Features of Character Accentuations, Coping Strategies and Anxiety in the First-Year Students of Different Areas of Vocational Training

Abstract

The article describes the study the purpose of which was to determine the accentuation of character, coping strategies and anxiety in the 1st year students of different areas of vocational training. The study involved first-year students of Emperor Alexander I St. Petersburg State Transport University in various fields of vocational training. The following methods were used: the K. Leonhard – N. Shmishek test questionnaire; the method “Overcoming difficult life situations” by V. Janke, G. Erdmann (adaptation by N. E. Vodopyanova) and the Spielberger-Khanin anxiety scale (STAI). Students of the direction of “Electricity supply”, significantly more than students of the direction of “Transportation process management”, revealed the accentuation of the character “Cyclothymic type”; these students are more prone to changing emotions, more often go to extremes, experiencing either great joy or a deep apathetic state under the influence of external circumstances. Students of the “Electricity Supply” direction have a large repertoire of effective coping strategies compared to the other group, which can contribute to a more successful adaptation to university studies. The analysis of correlations has shown the importance of personal anxiety in the personal profile of students in two areas of training. The situational anxiety is less significant for these groups, but, nevertheless, it manifests itself in connection with individual character accentuations. The hypotheses of the study were partially confirmed.