Lomonosov Psychology Journal, 2026, 2, 290.

Background. Russian specialists lack a clear understanding of the differences between professionally important qualities (PIQs) and competencies (Cs), the study and assessment of which are referred to as the PIQ-approach and the C-approach. The lack of methodological reflection on the content of PIQs and competencies limits the possibilities of integrating achievements across different scientific traditions and develop a common factual basis for the discipline.

Objective. The goal is to compare the content and heuristics applied in different approaches to the assessment of the subject's professional suitability (operating the concept of the PIQ, or PIQ-approach, and operating the concept of competence, or competency-based approach, C-approach).

Methods. Historical and theoretical analysis, subject-categorical analysis.

Results. The question of the relationship between the PIQs and competencies is not resolved in the logic of binary oppositions, outside the analysis of social and historical contexts of the use of scientific concepts. The more constructive the analysis is not of the concepts, but of the chains of interconnections of phenomena considered in certain contexts (fragments of social reality), considered as scientific problems. If professional development of a subject is chosen as the basic phenomenon, five stages are distinguished in its evolution (professional orientation; formation of professional suitability; development of professional readiness; professional maturity; stage of destructive changes in qualities). Furthermore, four groups of dialectically interconnected qualities are described: KAS (knowledge, abilities, skills) — Competencies — Professionally important qualities (PIQ) — Vital qualities (VQ). Two criteria are used to describe them: the external one — presenting the qualities to the "external observer" (psychologist, employer) and the internal one — presenting them to the "internal observer" (subject).

Conclusions. The concept of the PIQ is related to the following concepts: profession, professional training, professional worldview, professionalism, professional ethics, professional self-awareness, value orientations, work motivation, and the meaning of work. The concept of competence correlates with the concepts of work, knowledge, abilities, skills, competence (in a specific range of issues), corporate behaviour, and "focus on the task". PIQs correspond to the long-term perspective of human activity, while competence correlates with the short-term perspective, with problem solving in a given space-time ("here and now"). The two concepts under analysis are logically compatible (intersecting) and substantively consistent.

Background. Visual impairment at various stages of ontogenesis requires the development of sensory adaptation mechanisms that ensure the preservation of cognitive activity and the ability to effectively interact with the environment. One of the key compensatory mechanisms under visual deprivation is the development of the sense of touch, which allows for partial compensation for the lack of visual information. This compensation is based on cross-modal brain plasticity processes. These processes are particularly pronounced in early visual impairment. The development of sensory substitution technologies aimed at supporting adaptive processes in the absence of visual stimulation necessitates a systematic analysis of scientific data.

Objective. The aim is to map and analytically systematise studies devoted to the role of touch in sensory adaptation in visual impairment, with an emphasis on cross-modal plasticity.

Methods. This study is a subject matter review. The database search for relevant publications was conducted in eLibrary.ru, CyberLeninka, PubMed, and Google Scholar with no year restrictions, covering the period from the works of Ivan Sechenov to research conducted in 2024. Publications were selected using keywords reflecting the issues of tactile compensation and cross-modal plasticity. This study is a subject matter review. The search for relevant publications was conducted in the eLibrary.ru, CyberLeninka, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases with no year restrictions, covering the period from the works of I.M. Sechenov to research conducted in 2024. Publications were selected using keywords reflecting the issues of tactile compensation and cross-modal plasticity. The final sample included 63 publications in the fields of neuroscience, neuropsychology, typhlopsychology, and sensory technologies.

Results. The review reveals that visual impairment is accompanied by a functional restructuring of the sensory system, in which the visual cortex becomes involved in processing tactile and auditory information. Individuals with visual impairment exhibit increased tactile sensitivity, particularly in tasks involving discrimination of shape, texture, and spatial characteristics. Sensory substitution technologies can enhance compensatory mechanisms with regular training and application.

Conclusions. Cross-modal brain plasticity is the fundamental mechanism of sensory compensation in visual impairment. The development of tactile perception and the use of sensory substitution technologies are considered factors in the cognitive, emotional, and social adaptation of blind and visually impaired individuals. The importance of early inclusion of tactile training in rehabilitation programmes is emphasised.

Background. Early childhood memories are often regarded in psychology as a foundational element in the development of self-awareness. However, generational characteristics of early childhood memories remain insufficiently explored, particularly in the context of contemporary Russia. This article addresses this gap by proposing an approach to early childhood memories through the lens of a cultural-historical research framework, supported by appropriate methodological tools. This perspective makes it possible to engage with the sociocultural experience of childhood in its complex interplay with the internal world of the respondents.

Objective. The aim of the study is to compare the narratives of the earliest childhood memories in representatives of two cohorts: those belonging to the reform generation (born in 1968–1981) and Generation Z (born after 2001).

Study Participants. The study involved randomly selected respondents (N = 30) without mental disorders, divided into age cohorts corresponding to two generations. The ‘older’ cohort (N = 12, 39–58 years old), born in 1964–1986, and the ‘younger’ cohort (N = 18, 19–25 years old), born in the late 1990s or early 2000s, were identified.

Methods. A personal interview, including various questions about the person’s childhood and family, was conducted with each respondent. The interview was accompanied by the technique of early childhood memories by A. Adler.

Results. Qualitative analysis of the respondents’ narratives in two generations revealed differences in the following fields: (1) attitude toward material values; (2) relations with the Other; (3) response to challenges of the environment.

Conclusions. Based on the earliest memories analysis, the possibility of identifying socio-cultural factors in the respondents’ early development, namely, the change in parenting models, was substantiated. The described methodology, despite some difficulties and limitations to application, makes it possible to address the problem of generational differences and to obtain results coherent with the results of other authors’ studies. Organised in this way, the psychological analysis of narratives provides a vector for further research of personality without detachment from the broad cultural and social spaces and conditions of generational development.

Background. Studying the factors influencing the behaviour of individuals and groups in the event of a clash of opinions makes it possible to improve understanding of the substantive side of the conflict situation itself, which can contribute to the development of new ways of conflict regulation. It shows that a person’s awareness of belonging to a particular group influences the behaviour in conflict situations.

Objective. The aim is to study the factors influencing the choice of a behaviour style in conflict, and the role of the importance of a group and belonging to it in choosing a style of behaviour in a conflict.

Study Participants. The study involved 86 respondents aged 18 to 20 years (Mage = 19; SD = 0.97; 79 women), psychology students and specialists of various profiles (economists, programmers, accountants, educators).

Methods. Questionnaire by K. Thomas and R. Kilmann “Defining ways of conflict management” in adaptation by N.V. Grishina was applied to assess the style of human behaviour in conflict situations along with the subjective assessment by respondents of the fact of belonging to a group and the significance of this belonging.

Results. The “importance of the group to the respondent” factor was found to be related to the choice of behaviour style in conflict in a particular group, a statistically significant effect of belonging to the group was obtained when using the strategies of competition, cooperation, compromise and adaptation, and no statistically significant effect was obtained on the avoidance style. There was no significant association between group membership and the choice of a particular behaviour style in conflict situations.

Conclusions. The indicator of the subjective importance of the group is one of the factors in choosing a style for behaviour in conflict within the group. From the results obtained, it can be assumed that the avoidance style is more closely related to other factors influencing the conflict, for example, with personal characteristics rather than with, belonging to a group.

Background. In the field of giftedness psychology, there remains a need to clarify how perfectionistic tendencies are linked to adolescents' internal reference points that shape their attitudes toward achievement and self-development. The study of the connotative characteristics of the personal ideal, which reflect deep value orientations and may either foster development or lead to maladaptation among intellectually gifted students is of particular importance.

Objective. The study aims to identify the relationships between different types of perfectionism and the connotative characteristics of adolescents' personal ideal in a sample of students with the signs of intellectual giftedness.

Study Participants. The study involved 92 adolescents with signs of intellectual giftedness (Mage = 14.5; SD = 0.85).

Methods. The instruments included the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS), the Personal Differential technique to assess the connotative characteristics of the personal ideal, and the questionnaire "I am inspired by…".

Results. The findings revealed that socially prescribed and self-oriented perfectionism were the most pronounced. The characteristics of the personal ideal on the scales of evaluation, strength, and activity correlate positively with perfectionism indicators. Group comparisons showed that adolescents with high levels of perfectionism tended to describe their personal ideal as stronger and more positive. These results are consistent with both international and Russian research on the dual nature of perfectionism, demonstrating its connection with adolescents' systems of personal orientations.

Conclusions. Analyzing the connotative characteristics of the personal ideal in the context of perfectionism provides deeper insight into the mechanisms underlying the development of value-motivational spheres in gifted adolescents. The results have practical implications for school psychologists, educators, and specialists supporting giftedness in education, highlighting the importance of preventing maladaptive forms of perfectionism and supporting constructive aspirations in students.

Background. Modern sociocultural transformations increase the need for brief and valid tools for comprehensive identity diagnosis, especially among youth, who are most susceptible to social changes. The “Express Technique for the Study of Identity Constructs of Russian Youth” is currently under development as a modular technique for the empirical study of youth identity in contemporary Russia.

Objective. The first stage of testing the author’s technique including confirmation of its basic structure and the internal consistency of its subscales is the scope of this study.

Study Participants. The study involved 475 participants aged 18 to 35 years (М = 26.8, SD = 2.4) from various regions of Russia, 58% of the respondents were female and 42% of the sample were male.

Methods. For the initial evaluation of the express tool, we used the coefficient of internal consistency (Cronbach’s α), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and Pearson correlation analysis to check convergent validity.

Results. During the initial validation stage, six out of ten subscales showed acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α ≥ 0.60), with four subscales exceeding the reliability threshold of 0.70, which was in line with established research standards. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the construct validity of most subscales (CFI and TLI > 0.95, RMSEA < 0.08). Inter-scale correlations revealed significant positive relationships among content-related identity constructs, confirming convergent validity. However, several subscales and individual items require additional development.

Conclusions. The initial results confirm the usefulness of the modular, express technique for studying youth identity constructs. However, the identified limitations highlight the need to refine individual items and analyse external validity and test-retest reliability indicators, which is the goal of future publications.

Background. The relevance of career choice motivation assessment is primarily related to the need to identify adolescents who need help in choosing a profession. demonstrating a sense of uncertainty and helplessness before making such a fateful decision. Russian psychodiagnostics lacks techniques for assessing motivation in profession choosing that correspond to current theoretical approaches in the psychology of motivation. The proposed questionnaire fills this gap.

Objective. The goal was to develop and approbate a Career Choice Motivation Questionnaire based on modern theoretical and methodological developments in the self-determination theory.

Study Participants. 295 high school students (156 tenth graders and 139 eleventh graders) from a Moscow school (average age M = 16.61; SD = 0.62, 41% girls, 55% boys, the rest did not specify gender).

Methods. The introduced Career Choice Motivation Questionnaire evaluates intrinsic motivation and different types of extrinsic motivation: identified, introjected, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation (5 scales, 3 items each). To assess its validity, we utilized indicators of the subjective quality of choice, satisfaction of basic psychological needs at school and at home, academic motivation and well-being. Descriptive statistics, the Mann-Whitney test, correlation analysis, multidimensional scaling, latent profile analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were applied to process quantitative data.

Results. An analysis of psychometric characteristics, including CFA and multidimensional scaling of the questionnaire items showed that the developed questionnaire is characterized by acceptable indicators of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha from 0.81 to 0.87) and a clear factor structure corresponding to the motivational continuum postulated in the self-determination theory. Convincing evidence has been obtained in favor of the structural and construct validity of the questionnaire. We obtained high correlations of intrinsic and identified vocational choice motivation with self-assessment of the choice quality and satisfaction with the choice, as well as with satisfaction of basic psychological needs at home and well-being.

Conclusions. The results indicate that the developed Career Choice Motivation Questionnaire is a reliable, valid and compact tool for vocational counseling and scientific research based on the self-determination theory.

Background. The artists' profession presupposes the ability to adapt rapidly and efficiently to the changing conditions. The study of artists' well-being and their being in demand in the professional sphere is of particular relevance, as they devote a significant part of their time to creative work and professional activities. Artists find it difficult to evaluate themselves as professionals, their own creativity as well as to regulate their own state, which becomes a consequence of a low level of psychological well-being, dissatisfaction with professional realization and demand along with emotional instability. Artists with different levels of psychological well-being tend to choose different behaviour strategies in the implementation of creative activity depending on the dominant parameters of professional demand.

Objective. The aim of the study was to identify statistically significant differences in measures of professional demand between artists with different levels of psychological well-being.

Study Participants. The study involved 120 artists aged 18 to 70. The criterion for participant selecting was the education obtained in a specialized secondary or higher education institution.

Methods. "The scales of psychological well-being" by C.D. Riff in modification of D.G. Orlova and "Professional Demand for Person" (PVL) by E.V. Kharitonova and B.A. Yasko were used. Data processing included Pearson correlation coefficient, one-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA), Scheffe's method.

Results. Artists with a high level of psychological well-being in contrast to artists with medium and low levels expressed the following parameters of being in professional demand: satisfaction with the realization of professional potential, belonging to a professional community, experience of professional demand, professional competence, professional credibility, evaluation of the results of professional activity, attitude of others and self-attitude, and the general level of professional demand.

Conclusions. Statistically significant differences in the indicators of professional demand were revealed among artists with different levels of psychological well-being. They differ in their attitudes towards themselves, creative activity, realization as well as to the degree of satisfaction with demand in the professional sphere.

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.

Background. Despite the widespread application and established efficacy of both psychoeducational programmes and metacognitive training for patients with depression, the lack of direct comparative studies on their effectiveness leaves a significant gap in clinical practice.

Objective. The objective of this study is to conduct a comparative analysis of the therapeutic effects of a psychoeducational programme and metacognitive training in patients experiencing a depressive episode, recurrent depressive disorder, and bipolar affective disorder.

Study Participants. A total of 81 patients participated in the study: 29 men and 52 women, all diagnosed with a current depressive episode (mean Beck Depression Inventory score: 27.8). The mean age of participants was 30.7 years.

Methods. A comparative study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of two group interventions in inpatients with depression: metacognitive training and a psychoeducational programme. Assessments were performed at three time points: before the intervention, immediately after completion, and at a follow-up 6 months later. Psychopathological symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Apathy Evaluation Scale, Self-rated version (AES-S), and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). Individual psychological characteristics were evaluated with the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS), the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ). Data were analysed using the Mann-Whitney U test and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

Results. Both group interventions demonstrated a reduction in depressive symptoms immediately post-intervention and at the 6-month follow-up. Metacognitive training demonstrates superiority in correcting maladaptive metacognitions: it reduces dysfunctional beliefs, increases adaptive coping strategies (planning in problem-solving and others), and maintains its effectiveness at follow-up. The psychoeducational programme affects the reduction of belief in the need to thought control selectively.

Conclusions. Both programmes were associated with a reduction in depressive symptoms; however, metacognitive training demonstrated a more pronounced and sustained effect in modifying deeper structures, such as dysfunctional and metacognitive beliefs, which, in turn, contribute to the chronicity of depression.