Rikel, A.M.

Background. Against the background of increased attention to the category of generation in social psychology, the methodological possibility of studying generations and intergenerational differences is analyzed. The existing limitations of this kind of research are suggested and classified; methods for leveling these limitations are proposed.

Objective is to propose and test an empirically correct scheme for the study of generations in social psychology.

Sample. The material on which this scheme was tested was obtained in the course of an Internet survey (951 people).

Methods. The survey included a modified author’s Lifeline methodology to explore perceptions of cultural life scenarios. The method of analysis of the results involved the study of the possibility to apply APC (age-period-cohort) analysis to socio-psychological studies of intergenerational differences.

Results. A scheme for the study of intergenerational differences has been proposed and substantiated, including, in particular, the use of theoretical meta-analyses, the methodology of APC analysis and the study of complex attitudes of the cultural life script (CLS).

Conclusions. The conclusion is made on the need to abandon studies of traditional generations and the need to move to smaller units of analysis — quasi-generations in line with socio-psychological methodology.

Relevance. The problem of homosexuality is constantly in the spotlight of the mass media, social media and politicians. Psychological studies of this phenomenon are easier to find in foreign rather than in Russian research. At the same time the cultural and national specificity of attitudes towards the phenomenon of homosexuality seems obvious as well as a significant polarization of opinions within society itself. This polarization can be gender, urban, class, and intergenerational, as evidenced by numerous sociological polls. With significant attention to this issue at the level of social strata, there are not many attempts to analyze the concept of homosexuality in line with the socio-psychological tradition.In a number of previous studies it was revealed that the modern Z Gen is distinguished by greater tolerance and freedom of views in terms of attitude towards traditionally segregated social groups. 

The purpose of this study was to identify perceptions of homosexuality among different generations of modern Russians. Homosexuality has been singled out among other sexual orientations (LGBT) as the most discussed in public discourse. The subject of the research is social perceptions of homosexuality, particularly among representatives of different generations. 

Methods. The methodological basis of the research was the study of the structure of social perceptions (metho P. Vergesse method). The research methods were the author's questionnaire aimed at identifying perceptions of homosexuality as well as a modified version of the RAHI questionnaire (Gulevich et al., 2016). The study sample consisted of 444 people (residents of the Russian Federation,16 to 65 years old). 

Results and Conclusions. The hypotheses of the study were confirmed: an inverse relationship between age (belonging to a generational cohort) and perceptions of homosexuality as normative was revealed. A significant difference was shown in the Z Gen perceptions in terms of tolerance of homosexuality. The so-called double standards were identified in terms of attitudes towards male and female homosexuality. The rooted concept of homosexuality as a relationship based on a sexual rather than a romantic-spiritual level, was stated. 

Relevance. Research into the factors determining attraction between people is the most generally accepted paradigm in modern social psychology. The principal innovation of this study is its differentiation of the factor of the similarity of attitudes (both positive and negative), which was not introduced in previous works, either theoretical or empirical. At the same time, it seems apparent that “similarity of attitudes” is too global a characterization and requires further discrimination. Distinguishing between positive and negative attitudes makes obvious empirical sense: To what extent is similarity in some negative attitudes more important than in positive ones?

Objective. To determine the impact of coinciding negative and positive attitudes on attraction to strangers in women.

Methods. The study involved two stages. The sample at the first stage comprised 162 women, at the second there were 47; the average age of the participants was 19 years. The main methodological technique was a modified version of D. Byrne’s “fake stranger”. Statistical processing of the data included one-way analysis of variance and subsequent assessment of the significance of the differences in the dynamics of the attraction obtained by introducing additional information in the form of positive and negative attitudes corresponding to respondents' own attitudes.

Results. The introduction of additional information about attitudes that coincide with those of the respondent had a significant impact on attraction. The differences between the coincidence of the so-called positive and negative attitudes were analyzed. The authors propose a number of interpretations of the results in line with concepts relevant to modern socio-psychological science, relating to various theoretical orientations (psychoanalysis, cognitivism, interactionism, etc.).

Conclusion. In the case of coinciding negative attitudes, the increase of the resulting attraction to the object is more significant than in the case of coinciding positive attitudes.

In different studies the concept of "subjective well-being" varies with related concepts and constructs ("life satisfaction", "happiness", "psychological well-being"). Hedonic traditions of interpretation of subjective well-being involve affective experiences as a central component, and eudmonistic variants emphasize the importance of self-realization processes of the individuals. Subjective well-being when considering it as satisfaction with life is determined by the objective conditions of human existence, but sometimes indirectly. The article describes the main results of an empirical study of eudemonic and hedonistic factors, conducted on 120 young people (students, 18-26, 60 male and 60 female). The hedonistic aspect of subjective well-being is connected both with the conditions of the environment and with personal characteristics, including eudemonistic. These objective and subjective characteristics can be called factors that determine the level of subjective well-being, but since it performs regulatory functions and directs the transforming activity of the subject, it is more correct to talk about the interdependence of these parameters. Self-relationship is connected with a sense of subjective well-being - positive self-perception, self-interest and self-acceptance increase subjective well-being, but in combination with unfavorable external conditions (in particular, low life fullness), on the contrary, reduce the experience of happiness and satisfaction. At the same time, the most important thing in experiencing happiness and satisfaction with life in adolescence is the eudemonic characteristics of a person - self-belief, maturity and the value of positive relationships with others. Realization of the potential acts as the central factor of hedonistic aspects of subjective well-being.

In this article author analyses the existing approaches to success and successful behaviour concepts, its factor theories and success models in different cultures and societies. 

Moscow Winter Psychological School(WPS) of students, post-graduate students and young scientists “Psychology of social problems: Challenges of the XXI century”.