Allegra Cattani

Teaching interests

• Psychology for Health Studies
• Language development in typical and atypical populations
• Evidence Based Practice and Critical Awareness
• Engaging in Evidence Based Practice and Clinical Effectiveness
• Psychosocial Development and people with learning disabilities

 

Research interests
 Developmental Neuropsychology

• Memory and language development of children and adults with particular conditions (Deaf/hard of hearing, blindness, bilingual children, Down syndrome, and Williams syndrome)
• Visuo-spatial skills
• Autobiographical memory in children and adults

Please contact me if you are interested in a Ph.D. studentship.

Project 1. Brain, visual abilities and people with sensory impairment. Investigators have studied the role of the cerebral hemispheres deaf adults in visual cognition and perception, finding consistent clear evidence of atypical hemispheric patterns in deaf, signing, adults when compared with hearing controls. The present proposal is to investigate further the role of the hemispheric preferences of deaf adults. One speculation could be that deaf adults use particular visual strategies which are adapted to the task demands and which may differ from the strategies used by hearing adults. We intend to explore whether deaf individuals are able to pay attention to either the global or local aspects of visual input, to perform the task in the most efficient way.

The main objectives of Project 1 are:

•         To determine the role the global and local aspects of visual input using Navon-like tasks with shapes and objects in deaf and signing individuals

•         To investigate whether the atypical pattern of hard of hearing/deaf and signing adults is already evident in the initial phases of development of hemispheric preference in juveniles.

Project 2. Standardisation of language test for bilingual children. Bilingual children are initially delayed in terms of scores on standardised language tests compared to monolingual English children, but are under-referred when there is a real language problem. The aim is to standardise these tests for bilingual children. The amount of exposure of English language will be the main variable that will be factored in as additional variable for the standardisation.

There are three between subjects language conditions measured in percentage of time (predominately non-English, balanced and predominately English).

There are also three between-subjects age groups: 18 months, 30 months and 42 months.  The dependent variables are scores on the following standardised language tests:  MacArthur CDI, PLS4, British Picture Vocabulary Scales.

 

UoP Research group membership

Centre for Research in Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (CBCB) 
Brain 
Centre for Health and Social Care Innovation (CHeSCI) 
Parenting and Child Welfare 

Grants & contracts
Cattani, A., Reid, F. TQEF-Research Informed Teaching Initiative "Embedding research skills training into undergraduate mental health programmes" (£20,303). Award 2008-2009 (1 year).
Cattani A., Ford, D. CEPPL grant Innovation Fund Scheme, 'Survey of teaching staff and disabled student's experience' (£5,000). Award 2006-2008. (18 months).
Cattani, A. Clibbens, J., & R. Campbell. ESRC  “Object processing in the two hemispheres in hearing and deaf adults”, (£46,056). Award 2003-2004 (1 year).
Cattani, A. European Marie Curie Fellowship  “Hemispheric specialisation of Deaf and Hearing adults in visual memory”, (€114,272, about £72,000). Award started 2001-2003 (2 years).

 

Publications
Refereed Journal Articles 
Azize, P. M., Humphreys, A., Cattani, A. (2011). The impact of language on the expression and assessment of pain in children. Intensive and Critical Care Nursing, 27, 5, 235-243
Cattani, A., Bonifacio, S., Fertz, M., Iverson, J. M., Zocconi, E., & Caselli, M. C. (2010). Communicative and linguistic development in preterm children: A longitudinal study from 12 to 24 months. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 45, 2, 162-173.
Cattani, A., Clibbens, J., Perfect, T. J.  (2007). Visual memory for shapes in deaf signers and non-signers and in hearing signers and non-signers: Atypical lateralization and enhancement. Neuropsychology, 21, 1, 114-121.
Cattani, A., Clibbens, J. (2005). Atypical lateralization of memory for location: Effects of deafness and sign language use. Brain and Cognition, 58, 226-239.
Evans, J. St. B. T., Clibbens, J., Cattani, A., Harris, A. Dennis, I. (2003). Explicit and implicit processes in multi-cue judgement. Memory and Cognition, 31 (4), 608-918.
Scopesi, A., Cattani, A. (2000). Reazioni psicologiche femminili e maschili all’esperienza dell’infertilita’ (Male and female psychological reaction to the experience of infertility). Soma, 1, 17-30.
Capirci O., Cattani A., Rossini P., Volterra, V. (1998). Teaching Sign Language to hearing children as a possible factor in cognitive enhancement. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 3, 2, 135-14. 

Refereed Book chapters and Conference Proceedings
Mazzoni, G., & Cattani, A. (2009). Lo sviluppo della memoria autobiografica come processo riscostruttivo. In M. Casonato and F. Pfafflin,  Pedoparafilie: prospettive psicologiche, forensi, psichiatriche, Milano, Franco Angeli .
Cattani, A. (2008). Preferenze emisferiche della memoria visuo-spaziale di cerchi, forme e oggetti: esistono preferenze emisferiche atipiche nei sordi? In C. Bagnara, S. Corazza, S. Fontana, A. Zuccalà, (Eds.) I segni parlano. Prospettive di ricerca sulla Lingua dei Segni Italiana, Milano, Franco Angeli.
Cattani, D.D., Falcieri, E., Fratamico, G., Pallotti, G., Cattani, A. (2005). Can piezoelectricity be involved in bone pain caused by electromagnetic waves? Proceedings of the XIVth ICMMB International Conference on Mechanics in Medicine and Biology, Bologna, Italy, 16-18 September 2004, CD-Rom.
Cattani, A., Clibbens, J. (2003). Percezione visiva e specializzazione emisferica in adulti sordi e udenti (Visual Perception and Hemispheric Specialization in Deaf and Hearing Adults) pp. 393-403. In M. C. Usai, M. Zanobini, (Eds.) Psicologia del ciclo di vita. Milano: Franco Angeli.
Cattani A., Cangelosi A. (1998). Il ruolo della gestualita’ nelle teorie sull’evoluzione del linguaggio (The role of gesture on language evolution theories). In A. Scopesi, M. Zanobini (Eds.), Processi comunicativi e linguistici nei bambini e negli adulti: Prospettive evolutive e sociali (pp. 363-381). Milano: Franco Angeli.
Zanobini M., Scopesi A., Cattani A. (1998). L'uso dei termini mentali in differenti contesti interattivi (Use of mental terms in different contexts of mother-child interactions). In A. Scopesi, M. Zanobini (Eds.), Processi comunicativi e linguistici nei bambini e negli adulti: Prospettive evolutive e sociali (pp. 75-92). Milano: Franco Angeli.
Capirci O., Cattani A., Rossini P., Volterra, V. (1998). Teaching sign language to hearing children: Methodological aspects and cognitive improvement. Proceedings of the 18th International Congress on Education of the Deaf, (pp. 315-318), Tel Aviv, Israel.
Rossini, P., Capirci, O., Cattani, A., Volterra, V. (1998). Hearing children learning Italian sign language as a second language. Proceedings of the International conference on bilingual education of deaf children, pp. 113-119, Moscow, Russia.


International Conference Papers and Posters

Azize, P., Endacott, R., Humphreys, A., & Cattani, A. (2011). The influence of language on the assessment of pain in primary school age children. 1st Global Congress for Consensus in Pediatrics & Child Health, Paris, France 17-20 February.
Cattani, A., Abbot-Smith, K., Arreckx, F., Floccia, C.,  & Krott, A. (2011). Early assessment of English for bilingual children with different percentages of exposure. Child Language Seminar, Newcastle, UK, 13-14 June.
Krott, A., Floccia, C., Abbot-Smith, K., Cattani, A., & Arreckx, F. (2011). Standardised English language tests useful for bilingual children with an exposure to English of more than 60%. 12th International Congress for the Study of Child Language, Montreal, Canada, 19-23 July.
Azize, P., Cattani, A., Humphreys, A., & Endacott, R. (2010). Factors that influence assessment of pain in children by nurses, teachers and primary school children. Presented at the 4^th ESRC Research Methods Festival, Oxford, UK, 5-8^th July.
Cattani, A., Clibbens, J, Campbell, R. (2009). Atypical hemispheric preferences of categorical spatial representation in deaf signers. Poster presented at the Workshop on Cross-modal plasticity and cochlear implants, Rovereto, Italy, 27-29 August.
Cattani, A., Clibbens, J, Campbell, R. (2009). Hemisphere preference for object processing in deaf signers. BPS Developmental Section, Nottingham, UK, 9-11 September.
Arreckx, F., Abbot-Smith, K., Cattani, A. & Floccia, C. (2009). Variability in bilingual development. Poster presented at the 19th European Early Childhood Education Research, Strasbourg, France, 26-29 August.
Cattani, A., & Ford, D. (2008). Students with disclosed disability in placement: unsolved issues. Presented at the Sharing Innovation in Placement Learning Conference, Plymouth 24 April.
Cattani, A., & Clibbens, J. (2007). Hemispheric preference in spatial and visual memory for circles, shapes and objects in deaf and hearing signers and nonsigners.  Presented at British Psychological Society, Developmental Psychology Section, Annual Conference: University of Plymouth (29-31 August).
Cattani, A. (2007). Preferenze emisferiche della memoria visuo-spaziale di cerchi, forme e oggetti: esistono preferenze emisferiche atipiche nei sordi? Presented at 3 Convegno Nazionale sulla lingua dei segni. Verona, Italy, 9-11th March.
Cattani, A. (2007). Memoria visuo-spaziale in sordi e udenti segnanti e nonsegnanti. Poster presented at 3 Convegno Nazionale sulla lingua dei segni. Verona, Italy, 9-11th March.
Cattani, A. & Clibbens, J. (2006). Visuo-spatial memory in hearing and deaf signers and non-signers. Poster presented at the Conference for Educators of the Deaf: Frank Barnes School, London 1 March.
Cattani, A., Cattani, D. D., Pallotti, G. (2006). Elettrosensitività in una paziente con protesi di titanio e dolori cronici dovuti alle oscillazioni delle ossa causate dalle onde elettromagnetiche emesse dai sistemi di radiocomunicazione mobile. Presented at the L’esperienza del dolore. III Congresso Nazionale di Clinica Psicologica, 3-4 November. Bologna, Italy.
Cattani D. D., Mainardi F., Pallotti G., Falcieri E., & Cattani A. (2006). Bone Pain, Electromagnetic Waves, and Piezoelectricity. Presented at the XXXIII Annual ESAO Congress, 21-24 June, Umea, Sweden. The International Journal of Artificial Organs, 29, 5, p. 548.

Others
Pezzini, G., Sabbadini, L., Cattani, A., Albertoni, A., Grosso, B., Modena, I. (unpublished normative data). Italian Normative Data of a Battery of Linguistic Tests (PPVT, Boston, TROG, Category, FPL). 

Thesis
Cattani, A. (1999). Autobiographical memory routine and unique events: consistency among maternal styles and children’s language. PhD Thesis, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.

 

Reports & invited lectures
Pegagogical Activities

Cattani, A., Ford D. (2010). Students with disclosed disabilities: report of a survey of student and staff experiences. Academic and placement environments. Full version, pp. 1-55. Ceppl.
Cattani, A., Ford D. (2010). Students with disclosed disabilities: report of a survey of student and staff experiences. Academic and placement environments. Abridged version, pp. 1-55. Ceppl.
Cattani, A., Kalaga, H., Reid, F. (2009). Embedding research skills training into undergraduate mental health programmes pp.1-26. TQEF-Research Informed Teaching Initiative.

Research Reports 
Cattani, A., Clibbens, A., Campbell, R. (2005). Object processing in the two hemispheres in hearing and deaf adults. End of grant award report for the ESRC fellowship.
Cattani, A. (2003). Hemispheric specialisation of Deaf and Hearing adults in visual memory. End of grant award report for the Marie Curie fellowship (€ 114,272).

Invited External Seminars and Lectures 
2010 Invited seminar. Department of Psychology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
2007 Invited seminar. Deafness, Cognitive, and Language Centre Research – UCL, London, UK.
2003 Invited seminar. Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies. National Research Council – CNR, Rome, Italy.
2003 Invited lecture. S.I.L.I.S. Onlus and Provincia di Roma “Corso di Aggiornamento e Riqualificazione per Assistenti alla Comunicazione sordi e udenti”, Rome, Italy.
2003 Invited seminar. Department of Linguistics, University of Calabria, Italy.

 

Conferences organised

2007 Annual conference BPS Developmental Psychology Section, Organiser committee. Plymouth, 29-31 August.
2006 Conference Evolang, Evolution of Language, Sixth International Conference, Local organiser committee. Rome, 12-15 April.

 

Additional information