In the paper positive aspects of using cyberspace by yours are determined. The most dangerous risks and barriers to cyber socialization for modern young people are also noted. The types of young people’s cyber socialization are theoretically justified and discussed. Criteria for positive and negative cyber socialization are introduced. It is emphasized that the positive vector of cyber socialization is determined by the ability of a young person to transfer useful experience obtained in cyberspace to everyday life activity. On the basis of the theoretical analysis the levels of cyber socialization are identified and the main criteria for their diagnosis are presented. The importance of developing new technologies to facilitate positive forms of socialization of youth in cyberspace is noted. The prospects for further research include the creation of a questionnaire to identify the level and prevailing type of cyber socialization and its validation in a representative sample of young people.

Unemployed individuals of pre-retirement age face significant challenges in finding a new job. This may be partly due to their lack of psychological readiness to go through a job interview. We view psychological readiness as one of the psychological attitude components. It is an active conscious readiness to interact with a certain aspect of reality, based on previously acquired experience. It includes a persons’ special competence to manage their activities and cope with anxiety. We created Job Interview Simulation Training (JIST) – a computer-based simulator, which allowed unemployed job seekers to practice interviewing repeatedly in a stress-free environment. We hypothesized that completion of JIST would be related to increase in pre-retirement job seekers’ psychological readiness for job interviewing in real life. Participants were randomized into control (n = 18) and experimental (n = 21) conditions. Both groups completed pre- and post-intervention job interview role-plays and self-reporting forms of psychological readiness for job interviewing. JIST consisted of 5 sessions of a simulated job interview, and the experimental group found it easy to use and navigate as well as helpful to prepare for interviewing. After finishing JIST-sessions the experimental group had significant decrease in heart rate during the post-intervention role-play and demonstrated significant increase in their self-rated psychological readiness, whereas the control group did not have changes in these variables. Future research may help clarify whether JIST is related to an increase in re-employment of pre-retirement job seekers.

No abstract

In article the possibilities of application of the virtual computer technologies (VCT) in practice of a socio-psychological assistance to the population are considered. Achievements of modern science in a scope of systems of virtual reality in the "helping" professions are observed. Solving the psychological problems of the unemployed people can be optimized by means of VCT are discussed. The requirements to development of virtual training model which would promote quality improvement of social psychological assistance of toward the unemployed are formulated.

Practice in job interview skills is an important step toward successful employment of unemployed. The purpose of the study was to assess the effectiveness of the virtual communicative training developed by us in interviewing skills training of the unemployed with the employer. Participants were randomized into control (n=16) and experimental (n=18) con- ditions. We have created software “Virtual Recruiter” that provides an experience with which job seekers can systematically improve their job interview skills and increase their confidence about going on job interviews. We assessed the efficacy of virtual commmunicative training in a randomized controlled trial. Both groups completed pre-and post-intervention role-play interviews and psychological willingness to job interview questionnaires. Experimental group participants significantly reduced their heart rates and significantly increased their psychological willingness to job interview on the role-play at follow-up compared with baseline (p<0,01). Control group participants had no significant changes in their heart rates and their psychological willingness to job interview (p>0,05). Future research may help to clarify whether this virtual commmunicative training is related to an increase in finding a job. This work was supported by The Ministry of Education and Science of Russian Federation and was prepared as a part of a state task in scientific research area: project № 25.1815.2014/К of 11.07.2014 “Creating virtual experimental models of social interaction between human and psychosocial information environment to organize psychological support for various categories of population”.