The environment in general and the marine environment in particular forms an ecosystem. Such ecosystem is characterized by high interconnectivity and interdepen-dence of species inhabiting it. Often enough, marine ecosystems far exceed the limits of the State’s sovereignty. Thus, their effective protection and preservation shall be carried out on a cooperative basis, engaging all States sharing common environment. The first international treaty to tackle the issue of marine environmental protection on a systemic basis is the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It is also a treaty which directly established an obligation to cooperate in ensuring this protection. However, homogenous international regulation is not capable of addressing regional varying circumstances of marine environment. As the example of the South China Sea shows, lack of cooperation between coastal States can result in an irreversible damage to the environment. On the other hand, a remarkable model of effective realization of the obligation to cooperate has been established in the region of the Baltic Sea. What we can learn from these experiences is that fulfillment of the obligation to cooperate on a re-gional basis is a prerequisite for effective protection and preservation of the marine environment.

Four types of self-standards (ideal, ought, undesired, and forbidden selves) were analyzed in the context of self-assessed health of older adults. We focused on the relationships between self-discrepancies (perceived actualization of self-standards) and affect, as well as the content of self-descriptions of standards. Participants (116 Polish older adults) completed: Self Standards’ Measure (SSM), PANAS-X and 7 items from the WHOQOL-BREF. First, we found that self-assessed health moderates the effects of self-discrepancies on affect. The ideal and ought self-discrepancies predicted affect when health was assessed as good. Conversely, the undesired and forbidden self-discrepancies predicted affect when health was assessed as poor. Second, health-related content was more typical for the ideal than for the ought standards. Third, older adults who assessed their health better had fewer health-related standards. The results are discussed with reference to control theory of approach and avoidance.

Aim: This study investigates the impact of assertiveness training on assertiveness and self-esteem of high school students. Method: The study employs Quasi-experimental design where 130 participants aged 13-17 years were selected randomly and assigned into two groups as experimental (N-65) and control group (N-65). Tools: For this aim Assertiveness scale (AS) and Self-esteem questionnaire (RSE) were used. Training: During the treatment phase, the experimental group received assertiveness training of 5 weeks comprising two sessions per week, and each session took 45 minutes. After treatment both experimental and control groups are measured with post-tests. Results: The results show that assertiveness training has significantly increased the assertiveness and decreased the aggression and submission in the experimental group. Also the training has significantly increased the self-esteem of students. Conclusion: The obtained findings revealed an increase in the rate of self-esteem and assertiveness and decrease in the aggression and submission of students. Hence it proved that assertiveness training is significantly effective on the assertiveness, aggression, submission and self-esteem of students.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is conceptualized as a personality trait or an ability. Most of conducted studies on EI-coping association referred to trait emotional intelligence. Therefore, the role of ability emotional intelligence is less clear and need to be further studied. The present study examined the relationship between two EI abilities (emotion recognizing and emotion understanding) and stress coping strategies in adolescent men and women. The data were collected from 1033 Polish high school students (520 men and 512 women) aged 18-20 years (Mage = 18.46 years). Coping strategies were assessed using the COPE inventory and emotional abilities were measured using the Emotional Intelligence Scale – Faces (SIE-T) and the Emotion Understanding Test (TRE). The results supported the existence of an association between EI abilities and coping strategies. The analyses of the interaction effects revealed the moderating role of gender on some of the relationships between EI abilities and coping strategies.

Being reflective is one of the most paramount features that EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers need to be equipped with in the post-method era for their professional growth and development. The present study aimed to explore reflective teaching from a multi-dimensional perspective in terms of a) determinants that simulates teachers to reflect, b) consequences that teachers experience as a result of their reflective teaching, and c) obstacles that may arise and preclude teachers from reflective teaching. Qualitative data collection method was employed to gather data from 10 EFL teachers triangulating semi-structured interviews, diaries, journal, and observation. Data analysis via MAXQDA led to the emergence of three models for each dimension of the study. The results revealed that teachers not only reflect to respond to a problem, but also they reflect to diminish some negative factors like stress or anxiety on the part of both learners and themselves as well as improving, enhancing, or mending something in teaching or learning. The codes of determinants were also conceptualized into three broad categories of reflection-in-action, reflection-on-action, and reflection-for-action with the reflection-for-action used more frequently by the teachers. In the case of consequences, the codes were classified into two categories of internal and external consequences. It was also concluded that some of the consequences reinforce the reflective teaching and play the role of determinants motivating teachers to reflect again. Regarding the obstacles, after categorizing the codes into external and internal obstacles, it was observed that external factors are more robust.

The observation inflation effect consists in the fact that observing an action being performed can create false memories that this action has actually been performed by the observer. The present study examined the relationship between this effect and interrogative suggestibility. A procedure based on the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale was used to assess two kinds of suggestibility: the tendency to yield to suggestive questions (Yield) and the tendency to change answers after feedback (Shift). The participants first watched a film depicting a woman performing simple activities and performed various activities themselves during the film. In order to determine whether the observation inflation effect occurred, the participants performed a source-monitoring test. The observation inflation effect was replicated. Observation inflation correlated positively with Yield but not with Shift. This pattern of results can be explained by the fact these two indicators are different aspects of interrogative suggestibility. Shift is more related to social influence, while Yield is more cognitive in its nature.

Although the usefulness of alternative assessment in second language (L2) classrooms has been extensively recognized by scholars, the use of the various types of alternative assessment in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts has not received adequate attention by L2 practitioners. To contribute to this line of research, the present research sought to examine the impact of a portfolio-based writing instruction on writing performance and writing anxiety of EFL students. To this end, a number of 41 EFL learners were recruited as the participants of this study. They were then randomly divided to an experimental group (N=21) and a control group (N=20). The participants in the experimental group received portfolio-based writing instruction, whereas the control group received the regular writing instruction with no archiving of students’ drafts in portfolios. Timed-writing tasks and the Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI) were employed to collect the data. The results obtained from ANCOVA analysis revealed that the portfolio-based writing instruction aided the participants in improving their writing performance more than the control group. Moreover, it was found that the use of portfolios significantly reduced the L2 writing anxiety of the participants while the traditional writing instruction did not have any significant impact on L2 writing anxiety of the control group. The pedagogical implications for portfolio-based writing instruction are discussed finally.