Stress resistance as an indicator of psychological readiness for professional activities of modern youth

Abstract

Introduction. The problem of stress tolerance does not lose its relevance today, the concept of stress tolerance is increasingly being discussed in the discourses of the European Union and international organizations. In modern conditions, a person performs responsible tasks in a difficult environment of constant exposure to psychogenic factors: physical overloads, intense work of attention, the need for continuous analysis of rapidly changing situations and their uncertainty, etc. In this regard, the problem of the importance of stress tolerance as an indicator and a possible component of psychological readiness for professional activity of modern youth is of particular relevance. The expediency of considering a single socio-psychological aspect of readiness for professional activity, which includes an inseparable set of personal formations and a state of focus on certain actions, is emphasized. Materials and methods. The respondents were 230 students of both sexes, the average age was 21 ± 2.3 years. The following diagnostic methods were used: S. Muddy's resilience test (adapted by D. A. Leontyev, E. I. Rasskazova), a stress resistance test that reveals the current level of stress (Boston stress resistance test), a method for diagnosing coping behavior in stressful situations (S. Norman, D. Endler, D. James, M. Parker), K. Zamfir’s technique modified by A.A. Reana “Motivation for professional activity”; questionnaire of volitional self-control A.G. Zverkov, E.V. Eidman (VSK), “Self-Confidence Scale” S. Reizas. The statistical reliability of the results is ensured by using the following procedures: descriptive statistics (analysis of intragroup means and standard deviations), Student's t-test. Results. The study found that 50% of students in group 1 (with a low level of resilience) have a reduced level of stress resistance, 50% of students in group 2 (with an average level of resilience) and 57.2% of group 3 (with a high level of resilience) have an average level of stress resistance. It was also established that the proper level of internal motivation, volitional self-control and assertiveness was revealed in the subjects with the highest stress resistance indicators. That is, the higher the stress tolerance indicators, the more effectively a person will be able to cope with difficulties and problems that arise on his way to the goal, the more likely he will make every effort to achieve a successful result and enjoy it. Conclusion. The results obtained suggest that the ability to withstand stress will allow a young specialist not only to cope with difficulties and problems that arise on his way to the goal but also to attach less importance to external circumstances which can have a positive impact on future professional activities.