Physiological bases of willpower and its influence on the effectiveness of the pedagogical process in adolescents studying in higher education

the study is devoted to the identification of interrelations between the willpower qualities of adolescent students and physiological indicators, as well as the influence of these factors on learning outcomes. The relevance of the work is due to the search for ways to improve the effectiveness of the pedagogical process through the development of students' willpower. In the article an attempt was made to substantiate the significance of willpower self–regulation in learning activity and to propose an integral approach that combines psychological diagnostics of willpower with the assessment of physiological parameters. The obtained data allow us to think about the biological basis of volitional qualities, self–control and emphasize the importance of taking into account the volitional and physiological characteristics of students in educational practice. The study involved 88 people (64 boys, 24 girls, 18-19 years old). The tests “Willpower” by N.S. Smirnova, “Self–regulation” by V.I. Morosanova, “Learning motivation” by N.Ts. Badmaev and Ruffier test for HR estimation. Academic performance was analyzed by grade point average, attendance and activity. The data were processed statistically with calculation of averages and distributions. Most of the students showed an average level of willpower (84.1%), motivation (77.3%) and self–regulation (69.3%). Unexpected results were observed: students with low levels of willpower and motivation showed higher mean scores (4.30 and 4.14, respectively) than those with high levels (3.63 and 4.00). The Ruffier index revealed variability in cardiorespiratory endurance (40.9% mean), confirming its suitability for screening physiological resilience. The results underscore the multifactorial nature of academic success and the need to integrate will and health development programs. The pilot study, limited to a homogeneous sample, lays the foundation for longitudinal work with HRV and environmental data. The novelty lies in the integration of physiological markers, which is rare in Russia.

willpower, self–regulation, motivation, Roffier index, academic performance, adolescence, pedagogical process, heart rate