Individualism-collectivism has emerged as one of the most important constructs to depict cultural differences and similarities. It is typical to examine individualism and collectivism through comparison between the cultures of the West and those of the East or comparison between various religious traditions, e.g. Christianity has been seen as the source of Western individualistic understanding whilst Buddhism as the source of Eastern collectivist understanding. The research presented in this paper explored the connections between individualism-collectivism and religiosity in Polish Catholic culture. Although Poland is an orthodox Catholic environment, gradually intensified secularization processes have been observed there. In two separate studies we examined relationships between individualism-collectivism and religiosity defined in a traditional (study 1) and secularized context (study 2).

Although a variety of studies have found robust links between religious/spiritual (r/s) struggle and poorer well-being, only a few have examined the means by which r/s struggle affects mental well-being. The present paper aims to examine religious support and meaning making as mediators of the relationship between r/s struggle and well-being. The study included 226 adults, 108 women and 118 men, aged between 17 and 78 years. We applied the Religious and Spiritual Struggle Scale, Religious Support Scale, Meaning Making Scale, and Psychological Well-Being Scale. The results demonstrated that both religious support and meaning making were mediators in the relationship between r/s struggles and well-being. During moral or demonic struggles, many people reportedly feel supported by their religion, make meaning based on these positive religious experiences, and in turn experience greater well-being. Conversely, during divine, ultimate meaning, and interpersonal struggles people may feel like God does not support them, which may lead to difficulties reframing their religious experience, and adversely influence well-being. The findings from this study underscore the multifaceted character of r/s struggle: during different types of r/s struggle people may feel that religion is a source of support for them or, by contrast, they may feel deprived of religious support, which can lead to an increase or decrease of well-being, respectively.

The aim of this research was to analyse the connections between personality traits and horizontal and vertical forms of individualism and collectivism, regarded as social orientations, in two national groups of students. The analyses were conducted in the context of psychosocial functioning in the academic environment. A total of 210 students were examined including 109 of Polish nationality and 101 of Ukrainian nationality. Despite the historical and geographical proximity of both countries, we predicted that different relationships between variables will occur in the two samples of students. The following tests were used: the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) and the Vertical- Horizontal Individualism-Collectivism Scale (KIRH) in Polish and Ukrainian versions. The results indicated that Polish students had significantly higher horizontal orientation, both in individualism and collectivism, compared to their Ukrainian colleagues. Polish students were also more agreeable and open to experience than Ukrainian students. There were significantly different patterns of correlations between the analysed variables in the two national groups. The obtained z-statistics revealed differences between groups in correlations between the vertical form of both individualism and collectivism and such personality traits as extraversion, emotional stability, and openness to experience. There was also a significant difference between the relationships of horizontal individualism and agreeableness in two compared groups. Regression analyses indicated various significant predictors of social orientations in the two groups.

Catholicism is the predominant religion in Poland, but formal religious participation has decreased in recent years. Given this decline, we examined the current relevance of religious support (i.e., support perceived from church leaders, fellow Catholics, and God) to psychological functioning among Polish Catholics. We translated the Religious Support Scale (RSS) into Polish and examined two Polish Catholic samples. In Study 1, we examined the Polish RSS’s internal structure via exploratory factor analyses and assessed reliability. Based on favourable results, we examined religious support’s association with psychological functioning, controlling for instrinsic religiousness. Religious support remained significantly associated with psychological well-being after controlling for religiousness. In Study 2, we further supported the Polish RSS’s reliability, factorial validity, and convergent validity. Moreover, religious support remained significantly related to well-being even after controlling social support variance, further suggesting that religious support continues to be relevant among Polish Catholics.

Polish women have not been studied in regard to fear, likelihood, or confidence about dangerous situations, nor has there been an instrument to measure those perceptions. The purpose of the study was fourfold: first, to present the Polish translation and validation of the Perception of Dangerous Situations Scale (PDSS-P) and second, to assess Polish women’s perceived fear, likelihood, and confidence about dangerous situations using the PDSS-P (41 items). The third purpose was to determine to what degree the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) and/or the Hope for Success Scale (KNS) correlated with any of the three subscales of the PDSS-P. The fourth purpose was to determine the congruence of the PDSS-P to the original PDSS. Two other tools (GSES and KNS) were administered to determine concurrent validity with the PDSS. A sample of 208 women aged 19 to 27 years (M = 21.04, SD = 1.88) participated in the study. Five factors were determined for each subscale, similar to the original version of the PDSS. Women reported they were more afraid of being raped by a stranger than being murdered. Their estimation of the likelihood of some serious events occurring was not congruent with statistical realities. The women thought the least likely events to happen to them in the next year would be being raped or beaten by someone they know, or being held prisoner by someone who wanted to murder them. Confidence to manage dangerous situations was low in cases of being raped by strangers or known people, being kidnapped, or being attacked. The GSES and KNS provided useful information, in that they did not measure the same constructs as the PDSS-P.

Baśnie ludowe stanowią istotny element kultury większości społeczeństw. Odwołują się do uniwersalnych ludzkich doświadczeń, w sposób metaforyczny ukazują przebieg i sens życia. Ze względu na prostotę fabuły, jednoznaczność zachowań bohaterów oraz wyraziście ukazane dobro i zło są one chętnie stosowane w oddziaływaniach wychowawczych i edukacyjnych, szczególnie w pracy dydaktycznej z dziećmi w wieku przedszkolnym i wczesnoszkolnym. W niniejszym artykule ukazano znaczenie baśni w wychowaniu i edukacji. Zaprezentowano także pewne zastrzeżenia formułowane wobec baśni, dotyczące m.in. archaiczności czy brutalności baśniowego przekazu.