Abuse and infidelity are common relational conflicts in the Philippines. The prevalence of this growing social problem among Filipinos has also been observed in their calls regarding these warning signs in a romantic partner. Hence, this study explores how these issues influence young adults’ mate preferences by examining their lived romantic experiences. Utilizing criterion purposive sampling, ten diverse stories of heterosexuals were evaluated through semi-structured in-depth interviews and interpretative phenomenological analysis to understand the complexity of experiential meanings of participants who have had long-term relationships with their previous ex-lovers and are currently engaged in committed relationships. Participants denoted relational red flags encompassing emotional distance, deception, emotional labor, destruction, and emotional manipulation. These turbulent behavioral patterns deliberately cause the deterioration of their previous relationship while they consider the dimensions of warmth, competence, and attractiveness when choosing an ideal mate. These preferences mentioned are similar to the desirable qualities of their current partners. Findings also assert that relational red flags were perceived as the diametric bases for mate selection, non-negotiable deal breakers, and a lesson to captivate dealmakers. Considering the rising numbers of reported domestic violence victims, including psychological abuse in relationships, this research has compelling implications for Gender and Development and Anti-Violence Against Women. Further, it is also pertinent to counseling psychology practices, especially in the current status and emerging development of Couples Therapy, which primarily handles relationship issues during the pre-marital stage.

This study explored the lived experiences of parents in the home schooling of their preschool children during the Covid-19 pandemic. It focused on the parental roles and responsibilities as parent-teachers, and the support they received from the school. Purposive sampling was used in this qualitative study in order to choose participants who had firsthand experience with preschool distance learning during the pandemic. Twenty parents from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds made up the sample, ensuring a thorough comprehension of diverse viewpoints. Based on the findings, parents played an active role in the learning process during the distance learning approach, facilitating and guiding their children through the modular lessons. To promote children’s safe attachment, social-emotional competence, and cognitive development, they were expected to exhibit more positive emotions and greater levels of professional competence while doing remote learning. On the other hand, parents encountered variety of difficulties with distance learning, including the virtual environment, instruction delivery, unsatisfactory learning outcomes, challenges with the use and accessibility of technology, personal issues with health, stress, and their child’s learning style. To ensure parents receive the resources they need, there must be strong collaboration and open communication between the school and parents. The results imply that planning for blended learning models in the long run should assist and ready parents to work as co-teachers.

In times of crisis, the role of religious leaders becomes paramount in providing solace and guidance to their followers. This study undertakes a comprehensive analysis of Pope Francis’ homilies during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on their discourse structure and text types. Employing a descriptive-qualitative approach rooted in discourse analysis, the study examines ten randomly selected homilies from an official Vatican compilation. The analysis reveals a consistent structural pattern comprising an introduction, narration, proposition, argumentation, pathetic, refutation, and conclusion. Furthermore, it discerns that the homilies predominantly exhibit characteristics of factual text, particularly the expository genre, elucidating theological insights and offering practical counsel. However, the study acknowledges limitations such as sample size and linguistic constraints, underscoring the need for careful interpretation of findings. These insights highlight the persuasive and pastoral efficacy of religious discourse during crises and emphasize avenues for future research and practical application in crisis communication and pastoral ministry.

Social psychology is a field that studies how social thinking, behavior, and influence shape daily lives. This paper examines various social psychology theories, including social cognition, individual identity, and social influences. The main goal is to gain insight into the human behavior and interactions by exploring social, psychological, and sociological theories. The study used a systematic review based on previous research over three months and analyzed 80 research papers, ultimately using 28 papers that mostly covered the aim of this study. The findings highlighted the importance of racial diversity in shaping contemporary race relations and emphasized the need for cohesive yet diverse communities. The analyses revealed that individuals’ tendencies to self-serve inflate their traits’ moral value, influencing others’ self-perceptions and judgments. Innovative approaches such as agent-based modeling offered new perspectives on social dynamics, while identity emerged as a fluid construct shaped by socio-historical contexts. The ecological perspective provided valuable insights into the adaptive relationship between individuals and their environments. This review illuminates the crucial role of social psychology in understanding the complex interplay of individual behaviors, societal influences, and evolving identities. Throughout the paper, the discussion concerns the connection between theories and research and the application of findings to real-life situations. Hence, social psychology provides valuable insights into individual behavior and the social environment.

The world is competitive in every possible way, especially in the education sector, so university students tend to seek success in their academic field and try to get attention within their social circle often at any cost or effort. This leads to the presence of narcissistic personalities among the university population, stemming from underlying low self-esteem and contributing to aggression. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of narcissism in the relationship between self-esteem and aggression among university students in Sagaing. The sample comprised 1058 undergraduate students with 519 females and 539 males from undergraduate classes. Rosenberg (1965)’s self-esteem scale, the Narcissistic Personality Inventory by Raskin and Terry (1988) and the aggression questionnaire by Buss and Warren (2000) were used as the data gathering instruments. The findings revealed that self-esteem exhibits both a direct negative effect on aggression and an indirect positive effect mediated by narcissism. Interestingly, while high self-esteem typically acts as a deterrent to aggression, its mediation by narcissism can increase aggressive tendencies. This suggests a suppressor effect, termed competitive mediation, where the positive relationship between self-esteem and aggression is reversed when narcissism serves as a suppressor variable. As this suppressor effect is enticing for the researchers, further studies should explore the moderating factors in the relationship between self-esteem, narcissism and aggression. The study’s findings are expected to provide the foundational insights for the education policy makers to develop prevention programs for narcissism and aggression, promote professional development of educators, integrate curriculum components that address self-esteem, and implement counselling programs in educational settings.

This study focuses on the legal impact of marriage registration in the context of itsbat marriages in religious courts, particularly for marriages that occurred after 1974 without an official certificate and were not registered in the compilation of Islamic law (KHI). It aims to evaluate the itsbat marriage as a legal mechanism for recognizing marriages that are not officially registered. Normative analysis, a philosophical and analytical approach, serves as the research method, reviewing the relevant legal framework and court practice in handling divorce cases. The results showed that unregistered marriages after 1974 can be legally recognised through the itsbat nikah procedure. The Article 7, Paragraph 3, letter KHI, outlines the necessary conditions. With this procedure, spouses can receive written evidence of their marriage’s legality in the form of a marriage certificate, which is then registered by the official Religious Affairs office. This study emphasizes the importance of marriage registration for legal certainty and protection of individual rights, and highlights how itsbat nikah plays a critical role in addressing the problem of marriage without official registration.

The study explores the lived experiences of women migrant returnees in Nigeria. It aims to highlight the motivation and push factors for migration, understand the challenges and lived experiences of migrant women, and appraise their integration and sense of belonging. Through referrals and purposive sampling, a total of 20 migrant women were recruited and interviewed. The inclusion criteria include those who have lived and worked in the diaspora for a minimum of 5 years and 2 years as a returnee in Nigeria, respectively. The exclusion criteria involve women who migrated with families and those considered professionals. Themes were identified with the NVivo (v.12) qualitative software and the Content Qualitative Analytical tool employed to interpret these themes. The need for migration for many women includes access to improved economic life, infrastructure, and amenities, means of sustaining families in the home country, and improved social and political security. The lived experience of women migrants in the diaspora includes sexual harassment, rape, forced and inhumane labour practices, low wages, isolation and depression, and xenophobia. For many returnees, the challenge includes unemployment, integration, family support, inflation, and financial insolvency. The quest for integration and belonging is limited for many returnees. The paper argues for more robust migration policies and a well-established policy of integration for migrant returnees. The study recommends a more monitoring effort of the activities of the Nigerian border. This recommendation becomes crucial with the porous borders in Nigeria through which people, including women, migrate to other countries illegally and undocumented.