect identifying data, does not track IPs, does not store respondents’ cookies (not even technical ones necessary for navigation), does not keep identifying data resulting from access to questionnaires via social media, and does not collect territorial data below the regional level. The following characteristic information is requested: gender, age, current region of residence, size of the locality, educational qualification, presence of family members, size of the home, technological availability, type of occupation. All other information requested is optional.
The questionnaires are posted on the institutional pages of the CNR-IRPPS, on the website and on social pages, and are advertised in traditional media (press and television). Every web user has the option to share notice of them through personal channels.

The data collected are analyzed exclusively by the Observatory’s research group and are not intended to be handed over to third parties, either within the national territory or abroad. Only aggregated results will be disseminated.

The research obtained the approval of the Ethics Committee of the National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani I.R.C.C.S., issued on 2020-04-04, Opinion 56_2020. Furthermore, the project was submitted for review by the CNR Data Protection Officer.

Some scientific publications

• Tintori A. (2021). The masses, adolescents, Covid-19 and mediated adaptations, Le nuove frontiere della scuola, n. 56, La Mediazione, Year XVIII, October, La Medusa Editrice, pp. 84-91 [ISSN: 2281-9681];

• Tintori A., Ciancimino G. (2021). Delphi MIX for the construction of future critical scenarios in social distancing. In: Punziano G., Delli Paoli A. (eds.), Handbook on research on advanced research methodologies for a digital society, chapter 24, p. 390-404, IGI Global. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-8473-6.ch024.

• Tintori A., Cerbara L., Ciancimino G. (2021). The effects of agile work during the 2020 lockdown in Italy. Between opportunity and alienation, 1-2021, p.33-43. Analysis, Patron Editore. ISSN 1591-0695;

• Tintori A., Cerbara L., Ciancimino G., Palomba R. (2021). The spread of gender stereotypes in Italy during the COVID-19. In: 4th International Conference on Gender Research ICGR 2021, Academic Conferences International. Doi: 10.34190/IGR.21.019;

• Tintori A. (2021). Physical distancing and domestic confinement. The effects of Covid-19 on attitudes and emotions in Italy. Welfare post. CNR-Irpps. ;

• Tintori A., Cerbara L., Ciancimino G. (2020). Geography of primary emotions and attitudes during social distancing at the time of covid-19 in Italy. In: Migrazioni di virus. Numeri e linguaggi (eds. Bonifazi C., Cadeddu M.E, Marras C.). CNR Edizioni, II, [DOI https://doi.org/10.36173/PLURIMI-2020-2/04];

• Tintori A., Cerbara L., Ciancimino G., Geography of primary emotions and attitudes during social distancing at the time of covid-19 in Italy, in Bonifazi C., Cadeddu ME., Marras C., Migrazioni di virus. Numeri e linguaggi, Plurilinguismo e Migrazioni, CNR Edizioni, 2021.

• Tintori A., Ciancimino G., Oksay A., Senal S., Bulgan G., Büyüker D., Cerbara L. (2020). Comparing the influence of gender stereotypes on well-being in Italy and Turkey during the COVID-19 lockdown. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences. 24 (24): 13037-13043 [DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202012_24209];

• Tintori A., Cerbara L., Ciancimino G., Crescimbene M., La Longa F., A. Versari (2020). Adaptive behavioural coping strategies as reaction to COVID-19 social distancing in Italy. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences. 24 (20): 10860-10866 [DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202010_23449];

• Cerbara L., Ciancimino G., Crescimbene M., La Longa F., Parsi MR., Tintori A., Palomba R. (2020). A nation-wide survey on emotional and psychological impacts of COVID-19 social distancing. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences. Vol. 24 – N. 12, 7155-7163, [DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202006_21711];