Individual-psychological predictors of adaptive behavior of adolescents

Introduction. The problem of studying individual psychological predictors of adolescent adaptive behavior is determined by its social significance, on the one hand, and the lack of a unified theory which explains the determination of adolescent adaptive behavior, on the other hand. The purpose of the article is to present and to analyze the results of theoretical and regression research on self-image (self-attitude) and coping strategies as individual psychological predictors of adolescent adaptive behavior. Materials and Methods. Research methodology consists of existential and socially-oriented approaches, personality theories, and developmental stage theories. The authors employed the following methods: N. N. Melnikova’s Adaptive Behavior Strategies questionnaire (ASP-1 adolescent form); V.V. Stolin and S. R. Panteleev’s Self-attitude questionnaire; N.P. Fetiskin, V. V. Kozlov, and G. M. Manuilov’s Questionnaire of overcoming behavior; methods of mathematical and statistical analysis (descriptive statistics, K. Pearson’s correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, and SPSS 19.0 for WINDOWS software). Results. The study shows significant correlations between self-attitude indicators, coping strategies, and adaptive behavior of adolescents. Regression analysis confirms that formation of adaptive behavior is mostly determined by the following independent variables: the integral level of self-relationship, self-confidence, self-understanding, humor, expression of feelings, etc. The content and focus of this analysis are largely determined by the level of self-attitude of adolescents. It is revealed that increasing positive general undifferentiated self-attitude corresponds to growth of the independent variables. Conclusions. The undertaken theoretical research has revealed and proved the dependence of adaptive behavior of adolescents on external and internal factors. The internal factors include such coping strategies as coping with stress and self-attitude which perform the function of individual psychological predictors of individual’s adaptive behavior. The empirical research followed by mathematical and statistical data analysis has confirmed the assumption that adaptive behavior depends on preferred coping strategies and indicators of self-attitude.