Stress resistance in pedagogical university students: Features, factors, and development opportunities

Statement of the problem. Interest in research in the field of stress tolerance is associated with the features of transition to the information society, acceleration of scientific and technological progress, increased competition and professional requirements. The development of stress tolerance is of particular importance in professions associated with extreme and emotionally stressful conditions, including the teaching profession. The article examines the features of stress tolerance development in students of a pedagogical university, discusses the factors influencing the stress tolerance of future teachers. The theoretical and methodological foundation of the study was the analysis and generalization of scientific Russian and international studies of stress resistance by such authors as D. Amirkhan, D. Grinberg, W. Cannon, R. Lazarus, L. Murphy, G. Selye, S. Volkman, and others. The structure of stress resistance is considered on the basis of generalization of approaches by N.I. Berezhnaya, Yu.N. Guryanov, A.L. Rudakov, M.F. Sekacha, R.M. Shagiev. Overall, 68 first-year female students of the KSPU named after V.P. Astafyev participated in the study. The following specific psychodiagnostic methods were used: questionnaire for assessment of neuropsychiatric stability (NPS) Forecast 2 (V.Y. Rybnikov); questionnaire of psychological resistance to stress (OPUS); “Motivation for success and fear of failure” (MOON) by A.A. Rean; questionnaire “Indicator of coping strategies” (CSI) by D. Amirkhan; questionnaire of volitional self-control (VSK) (A.G. Zverkov and E.V. Eidman); Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI) questionnaire. Statistical data processing was performed using the calculation of primary descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and factor analysis. The statistical indicators were calculated using the SPSSStatistics 22.0 computer statistical program. Research results. The study showed the presence of positive and negative relationships of varying degrees of severity between the components of stress tolerance in students of a pedagogical university. The key factors influencing the formation of neuropsychiatric stability are highlighted, such as the frequency of encounters with conflict situations, high self-esteem, the ability to adequately respond to external physical factors, the choice of coping strategies, the level of volitional self-regulation and cognitive flexibility. Special attention is paid to the role of motivation for success, which helps students to activate in stressful situations and influences the choice of stress management strategies. The established correlations confirm the importance of all these components for the formation of students’ overall stress tolerance. The conducted research confirms the importance of an integrated approach to the development of stress tolerance among students of pedagogical universities, including the development of strongwilled qualities, self-management skills, and adequate adaptation mechanisms to various stressful influences. Conclusion. The revealed interrelations between the components of stress tolerance and neuropsychiatric stability, motivational orientation, dominant coping strategies, and strong-willed personality traits of students create the basis for the development and implementation of a group psychological counseling program aimed at increasing the level of stress tolerance in future teachers.