PSYCHOLOGICAL DEFENSE MECHANISMS OF THE SOCIAL NETWORK USERS WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF MEANINGFULNESS OF LIFE

Abstract

During adolescence, at the stage of formation of personal structures, young people spend a significant part of their time on the Internet, especially in social networks. It is there that communication is realized, interest groups are formed, values are broadcast and undergo changes. Thus, the question of ways to protect against heterogeneous content on the web with the support of the individual on his own meanings becomes relevant. A study of psychological defense mechanisms was conducted in 85 boys and girls aged 18-24 years (30.6 % women, Me=22.5; 69.4 % men, Me=21.5) - users of social networks with different levels of meaningfulness of life. The Plutchik-Kellerman-Conte test questionnaire was used to diagnose the mechanisms of psychological defense, the test of life orientations by D.A. Leontiev was used as well. According to the results of the application of the Pearson χCriterion, it was found that with an increase in the level of meaningfulness of life, the arsenal of psychological defense mechanisms of the individual increases and their severity noticeably increases. Respondents with a high level of meaningfulness are dominated by Rationalization, Hypercompensation, Projection; with an average level of meaningfulness - Displacement, Regression, Compensation; with a low level of meaningfulness - Regression, Denial, Rationalization. Using the Spearman correlation analysis, it was revealed that with an increase in the meaningfulness of life, the actualization of psychological defenses "Substitution" (transfer of reaction from one object to another) and "Regression" (return to earlier behaviors) decreases, the overall intensity of defenses decreases.