Value and sense preferences of modern students

Background. In the context of the worldview transformations that our dynamic time is so rich in, questions of the value and sense preferences of a person become especially relevant. These issues are especially significant in the youthful period. The awareness of young people of their value and sense preferences allows them to build their own path of behavior. Aim: The article aims to study value and sense preferences in adolescence (for example, in university students). Materials and methods. The study involved first to five-year students of Chelyabinsk State University, South Ural State Medical University and South Ural State Humanitarian and Pedagogical University aged 17-22 (n = 100, 60 females and 40 males). The following psychodiagnostic methods were used: the test of meaning-life orientations (MLO) by D.A. Leontiev; the Value Orientations method by M. Rokich. To check the significance of differences, the Student t-test for independent samples, the Pearson Chi-square test and the r-Spearman correlation coefficient were calculated using the IBM SPSS STATISTICS v.23 statistical software package. Results. It was found that the indicators of MLO in first-year students are slightly higher than in fourth or fifth-year students, while the rates for females are higher than for males. The predominant interest is in the values of personal life and individualistic values, while abstract and conformist values are not particularly significant for males and females in these samples. Conclusion. The data obtained allow to judge about various value and sense preferences in the youthful period. Value and sense preferences are determined by honesty and courage in persisting in one’s opinion, determining the purpose of life, understanding personal responsibility for one’s life and its results.