Meaning-Building Strategies: Transition From Duality to Trialectics

Introduction. The authors suggest that instead of bipolar semantic scales of personal traits the focus of research on meaning-building should be shifted towards a trialectical framework of meaning-building strategies. This approach provides a multi-factor diagnosis of the value-meaning sphere of personality for better modeling of human behavior in various interaction situations. Theoretical Basis. According to Leontiev’s three-level internal integral model of personality, there are certain mutual correspondences between personal meanings and personal traits that manifest themselves in various interactions. In considering corporality, sensuality, mentality, causality, and paradoxicality as the areas for individuals’ collaboration and development, meanings appear to be causal polymodal images of actions and relations. Results and Discussion. Meaning-building strategy determines the orientation and content of the generated image-meaning. A trialectical framework for the consideration of the meaning system may help to provide more adequate modeling tools of possible strategies, which correspond to basic personal traits. The authors suggest an original approach which is based on the corresponding triad, namely hypoadaptave, hyperadaptive, and preadaptive meaning-building strategies. Thus, it is possible to establish correlations among these meaning-building strategies as poles of the multifaceted development of personality. Certain mutual correspondences between the value-meaning sphere and personal traits, which manifest themselves in various interaction situations, can help determine these correlations. The approach proposed by the authors is instrumental in revealing a personal profile as a multifactor model of possible states of the value-meaning sphere of the experiencing subject. In terms of behavior modeling, the revealed personal profile may not only determine the orientation of meaning regulation but also disclose the qualitative content of the genesis of personal meanings and demonstrates an actual strategy of building meanings as polymodal causal images of relations and actions

Polar Meaning-Building Strategies: Acmeological Characteristics

Background. Personality is not simply an end product, but rather, it is a process. Terefore, empirical work on personal meaning-building should examine the genesis of meaning and provide a content-based description of personality in terms of personality traits. Such a description suggests a systemic view of personality, where the meaning-based approach is supplemented with the defnition of personality traits. Te value and meaning potential of personality encompasses three dimensions: worldview, behavior, and cognition. Objective. Te aim of this study is to identify the properties of personality, refecting the features of polar strategies of meaning formation in acmeological terms by age, gender, and professional characteristics. Design. Te present study considers the infuence of various acmeological factors on meaning-building and concentrates on its two polar strategies: adaptive and developing strategies. We developed nine bipolar scales of personal traits with sublevels by applying the semantic diferential technique. In total, there were 145 participants in the study. Participants were grouped according to three criteria: age, gender, and profession. Results. Te obtained indices of meaning-building strategies did not coincide in all the diferentiated groups, which clearly speaks in favor of acmeological dynamics of the respondents’ personal profles. We stratifed the sample according to the mean score of the basic marker of “life meaningfulness,” which enabled us to establish diferences in characteristics of actual polar strategies of meaning-building. Te respondents who did not fall into either of the two groups are “between the poles.” Tey ofen have an underdeveloped meaning-building strategy as a result of poorly formed ways of organization and actualization of personal meanings or the presence of a transitional form of situational conceptual initiations. Conclusion. Te personal profles that were identifed represent multifactor models of the personal value and meaning dimensions, which can predict actual meaning-building strategies using semantic diferential scales and indicators (“life meaningfulness” from the Purpose-in-Life test) and help researchers to reduce the number of techniques employed in their studies

Identification of markers for models of meaning constructs

Strategies of meaning formation are included in the highest level of regulation of an individual life. The article presents the results of empirical determination of the polar meaning strategies marker. In the initial modeling of the meaning formation processes, two polar strategies are proposed: adaptive and developmental. The system of personal meanings occupies a central place in the structure of the personality and is correlated with its properties manifested in interactions. For an empirical description of polar strategies, we developed nine scales of personality properties according to the type of private semantic differential. In these bipolar semantic scales, we used words that denote personality traits that act as indicators of meaning. An empirical study was carried out with the use of various techniques for studying semantic regulation of a person to determine a marker that allows one to identify these meaning strategies. The battery of tests included: the author’s private semantic differential, including nine scales of personality properties, “Test of life-sense orientations” (by D. A. Leontiev), test “Who Am I?” (by M. Kuhn), “Multiple intelligence test” (by G. Gardner), “Test of frustration tolerance” (by S. Rosenzweig), “Questionnaire of personality reflection” (by I. A. Stetsenko). An empirical sample (n = 145) found that a stable positive statistically significant correlation (p≤.05) exists only between the indicators of nine developed scales of personal properties and the indicator “Meaningfulness of life” in the “Test of life-sense orientations” by D.A. Leontiev. This indicator “Meaning-fulness of life” can be used as an indicator marker of polar strategies of meaning formation: adaptive and developmental. Its use contributes to a more effective study of the processes of meaning formation and reduces the laboriousness of diagnostic procedures

IDENTIFICATION OF MARKERS FOR MODELS OF MEANING CONSTRUCTS

Strategies of meaning formation are included in the highest level of regulation of an individual life. The article presents the results of empirical determination of the polar meaning strategies marker. In the initial modeling of the meaning formation processes, two polar strategies are proposed: adaptive and developmental. The system of personal meanings occupies a central place in the structure of the personality and is correlated with its properties manifested in interactions. For an empirical description of polar strategies, we developed nine scales of personality properties according to the type of private semantic differential. In these bipolar semantic scales, we used words that denote personality traits that act as indicators of meaning. An empirical study was carried out with the use of various techniques for studying semantic regulation of a person to determine a marker that allows one to identify these meaning strategies. The battery of tests included: the author’s private semantic differential, including nine scales of personality properties, “Test of life-sense orientations” (by D. A. Leontiev), test “Who Am I?” (by M. Kuhn), “Multiple intelligence test” (by G. Gardner), “Test of frustration tolerance” (by S. Rosenzweig), “Questionnaire of personality reflection” (by I. A. Stetsenko). An empirical sample (n = 145) found that a stable positive statistically significant correlation (p≤.05) exists only between the indicators of nine developed scales of personal properties and the indicator “Meaningfulness of life” in the “Test of life-sense orientations” by D.A. Leontiev. This indicator “Meaning-fulness of life” can be used as an indicator marker of polar strategies of meaning formation: adaptive and developmental. Its use contributes to a more effective study of the processes of meaning formation and reduces the laboriousness of diagnostic procedures

Теоретические подходы к изучению эффектов неопределенности в процессах смысловой регуляции развития личности

Introduction. The article hopes to provide a theoretical analysis of research papers dedicated to the way various uncertainty effects influence personality development. The uncertainty phenomenon has to be considered due to the research field enhancement while elaborating adequate patterns of personality development meaning regulation. Theoretical Basis. Uncertainty effects are revealed epistemically and ontologically in the objective sphere, and existentially and phenomenologically in the subjective sphere. Results. Epistemically uncertainty effects are a changeable level of cognitive reflection; continuity of certainty and uncertainty; ambiguous, incomplete and insufficient information; lack of human knowledge about human abilities; disregard for casualties and anomalies; blurred and multiple current psychological paradigms. Ontologically uncertainty effects are relativity of existence; development points with equal probability; a chance of synergistic effect; different human abilities of achieving goals within their existence; aspiration to gain new personal experience; different susceptibility to development pathway deviations. Existentially uncertainty effects are the absence of well-defined external clues in search of life purpose; personality development crises; discrepancy in tolerance levels towards uncertainty; discrepancy in credibility levels towards the world; nonidentity of individuals’ personal experiences; different ideas of action purposes; discrepancy in contradiction levels of interaction between an individual and the society; an unbalanced combination of rational and emotional perception; impossibility of permanent psychological comfort. Phenomenologically uncertainty effects are success and failure expectation risks; different motivation levels; “learned helplessness”; learning interferences due to implicit knowledge; lack of time for reflection over decisions; a subconscious phase of decision making; conscious and subconscious meaning attribution. Discussion. An individual has to act under the influence of many uncertainty effects. Taking this into consideration allows a more full-fledged theoretical and empiric study of personality development processes.Введение. Целью статьи является теоретический анализ работ, посвященных влиянию разнообразных эффектов неопределенности на развитие личности. Необходимость учета феномена неопределенности связана с разрастанием исследовательского поля при выработке адекватных моделей смысловой регуляции деятельности. Теоретическое обоснование. В объективной сфере эффекты неопределенности проявляются в гносеологическом и онтологическом плане, в субъективной сфере – экзистенциально и феноменологически. Результаты. В гносеологическом плане эффекты неопределенности: непостоянный уровень познавательной рефлексии; неразрывная связь определенности и неопределенности; неоднозначность, неполнота и нехватка информации; недостаток знаний человека о собственных возможностях; пренебрежение к случайностям и аномалиям; размытость и множественность действующих психологических парадигм. В онтологическом плане эффекты неопределенности: относительность бытия; наличие точек равновероятностного развития; возможность возникновения синергетического эффекта; разные возможности людей в достижении целей своего бытия; стремление к получению нового личного опыта; разная чувствительность к отклонению от траектории развития. В экзистенциальном плане эффекты неопределенности: отсутствие четких внешних ориентиров при поисках смысла жизни; кризисы собственного развития; разный уровень толерантности к неопределенности; различный уровень доверия к миру; нетождественность личностного опыта индивидов; разное осознание смыслов действий; разный уровень противоречий в отношениях человека с обществом; разбалансированное сочетание разумного и эмоционального восприятия; невозможность постоянного нахождения в состоянии полного психологического комфорта. В феноменологическом плане эффекты неопределенности: риск ожиданий успеха и неудачи; различный уровень мотивированности; «выученная беспомощность»; помехи в обучении из-за наличия имплицитного знания; недостаток времени на обдумывание решений; присутствие неосознаваемой фазы принятия решения; осознаваемое и неосознаваемое приписывание смысла. Обсуждение результатов. Человек вынужден действовать под влиянием большого количества эффектов неопределенности. Учет их действия позволяет более полноценно исследовать процессы развития личности в теоретическом и эмпирическом плане

Особенности смысловой регуляции педагогов в условиях информационной неопределенности

Introduction. Meaning-in-life orientations and self-reflection are important indicators of the regulation of personal meanings. In a modern rapidly changing society, individuals do not fully manage their lives due to the influence of various uncertainty factors. The COVID-19 pandemic that began in early 2020 and swept across the world is considered a global factor of uncertainty. The increased uncertainty of life associated with the pandemic is an additional stressor. This paper represents a first effort in obtaining empirical data on gender characteristics of teachers’ meaning-based regulation in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. This paper reports the results of an empirical study of differences in meaning-in-life orientations and self-reflection among teachers before and during the pandemic as different conditions of information uncertainty in their lives. Methods. The study was conducted among female teachers of secondary schools in the Rostov region in March 2017 (n = 53) and in October 2020 (n = 43), i.e. before and during the pandemic, which can be considered different conditions of information uncertainty in their lives. We used the following psychological assessment tools: (a) the Meaning-in-Life Orientations test by D. A. Leont\u27ev and (b) the Self-reflection Questionnaire by I. A. Stetsenko. Results. We observed an increase in all means of both tests during the pandemic, compared to the pre-pandemic values. Differences in all parameters are statistically significant (according to the Mann–Whitney U test). Discussion. Our findings indicate that the pandemic represents a surmountable stressor for the homogeneous acmeological category of female teachers surveyed in this study. Information uncertainty contributes to constructive restructuring of the processes of meaning-based regulation and psychological adaptation, which leads to an increase in the level of meaningfulness of life orientations and self-reflection among the respondents.Введение. Важными показателями регуляции личностных смыслов выступают смысложизненные ориентации и саморефлексия. Человек, живущий в современном, быстро меняющемся обществе, не полностью управляет своей жизнедеятельностью из-за действия различных факторов неопределенности. Наступившая в начале 2020 г. пандемия коронавирусной инфекции COVID-19 охватила весь мир и считается глобальным фактором неопределенности. Возросшая с наступлением пандемии неопределенность жизни представляется дополнительным стрессогенным фактором. Новизна исследования заключается в получении эмпирических данных о гендерных особенностях смысловой регуляции педагогов в условиях пандемии коронавирусной инфекции. Целью статьи является представление результатов эмпирического исследования различий смысложизненных ориентаций и саморефлексии у педагогов до и во время пандемии, как различного действия информационной неопределенности в их жизни. Методы. Исследование проводилось среди женщин-учителей средних школ Ростовской области в марте 2017 г. (n = 53) и в октябре 2020 г. (n = 43), т. е. до и во время пандемии, что можно считать различным действием неопределенности в жизни. В батарею психодиагностических тестов входили тест «Смысложизненные ориентации» по Д. А. Леонтьеву и анкета саморефлексии по И. А. Стеценко. Результаты. Выявлено повышение во время пандемии всех средних показателей обеих тестов по сравнению с показателями до пандемии. Различия по всем параметрам имеют статистически значимую достоверность, выявленную на основе критерия Манна – Уитни. Обсуждение результатов. В проведенном эмпирическом исследовании установлено, что пандемия для обследованной акмеологически однородной категории женщин-учителей может рассматриваться как преодолимый стрессогенный фактор. В результате воздействия такой информационной неопределенности произошли конструктивная перестройка процессов смысловой регуляции и психологическая адаптация, что привело к повышению уровня осмысленности жизненных ориентаций и саморефлексии среди респонденток