Karabushchenko N.B., Stefanishina M.V.
PECULIARITIES OF OVERCOMING STRESS BY STUDENTS-PSYCHOLOGISTS ^{[№ 2 ' 2018]}
The ability to receive and process information, the willingness to apply the acquired skills in practice, the ability to quickly adapt to a changing social situation are the conditions for a person’s successful life. However, not every person is capable of withstanding serious loads that’s why he/she can be in need of qualified psychological help. Therefore, the preparation of practical psychologists should be under serious attention. In this regard, the study of the stress-resistance of the students-psychologists’ personality acquires a special urgency, emphasizing the importance of developing their skills of owning themselves in difficult situations, the readiness to control other people emotions, and the resolution of conflict contradictions. The study was conducted on the basis of a comparison of two samples of 1 and 4-year students-psychologists of RUDN-University (Peoples Friendship University of Russia). The results revealed interesting facts: undergraduates’ level of stress is higher than that of freshmen, which is largely due to the emergence of a new social situation, defined as the choice of a further life trajectory (education, employment, and change of marital status). The use of coping strategies in problem situations has specific features in different age periods: “Strategic planning”, the comprehension of concrete steps for solving the tasks posed — characterizes four-year students; support of an authoritative adult, emotional contacts with peers are important for first-year students. The collectivist orientation, the willingness to control one’s own emotions and understand the feelings of other people characterizes the students of the first courses. Senior students are focused on individual goals, becoming less sensitive to understanding the experience of others. Thus, students of the first and fourth courses differ in ways of responding to stressful situations. The former students are more emotional and optimistic, the latter students are rational, they maturely assess their capabilities and plans for the future.