We conducted a theoretical and psychometric evaluation of self-determination theory’s “relative autonomy continuum” (RAC), an important aspect of the theory whose validity has recently been ...questioned. We first derived a Comprehensive Relative Autonomy Index (C-RAI) containing six subscales and 24 items, by conducting a paired paraphrase content analysis of existing RAI measures. We administered the C-RAI to multiple U.S. and Russian samples, assessing motivation to attend class, study a major, and take responsibility. Item-level and scale-level multidimensional scaling analyses, confirmatory factor analyses, and simplex/circumplex modeling analyses reaffirmed the validity of the RAC, across multiple samples, stems, and studies. Validation analyses predicting subjective well-being and trait autonomy from the six separate subscales, in combination with various higher order composites (weighted and unweighted), showed that an aggregate unweighted RAI score provides the most unbiased and efficient indicator of the overall quality of motivation within the behavioral domain being assessed.
Cultural stereotypes and considerable psychological research suggest that Russians are less happy and more stoic than Americans and Westerners. However, a second possibility is simply that cultural ...norms deter Russians from displaying happiness that they actually feel. To test this second possibility, three studies compared the emotional inhibition tendencies in U.S. and Russian student samples. Although Russians and Americans were no different on subjective well-being (SWB), a consistent three-way interaction was found such that Russians (compared with Americans) reported greater inhibition of the expression of happiness (vs. unhappiness), but mainly to strangers (vs. friends/family). Russians also viewed their peers and countrymen as behaving similarly. Furthermore, a consistent interaction was found such that the degree of happiness inhibition with strangers was negatively correlated with SWB in the U.S. samples but was unrelated to SWB in the Russian samples. Given the equivalent levels of SWB observed in these data, we suggest that Russians may not be less happy than Americans, as this would illogically entail that they exaggerate their SWB reports while also claiming to inhibit their expression of happiness. Implications for emotion researchers and international relations are considered.
The relevance of the study is due to the need to obtain reliable data on the components of effective teaching that affect important learning outcomes, such as motivation, engagement, academic ...performance, and well-being of school students. The purpose of the study was to analyze the contribution of three, actively discussed in the literature, psychological and pedagogical indicators of teaching quality, assessed by the school students, to their engagement, psychological well-being and academic performance. The study involved 2028 eighth-grade students (1085 girls, 906 boys and 35 of unspecified gender; mean age - 13.96, SD = 0.46) from 73 schools and 16 regions of the Russian Federation. The analysis of the respondents’ assessments included such indicators of teaching quality as the relevance of the learning content, psychological and instrumental support, as well as school engagement, indifference, academic performance and indicators of their satisfaction (with themselves, their teachers and school). The results of the regression analysis showed that the perceived psychological support from the teacher was the strongest predictor of the growth of all the types of educational engagement of school students and the decrease of all the types of educational indifference; besides, this component of teaching quality was a predictor of well-being in the context of school life (including the respondents’ satisfaction with their school, their teachers and themselves). The teacher’s instrumental support was the next most important predictor of cognitive and emotional engagement of the students and, no less important, was a negative predictor of all the types of learning indifference; it was also a predictor of the students’ satisfaction with their school and relationships with their teachers. Thus, the present study, conducted on a large and representative sample of Russian school students, has shown the positive effects of two components of teaching quality, namely, psychological support and instrumental support provided by the teacher. The effects of actual learning content are less clear, which casts doubt on the importance of teachers emphasizing the connection between the educational material and real life in order to maintain the motivation of school students. The results obtained can be used for training and retraining school teachers and improving teaching quality in Russian schools.
Background. Migration intentions are extremely common among modern youth practically all around the globe. They do not always result in actual migration, but they should definitely be considered as ...an important indicator for the society, since the potential loss of the most valuable human resources entails long-term consequences for the development of a country or region. This study aims to examine the system of psychological factors that determine the desire of young people to stay in their region. It also addresses the previously discovered paradoxical association between migration intentions and subjective well-being. Objective. To analyze the psychological determinants of the intention not to leave the home region, and its association with relationship satisfaction, personal goals, subjective well-being, and academic achievement of high school students. Design. The cross-sectional study design was used. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted among Russian high school students from urban and rural schools (N = 5,635). Results. The study found that the most important psychological predictors of the intention to stay, to study, and work in their home city/region are community contribution goals and psychological factors that characterize the immediate social environment, which include satisfaction with school and teachers, and family support. Controlling for these variables, migration intentions do not correlate with subjective well-being. Conclusion. These findings suggest that considering the quality of interpersonal relationships allows deepening the understanding of migration intentions sources of high school students. The study also contributes to understanding the complex relationship among migration intentions, subjective well-being, and academic achievement.
Background. While the current literature provides valuable insight into how school climate perceptions and student motivation impact academic achievement, research examining the mediating effects of ...motivation in the linking of an innovative educational system, school climate, and achievement is limited. This study considers the potential of the El’konin–Davydov system of developmental education as a basis for educational innovation. Self-determination theory is applied as a useful theoretical framework that allows for consideration of both the intensity and the quality of academic motivation. Objective. The study examines a model that illustrates the role of intrinsic and different types of extrinsic motivation in linking the El’konin–Davydov system of developmental education (DE) and school climate to the academic achievement of elementary schoolchildren. Design. Participants were 345 third and fourth graders drawn from four public schools in Moscow, with some (N = 192, 2 schools) educated in the traditional system and others (N = 153, 2 schools) in one that follows the DE system. A cross-sectional design was implemented. Results. Students in the DE system showed significantly lower external motivation for all three subscales (Parents, Teachers, General) and perceived school climate more favorably. Structural equation modeling showed that the hypothesized model fit the data well, supporting the hypothesis that student external motivation plays a mediating role in linking educational system (innovative vs. traditional) with academic achievement. Students’ autonomous motivation was shown to play a mediating role in linking positive perceptions of school climate with academic achievement. Conclusion. The elementary school students from developmental education classes compared to their peers from traditional education classes demonstrate more positive profile of academic motivation including lower external motivation, more positive attitude towards school and study; however, the two groups do not differ in the level of intrinsic, identified, and introjected motivations.
The construct of attributional style refers to the specific ways people explain events, both positive and negative. An optimistic attributional style (OAS) for negative events has been shown to be ...reliably associated with low rates of depression (Peterson et al., 1985; Sweeney et al., 1986; Hu et al., 2015). On the contrary, an optimistic attributional style for positive events is a separate phenomenon associated mainly with well-being, but these relationships remain underexplored.
This study aimed to explore the predictive power of OAS-Positive, its relationships with subjective well-being, and possible personality mediators related to positive functioning. We hypothesized that the abilities to feel grateful and savor positive life events mediate the relationship between optimistic thinking about positive outcomes and subjective well-being.
A cross-sectional design was implemented. The participants were 271 adults from Moscow and Moscow Region (M age = 32.42, SD=12.9).
The results of regression analysis showed that both life satisfaction and subjective happiness depended on gratitude, self-esteem, and dispositional optimism, but only happiness was predicted by savoring the moment. The results of structural equation modeling were consistent with the hypothesis since the structural model revealed that the effects of OAS-Positive on subjective well-being were fully mediated by gratitude and savoring the moment, as well as self-esteem and dispositional optimism. The mediated effects of OAS-Negative through self-esteem and gratitude were inconsistent, and its total indirect effect on subjective well-being was not significant.
This research provides preliminary evidence that optimistic thinking about positive life events promotes subjective well-being through a system of positive psychological traits and attitudes which include gratitude and savoring the moment.
According to COVID-19 research, the introduction of a self-isolation and quaran¬tine regime is an effective measure to contain the pandemic. The article examines the problem of psychological factors ...of observing stay-at-home recommendations, among which the main attention is paid to two types of optimism in a pandemic situation: constructive optimism and defensive optimism. It was assumed that they would have the opposite effect on adherence to the self-isolation regime, and the negative effect of defensive optimism would be mediated by a decrease in illness anxiety or fear of infection. To test this hypothesis, a longitudinal study (with an interval of six weeks) was carried out in a sample of 306 students (89% of women) using a life orientation test, the scales of constructive and defensive optimism by Gordeeva et al., and anxiety in a pandemic situation questionnaire by Tkhostov and Rasskazova. The results confirm our hypotheses: people who adhere to the stay-at-home recommendations are characterized by a higher level of construc¬tive optimism, i.e. they believe that their efforts will help prevent infection and spread of the virus. In contrast, people who demonstrate unrealistic or defensive optimism, that is, who believe that the issue of coronavirus is exaggerated, fear infection less and admit that they do not strictly adhere to the requirements of self-isolation. These results indicate that, in addition to dispositional optimism, situation specific constructive and defensive optimism are essential in explaining health behavior, with the latter type of optimism serving as a response to anxiety associated with fear of the disease and its consequences.
Согласно исследованиям COVID-19 (коронавируса) эффективным средством сдерживания пандемии является введение режима самоизоляции и карантина. В статье рассматривается проблема психологических факторов соблюдения режима самоизоляции, среди которых основное внимание уделяется двум ти¬пам оптимизма в ситуации пандемии: конструктивному и защитному. Предполагалось, что они имеют противоположный эффект на соблюдение режима самоизоляции, причем негативный эффект защитного оптимизма опосредо¬ван через снижение тревоги по поводу болезни, страха заражения. Для про¬верки этого предположения было проведено лонгитюдное (с интервалом в полтора месяца) исследование на выборке из 306 студентов (89% женщин) с использованием теста диспозиционного оптимизма, шкал конструктивного и защитного оптимизма Т.О. Гордеевой с коллегами и опросника тревоги в ситу¬ации пандемии А.Ш. Тхостова и Е.И. Рассказовой. Результаты исследования подтверждают выдвинутые гипотезы: люди, строже соблюдающие требование самоизоляции, отличаются выраженным конструктивным оптимизмом: они верят, что прилагаемые ими усилия помогают предотвратить заражение и рас¬пространение вируса. Напротив, люди, которые демонстрируют нереалистич¬ный или защитный оптимизм, т. е. считающие проблему коронавируса преуве¬личенной, испытывают меньший страх заражения и признают, что не вполне строго соблюдают требования самоизоляции. Эти результаты показывают, что для объяснения поведения, связанного со здоровьем, в дополнение к диспо¬зиционному оптимизму существенное значение имеют специфические для конкретной ситуации конструктивный и защитный типы оптимизма, причем нереалистичный оптимизм выполняет функцию борьбы с тревогой, связанной со страхом болезни и ее последствий.
The Elkonin—Davydov system of developmental education has come a long way, from an experimental program to widespread recognition in elementary schools in Russia. The article is dedicated to the ...analysis of studies devoted to evidence of the effectiveness of the developmental education system in terms of cognitive development and the formation of educational activities. Four main categories of results were identified, according to which the publications were found and analyzed: differences between children from developmental and so-called traditional classes in the level of theoretical thinking; general cognitive development and intelligence; educational strategies and the ability to solve non-standard problems; traditional educational achievements. The analysis allows to conclude that the developmental education system has a significant potential in relation to the development of theoretical thinking of schoolchildren, the ability to learn independently and solve non-standard problems. On the contrary, schoolchildren from developmental education classes do not differ from schoolchildren in traditional education classes in terms of the level of empirical thinking, as well as in terms of learning indicators related to solving standard problems and demonstrating knowledge and skills required by the school curriculum. The author analyzes the limitations of the studies, including their cross-sectional, non-longitudinal nature, lack of measurement before the start of education, specificity of samples (the majority of them being based on material from school-laboratories), shortcomings in the description of the results. The possible reasons for the heterogeneity of the results are also discussed. The analysis allows to conclude that the system of developmental education offers scientifically based and approved pedagogical technology that promotes the gradual “cultivation” in schoolchildren the theoretical thinking, thinking skills and development of the ability to acquire new knowledge.
Система развивающего обучения Д.Б. Эльконина—В.В. Давыдова прошла большой путь, от экспериментальной программы до широкого признания в начальных школах России. В статье анализируются исследования, посвященные доказательствам эффективности системы развивающего обучения по показателям когнитивного развития и сформированности учебной деятельности. Выделены четыре основных категории результатов, по которым были обнаружены публикации отечественных исследователей — различия детей из развивающих и так называемых традиционных классов по показателям теоретического мышления, общего познавательного развития и интеллекта, учебных стратегий и умения решать нестандартные задачи, традиционных учебных достижений. Проведенный анализ свидетельствует о значительном потенциале системы развивающего обучения в отношении развития теоретического мышления школьников, умения учиться самостоятельно и решать нестандартные задачи. Напротив, учащиеся из классов РО не отличаются от своих сверстников ТО-классов по уровню развития эмпирического мышления, а также по показателям обучения, связанным с решением стандартных задач и демонстрацией знаний и умений, требуемых школьной программой. Показаны ограничения большинства проанализированных исследований, обусловленные их срезовым, не лонгитюдным характером, отсутствием замеров до начала обучения, проведением большинства из них на материале школ-лабораторий, недостатками и пробелами в описании получаемых результатов. Обсуждаются возможные причины неоднородности полученных результатов. Несмотря на ограничения проведенных исследований, они дают достаточно большие основания считать, что система развивающего обучения предлагает научно апробированную педагогическую технологию, способствующую постепенному «взращиванию» у школьников теоретического мышления, умения учиться и самостоятельно думать.
Academic achievements of teenage students are an important indicator of their further success and adaptation to life in adult society. The material of the study was the data collected for the ...international project PISA 2018 on a representative sample of Russian teenagers (N=7608). The article presents the results of studying the role of educational and motivational factors (controlling for gender and family environment) of academic achievements of Russian teenagers based on the material of PISA 2018 on reading literacy. We confirmed that regarding the environmental (family and teacher) factors in the academic achievements of schoolchildren, the role of SES as an important predictor of schoolchildren's academic achievements, the role of teacher support for active involvement in reading is significantly positive factor, and Teacher-directed instruction is negative factor. The study confirmed an important contribution of motivational variables to reading literacy, reading engagement was proved to be a positive predictor, and fixed mindset about intelligence was proved to be a negative predictor of reading literacy competence. The discussion shows that the data obtained generally corresponds to international data on predictors of academic achievement among schoolchildren based on the PISA 2018. The results obtained can be used in the context of teacher training and for improving the quality of education in Russian schools.
Представлены результаты изучения роли образовательных и мотивационных факторов (при контроле пола и особенностей семейной среды) академических достижений российских подростков на материале PISA 2018 по читательской грамотности. Подчеркивается, что академические достижения школьников-подростков - важный показатель их дальнейшей успешности и адаптации к жизни во взрослом социуме. Материалом исследования стали данные, собранные на репрезентативной выборке российских подростков (N=7608). Подтверждена роль социально-экономического и культурного статуса семьи (СЭС) как важного предиктора академических достижений школьников. В отношении вклада средовых (семейных и учительских) факторов показана значимая позитивная роль поддержки учителем активной вовлеченности в чтение и негативная роль директивного обучения. Подтвержден важный вклад мотивационных переменных в читательскую грамотность, в частности, увлеченности чтением как позитивного предиктора и установки на фиксированные способности как негативного предиктора компетентности в области читательской грамотности. В обсуждении показано, что полученные данные в целом хорошо согласуются с международными данными, описывающими предикторы академических достижений школьников на материале PISA 2018. Результаты могут использоваться в контексте обучения учителей и повышения качества образования в российских школах.
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