Forum Psychologicum

Editorial

Stanisław Głaz — 2026-06-23

In 2014, the Institute of Psychology was established at Ignatianum University in Cracow, which, as of September 1st, will be renamed the Department of Psychology. We present to you the first issue of the journal Forum Psychologicum, part of the Institute of Psychology at Ignatianum University. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to its establishment and wish its readers a pleasant read.

The first issue of the journal is devoted to issues of psychological well-being and religiosity. The first two articles are theoretical in nature, while the remaining ones are empirical.

In the first article, the author demonstrates the need for transformative changes in therapeutic techniques and theoretical advances, which often result from groundbreaking shifts in psychological perspectives.

In the second article, the authors present the issue of religious experience as understood by Stanisław Głaz, considering its complex structure and relevance to the lives of contemporary people.

From the Deficit to Expert Paradigm:

Stanisław Radoń — 2026-06-23

Objective of the study: This article seeks to illuminate the transformative changes in therapeutic techniques and theoretical advancements that have arisen from a pivotal shift in psychological perspective. We are moving away from a deficit-based paradigm that emphasizes symptom identification and elimination toward a more empowering approach that celebrates human potential, harnesses individual strengths, fosters personal agency, and nurtures overall well-being. Method: The research method used is a scoping literature review aimed at exploring the scope, impact, and substance of research activities concerning the evolution of two main paradigms: the deficit paradigm, encompassing psychoanalysis, dynamic, behavioral, and cognitive psychology, and the expert paradigm, encompassing humanistic psychology, positive psychology, and mindfulness psychology. Results: The observed consistency between the postulates of the deficit and expert paradigms suggests the need to refine the assumptions of both perspectives. In the first case, it is necessary to base one’s postulates on the research that utilizes advanced neuroimaging tools and sophisticated analytical strategies. In the second case, it is necessary to transition from nomographic to idiographic methods. Conclusions: The knowledge gained from this research review can provide psychologists with a deeper understanding of the therapeutic techniques they offer and use. Furthermore, this work can provide a source of hypotheses based on the observed advances in research tools and analytical strategies.

The Concept of Religious Experience According to Stanisław Głaz

Bogdan Lisiak — 2026-06-23

Subject and Purpose: This article draws on Stanisław Głaz’s publications to examine his understanding of religious experience. The authors present an analysis of religious experience, including its understanding, structure, and progression. Furthermore, by analyzing religious experience, they demonstrate its benefits for the development of a person’s religious life and personality. Method: To analyze the issue of religious experience, positive exposition and analytical-synthetic methods were used to demonstrate its scope, essence, and evolution as understood by Stanisław Głaz. Conclusion: In analyzing religious experience in Głaz’s work, several ways of understanding it can be discerned (religious feeling, religious phenomenon). According to Głaz, religious experience is open and connected to universal human values. In particular, it reveals the truth about humanity and their world, as well as about the Absolute. The complexity and evolution of the understanding of religious experience in Głaz’s publications indicate the need for a deeper analysis of this phenomenon and the refinement of research tools that will better illuminate its role in human life. Another important conclusion is Głaz’s analysis of religious experience in relation to other religions, such as Hinduism. Given the religious pluralism of contemporary societies, this strand of his research on religious experience should be further explored.

The Role of Religious Comfort and Religious Struggles in the Process of Shaping Empathy and Meaning in Life of Healthy and Sick Polish Women with COVID 19

Magdalena Nuckowska — 2026-06-23

Objective of the study: The outbreak of the COVID‑19 pandemic has brought many new challenges related to individual and social life. The study aimed to show the relationship between religious comfort and religious struggles with empathy and meaning in life in healthy women and those who had COVID‑19. In addition, it shows the potential of religiosity in shaping aspects of mental health such as empathy and meaning in life. Method: The study involved 103 women. 54 women had and were sick with COVID‑19 and 49 did not have COVID‑19. All women were born in Poland. These tools were used: the Religious Comfort and Strain Scale (RCSS), the Empathic Sensitivity Scale (SWE), and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ). Results: Women, both those who had COVID‑19 and those who did not, were characterized by a high level of religious comfort and a sense of the presence of meaning in life, and a search for meaning. Both groups of women show no significant relationship between religious comfort and searching for meaning in life, but reveal a strong relationship between the presence of meaning in life and the absence of such searching. In the group of healthy women, empathetic concern played a key role in mediation, while in the group of sick people, perspective‑taking played a key role. Conclusions: The knowledge gained from this research can help clinical psychologists, hospice workers, and hospice volunteers better understand patients’ needs after serious illness. It can also provide clergy with valuable knowledge for their pastoral work. Furthermore, this work can generate hypotheses useful for further research.

The Role of Religious Comfort and Religious Struggles in Shaping the Meaning in Life in Polish Women after Stillbirth

Mariola Stachura — 2026-06-23

Objective of the study: Religion often plays a positive role when a person goes through difficult experiences. The study aimed to show the role of religious comfort and religious struggles in shaping the presence and search for meaning in life in the lives of believing and practicing women after stillbirth. Method: The study was conducted in Poland. Sixty-four women who experienced the loss of a child as a result of a stillbirth that occurred after the 22nd week of pregnancy participated in the study. The following measurement instruments were used: The Religious Comfort and Strain Scale (RCSS) and The Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ). Results: The analysis shows that women after stillbirth manifest a high level of religious comfort, a medium level of fear-guilt, negative emotions towards God, and a low level of negative social interaction around religion. They present a higher level of the presence of meaning in life than the search for meaning in life. In addition, in women’s lives, religious comfort has a significant and strong positive relationship with fear-guilt and a negative relationship with negative emotions toward God. Regression analysis shows that religious comfort, negative emotions toward God, and negative social interactions around religion have a stronger, more significant relationship with the search for meaning in life than with the presence of meaning in life. Moreover, as the model indicates, religious comfort has a direct, positive, and stronger relationship with the presence of meaning in life than with the search for it. Furthermore, religious comfort is positively related only to negative social interactions related to religion, which play a mediating role and are positively related more strongly to the search for meaning in life than to the presence of meaning in life. Conclusions: The knowledge gained can help women understand the specifics of child loss. It can foster a better understanding of their emotional states and experiences, especially in seeking psychological and spiritual help. It can be useful for psychotherapists, psychiatrists, and even pastoral workers, as well as others involved in providing support in situations after pregnancy loss.

The Relationship between Emotion Regulation and Fear of Relapse with the Level of Acceptance of Cancer in Women after Mastectomy

Paulina Zagajewska — 2026-06-23

Objective of the study: Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy among women in Poland, and it also significantly impacts their psychological functioning. This article aims to examine the relationships between selected emotion regulation strategies, fear of disease recurrence, and the level of acceptance of the illness in women after mastectomy. Method: The study involved 150 Polish women after mastectomy, aged 22 to 73 (M = 44.67, SD = 8.11), and was conducted using an electronic questionnaire. A set of standardized psychometric tools was used in the study: the Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (IERQ), the Cancer Worry Scale (CWS), and the Acceptance of Life with Illness Scale (ALS) to measure emotion regulation, fear of disease recurrence, and the level of acceptance of illness. Statistical analyses included Pearson’s r correlation, stepwise regression, and cluster analysis. Results: The results showed that social modeling demonstrated a positive association with acceptance of illness, but smoothing, contrary to assumptions, was negatively associated with coming to terms with the illness. Fear of relapse showed a significantly negative correlation with satisfaction with life despite the disease. Fear of relapse is the most important negative predictor of acceptance of illness – it reduces satisfaction with life despite illness, and distancing oneself from the disease. Social modeling is a positive predictor of acceptance of disease, but soothing, although seemingly adaptive, was associated with lower levels of acceptance of illness – likely a manifestation of emotional withdrawal. Conclusion: The study’s results confirm that the process of psychological adaptation to the disease is not one-dimensional but depends on many factors – both individual and environmental. At the same time, they provide important information that may be helpful in disease acceptance among women after mastectomy.

The Role of Psychological Well-being in Shaping Marital Closeness and Life Satisfaction Among Women Using Different Methods of Fertility Regulation

Dorota Bałazińska — 2026-06-23

Study Objective: This study aims to demonstrate the extent to which fertility regulation methods differentiate psychological well-being, marital closeness, and life satisfaction among Polish women of married and reproductive age. Furthermore, the study examines the extent to which psychological well-being and marital closeness influence life satisfaction among these women. Method: The study included Polish-born women aged 22–45 (M = 36.9) who were married at the time of the study. Fifty-nine participants were women using the natural method of fertility control, and fifty-four were women using contraception. The following research tools were used: the Psychological Well-Being Scale, the Spousal Closeness Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Results: Women using natural fertility control methods achieved similar scores on psychological well-being factors as those using contraception, but higher scores on marital closeness factors. In the group of women using natural fertility control methods, the relationship between psychological well-being and closeness was stronger than in women using contraception. Regression models showed a higher level of explained variance in marital closeness and life satisfaction by psychological well-being in women using natural fertility control methods than in women using contraception. Conclusion: Analyzing this issue can help develop educational programs for young couples, addressing the psychological dimensions of contraceptive methods and their potential impact on quality of life and relationships. It can also aid in educating family counselors, psychologists, and psychotherapists. It may also prove helpful in conducting informational and educational campaigns presenting natural contraceptive methods as a modern approach that can support not only fertility management but also the quality of the marital bond.

The Role of Empathy and Marital Satisfaction in Shaping Marital Success

Aleksandra Maciałek — 2026-06-23

Objective of the study: At each stage of development, professionally, each spouse takes on new social roles and meets new challenges. The work aimed to examine the roles of empathy and marital satisfaction in shaping marital success among Polish people. Method: The study involved 40 women and 40 men who had been married for approximately 5 and 15 years, respectively. All respondents were born and raised in Poland. The following research tools were used: the Empathic Sensitivity Scale (ESS), the Matched Marriage Questionnaire (KDM), and the Successful Marriage Scale (SPM). Results: People with long marital experience scored higher on marital satisfaction factors than those with short marital experience. Conversely, individuals with short marital experience scored higher on the marital success factor than those with long marital experience. In couples with short marital experience, marital experience factors were found to be more strongly associated with marital success than in couples with long marital experience. In both marriage groups, empathetic concern had a direct negative impact on various aspects of marital satisfaction. Similarly, disappointment, which played a mediating role, had a significant negative impact on marital success in both groups. Furthermore, in both groups, perspective-taking had a direct impact on intimacy and disappointment, with both variables having a direct impact on marital success. Conclusions: The analysis of this research may have practical value for married couples, psychologists, couple psychotherapists, and researchers. It may encourage researchers to conduct further research in the field of empathy, marital satisfaction, and marital success. Unconfirmed hypotheses allow for a critical look at selected research groups and the formulation of new research hypotheses.

Motivations of Volunteers Undertaking Work at Mission Stations

Ewelina Pająk — 2026-06-23

Objective of the study: The article aimed to conduct a qualitative analysis of motivation and show its structure among women who participated in foreign missionary volunteering. Method: Qualitative research was conducted among women who are believers and practice their faith. Ten women, aged 23 to 37, participated in the study. All were born and live in Poland. All participated in missionary volunteering abroad. The research tool was a narrative interview script based on McAdams’s approach. This method focuses on personal narratives, i.e., how people tell their life stories, make sense of their experiences, and interpret them. Results: Qualitative analysis of narrative interviews revealed that the motivations of women volunteering for missionary work were complex, multidimensional, and dynamically structured within their life stories. No single dominant motive was identified. The most central dimension was spiritual and religious motivation, expressed in a sense of calling and response to God’s presence. Participants described their decision as the result of a long-term process of spiritual discernment, rooted in personal faith, prayer, and religious formation. A second key dimension was altruistic motivation, specifically the desire to help others, share, and build meaningful relationships. Developmental and travel-related motivations also emerged, although they played a complementary rather than primary role. These included the desire to gain new experiences, develop professional and interpersonal skills, learn languages, and experience different cultures. However, participants clearly distinguished their involvement from „volunteering,” emphasizing service over personal gain. The results also indicate that prior life experiences, such as involvement in religious communities and previous volunteering, significantly influenced their decision to engage in missionary work. Participating in missionary volunteering contributed to deeper personal growth, increased self-awareness, strengthened interpersonal skills, and deepened spirituality. Upon return, participants reported both positive transformations (greater appreciation of life, redefinition of values) and challenges (difficulty adapting, feeling misunderstood, and reverse culture shock). Conclusion: An analysis of the volunteering landscape indicates the need for a comprehensive approach to preparing missionary volunteers. Training should combine spiritual elements with psychoeducation and intercultural training. Equally important is post-return support, which includes mentoring, support groups, and supervision, as well as activities that help translate missionary experiences into daily life. Based on this analysis, we can propose an original concept for an integrated model of missionary motivation, in which the religious-spiritual, altruistic, developmental, and cognitive dimensions form a coherent whole.

Can yoga reshape the brain?

Julia Samsel — 2026-06-23

The intersection between contemplative practices and neuroscience has become one of the most dynamic areas of interdisciplinary inquiry over the past two decades. Yoga and meditation, once framed primarily within spiritual or religious traditions, are now increasingly examined through the lens of brain imaging, psychoneuroendocrinology, and clinical psychology. This shift has produced a burgeoning field often referred to as contemplative science (Davidson & Kaszniak, 2015; Tang et al., 2015).

Contemporary Psychology

Adam Pawlak — 2026-06-23

Report on the Jubilee Conference on the 10th Anniversary of the Institute of Psychology at the Ignatianum University in Cracow, Poland, June 17, 2025.

In 2025, the Institute of Psychology at Ignatianum University in Cracow celebrated its 10th anniversary. On June 17, 2025, a ceremonial National Conference was held at the University to summarize the teaching and research activities of our Institute of Psychology. A little over 10 years ago, by the resolution of His Magnificence Rector Prof. Józef Bremer SJ, the Institute of Psychology was established at the University Ignatianum in Kraków. The first Director of the Institute was Jacek Bielas, PhD. Since 2022, the position of Director has been held by Jacek Prusak SJ, PhD. Currently, the Institute consists of seven departments: Department of General Psychology, Department of Experimental Psychology, Department of Human Development Psychology, Department of Psychopathology and Psychoprophylaxis, Department of Social Psychology and Interpersonal Communication, Department of Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, and Department of Forensic Psychology and Psychocriminology. The Institute also includes the Center for Trauma and Dissociation Research and the Sleep Research Laboratory.