Abstract:

The construct of affective mentalization allows us to explain the complex process of personality development of individuals. The mentalization processes allow us to empathize with each other, regulate our emotions and perceive, understand and interpret our own and others' thoughts, emotions and desires. In education, affective mentalization represents one of the essential domains of soft skills. On the other hand, soft skills (cognitive component, social component, self-regulatory component) represent a crucial element for job success.

In this study, it was hypothesized that a perfect combination of soft skills and mentalization abilities could positively impact the employability of graduates. Specifically, this study examined a sample of 82 young graduates in Economics (45 males and 37 females). The main inclusion criteria were:
(a) age between 23 and 24 years;
(b) no psychopathological disorders (evaluated through SCID 5 administration);
(c) normal cognition (evaluated through the Raven’s Progressive Matrices);
(d) a degree grade of 110 cum laude (homogeneity of academic performance). For the assessment of mentalization abilities, the RFQ-8 questionnaire was administered to all students one month after obtaining their master’s degree in Economics. Additionally, graduates were also asked to report any job placements to understand the time of employment after obtaining the degree. The results of the study revealed a significant correlation between the mentalization abilities of young graduates, and the time taken to find employment. Specifically, two profiles were identified: a hypo-mentalizing profile, indicating that individuals with low mentalization abilities struggle to adapt to the work environment, and a hyper-mentalizing profile, characteristic of those with high mentalization abilities who succeed in their work context. Furthermore, it was evident that investing in the development of mentalization abilities, as well as soft skills, encourages graduates to find a job position more quickly and maintain it.

Keywords:

Mentalization, Reflexive function, Soft skills.