Mental R egulation of Positive Mental States in the Dynamics of Activity (Using Education, Sports, and Work as Examples)

Background. Experiencing positive mental states contributes to productive work in various fields of activity, and research into ways to improve work productivity while maintaining the psychological health of the individual is in demand in theoretical and practical psychology.

Objective. The purpose of the study is to study mental structures that actualise positive states in everyday and stressful situations in the dynamics of activity (using education, sports, and work as examples).

Study Participants. The study involved 246 people aged 18–25 years: 106 students from various universities, 70 catering workers, 70 athletes.

Methods. We used the following methods: D.A. Leontiev’s test of life orientations, S.R. Pantileev’s method of studying self-attitude, A.O. Prokhorov and A.V. Chernov’s method “Diagnostics of reflexive processes”, and an adapted questionnaire by A.O. Prokhorov, A.V. Klimanova “Assessment of positive mental states”. The study was conducted in the real conditions of the respondents’ activities.

Results. Patterns in the structure of mental regulation of positive mental states in everyday and stressful situations of activity, as well as the features of experiencing positive mental states depending on the types of activity, were revealed. In the educational process, life-purpose orientations are of the greatest significance; in customer service, both life-purpose orientations and reflection are important; in sports activities, aspects of the self-system are of greatest importance. Differences in the correlation structures between the components of mental regulation and mental states are established.

Conclusions. The dynamics of experiencing positive mental states in different activities at different levels of tension is a change in the dominant relationships between mental regulation and mental states, as well as a change in the characteristics of mental regulation included in the formation of relationship structures. The identified relationship structures show that the regulation of states is associated with the inclusion of consciousness structures in the regulatory process, depends on the nature of activities and changes in situations: from everyday to stressful situations.

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