Value-Intentional Mechanisms of Socio-Psychological Adaptation to the Conditions of the Military Educational Environment in Adolescence

Abstract

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objective. </strong>The paper is devoted to the study of the value-intentional mechanisms and strategies of socio-psychological adaptation of young men to the conditions of the military educational environment.<br><strong>Background. </strong>The system of values and orientation of the individual is considered as a central element of the process of socio-psychological adaptation. The significance of value-motivational factors in determining certain types of human social behavior (creativity, aggressive and pro-environmental actions, political activity, etc.) has been shown in several studies. At the same time, specific value-intentional determinants, and mechanisms of socio-psychological adaptation to various conditions of the professional and educational environment remain practically unexplored. The task of the present study was to identify informative value-intentional mechanisms of adaptation to the conditions of the military educational environment. <br><strong>Study design. </strong>The process of socio-psychological adaptation of young men to the conditions of a military institute was used as an experimental model. The respondents' value system was assessed in the longitudinal study for three times: upon admission (Stage 1), one month later (Stage 2), and one year after admission (Stage 3) to the institute. The effectiveness of the process of socio-psychological adaptation was determined at the 2nd and 3rd stages of the study. <br><strong>Participants. </strong>120 young men took part in all stages of the study. The respondents were in the same social conditions of the educational military-professional environment during the entire period of the study: their regime of educational activities and leisure, as well as the nature of professional and interpersonal relationships were similar. <br><strong>Measurements. </strong>The S. Schwartz survey was used for the studying of the value system of the individual (&ldquo;Schwartz Value Survey&rdquo; (SVS) and &ldquo;Portrait Value Questionnaire&rdquo; (PVQ). The multi-level personality survey &ldquo;Adaptiveness&rdquo; (A.G. Maklakov, S.V. Chermyanin), methods &ldquo;Neuro-psychic Adaptation&rdquo; (I.N. Gurvich) and &ldquo;Self-assessment of the Psycho-emotional State&rdquo; SUPOS-8 (O. Mikshek, modified by V.A. Kulganov) were used for assessing of the adaptation efficiency. Statistical data processing was carried out using the SPSS 22.0 program: a statistical analysis of differences was carried out according to the Wilcoxon's <em>T</em>-test and Mann-Whitney <em>U</em>-test; correlation, factorial, regression types of analysis were applied. <br><strong>Results. </strong>It has been established that young men with high and low efficiency of adaptation to the conditions of the military educational environment implement, respectively, group-centric, and egocentric value-intentional strategies of socio-psychological adaptation. Each of these strategies is represented by different value-intentional mechanisms. <br><strong>Conclusions. </strong>The egocentric value-intentional strategy of socio-psychological adaptation among respondents with its low efficiency is implemented by the following mechanisms: an increase in the importance of egocentric motives to the detriment of group-centric ones; restructuring of the value hierarchy at both levels of value representation with increased intentions for sensual pleasures, independence and social dominance; the formation of the value opposition "security-independence" with the equal magnitude of competing motives in it; the emergence of a mismatch between the value-normative and motivational-behavioral levels of value representation. The main mechanisms of the group-centric value-intentional strategy of socio-psychological adaptation among respondents with its high efficiency are: maintaining the stability of the hierarchy of the value system with dominance at all stages of adaptation of attitudes towards safe-friendly and conformal relationships in a social group; restoration by the end of the adaptation process of consistency between the value-normative and motivational-behavioral levels of value representation; the formation of a dynamically stable value opposition "achievement-kindness" with the equal magnitude of the motives involved in it.</p>