ПСИХОЛОГІЧНІ ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ПРОФЕСІЙНИХ СТЕРЕОТИПІВ ПОЖЕЖНИХ-РЯТУВАЛЬНИКІВ

Abstract

The article presents the results of the theoretical and empirical research on professional stereotypes characteristic for specialists working in extreme situations. During professional work, stereotypes concerning the performed professional functions, actions, operations are formed inevitably. They simplify fulfilment of professional tasks, increase their certainty, and facilitate relations with colleagues. Stereotypes bring stability into professional life, they promote experience acquisition and formation of an individual style of work. Professional stereotypes are directly dependent on the nature of performed tasks and their psychological characteristics. Active cognitive processes are the main mechanism behind stereotyping; they include such processes as categorization, schematization and attribution. A formed stable stereotype has both positive and negative values for an individual. The use of stereotypes is positive under standard operating conditions and negative when it is necessary to act beyond the standard operations, at new working conditions with a new regime or if conditions varies or are changed dramatically. In our research, we identified 6 categories of rescuers’ stereotypical ideas related to their professional work: personal qualities; professionally important qualities; stereotypes related to awareness of duty and responsibility; value stereotypes; stereotypes of optimal role behaviour; stereotypes of professional communications and interactions. The article proves that the professional stereotypes of the studied rescuers differ qualitatively depending on the period of their professional work. During professional genesis, the most persistent stereotypes are those related to the ideas on the personal and professionally important qualities needed for rescuers. The most transformative stereotypes are those related to the value of professional work. The ideas about professional responsibilities, characteristics of professional behaviour and features of professional communications are also changed. The psychological diagnostic research results showed the need to provide a social and psychological training in order to form certain components of fire-fighter’s professional consciousness.