2024. vol. 21. No. 1

Numerous versions of the Family Resilience Assessment Scale (FRAS) are constantly modified in order to make allowance for the limitations of previous versions. Approbation of the Family Resilience Assessment Scale (FRAS-RII), held in 2021, also showed the need to improve the instrument, verify its psychometric characteristics, which became the purpose of the current study. The study involved 627 respondents from Russia (n = 300) and Belarus (n = 327) aged from 18 to 67 years (average age of Russians 34.3 ± 12.5, average age of Belarusians 22.5 ± 7). We used the following methods: socio-demographic questionnaire, Family Resilience Assessment Scale FRASRII; Short version of Hardiness Survey; Test «Family Emotional Communications»; Revised questionnaire «Experience in Close Relationships». As a result, the optimal structure of the Family Resilience Assessment Scale FRAS-RII was elaborated with the psychometric characteristics indicating a high internal consistency of its five subscales. The subscales correlate with indicators of hardiness, family emotional communications, and experience in close relationships, indicating the external validity of the scale. The characteristics of family resilience differ depending on marital status and number of children in families, depending on the type of adverse event in the samples of Russians and Belarusians, which also confirms the applicability of the scale when working with different types of families. We may conclude that the FRAS-RII with its five subscales such as family communication and connectedness, positive outlook and problem solving, acceptance and flexibility, social resources, family spirituality, is a reliable, valid tool for research and for psychological help to Russian and Belarusian families.

The article presents the results of the development of Russian-language versions of two inventories proposed by L. A. Kurdek to assess the conflicts in close relationships: The Ineffective Arguing Inventory and the Conflict Resolution Style Inventory. The theoretical basis of these inventories is the result of studies that have revealed the important role of conflict in the stability of the family and described the unproductive pattern of conflict behavior. In a sample of 415 people (43 % men) aged 18 to 66 years old (M = 28.02; SD = 8.05) in premarital (42%) or marital (58%) relationships the factor structure of the questionnaires was confirmed using confirmatory factor analysis, as well as acceptable internal consistency coefficients of the scales were obtained. The validity of the questionnaires is proved by the expected correlations of ineffective arguing and three conflict resolution style scales (positive, conflict engagement, and withdrawal) with indicators of the frequency of conflicts in a couple, relationship satisfaction, attachment style, empathy, and forgiveness. The fourth conflict resolution style (compliance) showed weak correlations with only some validity criteria, which reflects a less important role of this style in the conflicts of premarital and married couples. Correlations of conflict scales with age and duration of relationships were not significant, weak gender differences were revealed only in the tendency to a positive style of conflict resolution (higher in women). The proposed inventories can be useful in future studies of marital conflict, as well as in preventive and counselling work.

The study focuses on the development and primary validation of the Personality Potential Questionnaire for Athletes. The study involved 429 members of Russian national teams in various sports aged 17 to 40 years. Psychodiagnostic instruments: questionnaire "Personality Potential" (author's questionnaire), "Self-Actualization Test", "Subjective Control Level", "Hardiness Survey", “Purpose-in-Life Test”, “Test of General Self-Efficacy”, questionnaire "Facilitator – Mediator – Moderator”, method "Express-diagnostics of the tendency to affective behavior". The results showed that the scales of the "Personality Potential" questionnaire have asymmetry and kurtosis values less than unity, which shows normality of the distribution at an acceptable level. The exploratory factor analysis was carried out by a method of factorization of the main axis (PAF), oblique rotation Oblimin; 5 factors were allocated: involvement, meaningfulness, internalizing, independence, positivity. The final model of the author's questionnaire was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis, priority was given to the higher order model, CFI = .900, SRMR = .047 and RMSEA = .032 fit indices. Retest reliability was assessed using correlation analysis (by Spearman): on the general personality scale ρ = .850, inclusion ρ = 0.867, meaningfulness ρ = .603, internalizing ρ = 690, positivity ρ = .728, independence ρ = .554, significance level of all indicators p < .001. Discriminant validity showed that the scales of the developed questionnaire were not related to other techniques that were not part of the personality construct. Factor validity was obtained by Principal components method using Oblimin's oblique rotation: the scale load of the “Meaningfulness” scale was .809; “Inclusion” scale .592; “Independence” scale .756; “Internality” scale .574; “Positivity” scale .610. The data were statistically processed using SPSS Statistics 23, Jamovi 2.2.5 and RStudio. The developed questionnaire “Personality Potential” is a reliable psychodiagnostic tool and can be recommended for testing the components of personality potential.

The objective of the study was to develop and test the methodology to assess virtual identity statuses: identity achieved, moratorium, foreclosure, diffusion. The digital image, mediated by technologies and self-simulated, refers to the virtual identity, but the basis of its psychological mechanism remains unknown. The psychological scientists study the impact of digital experiences on virtual identity, yet no research has been conducted to date that captures the statuses this complex entity. Our study of the virtual identity statuses draws on E. Erikson's conceptualizations of the identity development and provisions of cultural-historical theory. This study applies an originally designed Virtual Identity Status Inventory (VISI). The study also measured: the five broad personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism) and self-determination. The sample comprised 350 students (age range 17 to 25 years; 44.3% men). For data processing, confirmatory factor analyses, Cronbach coefficient alpha, Pearson’s r-test, and Student's t-test were applied in the SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 21 programs. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the 2-factor structure of the inventory, formed by the scales “In-Depth Exploration” and “Meaningfulness of Commitment” (χ²/df = 1.17; ρ = .08; RMSEA = .07; CFI = .93). We modeled these variables into 4 quadrants formed by a 2-axis circumflex integration of scales in 4 virtual identity statuses. We found that male students, who were open to new experiences and high in self-determination, significantly often demonstrated an achieved virtual identity (ρ < .01). The status of virtual identity was relatively stable during 2 months (φ* = .21). Thus, the VISI is reliable and valid, and can be used as a tool for solving theoretical, empirical, and experimental problems related to identity development in digital space.

The assessment of intellectual development in children and adolescents is an essential component of psychodiagnostics, facilitating an understanding of the nature of learning difficulties. Intelligence tests have a history that spans more than a century, and even contemporary versions of widely used intelligence tests (such as the Wechsler or Stanford-Binet tests) are limited by the influence of their traditional paper-based formats. Nevertheless, the advent of computational capabilities and the digitalization of tests have led psychometrics to experience substantial development, opening new possibilities for assessment. The complete application of modern psychometrics holds the promise of revolutionizing the measurement of intelligence. This paper presents the current situation of measuring intelligence in children and adolescents in the world and in Russia. It describes the potentialities presented by modern psychometrics, including the utilization of innovative task formats such as technology-enhanced items, the integration of universal design principles in test development, the adoption of computerized adaptive testing (CAT) and multistage testing (MST) methodologies, the application of multidimensional IRT models to establish both construct and criterion validity, the shift from discrete norms to continuous scaling, and the incorporation of longitudinal measurements. The combination of these features within a computerized intelligence testing framework will enhance respondents' motivation and simplify the test administration process. It will facilitate frequent assessments of a child's progress by presenting varying test versions on each occasion, thereby significantly reducing errors in administration and scoring, while also safeguarding against misuse by non-professionals.

The focus of this research is moral disengagement as an internal mechanism of unethical behavior. In this work, it was studied in the context of the psychological counseling of Russian psychologists, in particular, in situations of professional interaction that can bring a potential threat to professional and personal identity. Moral disengagement serves to protect one’s self-concept and cope with unpleasant emotions. The study sample consisted of 200 people. Online survey and in-depth semi-structured interview methods were used to collect data. Results indicated a significant relationship between moral disengagement and empathy, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and psychological mindedness. Cluster analysis allowed to identify four profiles of respondents with different combinations of moral disengagement and personality factors. Thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with respondents from the selected groups made it possible to describe in detail of moral disengagement in situations of professional interaction among psychologists from the selected groups. Namely, factors accompanying high rates of moral disengagement were identified: lack of emphasis on the benefits of counseling for the client, self-accusation of the psychologist, the psychologist’s experience of professional failure, stigmatization of the client by the psychologist, confrontation with the client perceived by the psychologist, strong emotions of guilt, resentment and anger, difficulties with management of emotional states, self-defense motive, behavior associated with the risks of exploitation and harm to clients. This study not only deepens the understanding of the phenomenology of moral disengagement, but can also help reduce the risks of exploitation and harm to clients by increasing the awareness of psychologists regarding the operation of moral disengagement in situations of professional interaction.

The purpose of the study was to search for optimal measurements in a holistic description of the evolution of the phenomenon of “ability”, manifested in the processes of professional development and professional activity of the subject. Based on the analysis of scientific literature, we came to the following conclusions: 1) the effectiveness of activity and the social success of the subject have ambiguous connections with the degree of expression of abilities (giftedness, talent, genius); 2) studying abilities on samples of children and youth whose abilities are manifested in conditional activities (learning), in hobby activities, imposes restrictions; 3) the manifestations of abilities in the joint activities of highly qualified professionals remain the least studied. Using the methods of historical-theoretical and subject-categorical analysis, we have developed the author’s approach to the problem under discussion, which consists of an evolutionary-systemic description of the phenomenon. Interpreting the difference in the content of the concepts “efficiency of the subject” and “social success of the subject” as an opportunity to move towards solving open questions in the field of studying the problem of abilities, we propose to turn to a system-evolutionary description of this phenomenon through its four dimensions. In the horizontal dimension, the evolution of the phenomenon is presented as a continuum of manifestations of its following hypostases: inclinations, abilities, special abilities, professional abilities; in the vertical dimension – transformations: inclinations, abilities, giftedness, talent, genius; in the ontogenetic dimension (“age-related”, “longitudinal”) – age-related changes in a person as an individual and as a subject, structural transformations of his abilities in the process of acquiring social experience, mastering new professional functions and social roles; the “self-reference” dimension is a measure of the representation of the psychological system as an integrity to the “external observer” and the “internal observer”, to itself. Conclusions: abilities are a phenomenon that can be distributed in time and space, the manifestations of which are determined by the measure of mobilization of the capabilities of the psyche and body, the measure of integration with other systems, the safety of which is ensured by the processes of self-regulation and self-healing, periodic changes in components and structures.

Self-regulation is one of the main resources contributing to the productive realization of activity and getting satisfaction from life. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of different aspects of self-regulation in the development of intrinsic motivation to practice sports and the level of life satisfaction in athletes. To study different aspects of self-regulation, the «Self-Government Test» of J. Kuhl and A. Fuhrman was used. To study the level of intrinsic motivation «The Sport Motivation Scale» was used. The «Life Satisfaction Scale» and «The Negative and Positive Emotion Scale» by E. Diener were used to test the degree of life satisfaction. The research involved 178 athletes aged from 17 to 33 years (M = 19,38; SD = 1,88), having titles from junior to Master of Sports International Class. Regression analysis showed that aspects of self-regulation such as planning, sensitivity to own values and emotional regulation in athletes contribute to a higher level of life satisfaction. A comparison of groups with different levels of self-regulation showed that athletes with higher levels of self-regulation skill are characterized by a more stable internal motivation to do sports and less expression of negative experiences; they experience positive emotions more often. In addition, it has been demonstrated that the most developed indicators of volitional regulation are characteristic of athletes at the initial and professional level of skill, as compared to those who are at the intermediate stage. Thus, self-regulation is one of the most important resources of athletes, important not only for their professional performance, but for a sense of well-being and life satisfaction.

Knowledge of a foreign language helps people from different cultures exchange experiences, expertise, and ideas worldwide. It is considered a valuable asset in the professional field and may be highly useful in personal life. Foreign language classroom anxiety is a phenomenon associated with fear and nervousness that occurs in a language learning context. Foreign language classroom anxiety often leads to a decrease in overall process efficiency, motivation loss, and avoidance of language practice. The aim of this study is to investigate, whether Big Five personality traits contribute to foreign language classroom anxiety. Four hundred and fifty-two foreign language learners aged between 16 and 70 participated in the study. Participants were given а Big Five personality inventory to assess their personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to new experience), and a foreign language classroom anxiety scale which measures the following components: test anxiety, fear of negative evaluation, and communication apprehension. Linear regression was used as an analysis method. The results revealed that neuroticism positively predicted fear of negative evaluation, communication apprehension, and test anxiety. Extraversion negatively predicted fear of negative evaluation, communication apprehension, and test anxiety. Openness to experience also negatively predicted all three foreign language anxiety components. The results of the study suggest that knowledge of learners’ Big Five personality traits may decrease the levels of foreign language anxiety in a classroom.

The article explores the evolution of methods for automatically assessing verbal divergent thinking tests. Researchers have increasingly focused on the ability to evaluate the originality of respondents' answers by calculating their semantic distance from the stimulus task. From 2009 to 2019, latent semantic analysis became the primary method for assessing semantic distances. Overall, in terms of internal consistency and correlation with expert ratings, its application yielded satisfactory results, maintaining an acceptable balance of quality and effort expended. However, issues emerged (dependence on the corpus used, result instability, systematic distortions related to the length of analyzed responses), prompting researchers to transition to more advanced models of distributional semantics (GloVe, Word2Vec etc.), large language models, and supervised learning. Large language models, especially those fine-tuned on creativity test materials, demonstrated higher effectiveness compared to models assessing semantic distances and approached expert evaluations. In addition to evaluating originality, the article considers works proposing methods for automatic assessment of elaboration, flexibility, associative flow, and divergent semantic integration. References to online platforms that allow for automatic assessments of originality in responses to divergent tests are provided. The issue of interpreting results obtained through large language models is discussed. A drawback of using these models is the lack of understanding of the basis on which judgments of the originality of creative products are made. The perspectives of applying explainable artificial intelligence for evaluating results of verbal and non-verbal tests of creative thinking are being discussed.

The review of the book by T.N. Ushakova “The nature of the meaningfulness of the word” considered the main idea of the book – the ratio of subjective and objective components of speech, the external form of the word and its subjective content, their mutual complementarity and the irreducibility of the sum to a single whole. Its evidences based on the author’s analysis of a large volume of literary and experimental data, including the work of the author of the book, T.N. Ushakova, were analyzed. It is emphasized that the book is a fundamental work that summarizes experimental data and their deep understanding, allowing the author to formulate a new psychophysiological concept of speech formation and language acquisition. This is an interdisciplinary study covering different aspects of speech behavior from the positions of psychology, physiology, linguistics, psychophysiology and philosophy, starting from the early vocalizations of infants and their motor activity, and ending with the processes of language creativity in adult. Review noted that expanding the problem of studying language and speech, T.N. Ushakova turns to neuropsychological and psychophysiological studies of verbal phenomena, describing approaches aimed at studying their mechanisms; offers a behavioral scheme for the formation of meaningful behavior – from its origin in infancy to its implementation in older age. The book contains three logically connected parts – Background on psychological and psycholinguistic studies of words; The origin and development of the phenomenon of meaningfulness; Language and word creation. The content of each part leads to the perception of increasingly information presented in the next chapter. The logical conclusion of the author’s many years of research is the concept of language, which is new in linguistics, outlined in the book. The book is interesting for specialists in various fields of knowledge – philologists, linguists, psychologists, psychophysiologists, philosophers.