FORMATION OF COMMUNICATIVE SKILLS OF TEENAGERS WITH LOW EMPATHY LEVEL
Authors:   Doctor of Psychology, Professor, Dean of the Department of Psychology, South Ural State Humanitarian Pedagogical University, Chelyabinsk, Russia, Dolgova Valentina Ivanovna,  ,   23a12@list.ru,   https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9059-5682, Ognivova Polina Victorovna,  ,   graduate student of the faculty of psychology of the South Ural State Humanitarian and Pedagogical University, Chelyabinsk, Russia; pognivova@bk.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9879-6809, Bogachev Alexey Nikolaevich,  ,   graduate student of the faculty of psychology of the South Ural State Humanitarian and Pedagogical University, Chelyabinsk, Russia; bogachevan@cspu.ru; https://orcid.org/ 0000-0002-4764-2815, Golieva Galina Yuryevna,  ,   graduate student of the faculty of psychology of the South Ural State Humanitarian and Pedagogical University, 69, Lenin Ave., Chelyabinsk, Russia. golievagyu@cspu.ru, 89085810193, https://orcid.org/0000- 0001-9202-5448, Kondratieva Olga Alexandrovna,  ,   graduate student of the faculty of psychology of the South Ural State Humanitarian and Pedagogical University, Chelyabinsk, Russia; oca74@yandex.ru; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3918-6135, Leonov Pavel Lvovich,  ,   graduate student of the faculty of psychology of the South Ural State Humanitarian and Pedagogical University, Chelyabinsk, Russia; pavel.leonov.70@list.ru; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5283-5777
Published: December 2020

Communication skills are included in the structure of effective communication and reflect the level of a person's proficiency in communication means. However, neither the process of formation of communication skills, nor the potential resources for increasing its success are systematically organized, which is aggravated by the inevitable decrease in the level of empathy of the new "digital" generation. The research presented in this article uses theoretical (analysis, generalization, modeling, goal-setting) and empirical (ascertaining and formative experiments, testing) methods; methods of quantitative data processing (Wilcoxon's T-test, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient rs); psychodiagnostic techniques ("Communicative and organizational tendencies" (CBS) V.V. Sinyavsky, V.A. Fedoroshin; "Test of communication skills" L. Mikhelson, adapted by Yu. Z. Gilbukh; "Diagnostics of the level of empathy" by V.V. Boyko. At the ascertaining stage of the experiment, it was possible to identify a significant correlation between communication skills and empathy: (rs emp = 0.76). According to V.V. Sinyavsky, V.A. Fedoroshin, 42% of the subjects had a low level of communicative competence, a level below the average - 4%, the average level was found in 24%. According to L. Mikhelson's method, adapted by Yu.Z. Gilbukh had a dependent type of communication in 42% of the subjects, the competent type was revealed in 46%, the aggressive type in 12%. According to V.V. Boyko low level of empathy was found in 38% of people, an underestimated level - in 4%, an average level - in 46%, a high level of empathy - in 12%. Analysis of the state of the discussed problem led to the creation and implementation of a formative program. The goal of the program is to form the communication skills of adolescents with a low level of empathy, to stimulate social development and personal growth. The implemented program was based on training technologies for the development of adolescents' communicative skills. The duration of the program was 8 sessions of 60 minutes (twice a week). To enhance its effectiveness, practical recommendations for teachers, parents and children on the formation of the communication skills of adolescents with a low level of empathy were compiled and correlated with the conclusions of other researchers. They corresponded to the topics of the classes of the target program under discussion and the organization of interaction between the subjects of communication in the classroom, at recess, outside the classroom at school and at home, outside school and outside the home. Compliance with these recommendations in the process of implementing the target program showed that its participants began to better understand the feelings of other people and express their emotions, empathize, use verbal and non-verbal means of communication, get out of a conflict situation, openly express their position. Thus, repeated diagnostics showed that after the program, the number of adolescents with a low level of communicative inclinations decreased by 19%, and the number of adolescents with a competent type of communication increased by 15% (up to 46%, after - 61%). These adolescents have learned to communicate as equals, to adequately respond to criticism, to accept empathy and support. Some of the subjects (20%) from the group with a very low level of empathy moved to a higher level (before - 4%, after - 24%). They learned to better understand the emotional state of another person, show sympathy, and become more interested in the personal information of the interlocutor. The implemented target program contributes to the development of the communication skills of adolescents with a low level of empathy, through the development of emotional intelligence of adolescents, recognition of emotions and their expression, recognition of the interlocutor's feelings and understanding of his thoughts; development of awareness of perception of non-verbal and verbal means of communication and the ability to use them; the formation of adolescents' ideas about the possibility of negative emotions in communication, mastering the ability to express negative feelings.