Selection of psychodiagnostic methods for identifying and studying professionally important qualities of operators of anti-aircraft missile systems

Chepurnov Il'ya Aleksandrovich ORCID: 0000-0003-2982-994X PhD in Technical Science Associate Professor at the Department of Anti-Aircraft Missile Forces of Military Training Center, Bauman Moscow State Technical University (National Research University) 105005, Russia, Moscow, Moscow, ul. 2 Baumanskaya, 5, of. 1 chepurnov@bmstu.ru Other publications by this author

Introduction

The high level of development of the necessary professionally important qualities (PVK) determines the success of training and the effectiveness of the activities of specialists of various professions, including operators of such complex technical systems as anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) ^[1,2].

Professional psychodiagnostics is a study and assessment of the properties of a person's personality in order to conduct professional selection, professional orientation and rational distribution of candidates by specialty, improve professional training, solve a system of practical issues to optimize professional activity.

It is known that psychological selection of candidates for training in operator specialties can reduce the dropout of unsuitable persons in the training process from 23-30% to 5-8%, reduce the accident rate of complex technical systems serviced due to personnel errors by 40-70%, increase the reliability of control systems by 10-25%, reduce the cost of operator training by 30-40% ^[3].

Psychodiagnostics also plays an important role in the process of professional training of SAM operators. It is a means of feedback, reflecting the intermediate and final levels of development of certain PVCs ^[4,5,6,7].

In the work ^[2], based on the results of a professionographic study, the author identified the following integral PVCs of SAM operators: technical abilities, communicative abilities, the ability to predict, efficiency of thinking, synthetics of thinking, flexibility of thinking, emotional stability, analytical thinking, responsibility, independence, willpower, motivation for success, attentiveness, organizational abilities (for commander of the SAM calculation).

The purpose of this work is to increase the effectiveness of the selection and professional training of air defense system operators, through the selection of psychodiagnostic methods for identifying and studying their integral PVCs.

Materials and methods of selection

The selection of psychodiagnostic methods for identifying and studying the PVK of SAM operators was preceded by an analysis of more than 50 domestic and foreign sources, based on the works of such well-known specialists in this field as: V. A. Bodrov, L.N. Sobchik, S. L. Rubinstein, O. B. Polyakova, A. A. Karelin, V. A. Pukhov, etc. The study of the effectiveness of the tests, questionnaires and questionnaires proposed in these works, their reliability and validity, allowed us to identify a set of the most suitable psychodiagnostic techniques.

The selection of psychodiagnostic techniques was carried out taking into account their practicality in relation to the peculiarities of operator activity and was based on the data of theoretical analysis of modern literature ^[1,3,6,8].

A complex of psychodiagnostic techniques for identifying and studying professionally important qualities of operators of anti-aircraft missile systems

Possession of technical abilities (technical thinking) allows the operator of the SAM in his professional activity to effectively solve technical problems and problems of varying complexity.

One of the simplest methods of assessing a person's technical abilities is the Bennett test ^[9]. This test evaluates the ability to understand the structural and schematic diagrams of technical devices, to understand the principles of their operation, to solve simple technical problems. The subject is given a form with a set of tasks in the form of drawings of a technical nature and answers to these tasks. The level of development of technical abilities corresponds to the number of tasks correctly solved in a given time.

The "Instrument Scale" technique is best suited for studying the visual perception of instrument information, the ability to quickly and accurately evaluate it, since determining the readings of the scales of various instruments is a simple and illustrative example of using an eye in the operator's practical activities. For the study of spatial perception in engineering psychology, the "Compasses" technique is used ^[3,10].

To assess the level of technical abilities, subtests of the methodology for studying the peculiarities of thinking (MIOM), which is an adaptation of the R. Amthauer intelligence structure test, can also be used ^[11]. MYOM consists of a set of subtests that allow us to evaluate the structure of intelligence according to the following components: verbal-logical (MYOM-1,2,3,4), countable-mathematical (MYOM-5,6), spatial (MYOM-7,8), mnemic (MYOM-9). The subtests that allow assessing the technical abilities of a person include: MIOM-1 "General Awareness" (assessment of general erudition and common sense), MIOM-5 "Arithmetic test" (assessment of the ability to solve numerical problems) and MIOM-7 "Figures" (assessment of spatial imagination and combinatorial abilities).

Developed communicative abilities provide the operator of the air defense system with effective interaction and adequate mutual understanding with other calculation operators in the process of performing joint activities ^[12].

The test of L. Mikhelson's communicative skills in translation and adaptation by Y. Z. Gilbukh allows to determine the level of communicative competence ^[13]. The test is based on the principle of a task that has the correct answer, and is a kind of achievement tests. Competent and partner style corresponds to a certain reference behavior, the degree of approximation to which is determined by the number of correct answers.

Another method of studying communicative abilities may be the method of "Communicative and organizational inclinations (CBS)" (authors: V. V. Sinyavsky, V. A. Fedorishin). The methodology is based on the principle of reflection and evaluation by the examinee of some features of their behavior in various situations. Interpretation of the results of the study is carried out in accordance with the key of evaluation and data processing ^[14].

In O. B. Polyakova's book "Psychohygiena and prevention of professional personality deformation" ^[15], a test questionnaire "Possession of a synergistic communicative style" is proposed to assess the level of formation of communicative abilities. This test offers 11 behaviors in the process of communication. If the subject believes that in the process of real communication he behaves similarly, then he puts a "plus" in the answer form. If not, then – "minus". The level of proficiency in communication skills is assessed on an 11-point scale.

The professional activity of an air defense system operator is not complete without elements of predicting the situation (processes, situations). The ability to predict can be defined as an integral property of the human psyche, manifested at various levels of mental reflection.

The technique "The ability of speech-thinking forecasting" developed by L. A. Regush, in addition to identifying the level of development of thinking qualities that determine the structure of the forecasting ability, allows us to characterize the ability to speech-thinking forecasting ^[16]. The results of the application of the methodology are evaluated on seven scales, six of them reflect the characteristics of the qualities of thinking, the seventh scale is the propensity to risk.

The subtests of MIOM, which allow assessing the ability to predict, include: MIOM-3 "Analogies" (assessment of the ability to analyze various concepts and establish a logical connection between them), MIOM-6 "Numerical series" (assessment of the peculiarities of thinking, consisting in the ability to establish numerical patterns) and MIOM-8 "Cubes" (assessment of the ability to mentally operate with the image of figures in three-dimensional space).

Mindfulness is especially important for operator activity. The ZRK operator must keep his attention on certain objects and processes for a long time, in addition, the ability to distribute and quickly switch attention is important for his activity.

In 1888, the Swiss scientist E. Landolt developed a proof–reading method for assessing mindfulness, later named after him - "Landolt Rings". Modified by V. N. Sysoev, the method of "Landolt Rings" involves the study of mindfulness with the help of special forms, each of which shows a set of rings with breaks directed in different directions. The subject, looking through line by line, crosses out certain rings specified in the instructions. The results of the study are evaluated by the number of viewed, missed (uncrossed) and mistakenly crossed out rings, as well as by the time of the task ^[17].

Another proofreading technique that can be used to assess mindfulness at the stages of selection and training of SAM operators is the "Bourdon Proofreading test", proposed by the French psychologist B. Bourdon in 1895 ^[3,17,18]. The essence of this technique is as follows. The subjects are given forms with a set of letters or signs arranged line by line. During a given time, sequentially looking through each line, the subjects find certain letters and cross them out.

To study mindfulness, tabular techniques can also be used, such as: "Number Search" (author V. L. Marshuk), "Number placement", "Black-red Table", "Gorbov-Schulte Table" ^[1,3,5].

V. A. Pukhov in ^[3] defines thinking as a process of cognition of general and essential properties of objects and phenomena, natural connections and relationships between them. The efficiency of thinking allows the operator of the air defense system to quickly and flexibly respond to incoming information, make decisions and solve emerging problems.

One of the techniques designed to assess the efficiency of thinking is the "Information Search" technique. Two 64-cell squares are presented on the forms issued to the subjects. Two-digit numbers are written in the cells of the squares. Within 30 seconds, the subjects must find four pre-voiced numbers in the first square and circle them. A similar task is performed in the second square. The number of correctly found numbers in two squares is converted into points on a 10-point scale. The method of "Adding numbers with switching", in addition to the efficiency of thinking, also allows you to study the mental performance of the subjects. Within the framework of the methodology, in two alternating ways, the subjects need to add two single-digit numbers and prepare new numbers for subsequent addition ^[3].

The essence of the operator's synthetic thinking lies in his ability to see and understand the connections and interactions between different phenomena, processes or objects using logical thinking and a creative approach. R. Gardner's test allows to identify and evaluate analytical and synthetic abilities of a person. The basis of this test is sorting tasks. The advantage of R. Gardner's test lies in its orientation exclusively on qualitative instrumental features of cognitive processes ^[12].

Flexibility of thinking (cognitive flexibility) characterizes the ability of an air defense system operator to adapt to new circumstances, find effective solutions to problems in crisis (extreme) situations, and think creatively. The opposite quality of flexibility is rigidity.

One of the reliable and informative ways to determine the degree of flexibility of thinking is the use of the A. S. Lachins methodology "Flexibility of thinking" ^[19]. The essence of the technique is to solve ten problems by the subjects using elementary arithmetic operations. Evaluation of ways to solve problems allows us to determine the coefficient of flexibility of the subjects' thinking.

To assess the flexibility of thinking in engineering psychology, the Stroop verbal-color test is widely used ^[20]. The subject is presented with three cards sequentially: the first with words, the second with multicolored figures, and the third with the names of colors. If the subject is able to quickly switch from reading words to naming colors, then his cognitive thinking is quite flexible.

Analytical thinking allows the operator to divide the general in the incoming information into separate elements, study each element in turn, find cause-and-effect relationships, draw conclusions and make decisions. The following subtests of MYOMA allow us to identify the level of analytical thinking: MIOM-2 "Classification" (study of the ability to classify concepts according to some common, sometimes implicitly presented features), MIOM-3 "Analogies" and MIOM-4 "Categorization" (assessment of abstract logical thinking, the ability to generalize, its depth and accuracy).

The emotional stability of an air defense system operator should be understood as such a degree of his emotional arousal that does not exceed the threshold value and does not violate behavior, and, to some extent, even positively affects the effectiveness of his professional activity. ^[21]. In 1963, the German-British scientist-psychologist Hans Jurgen Eysenck published a personality questionnaire that includes a set of questions, some of which are aimed at identifying extroversion-introversion, some – at assessing emotional stability – instability, the rest of the questions form a control group ^[22]. The method "Scale of emotional stability – instability (neuroticism)" is a part of the personal questionnaire of G. Eysenck, in which only questions concerning neuroticism and questions on secrecy – frankness of answers are left.

Responsibility in psychology refers to various forms of control by which a person controls his activities, correlating it with the norms and rules that he has adopted for himself. Responsibility is most clearly manifested in extreme conditions of activity, which, of course, includes operator activity, which requires genuine responsibility as self-determination. Responsibility can be considered as the quality of an air defense system operator, based on his awareness of his duty in the process of professional activity, and reduced to obtaining a subjectively approved result ^[23].

The "Express diagnostics of responsibility" test, developed by V. P. Pryadein, makes it possible to assess responsibility not as the sum of several separate components, but as an integral quality. According to the requirements of this test, the subject must assess how his behavior corresponds to the 12 proposed statements. The rating scale includes seven response options – from complete disagreement (1) to unconditional agreement (7).

Operator activity assumes a high level of independence. To assess the desire for independence in decision-making, the methodology "Diagnostics of interpersonal relations", developed in 1954 by T. Leary ^[24,25] and adapted by L.N. Sobchik ^[15], is used.

The main purpose of such a quality as willpower is for a person to overcome internal obstacles on the way to his goal. It acts as the ability of a person to consciously take control of his own behavior and direct all his efforts to solve a certain issue, overcoming possible obstacles on the way.

The study of the level of development of volitional self-control, perseverance and self-control is carried out using the methodology "Study of volitional self-regulation" (authors: A.V. Zverkov, E. V. Eidman), in which the subject is asked to agree or disagree with 30 statements. The results of processing the answers allow us to determine the value of the indices of volitional self-regulation according to the points of the general scale and the indices according to the subscales "perseverance" and "self-control" ^[26].

In 1895, the German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin proposed a technique that allows assessing the level of will in the process of performing mental tasks. The method of "Counting by Kraepelin" is to study the ability of the subject to add pairs of single digits in his mind with maximum speed and accuracy in eight 30-second segments ^[27].

The main integral PVK of the commander of the calculation of the SAM are organizational skills – a combination of his individual properties that allows you to quickly, reliably and confidently lead the personnel of the calculation. The recognized leader among various tools for assessing organizational abilities of an individual is the K.L. Wilson method "Cycle of managerial skills" ^{[28, 29]}. The purpose of this technique is to make a list of the strengths and weaknesses of the subject, to determine what influence these sides have on the success of his professional activity and the management of subordinates, to help him learn how to use his strengths and recognize those skills that need to be improved. To diagnose a person's idea of his real and ideal self, it is advisable to use the technique "Diagnostics of interpersonal relations" by T. Leary ^[15,24,25]. With the help of this technique, the prevailing type of attitudes towards people in self-esteem and mutual esteem is revealed. Assessment of the level of organizational skills can also be carried out using the "CBS" methodology.

Conclusion

Thus, in order to improve the methods of selection and professional training of SAM operators, the selection of psychodiagnostic methods for identifying and studying the necessary integral professionally important qualities was made.

The use of the formed complex of psychodiagnostic techniques at the stages of selection and professional training of air defense system operators will reduce the dropout of unsuitable persons in the training process, reduce the accident rate of serviced vehicles due to personnel errors, increase the reliability of control systems, and also reduce the cost of operator training.

The further development of the conducted research is the development of computer variants of the techniques highlighted in this work, which will significantly simplify the process of collecting and processing psychodiagnostic materials.