ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR OF UKRAINIANS DURING THE WAR: SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

The article is devoted to the theoretical substantiation of the research on economic behavior in periods of socio-economic transformations and the empirical data on its peculiarities gathered during 2021–2022. The purpose of the article is to theoretically substantiate the concept of economic behavior, to determine the features of such behavior in transforming societies, to analyze the results of research on the peculiarities of the economic behavior of citizens of Ukraine for the last year: the dynamics from the summer of 2021 to the fall of 2022, as well as the changes that have occurred since the beginning of the active phase of the war (Spring of 2022). The theoretical analysis has showed that the economic behavior of the individual is embodied in certain typical models that are related to the types of activities, focusing on the possible real behavior of people in life: means-end-rational, value-rational, affective, traditional. Transformational behavior is associated with goals, motives and means of its implementation, according to which achievement strategies are distinguished; adaptation strategies; regressive strategies; disruptive strategies. Studies of human economic behavior are mainly devoted to motivation, trust, social norms, consistency and commitment. According to the empirical findings (2021–2022), Ukrainians in general have a proactive attitude in life, are ready to actively look for work, want to live no worse than others, but are less confident in their ability to influence incomes during the war. They experienced a reduction in wages, but they are understanding about it. Ukrainians are ready to learn new things, change professions and engage in entrepreneurship. Among the strategies of consumer behavior, more respondents are oriented towards the hedonistic strategy, fewer towards the rational and traditional ones, and even fewer to the strategy of saving.