GLI ITALIANI E L'EURO: PERCEZIONE, COGNIZIONE, ATTEGGIAMENTI.

The European monetary unification represents an event with relevant psychological implications. From the literature two phenomena emerge, connected to Euro introduction: salaries underestimation and prices overestimation, tied up to perceptive-cognitive bias or to heuristic trials (money illusion, anchoring effect). The aim of this research is to verify, after about three years, the persistence of such effects in the Italian context. Methods: Three experiments and a non-experimental study are presented. In the first study, it is asked to the subjects how much time they would be disposed to spend for reaching the place of employment for a certain annual salary. A part of the subjects receives the wage offer in Euro, the other part in Liras. In the second study, it is proposed to the subjects a catalogue of 11 consumer goods, of which is shown only the photo. They have to esteem the price of every object (for a part of the subjects in Euro, for the other in Liras). In the third study, it is proposed to the subjects the same catalogue but with the indication of the prices. The subjects have to assess on a Likert scale the adequacy of the price (always in the two currencies). In the non-experimental study the relationship among the attitude toward Euro and Europe and the perception of the single currency is explored through the administration of a questionnaire built for this purpose. Results: From the three experimental studies it emerges that people are acquiring a greater familiarity with the use of Euro, which, in turn, reduces cognitive bias; situations of greater ego involvement make exception. Correlations between attitudes towards Euro and Europe and perception of the single currency are not significant. Possible further developments of research are delineated and discussed.