Kukso O.G., Kukso P.A. —
Characteristics of physiological indicators and individual personality characteristics of students under exam stress
// Psychology and Psychotechnics. – 2022. – ¹ 2.
– P. 54 - 68.
DOI: 10.7256/2454-0722.2022.2.36529
URL: https://en.e-notabene.ru/ptmag/article_36529.html
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Abstract: The subject of the study of this article is the characteristic of physiological indicators and individual personality characteristics of students under exam stress. The main role in stress resistance is played by individual psychological characteristics of the individual and a number of vital physiological indicators, indicators of functional state. The aim of the study was to compare students in different functional states according to the Robinson index, according to the ratio of individual-personal characteristics and physiological indicators during examination stress. As psychological indicators, character traits identified through the questionnaire "Standardized multifactorial method of personality research" (SMIL – L. N. Sobchik) were taken, and the methodology "Determining the level of anxiety" (Ch. D. Spielberg, Y. L. Khanin) was also taken. The Robinson Index and omega potential are used as physiological indicators. The analysis of averages and correlation analysis were carried out. The study involved 100 students aged 18-22 years. According to the Robinson Index, an integral objective indicator of the severity of psychoemotional stress, two groups were obtained: the first group – without stress and the second group – with moderate stress.
The following conclusions were obtained. Two groups of students with different types of reaction to exam stress were identified. The students of the first group had normative indicators of the processes of cardioregulation and super-slow physiological processes of the brain. The students of the second group showed an increase in the processes of cardioregulation and super-slow physiological processes of the brain. A comparative analysis of the profile obtained by SMIL showed that in the first stress-free group, the indicators are in the relative norm corridor. The second group with moderate stress has an increased profile with the main motivational focus on avoiding failure and impulsivity. Different interrelations of psychological and physiological indicators were also obtained for each of the groups we identified.
Kukso P.A., Kukso O.G. —
The Relationship Between Individual Personality Traits and Physiological Measures Demonstrated by Students with Different SMMI Results Who Experience Examination Stress
// Psychology and Psychotechnics. – 2016. – ¹ 8.
– P. 691 - 700.
DOI: 10.7256/2454-0722.2016.8.21125
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Abstract: The subject of the present research article is the examination stress as one of the first reasons that cause psychic tension for university students. Examination stress is one of the topics that attract attention of many foreign and Russian researchers. Emotions experienced by students during their exams can be undoubtedly considered as emotional stress. Situations when students take exams often cause so-called examination neurosis and take one of the first places among other reasons causing psychic tension of students. On the one hand, it is well known that there are certain individual personality traits that provoke negative emotions and feelings during exams. On the other hand, particular physiological measures change during exams, too. It is known that when a student experiences examination stress, his or her personality traits influence the cardiovascular response and dynamic changes of the constant potential (omega-potential). The purpose of the present research is to analyze individual personality traits and vegetative responses demonstrated by students in a stress situation. Personality traits were defined by using the short version of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory offered by L. Sobchik, in particular, using the following scales from the 1st scale (self-control) to the 0 scale (social introvesion). The authors have also used the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory by Charles Spielberger adopted by Yu. Khanin). Physiological stress markers were determined by using the Robinson's Index as a cardiovascular indicator and omega-potential as an indicator of brain activity. During one week before exam and one week after exam the researchers recorded students' heart rate and blood pressure in order to calcuate the Robinson's Index that describes the response of the cardiovascular system in the course of developing examination stress. Brain activity potential (omega potential) was also measured during one week before and one week after the exam. By using Excel and STATISTICA 10.0 programs, the authors have conducted mathematical-and-statistical processing of data by using the non-parametric criterion of math statistics, i.e. the sign test to compare average data within groups, and Spearman correlation coefficient (r). The authors have also used the cluster analysis by using the k-average method. 48 people aged 19-23 participated in the research. The following conclusions can be made based on the results. The researchers have described two groups of students with different responses to examination stress depending on SMMI scores. The comparative analysis of their profiles in these two groups has shown that the first group of respondents demonstrate scores within the norm. The second group of respondents demonstrate psychopathic personality traits (excessive control, impulsivity and introvesion) and personality accentuations (rigidy and anxiety as psychological stress markers). Respondents of the second group also demonstrate intense instability to stress and high probability of neurotic disorders. In these two groups examination stress have a different effect on cardiovascular and brain activity indicators. The first-group students showed speeding up of excessively slow physiological process of brain activity and cardioregulation processes as physiological stress markers in a situation of examination stress. The researchers also discovered the correlation between psychological and physiological indicators (psychophysiological stress-markers) typical for each group. The results of the present research can be interesting for understanding the mechanisms of psychophysiological regulation and applied for the purpose of improving the teaching process as well as to understand the physiological nature of examination stress and develop relevant programs of coping with examination stress.