He recently published a research article on the journal Computational Statistics (ranked A by ANVUR) entitled On testing the equality between interquartile ranges, joint work with Geroge Luta, from Georgetown University, amd Rand Wilcox, from University of Southern California, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00180-023-01415-8. In this paper, the authors consider the interquartile range as a statistical measure well suited to describe the variability of the data at hand, both at the population level and for sample data. The interquartile range is particularly useful when the distribution of the data is asymmetric or irregularly shaped. Here, the use of the interquartile range is investigated when the main aim is to compare the variability of two distributions using two independent random samples, without the need to make any distributional assumptions. Several techniques are compared through numerical studies and real data examples, with a particular attention given to the use of sample quantiles based on the Harrel-Davis estimator or the quantile regression.
Moreover, even if the role of attachment style on mentalization abilities and their influence on gambling are well established, no studies have so far investigated how attachment dimensions and mentalization interact each other in influencing gambling behavior. The present study was aimed to clarify the role of specific dimensions of attachment in adolescent gambling and to explore, for the first time, the causal relationships between attachment, mentalization, and adolescent gambling.
Methods: Four hundred and eighty-two adolescents aged 16-20 years were administered the South Oaks Gambling Screen Revised for Adolescents (SOGS-RA), the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ), and the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ-8). Results: The results of the hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that high scores on Uncertainty about mental states (RFQ-8) and Preoccupation with relationships (ASQ) were significant predictors of gambling severity. Moreover, mediational analysis revealed that the effect of Preoccupation with relationships on gambling severity was totally mediated by Uncertainty about mental states. Conclusion: The present study provided, for the first time, insight into the interrelationships between attachment dimensions, mentalization, and gambling severity, and suggested that preoccupation with relationships may be an important precursor to gambling and support the hypothesis that adolescents preoccupied with relationships have more severe gambling involvement due to poor mentalization abilities. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.