PSYCHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF STRESS TOLERANCE AMONG MODERN YOUTH
Authors:   Sumy State Pedagogical University named after A.S. Makarenkо, Yermakova Nataliia , Saulenko Olena ,   Sumy State Pedagogical University named after A.S. Makarenkо
Published: January 2021

The article is devoted to an empirical study of the psychological features of stress tolerance amongst modern youth. Such components of stress tolerance as coping behavior, adaptability, the level of self-esteem, anxiety, personality orientation, and the locus of control were researched. Based on the results of an empirical study, statistically significant indicators of differences in results in terms of stress tolerance, coping behavior in stressful situations, a tendency to unmotivated anxiety, and cognitive orientation in male and female respondents were revealed. Based on the results of comparative analysis, statistically significant indicators of differences according to the Mann-Whitney criterion and the coefficient of rank correlations of C. Spearman were discovered. Differences in the results of women and men were related to the level of stress tolerance, in particular, in men, it was significantly higher. Two statistically significant indicators of difference were found between the results of men and women in the use of certain coping strategies. Statistically significant differences in the indicators of "emotions" as a coping strategy were revealed: in the studied women, the indicators are higher than in men. Women are more emotional when exposed to stressful situations. There were also statistically significant differences in the indicators of "avoidance": men's indicators for this strategy are higher, so they are more likely to avoid stressful situations than the women studied. Statistically significant indicators of the difference were found among the results of men and women in terms of unmotivated anxiety, locus control, and neuropsychiatric stability. In the women studied, unmotivated anxiety is significantly higher. Indicators of the external locus control are significantly higher among the women studied. They are more likely to use external factors to guide their own behavior and emotional responses. Indicators of the internal locus control are significantly higher among the men studied. Men, unlike women, are more likely to use the internal resources of the individual to manage their own behavioral and emotional responses. In the result of a study of the relationship between stress resistance and adaptive capabilities, a positive correlation was found between stress resistance and neuropsychiatric stability indicators. We can determine the following trend – a low level of neuropsychiatric stability causes lower indicators of stress resistance of the individual. That is, it is quite difficult for respondents with a low level of neuropsychic constancy to manage their own emotions in stressful situations, and they put quite a lot of effort into countering a tension. Based on the results of the study, we believe that work on the development of stress tolerance among modern youth is possible only if the identified indicators are taken into account whilst developing and using appropriate preventive and correctional programs, as well as during consulting and educational psychological activities.