Klara Saganić, a teaching assistant at the Department of Psychology, participated in the 11th International Congress on Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection (ICIAR), held in Naples, Italy, from 17 to 19 June 2026. The biennial congress brings together researchers working within the framework of Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory (IPARTheory), which examines the effects of perceived acceptance and rejection by parents and other significant individuals on psychological adjustment.

At the congress, Saganić presented two studies co-authored with her doctoral supervisor, Professor Sanja Smojver-Ažić. The first study, Family and Contextual Characteristics of Affective Copers: A Qualitative Study of Croatian Students, explored the family and contextual characteristics of individuals who successfully cope with experiences of parental rejection, as well as the differences between them and individuals with poorer psychological adjustment.

The second study, Perceived Parental Rejection and Control as Predictors of Students’ Psychological Adjustment and Depressive Symptoms, examined the effects of perceived parental rejection and control on students’ psychological adjustment and depressive symptoms.

Participation in the congress provided an opportunity to strengthen international research collaboration with scholars working in the same field, including a meeting with the founder of IPARTheory, Professor Emeritus Ronald P. Rohner.

The congress also marked the 20th anniversary of the International Society for Interpersonal Acceptance and Rejection (ISIPAR), in which Saganić was elected Regional Representative for Europe for the 2026–2030 term.