Contemporary psychological perspectives on personal readiness for professional activity

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Contemporary psychological perspectives on personal readiness for professional activity

Andrii Shymanslyi

Vinnytsia Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi State Pedagogical University postgraduate student at the Department of psychology and social work (Ukraine)

У статті висвітлено результати теоретичного аналізу поняття «психологічна готовність», як стану готовності діяти або реагувати на подразник. А «психологічна готовність до професійної діяльності», в свою чергу, розглядається як позитивне ставлення до цінності та сенсу виконуваної професійної ролі та прийняття своєї здатності її виконувати. Розглянуто основні структурні компоненти психологічної готовності особистості до професійної діяльності, який включає в себе операційну, емоційну, соціально-психологічну, психофізіологічну складову. Вказано, що психологічна готовність до професії є важливою складовою самовдосконалення студента, сприяє самореалізації у професійній сфері. Підкреслено особливість психологічної готовності до професійної діяльності військовослужбовців. Зазначено важливість емоційного інтелекту та емпатії, як складової психологічної готовності особистості до професійної діяльності. Визначено високу кориляцію між розвитком емоційного інтелекту та складовими психологічної готовності, а саме: впливу внутрішньо-особистісного емоційного інтелекту на когнітивно-цільову складову психологічної готовності; міжособистісного емоційного інтелекту на поведінкову складову психологічної готовності, як чинника забезпечення успішної професійної діяльності фахівців різного профілю. Запропоноване обов'язкове включення методик дослідження емоційного інтелекту та емпатії при дослідженні психологічної готовності особистості до професійної діяльності.

Ключові слова: Психологічна готовність, професійна діяльність, готовність особистості.

The article highlights the results of the theoretical analysis of the concept of "psychological readiness" as a state of readiness to act or react to a trigger. "Psychological readiness for professional activity", in turn, is seen as a positive attitude towards the value and meaning of the professional role and acceptance of one's ability to perform it. The main structural components of the psychological readiness of an individual for professional activity, which includes operational, emotional, socio-psychological, psychophysiological components, have been considered. It has been indicated that psychological readiness for the profession is an important component of the student's self-improvement, promotes self-realisation in the professional sphere. The peculiarity of psychological readiness for professional activity of military personnel has been highlighted. The importance of emotional intelligence and empathy as a component of a person's psychological readiness for professional activity has been noted. A high correlation between the development of emotional intelligence and the components of psychological readiness has been determined, namely: the influence of intrapersonal emotional intelligence on the cognitive-target component of psychological readiness; the influence of interpersonal emotional intelligence on the behavioural component of psychological readiness as a factor in ensuring the successful professional activity of specialists of different profiles. The mandatory inclusion of methods of studying emotional intelligence and empathy in the study of psychological readiness of a person for professional activity has been suggested.

Key words: psychological readiness, professional activity, personal readiness. psychological readiness professional activity

Formulation of the problem

In today's rapidly changing world, an individual encounters numerous internal and external challenges and obstacles before starting his or her professional career. Psychological readiness is a complex, interdisciplinary concept that includes a large number of different cognitive, behavioural and emotional processes. Psychological readiness is the key to quality professional activity. Analysis of recent research and publications. The problem of psychological readiness has been studied in earlier works by the following scholars: B. H. Ananiev, H. O. Ball, O. O. Bodaliov, V. A.Bodrova, O. I. Bondarchuk, B. S. Bratus, N. Yu. Volianiuk, N. S. Holovniova, V. I. Hordienko,Ye. O. Klimov, L. M. Karamushka, O. V. Kyrychuk, H. V. Lozhkin, P. V. Lushin, S. D. Maksymenko, L. M. Mitina, V. F. Morhun, V. A. Semychenko, M. Selihman, E. E. Symaniuk, L. A. Snihur, T. S.Yatsenko. However, the majority of researchers focused on general aspects of psychological readiness.

The difficulty of studying the problem of psychological readiness is also related to the heterogeneity of the concept of "professional activity". Different researchers, studying readiness for various types of professional activity, have shown their own vision of the term "psychological readiness". Scientists studied psychological readiness for various types of professional activities, in particular pedagogical (K.M. Durai-Novakova, A. Linnenko), labor (V. Moliako, A. Smirnov), sports (F. Henov, A. Punin), military (N. Mukhtarov, O. Stoliarenko), activity in crisis situations (V. Nersesian, V. Pushkin), readiness for lifelong learning (D. Matiiuk). Considering the significant heterogeneity of information, there is still no clearly accepted definition of the concept of "psychological readiness".

Taking into account the peculiarities of modern education, the popularity of informal learning methods, quite often we cannot consider the concept of "psychological readiness" as one of the components of the competence of higher education institutions, because today there is a significant demand for specialties that do not require formal education, especially in the field of IT, marketing, etc.

The purpose of the article of the article is is to explore contemporary perspectives on researching psychological readiness for professional activity.

Outline of the main material

In the modern understanding, personal readiness is considered as a state of readiness to act or respond to a stimulus or a state of receptivity to accepting an experience or a certain activity, for example, readiness for school or readiness to change the behavior of using psychoactive substances [16].

In psychological dictionaries, the interpretation of the concept of personal readiness for professional activity is presented as a certain state of the individual, which gives him the opportunity to successfully penetrate the professional environment, to develop professionally very quickly, the following interpretations of personal readiness for professional activity are additionally given: - this is an integral personal formation that combines a persistent wish to work in a specific field, the availability of relevant knowledge, appropriate skills, in a combination with a complex of individual-typological and social- psychological personality traits, which determine the high efficiency of professional activity and its functioning in this particular field; - this is a purposeful expression of the individual himself, which includes his views, beliefs, motives, feelings, formation, volitional qualities and intellectual properties, knowledge, skills, abilities, etc [9].

M. Tomchuk in his work "Methodological principles of research and formation of psychological readiness of an individual for activity" substantiates the following principles of formation of psychological readiness of an individual for activity [8]:

- taking into account personal traits and properties: in purposeful development, it is important to consider those personal qualities that are best suited for a specific activity and contribute to its success;

- determinism: when studying psychological readiness, it is necessary to take into account the system of factors that influence this readiness and their interrelationships;

- a holistic approach: the study of psychological readiness should be systematic, taking into account the interrelationships between individual indicators and components.

- comparison: the results of experimental studies are compared with the already known achievements of other researchers or with a controlled group.

- dynamism: the peculiarities of the development of psychological readiness can be detected only in the dynamics of changes in its representative indicators.

- consideration of age characteristics: psychological readiness for activity should be considered taking into account the age characteristics of the individual.

- improvement of technologies: technologies for the formation of psychological readiness must be improved to support the development of this readiness.

- coordination with individual characteristics: technologies for the formation of psychological readiness must be consistent with the individual characteristics of each individual.

This approach to the study of psychological readiness makes it possible to understand how to take into account personal and situational aspects in order to improve the individual's readiness for activity.

Psychological readiness to perform professional activities is also considered as a positive attitude towards the value and meaning of the performed professional role and acceptance of one's ability to perform it. O. Ihnatiuk, in his research, emphasizes that personal readiness is a certain state of mobilization of both psychological and psychophysiological systems of an individual, which ensure the implementation of a

certain activity. The researcher singles out the following components of personal readiness for activity [1]

- operational - possession of a special set of methods of action, knowledge, certain abilities and skills, together with the possibility of mastering new experience within the limits of a specific activity;

- motivational - a system of motivating properties in relation to a certain activity (cognitive motives, achievement of self-realization);

- socio-psychological - characterizes the level of maturity of the communicative sphere of the individual, as well as the ability to perform collective distributed work, maintain relationships in the team work, the ability to avoid conflicts, especially destructive ones;

- psychophysiological - the readiness of all body systems to act in the chosen direction. Each state of personal readiness for activity, as the author notes, is determined by a combination of various factors that establish levels of personal readiness.

In his works, N. Kobzar understands personal readiness as a mental state, an integrative property of the individual, which has a multi-component structure, which is an important basis for the successful performance of any type of activity, it also acts as a sign of proper professional qualification and the result of one's own purposeful training. This state is based on the assimilation of knowledge and skills, it involves the creation of certain guidelines, relationships, personality traits that will help the future specialist to start confidently and qualitatively, to perform his professional duties, tasks and functions creatively [2].

In his research, D. Matiiuk studies the experience of German-speaking countries of Europe in questions related to the development of lifelong learning and highlights the importance of lifelong learning for the personal and professional development of the personality [6, p.32-33].

In her study, O. Uhrin studied students' readiness for professional activity. The results of the empirical study revealed that developed psychological readiness for the profession is an important component of the student's self-improvement, increasing self-realization in the professional field. A strong correlation between the components of readiness for professional activity, family values and relationships between family members has been established. The family influences the improvement of this component of readiness for professional activity, which, in turn, contributes to self-realization in the chosen field. Psychological readiness for professional activity is determined by the requirements of the activity itself for mental processes, states and properties of the individual, motivation for this profession, orientation of the individual, as well as life and professional experience of the person. This study indicates the existence of direct relationships between the components of readiness for professional self-development and the constant wish for self-realization. The obtained results indicate that with the formation and development of the components of readiness for activity, the readiness for self-realization in professional spheres also increases [15].

Psychological readiness includes the individual's readiness to effectively engage in the chosen profession. It involves a complex interplay of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral factors. The psychological readiness of an individual for professional activity can be conditionally divided into the following components:

- professional orientation: readiness for professional training, understanding of the specifics of the field of activity, its requirements and necessary skills;

- professional readiness: the direct process of mastering knowledge and skills within the framework of the profession;

- personal readiness: development of the properties and characteristic features of the personality inherent in the relevant nature of the profession.

Summarizing the views of different authors, we can conclude that the active, dynamic nature of psychological readiness for activity is expressed in the professional activity of the subject, which is embedded in the attitude to the profession, as well as to oneself, one's abilities and opportunities. All this contributes to the formation of professional consciousness. The ratio of potential and actual components in psychological readiness can be compared with the principle of self-actualization by Maslou [12], who defined it as a wish for self-existence and actualization, which is the essence of the organism.

The meta-analysis conducted by the researchers M. Richardson, S. Abraham, and R. Bond plays an important role in understanding psychological readiness for professional activity [14]. In their works, the authors investigated the relationship between students' academic performance and various psychological factors. The study revealed an important role of such characteristics as motivation, selfefficacy and self-regulation for the student's success. These characteristics are important components of a person's psychological readiness for professional activity. Accordingly, we can see that a high level of psychological readiness affects successful learning, because the individual is motivated and ready to perceive and process information for the purposes of professional development. This study shows the importance of developing psychological readiness and Soft Skills of the students, not only the formation of theoretical and practical knowledge.

In the conditions of martial law in Ukraine, a lot of attention is paid to the psychological readiness of military personnel for professional activities. We cannot bypass this topic, because the formation of psychological readiness to carry out professional activities in crisis and life-threatening situations has its own characteristics. The problem of psychological readiness in relation to its importance for the effectiveness of activities in difficult and extreme conditions was considered by many scientists in Ukraine and abroad in their works. The Ukrainian scientists V. Varenyk, M. Korolchuk, S. Myronets, O.

Tymchenko, M. Kryshtal, O. Kokun, V. Molotai, I. Okulenko, I. Gorelov, O. Kolesnichenko, O.

Pokanevych have actively studied this scientific question. The scientists O. Kokun, I. Pishko, N.

Lozynska described the extended structure of psychological readiness. Classically, psychological readiness has been considered as a combination of personal and functional readiness. Therefore the authors define the structure of psychological readiness as a set of certain characteristics, such as high morality, the need for self-improvement, high volitional readiness, developed communication skills, general psychological characteristics of the individual, high motivation, high level of cognitive processes, creativity and a high level of operational activity. Taking into account the information mentioned above, the study of the problem of psychological readiness should be based on a comprehensive, multidisciplinary and systemic approach

Psychological readiness is the identification of the essence of the properties and state of the individual. Readiness is not only a property or a sign of an individual personality, it is a concentrated indicator of the activity of the essence of the individual, a measure of his professional abilities.

Psychological readiness includes, on the one hand, a stock of professional knowledge, abilities and skills; on the other hand it includes the following personality traits: beliefs, pedagogical abilities, interests, professional memory, thinking, attention, pedagogical focus of thought, work cap acity, emotionality, moral potential of the individual, which will ensure the successful performance of professional functions.

Mental processes and properties form the core of readiness. They are the foundation of personality qualities, qualities and psychological properties of the individual, mental features and moral qualities, which are the basis of the attitude of the future specialist to awareness of functions, professional position, optimal methods of activity, correlation of one's abilities with opportunities - characteristics of psychological readiness.

The essence of psychological readiness is the following:

- moral and psychological qualities and capabilities of the individual;

- the relationship between consciousness and behavior, subjectivity and objectivity of consciousness.

The content of psychological readiness consists of the integral characteristics of the individual, which include intellectual, emotional and volitional properties, professional and moral beliefs, needs, habits, knowledge, abilities and skills, pedagogical abilities.

The following components are distinguished in the structure of psychological readiness for pedagogical activity [4]:

- motivational

- orientational;

- cognitive and operative;

- emotional and strong-willed;

- psychophysiological;

- evaluative.

Let's reveal the essence of each of these components.

The motivational component includes professional attitudes, interests, and the desire to engage in the chosen professional activity. Its basis is professional orientation (a person's personal desire to apply his knowledge in the chosen professional field), which expresses a positive attitude towards the profession, an inclination and interest in it, a desire to improve his training, etc. The stability, depth and breadth of professional interests is determined by professional orientation. The degree of formation of professional

interest determines the nature of the future specialist's work on himself in order to use his opportunities and abilities.

The orientational component is connected with value-professional orientations, the basis of which are professional ethics, professional ideals, views, principles, beliefs, readiness to act in accordance with them. The core of the orientation component is the value orientations of the individual, the depth of the professional outlook. Its main structural units include generalized professional knowledge, views, beliefs, principles and readiness to act in practical situations in accordance with them.

Professional beliefs are an important substantive aspect of psychological readiness for professional activity, because they ensure consistency in professional actions, purposefulness in work. The content of readiness for professional activity includes professional education. But not only the education of a specialist determines the success of his activity. No less role is played by professional ethics, the basis of which are moral standards, evaluations and self-evaluations, control and self-control, respect for the norms and requirements of social life.

The orientation aspect is an important characteristic of psychological readiness for professional activity, and therefore the entire educational process in a higher educational institution should be built in such a way that all forms of work contribute to the formation of the students' responsibility, professional ethics, the ability to bring reasonable demands to their logical end, to correlate them with capabilities of those to whom they are addressed.

The cognitive-operational aspect of psychological readiness includes the professional orientation of attention, ideas, perception, memory, analytical thinking, professional abilities, knowledge, actions, operations and measures necessary for the successful implementation of professional activities. The goal- directed formation of professional attention, memory, and imagination is an important factor in increasing psychological readiness. Analytical thinking occupies a significant place among the qualities of the cognitive-operational component of readiness. It manifests itself in the ability to identify professional situations, phenomena, facts, recognize, model them, predict possible consequences. In order to achieve this, a high level of theoretical knowledge, creative thinking and a thorough baggage of general culture are necessary.

Knowledge and special skills, not intended for use in future pedagogical work, do not become tools of professionally directed activity and can be lost very quickly. In connection with this approach, there is a significant gap between the theoretical and practical training of future teachers, and many graduates do not have the necessary level of professional readiness for professional activity.

The emotional-volitional components of psychological readiness are the following: feelings, volitional processes that ensure the successful course and effectiveness of activities; emotional tone, emotional receptivity, purposefulness, self-control, perseverance, initiative, determination, independence, self-criticism, self-control.

The content of psychological readiness is characterized by the connection between the intellectual and the emotional in the sphere of personality. A person's knowledge of a phenomenon is an important fact, but no less important is a person's understanding of this phenomenon, that is, what content the person himself brings to this phenomenon. The content of psychological readiness determines the nature of the connection between the knowledge of the professional and ethical personal content of the activity and its experiences.

One cannot limit oneself only to the accumulation of knowledge and the development of intelligence. No less attention should be paid to the emotional side, to the formation of a culture of feelings.

Psychologists single out willpower qualities that ensure psychological readiness for professional activity:

- goal-directedness (management of work with a certain goal);

- self-control and endurance (preserving self-control in any situation);

- persistence (long-term preservation of efforts when achieving the set goal);

- initiative (the willingness and ability of the teacher to show a creative approach to solving problems, self-activity in the performance of professional functions);

- decisiveness (to make well-thought-out decisions in a timely manner and to proceed with their implementation without delay);

- independence (relative independence from external influences);

- self-criticism (the ability to notice one's mistakes, wrong actions and the wish to correct them).

The psychophysiological aspect of psychological readiness consists of confidence in one's own abilities, the desire to complete the work started, the ability to freely control one's own behavior and the

behavior of others, professional efficiency, activity and self-regulation, poise and endurance, a dynamic pace of work.

The assessment component involves self-assessment of one's professional training and compliance of the process of solving professional tasks with optimal professional models. Psychological readiness includes the specialist's need for professional self-improvement.

The proposed structure of psychological readiness for activity shows that one of its determinants is the level of emotional intelligence as a group of mental abilities that contribute to the identification, control and understanding of emotions, primarily to increase the efficiency of thinking and intellectual activity, as well as emotional self-mobilisation. That is why we consider emotional intelligence as a guarantee of emotional self-regulation, which is the basis for the formation of psychological readiness of future specialists [13].

Two aspects are most important for emotional competence: the ability to self-manage and the ability to manage relationships with other people. At the same time, high emotional intelligence allows a person to understand and deal with his negative emotional states, allows him to express disagreement with something that causes him negative emotions. Emotional intelligence allows a specialist to better realize and understand the emotional manifestations of his personality and the personality of another person. This, in turn, is a condition for achieving a higher level of professionalism in building successful corrective work [11].

Research by N. Prorok and Ya. Kutsenko revealed significant correlations between the abilities of emotional intelligence and some components of psychological readiness, namely: the abilities of intrapersonal emotional intelligence affect the cognitive-objective component of psychological readiness of respondents; the abilities of interpersonal emotional intelligence affect the behavioral component of psychological readiness [7]. So, scientists have confirmed the feasibility of developing emotional intelligence as a factor in ensuring the successful professional activity of specialists of various profiles.

An important component of emotional intelligence is empathy as a universal need and as a way of observing other people. Empathy is an important human ability that manifests itself in sympathy for other people and the desire to help and support them. Studies have shown that in today's environment, a specialist with a high level of empathy is distinguished by a developed sense of understanding, foresight, empathy, ability to manage difficult situations, and the use of the right strategies in communication. All these features are an important component of psychological readiness for successful professional activity [10].

Conclusions and Prospects for Further Research

Psychological readiness is the identification of the essence of personality traits and state. Readiness is not only a property or a feature of an individual, it is a concentrated indicator of the activity of the essence of a person, a measure of his or her professional abilities. The content of psychological readiness is made up of the integral characteristics of the individual, including intellectual, emotional and volitional properties, professional and moral beliefs, needs, habits, knowledge, skills and abilities, pedagogical abilities.

Psychological readiness includes, on the one hand, a stock of professional knowledge, skills and abilities; on the other hand, personality traits: beliefs, pedagogical abilities, interests, professional memory, thinking, attention, pedagogical orientation of thought, efficiency, emotionality, moral potential of the individual, which will ensure the successful performance of professional functions. Psychological readiness for professional activity is a key factor on the way to becoming a successful professional. Considering the lack of a unified approach to understanding, research, assessment and the development of psychological readiness for professional activity, further research, systematisation and standardisation of existing knowledge are required. The modern fast-moving world requires a change in the approach to the study of this concept, with a mandatory study of emotional intelligence and empathy as an important component of psychological readiness for professional activity.

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