The psychological characteristics of student pilots in view of different minimal brain dysfunction and minimal brain damage

The traditional view of the extremely negative role of minimal dysfunction and brain damage in the psychological status of a person requires experimental verification on a large and relatively homogeneous sample of examinees. The study presents the test results for 500 male student pilots aged 18-19 who are physically and mentally healthy according to the Pathocharacterologic Diagnostic Questionnaire, the 16PF Questionnaire by R. Cattell, and the Neuropsychic Instability and Accentuation Questionnaire. The cognitive indicators, military and professional motivation and minimal brain dysfunction rates are recorded. The results are differentiated by the minimal brain criteria. The most complex form of minimal brain dysfunction (MBD) was evident in 14.7% of cases, and minimal brain damage (Index B) was typical for 6.8%. There is no relationship among these criteria. High values of Index B indicating the organic nature of psychopathy is positively correlated with the indicators of emotional stability, credulity, expressiveness, non-anxiety, self-control, attention, intelligence, insight, military and professional motivation. When Index B is high, the functions of the right side of the body, audio modality of perception, left-brain thinking are less evident. MBD indicator is positively correlated with the practical thinking, self-sufficiency, audio modality of perception and the left type of action. MBD plays the negative role for intelligence, image memory, visual modality of perception, and such indicators of military and professional motivation as the developed worldview and self-regulation of impulses. These qualities are subject to correction by means of psychological training of personal development. The results obtained suggest that both criteria are informative when assessing professional suitability.