Context and relevance. The study aims to clarify the structural validity of the Multidimensional Existential Meaning Scale (MEMS) developed by V. Costin and V. Vignoles, which represents a variation and further development of the original Multidimensional Existential Meaning Scale proposed by L. George and C. Park. The questionnaire comprises separate subscales assessing coherence, purpose, mattering, and meaning in life judgments. Instruments of this kind have been widely used in international research and adapted into many languages. To our knowledge, this is the first study of the three-dimensional structure of meaning in life conducted on a Russian-speaking sample. Objective. To investigate the structural validity of the Multidimensional Existential Meaning Scale developed by V. Costin and V. Vignoles. Hypothesis. The factor structure of the original questionnaire is reproduced in a Russian-speaking sample. Methods and materials. The study was conducted on two samples: (1) participants in an international study of psychological coping with the COVID-19 threat aged 25—67 years (N = 116; M = 45.1; SD = 9.79; 92.24% female), and (2) first-year students of a Moscow university aged 17—24 years (N = 280; M = 18.8; SD = 1.22; 90.71% female). The questionnaire structure was examined using exploratory structural equation modeling and cluster analysis. Results. The results allowed refinement of the questionnaire’s factor structure in a Russian-speaking sample. The purpose and mattering subscales were fully reproduced across both samples, whereas the coherence subfactor was reproduced only in the student sample, which was the more homogeneous of the two. In addition, bifactor models were used to examine the multidimensionality of the scale. Conclusions. The findings generally support the structural validity of the Russian version of the questionnaire. At the same time, the evidence regarding the multidimensionality of the scale remains inconclusive. Further refinement and development of the coherence subscale are also warranted.
Context and relevance. In the context of accelerated urbanization and a growing disconnect from the natural environment, there is increasing interest in biophilic attitudes — a system of stable views, beliefs, and evaluations that reflect a person's relationship with living nature and shape their psychological well-being and environmentally responsible behavior. Existing tools for their measurement, such as the Biophilic Attitudes Inventory (BAI), have primarily been validated on Western samples, and their applicability in the Russian-speaking context remained unexplored. Objective: to adapt and validate the Russian-language version of the Biophilic Attitudes Inventory on a sample of Russian city dwellers. Hypotheses. We hypothesized that adapting the inventory would require revising its structure, as the original model would not fit the data obtained from Russian respondents. It was also expected that the adapted tool would possess the property of measurement invariance between groups differing by gender and experience of interaction with nature, and that the level of biophilic attitudes would be higher among women, as well as among people who have pets or plants at home. Methods and materials. The study involved 383 respondents (77.9% female) aged 18—55. We employed exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, reliability assessment, multi-group factor analysis, and comparative analysis. Results. The original models of the Biophilic Attitudes Inventory were not confirmed. A new five-factor model was developed, consisting of 20 items and including the scales: Naturalism, Dominion, Ecologism, Interest, and Safety. The model showed good fit (CFI = 0.960, TLI = 0.953, RMSEA = 0.036), satisfactory reliability (ω = 0.68—0.87), and configural, metric, and scalar invariance across gender and pet/plant ownership. Construct validity (correlations with environmental identity) and criterion validity (links with behavior) were confirmed. Expected group differences were found: pet/plant owners showed higher Ecologism; men scored higher on Dominion, while women scored higher on Ecologism and Interest. Conclusions. The adapted BAI is a valid and reliable tool for assessing biophilic attitudes in the Russian-speaking environment. Its application opens up opportunities for research into the link with psychological well-being and for developing ecopsychological interventions for urban populations.
Context and relevance. Cognitive set in solving tasks of recognition of auditory and visual stimulus material became the subject of our research. The consideration of cognitive attitudes in a broad context is becoming increasingly relevant in the framework of systemic studies of the psyche. Objective: to explore the options of such attitudes as preferred cognitive strategies when solving problems of perception and cognition of musical passages and a person's gaze. To evaluate the stability of strategies for receiving and processing information about oneself and the world when solving problems of different modalities. To capture the subordination of the distribution of the entire spectrum of cognitive attitudes to a higher-level system. Hypothesis 1. Two factors (rationality and irrationality) determine the range of cognitive attitudes used in both music perception and memory tasks and human gaze perception and memory tasks. Hypothesis 2. The cognitive attitude is global in nature, affecting both the visual and auditory analyzers. The strategies used in the perception task for subsequent recognition of the auditory and visual stimulus are generally the same. Methods and materials. Subjects: 76 people are students of the Moscow State University of Psychology and Education. The age of the subjects is from 18 to 25 years old. The gender distribution is as follows: 78% women and 22% men. To diagnose the cognitive attitude (preferred strategies for receiving and processing information), the author's methods were used (“Musical pictogram” (Nagibina, Barabanshchikov, 1994), “Visual pictogram” (Nagibina, Barabanshchikov, 2025). The methods of mathematical statistics made it possible to identify the types of installations (cluster analysis) and the subordination of installations to a common system (factor analysis). Results. Two factors (rationality and irrationality) determine the range of cognitive attitudes used in both music perception and memory tasks and human gaze perception and memory tasks. The results showed that the profile characteristics of the set of preferred and rejected strategies for each subject in the perception and evaluation of musical material and human gaze will be similar with some adjustments. Conclusions. An analysis of the individual results of the study on the perception and recognition of music and a person's gaze showed that the preferred set of perception strategies, taking into account adjustments for general trends, is maintained for both auditory and visual stimuli. Given this fact, we can speak about a system of typologically determined cognitive attitudes, which, in turn, is determined by the general factor structure of human and global cognition.
Context and relevance. With the development of distance education, the role of various forms of students' psychological self-regulation is increasing, significantly contributing to their academic performance and well-being. Furthermore, distance learning technologies offer a unique opportunity to study students' self-regulation strategies by analyzing the “digital traces” of their work in an online learning environment. Objective: to study students' self-regulation strategies in learning using distance learning technologies, as well as their personality predictors, based on their “digital traces” in an online learning environment. Hypothesis. Two hypotheses were tested. 1. Based on students' “digital traces”, general self-regulation strategies in learning can be identified. 2. Personality variables, such as motivational, characterological, and volitional, can act as predictors of self-regulation strategies in learning. Methods and materials. The study involved 506 university students studying using distance learning technologies (average age 35.4 years, 465 women and 41 men). The digital traces were recorded over 100 days of theoretical instruction in the spring semester and then analyzed using latent profile analysis. The following measures were used to assess personality predictors: the Brief Academic Motivation Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Big Five Personality Inventory (B5-10), the PIL test, the Action Control Scale, the Questionnaire for Identifying the Expression of Self-Control in Emotions, Activities, and Behavior, and the Self-Assessment of Volitional Traits. Linear discriminant analysis was used to identify significant predictors. Results. Four latent classes of students and their corresponding self-regulation strategies in learning were identified: balanced active, passive, overactive chaotic, and ultra-low fading. The main predictors of strategy choice were: course of study, conscientiousness, motivation, and social impulsivity. Conclusions. The obtained results indicate that “digital traces” can be an important source of information about students' self-regulation strategies.
In a paired experiment, subjects solved a discriminatory AB-X task. One subject was briefly shown two similar images of transient emotional expressions, A and B, while the other was shown a target image X, matching either A or B. The participants' facial expressions were videotaped throughout the study. For further analysis of facial expressions, we used facial landmarks marking, individual principal component analysis, and a further search for facial expression patterns common to the study participants using k-means cluster analysis. The initial data for the cluster analysis were the loading vectors of individual principal components (up to the 16th component), describing individual complex facial expression patterns. Based on the results of the cluster analysis, 10 clusters were described, fully including the first 5 principal components and partially including components 6 through 12. The identified clusters correspond to the following changes: high-intensity horizontal, vertical, and diagonal shifts of facial position; medium-intensity smile with squinting of the eyes and lowering of the eyebrows; medium-intensity head tilts to the left and right; medium-intensity mouth opening/closing; low-intensity compression of the mouth with simultaneous squinting of the eyes; low-intensity changes in the eyebrow and mouth area; low-intensity left-right rotations around the vertical axis. Further study of changes in the intensity of the generalized principal components during the solution of the target task is planned. It is assumed that this will make it possible to assess the functional role of facial expressions in the conducted model experiment.
Context and relevance. This article is devoted to identifying structural changes that occur in human semantic memory (SM) when learning a foreign language (FL). This topic has been repeatedly addressed by researchers, but until now it has been studied exclusively within the framework of the “verbal fluency” paradigm, the application of which has shown contradictory results. In order to solve this problem, we conducted a study on English-language material using the “snowball sampling” method, which allows us to present the structure of the SM as a network built on free associations. Objective. The study`s aim is to determine the characteristics of structural changes in SM during the study of FL. Hypothesis. In the course of studying the FL, the network structure of the SM changes towards increasing size, flexibility, connectivity, greater conformity with the “small world” structure and less separation. Methods and materials. The present study involved two groups of linguistic students: the first consisted of first-years (N = 27; gender: 15 f., 12 m.; age: M = 18.14), and the second consisted of fourth-years (N = 29; gender: 18 f., 11 m.; age: M = 21.44). The participants completed a “snowball sampling” task. Based on the results of the task, a network structure of the SM was constructed for each participant, and an intergroup comparison of its parameters was carried out. Results. The results showed that when learning a FL, the SM networks become larger in size (due to an increase in the number of nodes and edges), more connected (due to an increase in the average node degree), more flexible (due to a decrease in the shortest path length), less separated (due to a decrease in modularity), but do not differ in the “small world” index. Conclusions. The features of the changes in SM structure when learning a foreign language are shown. The results emphasize the role of the SM in the development of language abilities in foreign language learners.
Context and relevance. Social presence (SP) — the subjective experience of a communication partner's presence and involvement in mediated communication – is a significant predictor of interaction quality, learning effectiveness, and group cohesion. In Russian-language psychology, validated self-report instruments for assessing SP are lacking, which limits research opportunities in both face-to-face and mediated communication settings. Objective. To validate the Russian-language version of the Networked Minds Social Presence Inventory (NMSPI) and evaluate its psychometric properties. Hypothesis. Subjective ratings of social presence are positively correlated with satisfaction with the interaction and behavioral indicators of willingness to continue communication. Methods and materials. Two studies involved 234 participants (online survey, N = 167; laboratory experiment, N = 67). The Russian-language version of the NMSPI (36 items, 6 subscales), communication satisfaction scales, and behavioral indicators were used. Reliability analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and correlational methods were applied. Results. High internal consistency was confirmed for the total scale (α = 0.95) and subscales (α = 0.84—0.92). Exploratory factor analysis supported the six-factor structure despite cross-loadings and inconsistent confirmatory factor analysis indices. A significant association was found between SP and communication satisfaction (r = 0.55—0.65); however, the relationship with behavioral indicators was not supported. Conclusions. The Russian-language version of the NMSPI demonstrates reliability and criterion validity for assessing interaction quality across different communication formats. The instrument is recommended for research purposes, with consideration for further optimization of its factor structure.
Context and Relevance. The effectiveness of intragroup interactions that ensure the success of joint actions depends on both external and latent factors. Objective: To empirically identify the latent factors (intentions) underlying concepts of intragroup interactions in relation to types of ecopsychological interactions. Hypothesis: The ecopsychological typology of agent -environment interactions can be used to identify latent factors that determine the success of collaborative work in a group. Methods and Materials. The study was conducted using the semantic differential method. Seven situations of intragroup interactions were selected for its development, corresponding to agent agent-object, agent-isolated, agent-generating, and agent-joint types of ecopsychological interactions. A specially developed set of scales reflected the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The study involved 177 students from Moscow universities. The average age of the participants was 19.2 (SD=2.81), 43% were men and 57% were women. Factor analysis was used for processing. Results. Factorization of the semantic differential scales made it possible to identify two latent factors that determine perceptions of intragroup interaction situations: "Intention to achieve" and "Orientation to mutual understanding." Both factors showed the highest level in relation to situations corresponding to the agent-generating and agent-joint types of ecopsychological interactions. Conclusions. It is shown that perceptions of intragroup interaction situations corresponding to ecopsychological types of agent-environment interactions are determined by a combination of two factors, one of which represents a focus on achieving the effectiveness of joint activities, and the other - on ensuring the productivity of communicative contacts in the group.
Context and relevance. The cyber-physical environment of mixed reality is becoming an integral part of everyday life amid accelerating digitalization, which calls for both theoretical understanding of this experience and the development of psychological tools to assess it. Objective: to develop and pilot a questionnaire measuring the experience of mixed reality (MREQ). Hypothesis. Social presence is expected to be a positive predictor of life satisfaction in mixed reality. It is also hypothesized that the questionnaire scales can be used to identify profiles of individual adaptation to mixed reality. Methods and materials. The study involved 1,841 people aged 14—39 (61% women). To test convergent and discriminant validity, the following methods were used: the question “What world do I live in?”, the DDLSM-2 Scale, the MAAS Scale, the Questionnaire of the Expression of the Level and Direction of Reflection, the Subjective Happiness Scale and the Life Satisfaction Scale. Results. The structure of the questionnaire was confirmed through CFA and EFA and comprises three scales: temporal perception distortion, spatial integration, and social presence. The scales demonstrate distinct functional roles: temporal distortion and spatial integration are associated with difficulties in integrating the mixed reality experience and contribute negatively to overall happiness and the integrity of the technologically extended self, whereas social presence serves as an adaptive resource and is positively related to life satisfaction. Conclusions. The questionnaire assessing the experience of mixed reality is a reliable and valid instrument. Based on the combined analysis of questionnaire scale scores and individuals’ subjective perception of their place in the world, three types of adaptation to mixed reality were identified: integrated (adapted), avoidant (conditionally adapted), and absorbed (maladapted), differing in levels of social presence and the intensity of disorienting experiences related to temporal distortion and spatial integration.
Context and relevance. According to the redundancy principle of cognitive theory of multimedia learning, learning occurs more effectively when verbal text and illustrations are presented rather than verbal text, illustrations and screen text that repeats the verbal content. The principle of reverse redundancy, on the other hand, suggests that the presence of short, relevant text promotes effective learning. The principle of redundancy is based on the fact that working memory has a limited capacity. Objective: to identify the role of working memory capacity in the effectiveness of the principles of the cognitive theory of multimedia learning. Hypothesis. There is a relationship between the effectiveness of the principles of redundancy and reverse redundancy and working memory capacity considered as an individual difference. Methods and materials. Working memory capacity was measured using the Operation Span task. Short educational videos, which were presentations voiced by the instructor's voice, with full screen text, short text, or no text, were used as stimulus material. Learning effectiveness was assessed using an objective knowledge test after viewing each educational video. Results. There was no interaction between the factors of working memory capacity and presentation type. The group without on-screen text performed best on the knowledge test, while the group with full on-screen text performed worst. Conclusions. The findings of the study demonstrate that individual differences in WM capacity do not mediate the effectiveness of the principles of redundancy and inverse redundancy. The study recommends to avoid duplicating the teacher's narrative on-screen text when creating educational multimedia presentations.
Context and relevance. The influence of the environment on psychological well-being has been studied in a wide variety of contexts, including workplaces, schools, healthcare facilities, and digital spaces. However, the psychological well-being of university faculty, particularly in relation to their connection to the university environment in the wide sense, remains virtually unrepresented in psychological research. Objective: to study the parameters of the salutogenic environment of the university within the framework of a staged study as the basis for psychological questionnaire in future research. Research question. What aspects of the university environment are most significant for university faculty and potentially for their psychological well-being and stress reduction? Methods and materials. The study was conducted in two stages. In the first, quantitative stage, 196 respondents (aged 18 to 70, 76% women) completed a 46-question questionnaire designed by the authors. The questionnaire focused on the physical aspects of the university environment and was divided into five sections: “Way to and from Work”, “At the University”, “Interacting with Online Systems and the Remote Work Environment”, “Biophilic Design and Nature”, and “Social Environment and Interacting with Colleagues”. The results were further compared with the results of semi-structured interviews conducted in the second stage of the study (N = 12). Results. The results showed that the most important parameters for lectures were the university's physical environment, primarily noise levels, temperature, air quality, and cleanliness. Interaction with online systems was the least significant parameter. Conclusions. The significant and insignificant parameters of the university environment identified during the study will help in the creation of a psychological questionnaire dedicated to the parameters of the university environment in the wide sense. It is important for the university's psychological and administrative services to pay special attention to the quality of the university's physical environment, which can contribute to increased psychological well-being, loyalty, and, ultimately, the success of university faculty.
Context and relevance. In the conditions of information overload, the formation of critical thinking in students of youthful age acquires the status of a systemic factor of professional self-regulation. Full stimulation of critical thinking is ensured by creating intellectual events (rather than solving ordinary, even creative tasks), which are most effectively formed in differentiated project activities. Objective: to empirically test the effectiveness of creating an intellectual event and differentiated modifications of project activity for the development of analytical and evaluative cognitive strategies in individuals aged 18—23. Hypothesis. The introduction of specific pedagogical components (reflexive diaries, cognitive trainings, basic project work) will ensure a multidirectional increase in operational and metacognitive indicators of critical thinking, surpassing the effects of traditional training. Methods and materials: longitudinal formative experiment, L. Starkey's critical thinking tests, the author's TGUPD methodology, Raven's progressive matrices, one-way ANOVA, Tukey's HSD post-hoc comparisons. Results. Quantitative analysis demonstrated a statistically significant increase in the metacognitive and operational components of thinking in the experimental subgroups (p < 0.001), which was accompanied by a qualitative transformation of cognitive strategies from fragmented perception to systematic construction of argumentative schemes. Conclusions. The identified mechanism of systematic reflection indicates that metacognitive awareness is a key mediating factor that ensures the transition to sustainable analytical and evaluative strategies. A well-founded personalized project-based learning model provides a methodological basis for constructing educational environments focused on developing functional literacy in the university system.
Context and relevance. Value orientations of the individual and everyday stressors can serve as an important basis/regulator of discriminatory behavior towards representatives of out-groups. Moreover, they can both promote and hinder the implementation of discrimination. However, the role of values in the relationship between stressors and components of the discriminatory attitude is unclear. Objective. The purpose of the study is to establish the role of values in the relationship between everyday stressors and the discriminatory orientation of the individual. Hypothesis. Different values play a different role in determining a discriminatory attitude and its components, mediating a direct link between stressors and components of a discriminatory attitude. Methods and materials. The study involved 700 people, including 322 men (46%), 376 women (53,7%), the gender of 2 study participants remained undetermined (0,3%), aged 18—50 years, average age: M = 22.43, SD = 8.23. To assess the components of the discriminatory attitude (cognitive, emotional and behavioral), a previously developed technique was used (Shamionov, Abutalipova, 2024), the severity of everyday stressors was determined using the “Questionnaire of Everyday Stressors” technique (M.D. Petrash, O.Yu. Strizhitskaya, L.A. Golovey, S.S. Savenysheva), the severity of values was established using the Portrait Questionnaire of Values by S. Schwartz. Results. As a result of regression analysis, the hypothesis about positive (values of power) and negative (values of universalism and benevolence) predictors of the components of the discriminatory attitude was confirmed. Moderation analysis allowed us to establish a positive role of the value “power-dominance” in the directed connection of the stressor “relationship” and the emotional and behavioral components of the discriminatory attitude. Conclusions. The study established the mediating role of the values of benevolence and universalism in the directed connection of everyday stressors in the field of finance and planning and the emotional and behavioral components of the discriminatory attitude. At the same time, a conclusion was made about the ambiguous role of values in mediation.
Context and relevance. Religion is a significant sociocultural component of society, which can manifest itself in different ways in individual people's experiences. This article discusses issues of psychological research into the perception of musical sounds in the context of human religious life. Objective: to explore the potential of the perceived quality paradigm in studying the individual experiences of people united by their affiliation with three Christian denominations: Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Protestantism; to examine the specifics of these three denominations as they relate to people's perception of sounds within the context of their religious life. Results. An interpretation of the processes under study is proposed in accordance with ideas about the Soundscape and using the concepts of “acoustic community”, “sound marker”, and “sound identity”. A brief overview of research on sound perception in the context of people's religious life is provided. A selection of sound fragments playing a similar functional role in the religious life of people of different religious denominations was carried out. An experimental design was developed for the comparison and verbalization of selected sounds in different samples of participants: people with religious experience (representatives of each of the three religious denominations) and people with no religious experience. The possibility of using the paradigm of perceived quality to identify the components of individual religious experience and its socio-cultural specificity is demonstrated.
Context and relevance. Auditory interfaces are frequently studied as a way of lessening the cognitive load on the operator in conditions when the visual interface is too demanding in terms of time and cognitive resources. However, despite data on the efficiency of auditory interfaces in comparison to visual ones, different types of auditory interface have not been compared against each other, e.g., parametric mapping of data to the qualities of sound vs. spatial modelling of sound location. The current study proposes a novel approach to comparing spatial and or non-spatial interfaces in two conditions — when the information they communicate corresponds to the type of the interface, and when it doesn’t. Objective: to investigate how using spatial and non-spatial interfaces affects the accuracy and reaction time in the task with information that either corresponds to the type of the interface or doesn’t. Hypotheses. The task with the congruent auditory interfaces was expected to be performed more accurately and quicker; a positive effect of characteristics related to processing auditory information was also expected. Methods and materials. The sample consisted of 52 university students and instructors (39 women, mean age — 23.41 ± 8.05 years; 13 men, mean age — 35.08 ± 17.68 years). The study used a novel computerized task about managing the “orbital station”, the questionnaire of multi-modality in perception (Bandurka, 2004) and Plymouth Sensory Image Questionnaire (Andrade et al., 2014; Razvaliaeva, 2024). Results. The interaction between the type of the auditory interface and the type of the task contributed to the accuracy of performance (it was lower in incongruent conditions). Reaction times were also slower in incongruent blocks. Sequence effects were observed (the accuracy improved as the experiment continued), and different block sequences had an effect as well: the performance in non-spatial tasks was poorer if they were the first in the sequence. The effects of specific sounds varied for different tasks: spatial sounds were distinguished better in the spatial task. Vividness of sound imagery contributed to accuracy only for non-spatial auditory interface. Conclusions. The characteristics of the auditory interface and the correspondence between the auditory scale and the type of information relevant to the task contribute to the efficiency of the performance in the task.
Context and Relevance. Human understanding of texts is becoming increasingly important, especially in the context of learning at all types and levels, understanding instructions, jurisprudence, and various online communications. Objective: to develop an adequate system for assessing text complexity and propose a pilot experiment design that takes into account the factor of interest in it. Hypothesis. 1) The number of syntactic relations per sentence determines the subjective assessment of text complexity. 2) Text complexity and interest in it are negatively related. Methods and materials. A method for assessing text complexity is proposed based on nine statistical indicators - four original ones: the number of letters, words, syntactic relations ('rels'), and sentences, and five derivatives from them. An experimental design was developed that includes a subjective assessment of text complexity and interest in it. Texts from four authors from Yandex Zen were used for the pilot study. From these, eight stimuli were obtained by either simplifying or complicating them. Simplification consisted of reducing the number of syntactic relations per sentence, while complexity consisted of increasing it. The stimulus length was approximately 1000 characters. Texts and assessment tools were presented online on a special temporary website. Participation was completely anonymous; responses from 33 unique IP addresses were recorded. Results. Overall, increasing the number of syntactic entities per sentence leads to subjective text complexity, although vocabulary, subject matter, and the presence of specific syntactic entities in the text play a significant role. Conclusions. The proposed method appears promising for studying resource management, attention, and concentration processes, provided that variables are controlled in a laboratory setting and psychophysiological methods such as eye tracking and EEG are incorporated.
Context and relevance. The perception of a set of objects with variability of features within this group is referred as ensemble perception. The process of rapid visual categorization is the ability to form categorical groups from a set of objects and is based on the mechanism of ensemble perception. The visual system evaluates the variability of features in a group by forming a distribution of features with peaks representing the mean. If several distributions with significantly distant peaks are formed, this leads to the creation of two groups. Studies have shown that maintaining features in visual working memory can influence ensemble perception. Objective: to analyze whether the categorical boundary will change under the influence of the feature stored in the visual working memory that is irrelevant for rapid visual categorization. Hypothesis. The maintained feature in visual working memory will shift the categorical boundary in rapid visual categorization toward the subgroup corresponding to the maintained feature. Methods and materials. To test the hypothesis, an experiment was conducted in which participants (N = 31, 86% female) performed two tasks within the same trial: a visual working memory task and a rapid visual categorization task. Results. The results of the study showed that feature maintenance in visual working memory affects the speed of rapid visual categorization, although it did not affect categorical boundary. Conclusions. Directions for future research in the area of rapid visual categorization of multiple objects are discussed.
Context and relevance. Within the framework of the cognitive-communicative approach, the mechanisms of perception of multimodal expressions of human affective states are studied. The article considers the specifics of perception of bimodal emotional states of a person when exposing a whole and partially open face. Objective: comparative analysis of the productivity of perception of bimodal (face + voice) expressions of emotions in conditions of a fully and partially open face. Methods and materials. The experiment is based on the Russian version of the Geneva Emotion Recognition Test using facial occlusions. It consists of three episodes with 40 participants each; ages are 18—52 years old. The subjects were consistently presented with short (3—5 s) audio video clips of key affective states expressed by specially trained professional actors on the monitor screen. In the first series, their faces were completely exposed; in the second and third, the upper or lower halves of their faces were covered with a rectangular mask. It was necessary to determine the emotional state of the sitters by touching the corresponding button on the interactive scale of the Geneva Emotion Wheel. Results. New data has been obtained regarding the correctness of recognition of bimodal expressions when exposing a whole and partially open face, their relationship and dependence on the content of emotions and the location of occlusion. It is shown that when perceiving bimodal expressions, the popular maxim “the whole is greater than the part” is limited in nature, not taking into account the specifics of each of the unimodal expressions and their interrelationships. The content of emotions and the area of facial occlusion play an essential role. The types of multimodal relations of a part and a whole were revealed, covering different groups of affective categories: “the whole is greater than each of the parts” (36% of states), “the whole is equal to each of the parts” (21%), “the whole is greater than one of the parts” (14%) and “the whole is less than one of the parts” (28%). In 57% of cases, the accuracy of identification of the expressions of the upper and lower halves of the same face is indistinguishable, with the divergence of values, the expressions of the upper half are more accurately perceived. Conclusions. In conditions of multimodality, each of the halves of the face has its own expressive resources that are more closely linked to the potential of the face as a whole. The “paradoxical” effects of perceiving the expression of the whole and part of the face are due to the process of cross-modal integration of facial and prosodic forms of bimodal states.
Context and relevance. Contemporary motivation research increasingly highlights the future as a central space for motivational regulation. Particular attention is paid to the constructs of future-oriented motivation and motivation for the possible, as well as to task instrumentality as a meaning-based mechanism linking distant goals with immediate actions (means–ends). Objective: to empirically investigate the role of the instrumentality of current tasks in the motivational regulation of activities related to educational and personal goals. Instrumentality is understood as the degree to which the performance of a current task contributes to the achievement of life goals. Methods and materials. The study was conducted on a sample of senior-year students from universities in Moscow and St. Petersburg (N = 64, age M = 21.4; SD = 1.91), who participated in the procedure of forming a list of current tasks (N = 640) and goals, followed by an assessment of motivational regulation. Questionnaire methods were used, including a shortened version of the UPLOC and the instrumentality matrix (R. Emmons). Results. Educational goals were found to provide mainly external motivation for academic tasks, whereas personal goals were associated with internal task motivation. A moderation effect of instrumentality was revealed: perceiving a task as instrumental to important life goals significantly strengthened both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for performing it. Conclusions. The results indicate that instrumentality functions as a key meaning-based link that integrates future-oriented motivation and motivation for the possible into everyday activity regulation, thereby expanding contemporary motivational models through the dynamic means–ends structures.
Context and relevance. Codependency is one of the factors influencing the development of addiction, and the difficulties of involving codependent relatives in the recovery process become a significant obstacle to changing the situation. The study examines the problem of difficulties in the interaction of specialists with codependents and is aimed at finding ways to develop coping strategies to overcome these difficulties. Objective: the study of the peculiarities of specialists' perception and assessment of difficulties in interacting with codependents and coping resources, and the development of coping strategies to overcome the difficulties studied. Hypothesis. The peculiarities of specialists' perception of the difficulties of interacting with codependents and coping resources make it possible to identify strategies aimed at coping with certain difficulties. Methods and materials. 45 practicing psychologists participated in the study. Subjective assessment of difficult life situations, a system of ideas about the difficulties of interacting with codependents and coping resources were studied using a battery of questionnaires (COPE, “Cognitive assessment of a difficult life situation”, “Types of orientation in a difficult situation (TOrTS)”) and the method of multidimensional scaling. Results. Significant correlations between the characteristics of difficult situations, coping, resources and scales of standardized techniques have been obtained, semantic spaces for assessing difficulties and coping resources have been compiled. Based on the data obtained, coping strategies have been developed, classified into three groups (focused on interaction processes, on the capabilities of a specialist and on the capabilities of codependents) and an algorithm for developing coping strategies has been proposed. Conclusions. The paper presents a holistic, systematic approach to the development of coping strategies to overcome the difficulties of interacting with codependents and shows the wide possibilities for further research in this area.
