ENGAGEMENT, BELIEFS, AUTONOMY & HAPPINESS. A SURVEY CONDUCTED WITH UNDERGRADUATES OF UNIVERSITY OF PADUA

We are carrying out a piece of qualitative research with 1570 students from the University of Padua, whose ages range from 18 to 38 years old (mean average of 22,11; std. 2,508). Among the participants 580 are males (37%) and 990 females (63 %). The Faculties which they are registered in are either scientific (48,5 %) or humanistic (41,3 %). In particular the Faculties of Medicine (11,0%), Engineering (13,0%), Mathematic Physic and Naturalistic Sciences (12,8%), Pharmacy (11,7%) belong to the first group; while the Faculties of Literature and Philosophy (13,1%), Science of Training (17,6%), Low (10,6%) belong to the other one. The Faculty of Psychology (10,2%) has been considered in the middle of two categories.

The theoretical background of this survey is composed by the Social Cognitive Theory of Bandura (1986); contemporary theories of happiness (Lyubomirsky and Ross, 1997), the research about Italian families conducted by Scabini (1995) and IARD Institute (2007); developmental systems theories of positive youth development (Lerner, Brentano, Dowling & Anderson, 2002).
We intend to discover how the level of personal, spiritual and religious beliefs (SRPB) and the grade of civic and moral engagement are connected to the subjective happiness (SHS) of undergraduates and to their living autonomy (considered as an indicator of general autonomy) . The data has been gathered with the WHO QOL SRPB (2002), the subjective happiness scale (Lyubomirsky e Lepper, 1997), the civic and moral disengagement scale (Caprara, Bandura, 1996). The quantitative data analysis used the software SPSS, version 17; while we are using the software SPAD for the qualitative one.

On the basis of the results we have created and test an equation structural model.
The research goal is to promote happiness and autonomy of italian undergraduates, through the organization of University seminars focused on the strengthening of beliefs and civic and moral engagement.