Professional development training of cadets at military universities

The research appears to be of relevance due to the ongoing modernization of the system of military training. One of its directions is to establish the compatibility of personal and professional qualities of cadets with the model of a modern military specialist. The aim of the research is to carry out a qualitative analysis of the requirements imposed on the modern military by society and the state in order to reveal the essence of the professional development training of cadets. The study hypothesizes that the collective and co-operational nature of professional development training implemented on the basis of a culturological approach to education creates optimal conditions for the professional and personal growth of cadets in the process of their introduction to military culture. The difference between professional training and military training is analyzed. The culturological approach to cadet professional development training is justified as the methodological basis of professional development training. The author proposes an axiological interpretation of the process of professional development training within the framework of the culturological approach. The main aspects of professional development training are briefly described: intellectual, moral, physical, labor. The key principles of professional development training based on the culturological approach are identified: purposefulness, consistency, continuity, professional orientation, patriotic orientation, humanism, and collectivism. The article emphasizes the collective and co-operational nature (polysubjectivity) of professional development training. The author suggests the definition of the “subject of professional development training”. The subjects of professional development training are cadets, officers, teachers, and university cultural organizations. Apparently, the structure of professional development training (its organizational, content and procedural aspects) varies depending on the subject of professional development training. The article concludes that introduction of practices of psychological and pedagogical support of the prospective military into their professional development training can be seen as the way to modernize the system of professional development training at military universities.

Psychological factors of parental burnout of fathers and mothers

The study of parental burnout of fathers as well as mothers is relevant, since it may be the source of family trouble in general. The purpose of the study is to identify the factors of parental burnout of fathers and mothers. It is assumed that there are multidirectional correlations between the intensity of parental burnout components and parental sets, the attitude of spouses to the family role, and the consistency of the family functions of fathers and mothers. The study was carried out on a sample of parents of full families in Saratov, raising biological children (N = 61, 40 women (aged M = 32), 21 men (M = 33.9)). The applied methods include the questionnaires "Parental Burnout" (I. N. Efimova); "Role Expectations and Claims in Marriage" (N. A. Volkova), "Parental Attitude Research Instrument " (E. S. Schaefer and R. K. Bell, adapted by T. V. Nescheret and T. V. Arkhireeva), the questionnaire on marital satisfaction (V. V. Stolin, T. L. Romanova, G. P. Butenko). The largest number of correlations between the parameters of parental burnout and parental sets, the attitude of spouses to the family role and family functions have been revealed in the sample of mothers. It has been found out that in both samples the level of "emotional exhaustion" is interrelated with the parental predisposition to excessive strictness towards the child. However, the emotional exhaustion of mothers is more mediated by their dependence on the family and low self-assessment as a parent, whereas fathers’ burnout is due to the focus on the child and the desire to accelerate their development. The level of "depersonalization" in the sample of mothers correlates with the level of their concentration on the child, the consistency of family functions ("emotional and psychotherapeutic", "social activity", "physical attractiveness of the partner"), and marital satisfaction. In the sample of fathers, it correlates with the scales related to the sphere of marital relations (physical attractiveness of the partner, the degree of the father’s involvement in family affairs and marital satisfaction). The degree of the "parental achievements reduction" in the sample of mothers is associated with the balance of "intimacyseparateness" or its lack in the family system; in the sample of fathers it is connected with the availability or lack of verbal contact with the child and the father's acceptance of the child’s natural development. The applied aspect of the problem under study consists of the possibility of using the results in the practice of advisory services.

The internal structure of the ways of performing learning actions and the stages of students’ personal agency development

The topical problem of pedagogical psychology is to identify the conditions and factors of students’ personal agency development. One of the ways to solve the problem is to build adequate mathematical models. The purpose of the study is to justify the use of multimediator analysis in modelling a fractal psychological and pedagogical system so as to describe the ways and stages of students’ agency development in the course of the study. It is hypothesized that ways of performing learning actions are considered as elements of the stages of learners’ personal agency formation. And in this function they play a twofold role: they act both as predictors of the agency development stages and mediators that determine the interconnection between the ways and stages of the personal agency development. The test of the multimediator analysis was carried out in three groups of 2nd–4th-year university students, studying full-time (57 people; average age 20.6 years, Sd = 2.4 years; all females) and two groups of second-year students of college (40 people, 39 of them are boys, aged 17.5, Sd = 0.71). The practical application of the research results makes it possible to identify both the internal structure of the ways of performing learning activities and the stages of students’ personal agency development. The prospects of using multimediator analysis with the help of modern statistical packages are shown.

Teaching personal development in the digital age

The discussion about the changes in teaching is shaped by the ideas of what impact digitalization has on the development and socialization of the younger generation. These processes are closely related to personal development training. Personal development training is under ever expanding influence of digitalization, and researchers notice the gap between traditional teaching methods and work models and their poor reproducibility under such conditions. The aim of the study is twofold: to analyze how personal development training tasks are implemented in the current climate of digitalization, and to determine the major tendencies of the changes in personal development training. The methodology of the study is based on the provisions of the following theories: the theory of social education in the context of socialization (A. V. Mudrik), theories of personal development training systems (L. I. Novikova, N. L. Selivanova), and the network approach. Apparently, in the modern post-industrial digital society, a virtual community can become the space for personal development training. There emerge new subjects of personal development training (digital technologies, subcultural communities, network groups, voluntary assistants, volunteers, parents, etc.). This will “require” a change in the professional language and teacher’s professional functions. The intention to enable productive behavior of an individual to solve their own problems should remain an important component of personal development training. In order to do this, the life of an educational organization should be enriched with a variety of social practices that encourage interaction and joint productive activities; an educational organization should develop forms of self- and co-management, and introduce a variety of extracurricular activities. The search for forms of personal development training relevant to the needs of the modern teenager is being reinforced. Moreover, globalization raises the issue of how global and eternal values are compatible with the values of digital culture, i.e. the culture of the virtual augmented world. The authors note that in the current climate of the digital world, the boundaries of personal development training are constantly changing geographically, organizationally, meaningfully. As a result, the task of creating, developing and retaining the personal development training environment acquires significance not only at the content level, but also at the organizational level, including the virtual one.

The organization model of socio-cultural practices of youth enrichment programs (as exemplified by a student ball)

The article presents the results of the theoretical analysis of such phenomena as “socio-cultural practices”, “enrichment program”. The research determines their role in students’ personal development. The contemporary social position of a student calls for a new pedagogical approach, and therefore requires innovative or retro-innovative approaches. The author develops a socio-cultural practice of the youth enrichment program merging the ball and the role-play. Thus, the research aim is to develop an organization model of socio-cultural practices of youth enrichment programs (as exemplified by a ball) in order to enable students’ personal development. The study reveals characteristic pedagogical features of the socio-cultural practices of youth enrichment programs. Using the example of a student ball, the article shows how through the study of the history of dance and etiquette, students immerse themselves in the cultural environment, which will contribute to the development of patriotism, diligence and curiosity. Team work on concert acts contributes to the formation and strengthening of student partnership. Discussions about the nature of politeness promote kindness, empathy, honesty, and courtesy in student relationships. Students also develop non-standard thinking. Working together in the youth enrichment program, students learn to be hard-working and creative. Part of the enriching experience of this socio-cultural practice is secured in the non-standard situation that goes beyond students’ usual everyday life. The practical application of the research results makes it possible to use the proposed model to develop socio-cultural practices of youth enrichment programs aimed at students’ personal development.

Connection between basic values and emigration attitudes of Russian youth

The ambiguity and inconsistency of the data on the connection between emigration attitudes and metavalues spurs the research on the relation between emigration attitudes and basic values. Hence, the problem of studying the deterministic character of youth attitudes to emigration is seen as of relevance. The purpose of this research is to determine the nature of the connection between basic values and emigration attitudes. Hypotheses: 1. The basic values that make up metavalues act as the predictors of emigration attitudes. 2. The basic values constituting the contrastive metavalues of Preservation and Openness to Change are simultaneously connected with emigration attitudes, and the nature of their connections is different. 3. The basic values constituting the metavalue of Self-Affirmation have a positive correlation with emigration attitudes. The study is carried out on a sample of respondents (N = 646) aged 17 to 35, including 78% (504) of women. The research applies the “Scales of Migration Attitudes” (S. A. Kuznetsova, I. Yu. Kuznetsov, A. V. Feshchenko) modified to study emigration attitudes. The study also uses PVQ-21–ESS7 versions of the questionnaire measuring individual values (Sh. Schwartz) which enables to document the degree of expression of values. Finally, the research makes use of the method of multiple linear regression analysis. The results show that the attitude of the subject is the most pronounced one among all other components of emigration attitudes (the attitude of the loved ones, the expectations of the loved ones). Basic values have a major impact on the revealed connections between emigration attitudes and metavalues. For example, the values of tradition and security have a negative correlation with the metavalue of Preservation. The values of stimulation have a positive correlation with the metavalue of Openness to Change. The values of power have a positive correlation with the metavalue of Self-Affirmation. Evidently, young adults are more likely to plan to emigrate due to their personal attitudes and motives rather than to those of their close environment. Attitudes towards emigration are expressed by those young adults who: 1) are less focused on traditions and customs but appreciate security; 2) strive to enrich their lives with new sensations and emotions; 3) appreciate material well-being. The results of the study reveal the factors contributing to the emergence of attitudes to emigration in young adults. The results of the study can be used to predict international mobility of young adults. Additionally, they are of importance for the psychological work with potential emigrants.

The influence of coaches’ professional motivation on characteristics of their activities

The necessity to identify motivational factors of the coach’s activity components and of the dominant orientation of this activity makes the study relevant. Moreover, the relevance of the research is determined by the need to create the scientific basis for consideration and correction of the leading motives in sports coaching. The objective of the study is to identify the correlation between the motives of the coach’s professional activity and characteristics of its success. Presumably, the “bifurcation” of orientations among Russian coaches is the result of the qualitative specificity of the dominant motives. The findings of the empirical study of motivational factors which determine the qualitative side of the sports coaching are presented. The study has been carried out on the sample of coaches working at sports schools in St. Petersburg who specialize in various sports (N = 42, men aged from 23 to 67 years old). The following survey methods have been employed: “Need for Professional Activity” (by G. V. Lozova); “Motives of Professional Activity and its Success” (by A. N. Nikolaiev), “Methodology for Studying the Success of Coaches” (during the preparatory and competitive periods) (by A. N. Nikolaiev). The criteria for evaluating the results of the coaches’ work are based on the author’s original concept which determines successful realization of the coaches’ main functions in sports – those providing athletes’ personal development, education, health improvement and competition. Evidently, particular groups of coaches’ motives influence only certain characteristics of their activity, particular components of its success. The motives of activity are expressed quite vividly. The research reveals motives of “activity” affecting sports results, and the personality motives influencing the development of athletes. The coaches have either a “competition complex” or an “effective pedagogy” complex. The former includes motives aimed at the activity results, material well-being and social status, and the latter means motives directed at the activity process and communication. The results of the study authorize the selection of coaches in connection with the specifics of the sports organization. Additionally, the research results encourage to use psychological tools to correct the motivation of coaches as well as the prospective coaches.

Book Review: Shamionov R. M., Bocharova E. E., Beskova T. V., Grigorieva M. V., Usova N. V., Klenova M. A., Tarasova L. E. Discriminatory Attitudes in the Modern World

Discriminatory attitudes and discrimination of individuals based on their nationality, religion, gender, age, physique, social status are a serious problem of the modern multipolar world. In the monograph of the group of authors (R. M. Shamionov, M. V. Grigorieva, E. E. Bocharova, T. V. Beskova, N. V. Usova, M. A. Klenova, L. E. Tarasova), the results of theoretical and empirical studies on phenomenology, mechanisms, determinants and types of discriminatory attitudes are presented. The latter are considered as a socio-psychological phenomenon characterized by prejudice and negative feelings towards Others and a willingness to oppress them. R. M. Shamionov and M. V. Grigorieva attempt to develop and validate a tool for assessing discriminatory attitudes and their content at the emotional level. The team of authors are hopeful that the monograph reveals the features of specific types of discriminatory attitudes in the social environment, the factors that reinforce them and the conditions under which they are eliminated. The book will be useful to students and post-graduate students, as well as specialists whose activities are connected with social relations.

The importance of basic values for the subjects of the educational environment as a condition of its security

The increasing complexity of quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the educational environment prompts the research aimed at investigating the modern social and cultural landscape and identifying acmeological mechanisms of social and psychological aspects of the school safe climate. The theoretical framework of the study was based on the concept of "cultural traditions" proposed by D. B. Zilberman and devoted to normative and value types of attitudes to reality. The purpose of the study is to establish the correlation between the assessment of the social and psychological aspects of the school safe climate and the value and normative types of attitudes to reality. The latter are seen as the ways for the subjects of the educational process to express the attitude to the basic values. Research hypotheses: 1) Subjects of the educational environment who regard basic values as significant represent a value type; 2) The value type of the personality determines the educational environment as a safer one. The study sample includes: 1177 students aged 13 to 16 (60% of boys, 40% of girls, average age 14.9), 925 parents aged 28 to 57 (93% of females, 7% of males; average age 39.0), 136 teachers aged 23 to 74 (95% of females, 5% of males; average age 38.7) from Kazan. Research methodology: the test "Value Orientations" (by M. Rokich), the original questionnaire on the social and psychological aspects of the school safe climate (by E. N. Gilemkhanova). Evidently, the subjects of the educational environment who regard basic values as significant represent a value type as opposed to a normative type. The research shows that the value type of attitude determines the identification of the educational environment as a safer one. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that the results obtained open up the possibility for interpreting D. B. Zilberman's concept in the context of acmeological determinants of social and psychological aspects of the school safe climate. The results of the study can be used to provide psychological and pedagogical support to the subjects of the educational process. Additionally, they are of importance for those implementing complex measures to organize a safe educational environment of the school.

From being “disadvantaged” to becoming the most advantaged

Since Merton defined the self-fulfilling prophecy in 1948, it has been adopted to several disciplines, and yet, only a small proportion of researches was built on its original complete notion accurately. Empirical papers even met challenges in proving an important part of it, notably that the initial expectation, that came true unwittingly through the behaviour of participants, had to be “false”. That crucial point is the Achilles heel of self-fulfilling prophecy researches, including its special cases, the Galatea, Golem and Pygmalion effect experiments. The research gave an overview on the self-fulfilling prophecies’ related themes in Educational Research, Psychology and Sociology: interactions/stereotypes–stigmas and performance/ achievement; and aimed to examine the (aggregate) role/potential of “disadvantaged” people (i.e. people with mental, physical, psychological problems, disadvantaged socioeconomic/ familial backgrounds) in inducing the special cases of self-fulfilling prophecy – compared to other participants’ aggregate role/potential across all formerly reviewed studies. To this end, an umbrella review method was implemented, that has been unprecedented in social science. A research evidence-based inclusion–exclusion criteria, a PRISMA 2020-based search strategy, and a two-phase quality appraisal ((1) an author-led PRISMA 2020 assessment, (2) a two-researcher 10-step protocol; results: 4.3–4.4/5) were carried out, leading to a sample of two meta-analyses. The data collection and summary were based on qualitative and quantitative findings. The results showed that the effect sizes in “disadvantaged” experiments (d between 1.38–2.20) exceeded overall effect sizes of meta-analyses (d1 = 0.81, d 2 = 1.13) and of most studies in their samples. With regard to that Merton’s “initially false conceptions” can/could be completely incorporated into the research design only when the “disadvantaged” are/were the subject of these experiments – i.e. indeed a self-fulfilling prophecy is/was measured –, the final conclusion is that the “disadvantaged” are actually “the most advantaged” people in inducing the positive cases of self-fulfilling prophecy, particularly Pygmalion effect.