PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL QUALITIES OF ENGINEERS

The article considers the current state of research on psychological characteristics of representatives of engineering professions. A review of empirical studies over the past 12 years, devoted to the study of the psychological characteristics of professionals in various engineering specialties and students enrolled in the relevant areas of training, has been carried out. The analysis of the features of the organization of research, the subject of research and the methods used, on the basis of this, four main areas of research are distinguished: determination of factors affecting the parameters of professional activity; assessment of the severity of individual personality traits; determination of the features of the formation of professionally important qualities of an engineer; analysis of students’ ideas about the personal qualities required by engineers. It is indicated that studies that use the method of expert assessment prevail, while there are no detailed characteristics of the assessed qualities, and the organization of research does not allow identifying psychological characteristics specific only to engineers. The cognitive, individual-typological and personal qualities of engineers, which were distinguished in studies of different years, are described. Most often, the personal qualities of engineers include: volitional qualities (restraint, self-control, perseverance, etc.), qualities in which the attitude to work is manifested: responsibility, pedantry, conscientiousness, etc. qualities, self-confidence, courage, determination, independence, professional mobility, general culture, spiritual needs, the need for self-education and readiness for it, stress resistance. The necessity of forming the social qualities of the engineer’s personality, the development of volitional traits: the processes of planning, modeling, control, evaluation of one’s own activity is emphasized. It is concluded that it is necessary to organize professional and comparative studies to highlight the personality traits of a modern engineer.

professionally important qualities of engineers, cognitive characteristics of engineers, personality traits of engineers, organization of research, research methods