مطالب

ASEAN's active participation as a third party in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Dispute Settlement Mechanism (DSM) preserves its economic interests while strengthening regional cohesion and cooperation. However, challenges such as limited resources, diverse national interests, and lack of legal competence remain. This paper examines the benefit and challenges of ASEAN’s participation as third parties in the WTO through qualitative document analysis and critical case studies. It underscores the need for third-party involvement in enhancing WTO DSM, boosting transparency, and contemplating broader global trade effects. The study proposes capacity-building efforts, improved intra-ASEAN cooperation, and partnerships with other WTO members and international organizations. As ASEAN's economic integration and global trade, activity grows, so will its role in the WTO DSM, underlining the importance of strategic and collaborative engagement in international trade law and policy. 

Objective: Infertility is not merely a medical condition affecting women but a biopsychosocial health issue that encompasses lower quality of life, psychiatric disorders, and even marital conflicts. The aim of this study was to predict marital intimacy based on infertility stigma and coping strategies in infertile women. Method: This applied research was descriptive-correlational in nature. The population included all infertile women in Tehran in the year 2020. From this group, 250 participants were selected using purposive sampling. The participants were assessed using the Thompson and Walker (1983) Marital Intimacy Scale, Fu’s (2014) Perceived Infertility Stigma Scale, and Folkman and Lazarus’s (1985) Coping Strategies Scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 23. Findings: Data analysis revealed that infertility stigma and coping strategies significantly predict marital intimacy in infertile women at the 0.01 level (p < .01, F(6, 249) = 45.877). Infertility stigma and coping strategies explained 53.1% of the variance in marital intimacy. The t-tests for significance in regression for self-devaluation (β = -.189, p = .001), social rejection (β = -.143, p = .003), family shame (β = -.279, p = .001), emotion-focused coping style (β = .351, p = .001), and problem-focused coping style (β = .251, p = .001) were significant at the level below .01. Among the sub-scales of infertility stigma, family shame and among the coping strategies, emotion-focused coping style had a more significant unique contribution in predicting marital intimacy. Conclusion: Infertility stigma and coping strategies can be used to predict marital intimacy among infertile women.

Objective: This research aimed to compare the effectiveness of therapist-assisted couple therapy and emotion-focused couple therapy on psychological well-being, negotiation enhancement, and aggression reduction in women victims of spousal violence. Methods: The study was applied, field-based, and quasi-experimental, employing a pre-test, post-test design with a control group. The sample consisted of couples attending counseling and psychotherapy centers in Qom during the second half of 2021. Out of these, 45 couples were randomly assigned after entry criteria control into three groups: emotion-focused treatment group (15 couples), therapist-assisted treatment group (15 couples), and a control group (15 couples). The research tools included the Strauss et al. (1979) Conflict Tactics Scales and the Ryff (1989) Psychological Well-Being Scales, which were administered to the female victims in three phases: pre-test, post-test, and follow-up. The emotion-focused group received Johnson’s (2003) training package over nine sessions, and the therapist-assisted group received Aghayousefi et al.’s (2020) training package over eight sessions. The control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and SPSS software version 26. Findings: Results showed that both emotion-focused and therapist-assisted couple therapies significantly reduced aggression (F = 90.30, p < .001), increased negotiation (F = 64.47, p < .001), and enhanced psychological well-being (F = 103.81, p < .001) in the female victims of spousal violence, with these effects maintained at follow-up. However, the emotion-focused therapy package was more successful in improving psychological well-being, negotiation, and reducing aggression than the therapist-assisted therapy package. Conclusion: The findings suggest that both emotion-focused and therapist-assisted couple therapies are effective interventions for resolving conflicts and improving psychological well-being.

This study explores the impact of supplementary blended learning on the listening comprehension skills of Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. A sample of 60 male Iranian EFL learners was selected from a population of 100 learners studying English at Pardis Language Institute, Hamadan, Iran, via double-stage sampling. After being selected, participants were sorted into two groups, that is, a control group and an experimental group. In the treatment sessions, all participants listened to parts of the American English File (book 2). The participants in the control group received the usual procedure of teaching listening in the institute. In the experimental group, the students received target language input via videos and supplementary reading materials before classes so that they had sufficient exposure to the input. The listening topics were uploaded on a common social networking site, i.e., the telegram application, which was also reserved for giving teachers feedback on the students’ questions. The results of the data analysis showed that supplemental blended learning had a statistically significant effect on EFL learners’ listening comprehension. In other words, the research question was answered positively, and the corresponding null hypothesis was rejected.