Empathy as a Resource of Students' Hardiness during University Adaptation

Abstract

Introduction. The resources approach allows to obtain the knowledge that is necessary in modern reality, as well as to reveal the facts, patterns and mechanisms of coping with difficult life situations. The goal of society in the period of global development is to identify how to increase the hardiness of each individual and thereby ensure its sustainable development. The resource is the empathic interaction of individuals. But what kind of communication can be called successful in an educational environment? In modern education emphasis is placed on the development of «flexible skills» for rapid adaptation. Empathy is usually developed among students because according to common belief it contributes to social adaptation. Purpose of research. Thus, the study is aimed at establishing the resources of empathy through the facilitation of hardiness in the university adaptation of students. The university adaptability of students is clearly reflected in the social context of development, educational and future professional activities. Materials and methods. In this study we apply the following methods of psychological diagnosis: Index of hardiness (S. Maddi), Test of empathic abilities (V.V. Boyko), Questionnaire of students' adaptation to higher education (M.S. Yurkina), A test for determining suicidal tendencies (P. Wider, described by A.Y. Egorov, S.A. Igumnov). Results. The study has established the resource side of empathy which might increase students' hardiness in relation to adapting to the university. The study has profiled 249 students. Conclusion. The study demonstrates that the characteristics of the conative parameters of empathy differ significantly from the perceptual channels of empathy. It is proved for the first time that only conativity in empathic interaction can increase the hardiness of students in educational and professional activities. Empathy as a resource of hardiness in the university adaptation of students is manifested through the interaction of conative empathy with the sides of learning. Thus, the interpretation of the concept of a resource for cognitive empathy is that it increases hardiness and reduces suicidal tendencies. Resourcefulness not just facilitates the learning success, but also eliminates negative impacts. The emotional component of empathy reduces hardiness. This stems from its implicit, subconscious structure, and the impossibility of reaching the supra-situational level of resource thinking.