The Differences in Individual-psychological Properties Of Students-journalists and Professional Journalists

Abstract

Background: This article delves into the examination of distinctions in personal traits, professional qualities, and professional self-esteem between seasoned journalists and aspiring student journalists. Numerous studies have undertaken comparisons between student and professional individuals across various domains, but not in journalists. Methods: The study involved a sample of 48 students and 48 established journalists, with average ages of 19 and 25 years, respectively. Participants were subjected to a battery of tests, including Rusalov’s Temperament Structure Questionnaire, Cattell’s Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire, the “Motivation of Professional Activity” method by Zamfir K., “Motivation for Career” method by Noe A., Noe R., Bachhuber D., Zakirzyanova L.A.’s method for Assessing Journalist Professionalism, Kalina N.F.’s method for Evaluating Social Intelligence, among others. Results: We found no disparities in temperament attributes, personal characteristics, and social aptitudes between these two groups. Differences were observed only in certain aspects of self-esteem, such as operational activity and self-esteem of result. Specifically, these differences concern the assessment of hard skills, job satisfaction, and professional responsibility. All the aforementioned aspects were found to be more pronounced in professional journalists compared to their student counterparts. Conclusion: The demarcation between students and professional journalists encompasses variations in personal competencies and self-esteem, which form the core of one’s professional self-concept. However, significant differences in personality traits between students and professional journalists were not identified in this research.