Experimental study of personality self-development of future practicing psychologists

Abstract

The problem of the formation of a self-development subject becomes most topical at a young age, when the most important tasks of personality development are solved: integration and creation of a holistic self-image; achievement of self-identity; personal, social, and professional self-determination. The purpose of the research is to theoretically determine the psychological features of personality self-development at a young age and to experimentally investigate the self-development indicators of psychology students. Basing upon theoretical analysis, personality self-development is defined as a person’s conscious, purposeful, and self-directed activity, the goal of which is to achieve a positive self-change. This ensures personality growth and self-improvement and is characterized by the movement from “real self” to “ideal self” and its achievement at the level of the external manifestations of the activity. In early adolescence cognitive and professional interests, the need to work, the ability to make plans for life, and social activity are formed; the independence of personality as well as the choice of life path are reinforced. One of the fundamental psychological conditions of the subject’s readiness for self-development is his/her feeling and awareness of the need for self-change and personality growth, which are shaped at a young age. Personality self-development of psychology students is an integral multilevel psychological formation that distinguishes the degree of person’s willingness to act. The level of self-development of future psychologists can be described as average according to the majority of indicators of the diagnostic complex methods. The level of respondents’ self-development in terms of success, aspiration for power, and job satisfaction proved to be high. More than half of respondents demonstrated a high and at the same time an average level of life-purpose orientation - life goals, life process, and locus of life control. A significant number of respondents indicated a low level of ambiguity tolerance.