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Volume 34, Nº 4 (2023)
Articles
7-10
The philosophy of the himan being
The Problem of Stress and the Phenomenon of Death in the Modern World: Medical and Philosophical Aspect
Resumo
In modern conditions, unfavorable demographic trends are becoming more and more acute. They affect the population of the most developed and prosperous regions but indicate a decrease in the viability of the human population as a whole. We are talking about the "diseases of civilization" that arise under the influence of psycho-emotional stress. Until recently, the main attention was paid to its psychological aspect, but today it is necessary to focus on its somatic, bodily component. This requires the improvement of the classical concept of stress, primarily by highlighting the basic criterion for the viability of biological organisms. Such a criterion is the phenomenon of death. Today, death is seen as a kind of autonomous beginning, absolutely the opposite of life. Nevertheless, there is a different point of view in science and philosophy, according to which death is only an epiphenomenon of life accompanying its evolutionary process. At the level of biological evolution, the living adapts to the living. At the cultural level, the inanimate principle is included in the evolution in the image of the technology that man creates. Nowadays, in the transition from the second to the third millennium, this process reaches its apogee. The technosphere rises above the biosphere, and the living is forced to adapt to the inanimate. Hence stress, mass morbidity and depopulation. To conceptualize an alternative perspective, it is necessary to interpret stress as a result of the mismatch of the processes of inhibition and excitation in the human central nervous system under the influence of unfavorable external conditions. With such an approach, the importance of A.A. Ukhtomsky's teaching about the dominant increases, where inhibition plays a major role. It seems that the main provisions of this doctrine, introduced into a broad theoretical turn, will contribute to the productive solution of numerous problems facing modern humanity.
Čelovek. 2023;34(4):11-26
11-26
Times. Morals. Characters
Stress-inducing Objects like Jack-in-the-box: Adults’ behavior and their reactions to Сhildren’s and other Adults’ reactions
Resumo
We consider a special class of cultural objects like Jack-in-the-Box. They are scary for many children. Screamers from horror movies and computer video games are phenomena of the same type. We analyze Internet videos in which adults organize children’s encounters with Jack-in-the-Boxes and comments under the videos. Some adults are upset about the children’s fear and cry, but some others enjoy it. In the comments, one can read emotional polemics between those who write that the children’s fear is funny, and Jack-in-the-Boxes do not have negative effects and those who write that it is harmful for children and shameful for the adults doing it for fun and enjoyment. From rational-and-pragmatical point of view of the evolutionary approach, objects like Jack-in-the-Box can be considered stress-inducing means of preparation for the stress of encountering novelty and unpredictability. This does not remove personal moral responsibility from those who seek enjoyment in young children’s fear and cry, and those who organize conditions for them. In the future, an analysis of Jack-in-the-Boxes among other counter-exploratory objects punishing for their exploration and curiosity aimed at them can be of interest. The stress of encountering these objects can be increased by recognition of the premeditation of the provocative situation and the disloyalty or treachery of the person creating it.
Čelovek. 2023;34(4):27-38
27-38
Scientific research
Vulnerable Buoyancy: A New View on Emotional Regulation Under Uncertainty
Resumo
Stress is often accompanied by high uncertainty, which makes it difficult or ineffective to make the right decisions. Affective-personal regulation of the decision-making process has been poorly studied to date, and the variables characterizing different aspects of emotional regulation have not been presented in a single complex of their interactions in relation to human uncertainty. In multiple decision-making regulation, the relevant variables can interact with each other, which can be reflected in the effectiveness of problem solving or decision-making. The aim of the article was to develop a model that links the variables of empathy (cognitive and affective), subclinical narcissism and tolerance for uncertainty with latent factors of Self-efficacy of human decisions and Vulnerable buoyancy. Vulnerable buoyancy is a new concept that allows us to consider emotional regulation under conditions of uncertainty not as stability, but rather as a dynamic system of self-regulation that positively determines the effectiveness of decision-making. The Dirty Dozen, Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy, The Subjective Risk Intelligence Scale, and The New Tolerance-intolerance to Uncertainty Questionnaire were used on a sample of n = 446. A correlation analysis was carried out and a structural model was built, which allowed: to substantiate the selection of an integrative latent variable Vulnerable buoyancy; to take a fresh approach to the relationship of narcissism with other variables of the emotional-personal sphere, which, according to the literature, are quite contradictory; to demonstrate the different roles of affective and cognitive empathy, manifesting Self-efficacy in problem solving (cognitive empathy) and Vulnerable buoyancy (affective empathy).
Čelovek. 2023;34(4):39-57
39-57
Dynamics of the Media Effects of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infodemic
Resumo
The article presents the dynamics of the media effects of the coronavirus infodemic (COVID-19). A set of methods is used: case study, systematization, intent analysis, and secondary analysis of sociological and statistical data. Timeline of the study: March 1 – June 30, 2020. Based on the results of the study, it is concluded that the first “wave” of the coronavirus pandemic most clearly demonstrated the replacement of dominant media effects. If from mid-March to the end of April 2020, the construction of moral panic was observed, then from the beginning of May to mid-June 2020, compassion fatigue became prevalent in society. The factors that inspired such media effects are indicated. Cause-and-effect relationships between moral panic and compassion fatigue are fixed. On the basis of the results obtained, it is stated that at the turn of the 2010–2020s, a stress society was formed as a special social system, social ties, positions, and dispositions in which are largely explained through the factors of turbulence that exist in modern times and replace each other, leading to a paradigmatic loss of social, political, economic, and cultural stability, causing the permanent finding of individuals in a state of increased psycho-physiological stress. The legitimacy of putting forward the concept of a society of stress is substantiated, based on the existing socio-political, socio-economic, and socio-cultural (including media communication) determinants. A perspectivization of the study is being built, which implies further conceptualization of this concept. The necessity of incorporating the category of stress society into the academic discourse of the social sciences is proved. Such methodological foundations will allow for systematic research of cultivated social reactions (primarily media effects), taking into account cause-and-effect relationships and interdependent patterns.
Čelovek. 2023;34(4):58-75
58-75
Stress and Antistress in Child and Adult’s Representation
Resumo
The results of a theoretical and empirical study of a child's and a teenager's representations of stressful situations, experiencing specific emotions, and coping with stress in comparison with adult assessments of child and adolescent stress are presented. Situations of evaluation and hopelessness are shown to be common for children and adolescents. Depending on the stress level, children distinguish the situation of loss, but adolescents distinguish the situation of abandonment. In the experience of stressful situations, the emotions associated with them and strategies for coping with stress are determined. The children are more often associated with stress and the experience of fear; the teenagers experience fear, anxiety, and resentment. The phenomenon of replacing a stressor (a stressful situation) with subjective experiences of fear, anxiety, anger, and resentment was found in both age groups but significantly more expressed in the children's sample. Children's and adolescents' profiles of coping with stress as a way of reducing tension and achieving an anti-stress state show the greatest similarity compared to the assessment of the types of stressful situations and emotions. The typical coping strategies, such as seeking Relaxing Diversions, friends, and Problem solving, were revealed. The differences between the children's and adolescents' own assessments of stress and coping strategies and the assessments of adults were demonstrated. An adult tends to infantilize both a child and a teenager, attributing to the child such coping strategies as Social support (parent support), acting up, and seeking Relaxing diversion, and to the teenager, social support (parent support), friends, and acting up. In conclusion, the prospects for the study of child and adolescent stress — the construction of hierarchical models of stress and coping strategies in children and adolescents, including both conscious, partially conscious, and unconscious characteristics of stress and the resource capacity of a child of different ages in experiencing and successfully coping with everyday life problems — are shown.
Čelovek. 2023;34(4):76-96
76-96
Coping with stress
Family in the Face of Social Challenges: Stress and Diadic Coping
Resumo
The article analyzes contemporary studies of family, dyadic and financial stress, the influence of family stressors on marital relations and family functioning. The importance of analyzing stress with social consequences is emphasized, which made it possible to consider stress between partners, or spouses, as a dyadic phenomenon. A review of scientific publications has shown that financial stress has a more negative impact on family relationships, including family stability. The analysis of various studies of the influence of dyadic coping showed that the choice of adequate dyadic strategies plays an important role in maintaining long-term relationships between partners. The study of the impact of the structural characteristics of the family on the choice of dyadic strategies showed that the functionality of the family is an indicator of productive coping with difficulties.
Čelovek. 2023;34(4):97-111
97-111
A Person Who is Coping, or Coping Well-Being of the Digital Generation
Resumo
The article provides an overview of current foreign and Russian psychological studies that reveal the relationship between socially oriented coping-behavior of a person and subjective well-being. In this case, the latter acts not only as a product, but also as a prerequisite for choosing constructive ways of coping. The discussion is built around the discussion of the factors that mediate this connection, their significance for the younger generation on the example of schoolchildren and students, the specifics of the manifestation of well-being and coping in the virtual space. Key research questions: how are well-being and coping related among modern youth and do the digital generation require new forms of coping or their virtual counterparts for well-being? The novelty is connected with the search for the specifics of coping with the difficulties of young students as representatives of the new generation, the definition of new forms of coping or the modification of existing strategies, taking into account the peculiarities of life in modern society. The question is raised about the role of network communication, Internet space in the manifestation of symptoms of trouble and signs of well-being of the Internet user's personality in situations of frustrating challenges that change the environment and conditions of students' activities. The ambiguity of the available scientific results, their dependence on the cultural context and position of the authors, as well as the reality of the risks and resources of using cyberspace by young people to cope with life's difficulties are recognized. The interconnection between subjective well-being and coping expands the possibilities for organizing targeted work with young people to improve emotional well-being and life satisfaction. Research prospects are related to the development of the "online well-being" model, its methodological, methodological and empirical support.
Čelovek. 2023;34(4):112-127
112-127
Personal Authenticity as a Predictor of Coping with Stress and Possible Effect of the Stress
Resumo
The importance of studying the phenomenon of personal authenticity as loyalty to one's true Self is substantiated. Historical and cultural prototypes of this phenomenon are considered. The difference between the Eastern and Western traditions of understanding the true Self is noted: in the East, a person's dialogue with the world was implied, whereas in the West — internal harmony was. Four basic oppositions are proposed to describe authenticity: to have vs to be (adaptation vs meaning); source vs effect vs epiphenomenon; molecular vs molar; internal vs external. The main function of authenticity is identified as monitoring the meaningfulness of life lived by a person in accordance with their unique calling. The contemporary descriptive and operationalized concepts of authenticity are compared; their limitations when transferred to Russian culture are noted. The original agent conception of authenticity is proposed, understood as a person's loyalty to their individuality, the space-time context of their life and life-calling. The status of authenticity in this sense is a trait like sensitivity to situations. The agent conception is supported by the Moscow Authenticity Scale as the main standardized measurement tool. The resource role of authenticity in stress situations of various nature is discussed. Based on the data on the impact of negative life events obtained in various fields of psychology, a hypothetical model of the possible change and genesis of authenticity under the influence of stress is substantiated.
Čelovek. 2023;34(4):128-148
128-148
The Self-help Practices of Students during the Period of “Emerging Adulthood” in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic and their Relation to a Personality’s Subjective Well-being
Resumo
This study aims to investigate the self-help practices of students in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and their relation to a personality’s subjective well-being during the period of “emerging adulthood”. The relevance of the research is determined by high psychical, intellectual, and psycho-emotional loads, especially in the context of COVID-19 pandemic, which makes special demands on resources to cope with them. The sample of the study consists of college students, undergraduate students, master’s degree and PhD students. We tested the hypothesis that self-help practices in difficult real-life situations is depending on the subjective well-being level. The study respondents are aged 16-29 (M = 21, SD = 3.45), 201 are female and 78 are male. We use “Mental Health Continuum” and an open question about preferred self-help practices. The study identified six categories of practices: Self-support practices and self-reliance; Social support: “significant” others and people in the same situation; Institutional support: teachers and mentors; Psychological assistance: psychotherapists and services; Contextual and situational factors and No need for help. At the same time, the differences between the groups of high and low subjective well-being levels are not statistically significant. The only category, the frequency of which significantly predominates among the more prosperous, is “Institutional support: teachers and mentors”. The research results can be used in training programs to improve the level of subjective well-being of students and support programs in coping with difficulties.
Čelovek. 2023;34(4):149-169
149-169
Symbols. Values. Ideals
Individual and Social Dimensions of Moral Stress
Resumo
The article is devoted to moral stress, which is understood as a combination of emotional reactions challenging the integrity of a system of moral norms and values, as well as a result of such an impact. Individual dimensions of moral stress are shown on the example of the analysis of the concepts of moral distress and moral injury. Using the concept of "moral resilience" as an example, approaches to overcoming moral stress are analyzed, which involve rationalizing the causes and consequences of traumatic events and changing the subject's attitude to stress factors. It is shown that these approaches manifest the therapeutic turn in culture. There is an increase in the influence of stress factors on modern life. If in the past the manifestations of moral stress were personalized and extreme, in modern times they acquire a habitual character and a collective dimension. The reason for this is the growing gap between the value system, which advocates individual well-being, and the system, aimed at the effective regulation of the social whole. The widening of this gap is associated, on the one hand, with the expansion of the space of individual freedom, on the other hand, with the extraordinary conditions of the fight against terrorism, the pandemic, etc., regulating of which requires the restriction of personal rights. The author proposes several strategies of overcoming moral stress. Defense strategies are labeled as moralization and intellectualization. The third strategy, which involves the support of individual well-being, is realized in the form of the so called "new ethics". It is concluded that to overcome moral stress, it is necessary to initiate not only internal, but also structural changes. To do this, it is necessary to go beyond the psychological interpretation of individual moral stress to broad interdisciplinary generalizations on its social causes and collective manifestations.
Čelovek. 2023;34(4):170-180
170-180
Extreme situation
A Look at Traumatic Stress Through the Prism of Vulnerability and Resilience
Resumo
This article details two existing perspectives on traumatic stress: vulnerability and resilience. Traditionally, the issue has been considered in the narrow psychopathological context of risk factors and vulnerability, despite evidence indicating that most people exposed to potentially traumatic events will remain mentally healthy and continue to lead fulfilling lives, following a trajectory of resilience. We will examine both perspectives and try to relate them. The view of post-traumatic stress through a vulnerability lens focuses on the risk factors and mechanisms that lead to the development of the disorder, and the qualities that increase susceptibility to them. Predictors are well researched and a consensus has been reached here, so to add some novelty to the data we already know, we will list risk and vulnerability factors, dividing them into three groups: pre-, peri- and post-traumatic. Looking at post-traumatic stress through the lens of resilience is not as clear-cut — this area is poorly understood, so there are several competing theories, and consensus has yet to be reached. The trajectory of resilience is common among large numbers of people — two-thirds of the trauma survivor population — so isolating individual correlates of resilience has led to a paradox: While there are many variables that correlate reliably with resilience, it is impossible to predict with great accuracy who will be resilient to potential trauma and who will not. One solution to the resilience paradox is the not yet widely accepted, but widely discussed, Flexibility Sequence Theory proposed by George Bonanno. In examining the two perspectives, we conclude that vulnerability does not preclude resilience and that the focus of interventions can be not only on identifying and mitigating risk factors, but above all on maintaining effective use of natural internal protective factors and developing a sequential flexibility that ensures resilience.
Čelovek. 2023;34(4):181-191
181-191