Adaptivity as the integral phenomenon: empirical verification

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Problems of the personality adaptation to new or changing environmental conditions at a new stage of development of the modern world are of particular relevance. Modern researchers pay attention to analyzing psychological problems of adaptation in the context of globalization, internalization in the main spheres of life of a modern person (labour, training, communication, etc.), strengthening of migration processes, as well as in relation to issues of social and environmental sustainability. The psychological factors of human adaptation to new professions and transformations in the structure of the work of a person who require new competencies are studied. At the same time, the classical directions of theoretical-empirical developments in the field of psychological adaptation do not lose their importance: problems of coping with stress, psychosomatic regulation, psychological well-being of the personality, life-stability, and others.

A review of the researches of recent years convinces us of the need for knowledge about the psychological patterns of personality adaptation to different types and conditions of the environment. At the same time, we consider it relevant to analyse adaptability as a personality's property which acts as a universal internal factor of adaptation, independent of a particular situation, type of activity, characteristics of groups, accompanying circumstances and the stage of the adaptation process itself.

Adaptability directly provides a balance in the system of interaction between the personality and the environment which allows it to effectively implement life and self-development in changing conditions.

Functionally, this manifests itself in the regulation of the dynamics, quality, content and effectiveness of the adaptation process in all conditions, situations of interaction of the personality with the environment (first of all, with the social one). The versatility and multidimensionality of such a functioning requires a systematic look at the structure of this property, taking into account its heterogeneity, complexity, integrity, and the creation of a model that exhaustively represents the internal organization of adaptability.

The cognition of the phenomenology of adaptability, its structure and the regularities of the internal organization is an important theoretical problem the solution of which creates conditions for the development of psychological practice (psychodiagnostic, psycho-developing, psycho-corrective work with adaptents).

The purpose of this study is the theoretical substantiation and empirical testing of the model of the multilevel structure of adaptability as the integral property of the personality.

The tasks are as follows: 1) as a result of systematization and generalization of the literature on the issue, to search for essential attributes (elements) of adaptability, to develop a model of the multilevel structure of this property based on the provisions of the continual-hierarchical concept of the personality; 2) to create a complex of psychodiagnostic methods that allow studying the indicators of different levels of adaptability; 3) to study the regularities of the relationship between the subsystems (levels) of adaptability and the peculiarities of their inclusion in an integrated system.

The study used a system of methods: theoretical (analysis of the literature on the problem of personality adaptability and its structure, systematization, generalization of existing provisions with the aim of understanding the phenomenology and the nature of the studied property, as well as description of its key features (elements); the system method to understand the interrelations of elements of adaptability as a complex property; theoretical simulation to create a model of a multi-level structure of adaptability); empirical (observation, conversation, testing for the analysis of empirically verified parameters of the structure of adaptability); mathematical-statistical (mathematical processing of data, correlation analysis). Statistical data was processed, using SPSS for Windows 17.0.

For the study of the indicators of adaptability, reflecting its complex component-level structure, author's techniques were used: “Test-questionnaire for Social Adaptability” (Sannikova, Kuznetsova, 2009), the last testing of which was made in 2015, and a self-esteem version of the technique “Structural Composition of Personal Adaptability” (Sannikova, Kuznetsova, 2017). The methods are aimed at diagnosing a wide spectrum of indicators of formal-dynamic, content-personal, socialimperative levels which allows revealing the relationships between them and describe adaptability, as a holistic and simultaneously multi-faceted property.

The sample of the study included students of the Faculty of Post-Graduate Education, students and postgraduate students of the South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University named after K.D.Ushynsky at the age of 21 to 40 years, (n=310). Psychodiagnostic research was carried out in 2017.

The review of psychological literature has shown, on the one hand, that there is a significant interest in the problem of adaptability which has been realized in a large number of works focused on the study of some of its forms: cognitive (Abbott, Forsythe, 2009), career (Bimrose, Hearne, 2012), professional (Brown, Lent, 2016), family (Alayi, Gatab & Khamen, 2011); (MartinezPampliega, Iraurgi, Galindez & Sanz, 2006), etc. On the other hand, the analysis of adaptability as an independent psychological phenomenon in most works is rather superficial. Most often, there are obvious signs of adaptability, as a certain ability of the personality. For example, adaptability is seen as individual psychological peculiarities of the personality which allow successful adaptation to unusual, changed conditions of existence (Nalchajyan, 2010).

Attempts to reveal the essential aspects of adaptability as a complex psychic phenomenon led to the understanding of it as a polysystem functional and structural characteristic feature of the integral individuality determined by the totality of its various levels of individual characteristics (individual, personal and subjective properties of a person) manifested in the indicators of productivity and homeostasis (Rozov, 2012). In this case, the phenomenon is analyzed from the standpoint of the system approach as: 1) a holistic object, not reducible to the sum of its elements; 2) as a property the activity of which is determined by the peculiarities of its structure; 3) in inseparable communication and interaction with the environment; 4) as a hierarchical formation in which there are leading and subordinate subsystems and elements; 5) as a complex object of cognition the adequacy of which is determined by the plurality of descriptions each of which reflects only a certain aspect (ibid.).

Referring to these provisions, and also taking into account the ideas of homeostaticity as a principle of adaptation (Akoff, Emery, 1974), the organization of a functional system (Anokhin, 1978), on the adaptation as a special form of reflection of the effects of the environment (Georgievsky, 1989), we assume that the essence of adaptability is connected with the ability of any selfregulating system to make changes and modifications in the direction of maintaining the equilibrium relations of this system with the environment. In the process of activity of the system this can be expressed in the tendency to preserve the stability of previous adaptations, as well as the formation of new ones, depending on the system's assessment of the state of the environment.

For the personality as a complex self-regulating and self-developing system, adaptability is an immanent property. It characterizes the ability for internal (psychological) and external (behavioral) transformations, restructurings, aimed at preserving or restoring the equilibrium relationships of a person with a microand macro-social environment in the event of changes in the characteristics of this environment (Sannikova, Kuznetsova, 2009).

The theoretical basis of the system analysis of adaptability (from the standpoint of the structural approach), undertaken in this work, was the continual-hierarchical concept of the personality (Sannikova, 1995). Its most important positions are integrated within the framework of the multidimensional model of the personality structure according to which the personality is considered as a macrosystem consisting of multilevel, interconnected subsystems. As levels (subsystems): 1) formal-dynamic; 2) content-personal; 3) social-imperative ones are distinguished. Each property of the personality, each of his/her features in the context of this structure is regarded as a continuum that “permeates” all the substructures of the personality, mutually penetrating into each other which indicates the dimensionality (continuity) of the personality's property, its integrity and continuity. At the same time, the grouping of elements of the system into subsystems (levels), combining them into relatively independent, isolated aggregates, provides it with certain discreteness (ibid.).

From these positions, in this paper, adaptability is analyzed as a single integral system the structure of which reflects the most important subsystems of the personality.

Adaptability at the formal-dynamic level of the personality is represented by characteristics that reflect the peculiarities of the appearance of its manifestations and the form of their implementation in the adaptive situation; at the qualitative level (“adjacent zone” between formaldynamic and content-personal levels) it contains characteristics, reflecting the psychological essence of the phenomenon under study (cognitive, emotional, behavioral aspects), as well as a vector of orientation to certain spheres of life. At the content-personal level adaptability manifests itself in the following distinctive features: adaptive setting, values, ability to consciously regulate adaptive processes, stable personality preferences in the use of certain forms of adaptive behavior, its strategies in typical social situations.

At the level of individual experience, selfconsciousness (“adjacent zone” between the contentpersonal and the social-imperative levels), self-assessment of one's own adaptability, knowledge of the personality about its adaptive possibilities, the self-attitude as an adaptive subject, and the personal “norms” of adaptive behavior act as a component of adaptability. At the socialimperative level, adaptability includes a system of knowledge about psychosocial adaptation as a phenomenon of inclusion of the personality into a group, its meaning and manifestations, about socially accepted ways of adaptive behavior of the personality, i.e. about the norms of behavior in the adaptation situations characteristic of a given culture. Fig. 1 shows the model of the componentlevel structure of adaptability.

Thus, adaptability is considered in the unity of formal-dynamic and qualitative characteristics which are considered as basic in the aggregate of all signs of adaptability of the personality, as well as its content-personal and social imperative qualities that appear in the process of development and socialization of the personality, as a result of conscious control and reflection of his/her resources in the processes of interaction with the external and internal environment. The components of the higher levels of adaptability together provide not only a flexible, differentiated and meaningful adaptation of the personality to the environment, but also in their development launch mechanisms of psychological growth of the personality, strengthening his/her autonomy, integrity, maturity.

To test the presented theoretical positions on the structure of adaptability as an integral unity of its subsystems, internally organized on the basis of intra-level and inter-level relationships, we organized an empirical study. The study of the patterns of the organization of the adaptability components, representing its different levels was carried out by means of a correlation analysis of indicators of formal-dynamic (qualitative), content-personal and social-imperative levels of adaptability.

First of all, let us consider the results of the intercorrelation analysis of the indicators relating to one level.

It was found that all the formal-dynamic and qualitative indicators being studied positively correlate with one another at a 1% level of statistical significance which indicates the close interrelation and the monolithic nature of the attributes of adaptability presented by them (Table 1). This is indicative of close conjugacy and integration of the most important aspects of adaptability: cognitive (understanding of the adaptation situation), emotional (attitude towards adaptive situation) and behavioral (readiness for action to achieve equilibrium with a new environment).

Intercorrelation analysis of the indicators of the content-personal level showed an inhomogeneity of the signs of adaptability attributed to this level (Table 2). The evaluative and regulatory blocks are distinguished as relatively autonomous parts of the aggregate of attributes of adaptability (with all indicators correlating positively at 1% level with the general indicator of personal adaptability). The evaluative block is represented by indicators of the setting (AdS) and value components (AdV), interconnected at the level p < 0.01. The regulatory block is represented by control and regulatory (AdCR), reflexive (AdR), subjective-normative (AdSN) and a posterioriregulatory (AdAR) components which are also interconnected at a high level (p < 0.01). Between the blocks, the interaction is carried out through the value component (AdV) correlating with the control-regulatory (AdCR) (p < 0.01), the subjective-normative (AdSN) and a posteriori-regulatory (AdPR) (p < 0.05) components.

Fig. 1. Model of Component-Level Structure of Adaptability

Table 1. Interrelation of Indicators of Formal-Dynamic and Qualitative Level of Adaptability

Notes: 1) N = 310; 2) zeros and commas are omitted; 3) the notation shows the connection at the level of 5% (p < 0.05), the symbol "**" at the level of 1% (p < 0.01); 4) list of conditional abbreviations in the table: LCSS latitude of coverage of signals of society; EUSS ease of understanding and hierarchizing the signals of society; AOSE accuracy of orientation in social expectations; SEE stability of emotional experience; RC readiness to change; RMCA readiness to make constructive actions aimed at overcoming failures; RPA readiness to perform actions aimed at achieving the goal; GA general indicator of adaptability.

Table 2. Significant Correlation Coefficients Between Indicators of the Content-Personal Level of Adaptability

Note. Here and thereafter: 1) a list of conditional abbreviations in the table: AdS setting component, AdV value component, AdCR control-regulatory component, AdR reflexive component, AdSN subjective-normative component, AdPR a posteriori-regulatory component, AdIO imperative-orientation component, AdIT ideologicaltransformational component; GIPA general indicator of personality adaptability.

The social-imperative level is considered as an independent subsystem in the structure of adaptability, therefore we performed an inter-correlation analysis of its indicators separately. According to the initial assumption, there is a positive correlation between the indicators of the social-imperative level (p < 0.01) and their integration into a single space of signs of adaptability, as evidenced by links with the general indicator (p < 0.01).

Thus, as a result of the consideration of the links between the one-level signs of adaptability, their close interdependence and proximity have been established. The high uniformity of the signs, their meaningful unity is noted at the formal-dynamic (qualitative) and socialimperative levels. The attributes of the content-personal level, which we have allocated, form two blocks evaluation and regulatory which together provide the ability to consciously manage the adaptive changes of the personality as a self-organizing and self-developing system. At the same time, all the partial attributes of adaptability, presenting its subsystems, are clearly consistent with the generalized parameters which indicate their unification within the framework of a single phenomenological field.

Let us consider the features of interrelations between indicators of different levels of adaptability.

The obtained data on the interconnections between the indicators of the content-personal and the socialimperative levels are indicative of their close interaction and at the same time their non-identity. In the process of interaction, the organization of inter-level linkages is provided by the conjunction of different aspects of both levels. Thus, the imperative-orientation component in its manifestation involves aspects of the content-personality attributes of adaptability, represented by the value, control-regulating, subjective-normative, a posterioriregulatory components (p < 0,01). The ideological transformational component is associated with the setting, value, control-regulating, reflexive components (p < 0.01) which act as a precondition for the readiness of the individual to accept new ideas, concepts and narratives.

The results of the correlation analysis of the indicators for all three levels of adaptability are presented in Table 3.

Table 3. Significant Correlation Coefficients Between the Indicators of Different Levels of Personality Adaptability

The results of the correlation analysis show the existence of a plurality of positive links (p < 0.01; p < 0.05) between the indicators of the considered levels of adaptability. It is noteworthy that the general indicator of personality adaptability correlates with all formal-dynamic and qualitative indicators of adaptability which emphasizes the integral tendencies in the interaction of the characteristics of different levels of adaptability.

In the links of indicators of formal-dynamic and content-personal levels there are obvious differences in the evaluative-regulatory block. With the formal-dynamic characteristics, the indicators of the regulatory block are most closely interconnected. This is especially true with regard to the control-regulatory (AdCR), a posterioriregulatory (AdPR) and subjective-regulatory (AdSR) (p < 0,01) components which indicates their role as the most powerful parameters integrating the basic and higher characteristics in a single whole phenomenon of adaptability.

There are also links of formal-dynamic indicators relating to the cognitive and behavioral components with the reflexive component (AdR) (p < 0.05), (p < 0.01). This fact reflects the unity of the functioning of cognitive processes in the system of adaptability not only for understanding the circumstances of the adaptation situation, but also understanding the personality's adaptive resources, his/her adaptive profile. And the material for such a reflection is the acts and deeds, the readiness for their accomplishment which is noted as a behavioral component of adaptability.

As for the indicators of the evaluation block of the content-personal characteristics (settings (AdS) and values (AdV) components), they have very little to do with the formal-dynamic aspects of adaptability. The setting component (AdS) correlates with AOSE (accuracy of orientation in social expectations) (p < 0.05), since the motivational setting for an adaptive change in new circumstances involves the desire not to lag behind external changes, “pour” into a new environment that is based on understanding and correct evaluation by the personality of the requirements and expectations of the social environment about the joint interaction.

The value component (AdV) is connected with the RC (readiness to change) indicator (p < 0.01) which shows the interdependence of representation in the system of personality orientation of adaptability as instrumental value and its tendency to acquire new experience, its ability to absorb it, transforming itself. Such connections seem to be regular, and their insignificant number reflects the fact that the evaluation block represents the contentpersonal characteristics that are maximally independent of the psychodynamic basis because they greater express “personal” in the personality (its essence) and are socially conditioned.

Links of indicators of social-imperative (higher) level with signs of formal-dynamic (basic) level of adaptability are organized differently. The imperative-orientation component (AdIO) interacts tightly with the formaldynamic characteristics (practically all indicators), predominantly at 1% level, except for the LCSS indicator (p < 0.05). The ideological-transformational component (AdIT) is much less dependent on the basic characteristics of adaptability, since they represent very different “elements”.

So, setting, value, and ideological-transformational components very slightly correlate with the formaldynamic characteristics of adaptability.

Such a result is natural because their essence is related to the level of personality orientation which reflects the degree of its “immersion” in culture, society that does not cover the direct involvement of the naturally conditioned traits. At the same time, the aspects of adaptability which reflect the regulatory processes at different levels of this property interact closely with each other.

The obtained data on the connections between the indicators of both methods indicate the interdependence of the signs of different levels of adaptability, their integration into a single whole.

The presented results of the correlation analysis demonstrate the interdependence of most of the selected indicators of adaptability, representing its various levels, and also reveal a set of intra-level and inter-level relationships that organize and maintain the integrity of adaptabilhy.

The approach, realized in the study of the structure of adaptability, on the one hand, is consistent with the ideas of a number of scientists about its complex and multilevel organization (Rozov, 2012), (Maklakov, 2001), (Posokhov, 2001) and allows us to overcome the view of the structure of adaptability as a heterarchic set of components (Simaeva, 2006). On the other hand, the proposed model not only reflects the hierarchical co-organization between the attributes of adaptability, but also contains a detailed description of each of the levels represented by an invariant set of elements (components). This is adequate to the idea of adaptability as a stable independent property of the personality which is characterized by a relatively constant part of the relationship between its components, i.e. fixed component-level structure.

It is precisely such a specific organization of this property that determines the super-situational nature of its manifestation in any sphere of the personality life (Nahljajyan, 2010). In addition, in the presented model of the multi-level structure of adaptability, the principle of continuality (incessancy), revealing the nature of the formation of this property, was also reflected. Adaptability as one of the fundamental properties of the personality acquires meaningful signs in accordance with the course of development of the personality, its general laws which envisage the movement of the personality from the biologically conditioned (basic) characteristics to the socially determinate (higher) qualities with the strengthening of self-regulation. Thus, a theoretically substantiated and empirically verified model of a multilevel, multicomponent structure of adaptability takes into account the following basic characteristics of this personality property: stability, systemicity, integrity, continuality, hierarchy, invariance.

In this paper, adaptability is considered as the ability for internal (psychological) and external (behavioral) transformations, reconstructions, aimed at preserving or restoring the equilibrium of relationships of the personality with a microand macro-social environment in the event of changes in the characteristics of this environment.

The study of adaptability as a single integral system was carried out on the basis of the continualhierarchical concept of the personality in accordance with the basic provisions of which all elements of a complex Is multilevel system are degrees included in a certain hierarchy where the lower levels of psychic have subordinated character, that is, are subordinated, and governed by the higher ones, but the higher, acting on the basis of the lower ones, relying on them, at the same time are not reduced to them.

A model of a holistic and multilevel structure of adaptability as a stable personality property has been developed. In this structure, the signs of adaptability, representing formal-dynamic, qualitative, contentpersonal levels, level of individual experience, as well as social-imperative level are considered. The component composition of the indicators of these levels of adaptability has been clarified. The formal-dynamic and qualitative attributes of adaptability are represented by the following aggregate: the breadth of coverage of the signals of society, the ease of their recognition and hierarchization, the accuracy of orientation in social expectations (cognitive component), the stability of emotional experience, readiness to change (emotional component), readiness for constructive actions directed to overcome failures, readiness for actions aimed at achieving the goal (behavioral component); the direction of adaptability. At the contentpersonal level of adaptability and level of individual experience: setting, value, control-regulatory components, reflexive, subjective-normative, a posteriori-regulatory components have been explicated. The social-imperative level contains imperative-orientation and ideologicaltransformational components. In this case, the components of different levels of adaptability interact with each other, complement each other and together form an integral property that is irreducible to the sum of its components which can be regarded as the systemic property of the personality endowed with the activity of a holistic object.

It has been empirically proved that there are many interconnections between the indicators of formaldynamic, content-personal, and social-imperative levels of adaptability. The obtained data represent a set of intralevel and inter-level relationships, organizing and maintaining the integrity of adaptability. The integrative role is played by the parameters of the regulatory block (controlregulative, a posteriori-regulative and subjectivenormative), combining the basic and higher characteristics of adaptability into a single integral structure. This proves the integrity of adaptability as a system of signs reflecting different forms of psychic activity and levels of mental functioning.

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