2025. vol. 22. No. 3

The study investigates the coping behavior (coping strategies) of highly skilled athletes participating in various sports. Diagnostic tools include psychological testing of basic coping styles using the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) by N. S. Endler and J. A. Parker, as well as a multiparametric combined game training program called “Honey Bear” (“Sladkoyezhka”, “a sweet tooth”). The program is based on biofeedback (BFB) and the use of parameters such as the cardiointerval duration and skin conductance. The BFB training is conducted using the BOS-PULSE software and hardware complex (a modification of the Pulsar device) for processing electrophysiological and psychophysiological information and biofeedback, produced by LLC COMSIB, Novosibirsk. The following physiological parameters are recorded: cardiointerval duration, skin electrical conductance, and spontaneous skin galvanic reactions. The dominant coping behavior among athletes is represented by adaptive coping strategies, problem-focused and emotion-focused coping. Analysis of the dynamics of the training parameters of the “Sweet Tooth” BFB training allowed the athletes to be divided into two groups based on their type of emotional response: those with normal/reduced reactivity and those with excessive reactivity. Behavioral, physiological, and psychoemotional characteristics of the participants’ identified coping behaviors are described. The necessity of corrective health measures for athletes demonstrating emotion-focused coping strategies and excessive emotional reactivity during the “Sweet Tooth” BFB training is substantiated. The use of gaming biofeedback technology is recommended as a corrective measure.

Sports injuries can have devastating consequences and severely restrict an athlete’s ability to succeed. Research into the characteristics of psychological recovery from sports injuries can make an important contribution to the development of more effective rehabilitation programs. This study aims to examine coping strategies used by injured athletes, depending on their gender, type of sport, and injury severity. The sample comprised 95 athletes of various sports with certain types of injuries, aged 16–31 years (M = 19.40, SD = 2.55; 43 males and 52 females). The study used (a) the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory and (b) the Stress Management Questionnaire. The study found that athletes’ choice of coping strategies varies depending on their gender, type of sport, and injury severity. It was demonstrated that the choice of a coping strategy depends mainly on the type of injury sustained. Athletes who have experienced a severe injury are significantly more likely to use avoidance-oriented strategies, while athletes who have experienced a mild injury are more likely to use problem-solving-oriented strategies. Thus, it is understood that the choice of coping strategies after injury may differ depending on the sport discipline, the athlete's gender, and the severity of the injury. This will allow coaches and sports psychologists to create more targeted support programs that take into account the individual characteristics of each athlete's traumatic experience.

Combat sports athletes (CSAs) operate in high-stress environments where exceptional physical conditioning must be complemented by strong psychological resilience. This mini-review examines the critical role of mental toughness (MT) in combat sports, highlighting its key components and influence on athletic performance. Despite the universally high training loads reported by CSAs, the distinguishing factor between regular and exceptional athletes often lies in their mental toughness. The demanding training and nutrition regimens required for weight class compliance frequently compel CSAs to drastically reduce food and fluid intake, sometimes leading to extreme measures such as gut manipulation techniques or doping. This challenging environment necessitates a mindset capable of withstanding significant pressure, particularly for younger athletes navigating puberty and external expectations from coaches and peers. Developing mental toughness emerges as a vital component for success in combat sports, as it can alleviate performance anxiety and mitigate psychological stressors inherent in competitive settings. Evidence indicates that psychological skills training can enhance self-reported MT, with sport-specific techniques—such as imagery, relaxation strategies, and cognitive interruption—effectively fostering core attributes like hardiness, self-esteem, self-efficacy, dispositional optimism, and positive affectivity. Furthermore, perceptions of stress among CSAs vary; while some view intense training as a testament to dedication, others may find it overwhelming. This distinction emphasizes the importance of mindset, motivation, and individual resilience in shaping athletic performance outcomes. The findings underscore the necessity of integrating mental toughness training into the preparation of combat sports athletes.

In professional sports, key psychological resources include authenticity, mental toughness, and resilience. According to Hobfoll’s Conservation of Resources Theory, these qualities can form a mutually reinforcing complex with both instrumental and symbolic value. However, the relationship between the level of psychological resources and athletes’ professional values (Spirit of Sport) remains underexplored. The objective of this study was to identify a typology of athletes based on their psychological resource levels and to examine its association with commitment to the values of the “Spirit of Sport”. The study involved 418 male professional athletes (M_age = 19.89 ± 1.75) from Russian national teams. Instruments included the Moscow Authenticity Scale, Mental Toughness Scale (MTS), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), and the "Spirit of Sport" Scale (11 WADA values). Latent profile analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and analysis of variance were applied. Three types of athletes were identified: high-resource (51%), medium-resource (32%), and low-resource (17%), with mental toughness being the most effective differentiator. Spirit of Sport values clustered into two factors: ethical-eudaimonic (Ethics, Rules, Respect, Health, Character) and pragmatic-hedonic (Excellence, Dedication, Courage, Teamwork, Solidarity, Fun). High-resource athletes demonstrated greater commitment to both value groups, though the effect was weak (Cohen’s f 0.16–0.18, p < .001). Medium- and low-resource groups showed no differences in values. The results partially support the hypothesis of synergy between psychological resources and professional values, but only for athletes with high resource levels. This suggests a "threshold effect" and highlights the importance of comprehensive development of psychological resources to foster ethical integrity in sport.

Success in biathlon depends on physical fitness, psychophysiological parameters, and biomechanics. Key aspects include the speed and accuracy of shooting, which affect body oscillations and the stability of the "body-rifle" system. The level of stress, environmental conditions, and ski preparation are also important. This study aims to provide a thorough theoretical analysis of the factors affecting standing shooting performance in biathlon and to conduct a pilot study using VR to validate it as a training tool based on the observed parameters. This study utilized the "Biathlon-2024" Virtual Environment, which simulated skiing and standing shooting in classical biathlon. This Virtual Environment was developed on the Unity 3D platform and includes two stages: 1) VR skiing and 2) shooting. Subjects performed shooting at virtual targets, whereby the VR visualization fully simulated a biathlon shooting range. The results confirmed that the stability of the body-rifle system is crucial for successful shooting in biathlon. It was observed that elite athletes demonstrate better postural balance and lower sway compared to beginners. The data analysis obtained with Antilatency system trackers showed a distinct correlation between the limb and rifle positions, which highlights the importance of fine postural control and reaction time when shooting. The study emphasizes that success in biathlon depends not only on physical fitness and shooting techniques, but also on the environment, psychophysiology, and individual attributes such as tremor. This therefore makes an integrated approach to athlete training essential for high performance.

The present study attempts to investigate the psychophysiological aspects of self-regulation in post-exertion recovery among phygital athletes during competitive performances. To assess the participants’ psychophysiological self-regulation under stressful conditions, stress tests were administered using the “BOSLAB-Samoregulyatsiya (БОСЛАБ – Саморегуляция)” hardware-software system (manufactured by COMSIB LLC, Novosibirsk). Electrocardiogram (ECG) and skin conductance response (SCR) were recorded before and after stress tests to calculate RR-interval and skin electrical activity respectively using the same hardware-software system. A total of 73 individuals were examined (including phygital football, phygital basketball and phygital shooter athletes). The control group consisted of 13 people—5 competition administrators and 8 referees. The study sample was divided into 4 self-regulation types, using a classification that was developed in our previous study using Principal Component Analysis and Classification (PCA). The study group showed twice as many participants with elevated heart rate, 1.5 times more participants with excessive emotional reactivity, but virtually no non-reactive individuals showing no response to testing compared to traditional sports athletes. The distribution of self-regulation types revealed in this study may indicate both greater emotional involvement and intensity of experience among athletes, as well as insufficient psychological preparation, limited competitive experience and poor physical fitness. The results obtained in this study offer the key targets for possible recovery programs for athletes who did not show optimal stress reactivity.

The multiple object tracking task is extensively utilized to assess athletes in team sports, such as hockey, due to its relevance to real-game scenarios involving the tracking of partners and opponents. Typically, task difficulty is evaluated based on the number of objects and motion speed; however, the impact of additional parameters on athletes' tracking accuracy has been largely overlooked. The aim of the current study is to investigate the relationship between the accuracy of a three-dimensional multiple object tracking task and the task parameters, as well as the playing positions of ice hockey players aged 13 to 15 years. A total of 29 forwards and 20 defensemen participated in a virtual reality-based three-dimensional multiple object tracking task. Key metrics recorded included task accuracy, total path length of objects, number of collisions, number of occlusions, and motion speed of the objects. A generalized linear mixed model analysis revealed that motion speed and the frequency of occlusions caused by distractors obscuring the target negatively impacted tracking accuracy. This finding highlights the necessity of incorporating various task parameters in the applied assessment of athletes. Moreover, no significant relationship was found between multiple object tracking performance and the playing positions of adolescent hockey players when controlling for task parameters. This indicates a need for domain-specific testing of athletes and suggests future comparisons involving adult athletes across different playing positions.

Biathlon shooting is one of the most crucial aspects that determines an athlete's success. Several factors can affect shooting performance. This research aimed to study a range of eye and head movement parameters in biathletes of different skill levels as well as in novices in order to identify the most relevant and differentiating ones that separate novices from professionals. Eye and head movement parameters were recorded with a Pupil Labs Invisible (PI) infrared video recording eye tracker. The recording frequency is up to 200 Hz, and the additive error in location determination is up to 5 degrees, according to the documentation. The study revealed significant differences in visual-motor control parameters between elite biathletes, sub-elite biathletes (with Candidate Master of Sports levels of proficiency) and novices. Elite biathletes show: a minimal gaze path length after shooting, indicating strong fixation on the target, which enhances accuracy; lower pre-shooting head and gaze velocities and a reduced movement range, demonstrating strong gaze stabilization; a significantly smaller normalized ellipse square, indicating focused concentration with minimal excessive movements; and longer (twice as long as novices) and fewer fixations, with a high QIVT ratio (0.93 vs. 0.51 for novices), reflecting efficient attention allocation. Professionals blink less, correlating with improved concentration and reduced cognitive load during critical tasks, alongside shorter shooting durations. The data obtained can be used to design personalized training programs aimed at enhancing gaze stability and reducing cognitive load.

The implementation of psychological support into a set of new training strategies is one of the main tasks in elite sport. Psychophysiological tests are widely applied in assessing the efficacy of sports training, based on the close correlation between mental and physiological processes in an athlete’s body. Despite the fact that aerobic gymnastics requires high levels of the gymnasts’ functional capacities, their physiological abilities are barely studied. The aim of the research is to explore psychomotor parameters of aerobic gymnasts aged 12–17 years and define the features of psychomotor skills in Age Group 1 (12–14 y.o.) and Age Group 2 (15–17 y.o.). Psychophysiological diagnostics of the mobility, stability, and strength of nervous processes was carried out during the off-season. Ten female athletes from AG1 and 14 female athletes from AG2 performed five psychophysiological tests via the NS Psychotest.Sport system: reaction to a moving object, simple eye-motor reaction, resistance to interference test, tapping test, and audio-motor probe. The nervous processes of all gymnasts were at a medium level of mobility, and their strength showed significant individual differences. Athletes of both age groups had balanced nervous processes. The number of accurate reactions in the reaction to a moving object tended to differ between age groups. Age Group 2 performed the tapping test with a shorter intertap interval compared to Age Group 1 (p < 0.05). Simple eye-motor reaction, resistance to interference test, and tapping test are the most informative tests for defining features of psychomotor parameters in aerobic gymnastics. All gymnasts showed good reaction time, high attention concentration, and the ability to maintain the required rhythm, while AG2 improved their sport results through increasing the accuracy and tempo of movements.

In recent years, some foreign studies on environmental psychology have suggested that pro-environmental actions should be viewed as an expression of prosociality. However, in the Russian literature, a traditional view has remained: actions aimed at benefiting other people are usually regarded as prosocial behavior, whereas nature conservation actions are considered to be pro-environmental behavior. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between actions aimed at benefiting other people and nature conservation actions in a Russian population. The study involved 841 respondents. Two scales were used to quantify (1) actions aimed at benefiting other people and (2) nature conservation actions. In this study, the Rasch model, which is one of the modern test theory models, was used. The findings revealed that the relationship between respondents’ environmental behavior and prosocial behavior was statistically significant (r = 0.35, p < 0.001). This aligns with the results of previous studies conducted in Germany and Chile, using identical scales and the Rasch model. Consequently, the results of this investigation complement the findings of foreign studies which claim that environmental behavior is a manifestation of prosociality. Based on these conclusions, it is proposed that the traditionally separated teaching of prosocial and environmental subjects should be combined into a single educational approach. An integrated approach will contribute to a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary effort to create a society that is both ecologically and socially sustainable.

Object imagery, representing pictorial features, and spatial imagery, representing spatial relations and transformations, are two aspects of visual mental imagery distinguished in the literature. While spatial imagery is assessed primarily with performance tests that allow an objective assessment of mental images, object imagery is assessed mainly on the basis of subjective self-report on imagery vividness. Aiming to fill this methodological gap, we developed an experimental task for color imagery, allowing an objective assessment of imagery performance. We took as a basis the structure of the methodological “gold standard” for the studies of spatial imagery—the Shepard and Metzler mental rotation task. Its important features are parametrically specified levels of complexity, measurement of the accuracy and reaction time, and restricted options for verbalizing. Our missing-color task requires mental construction of the missing color by analogy. Two levels of difficulty of the task with color sequences within a single hue were used in a pilot study on a sample of 35 young adults. The results indicate that a number of participants (37% in our sample) are able to generate task-relevant and differentiated representations of color, although the proportion of such people in the population is presumably significantly smaller than the proportion of people who provide high subjective ratings of their mental images in tasks requiring imagination of colored objects and scenes from verbal description. A more detailed understanding of the population distribution of color imagery performance and of possible mechanisms behind it will require further research on larger samples, as well as developing additional control tasks.

The article discusses motivation for recreational reading in secondary school students as a subjective factor associated with reading amount and reading literacy, which develops as they gain reading experience. The study is based on the self-determination theory, which identifies autonomous motivation, reflecting one’s own interests and values; controlled motivation, based on external pressure or orientation toward other people’s expectations, and amotivation as a loss of meaning in an activity. The review provides a rationale that problematic Internet use in secondary school students is associated with a decrease in autonomous motivation, an increase in controlled motivation and amotivation, as well as a decrease in reading amount and reading literacy. To test this hypothesis, a correlation study was conducted on a sample of 446 Russian students in grades 5–9. Based on a similar English-language questionnaire, a methodology for assessing reading motivation in schoolchildren was developed for this study. The results of the correlation analysis confirmed the hypothesis of an inverse relationship between problematic Internet use and autonomous reading motivation and direct relationships with controlled motivation and amotivation. Autonomous motivation and amotivation showed predictable correlations with reading amount and reading literacy. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), it was found that problematic Internet use had a negative effect on both reading amount and reading literacy mediated through motivation. The results obtained are consistent with the idea that problematic Internet use undermines adolescents’ motivation for recreational reading and, through this, leads to a decrease in reading activity and reading literacy. At the same time, given the correlational design of the study, it can also be assumed that interest and passion for reading in adolescents may, in turn, serve as a protective factor in relation to problematic Internet use.