Psychological self-regulation as a condition for successful completion of the discipline "fire training"

Fisher Igor' Vladimirovich Senior Lecturer, Department of Fire Training, Tyumen Advanced Training Institute of the Ministry of the Interior of the Russian Federation 625049, Russia, Tyumen region, Tyumen, Amurskaya str., 75, of. Amurskaya 75 igor.fisher.1971@mail.ru

Introduction.

Employees of the internal affairs bodies, performing their duties in stressful situations, must maintain not only emotional stability, but also professional activity, integrity, the ability to act lawfully and rationally, and as a result achieve their goals, which are determined by current legislation^[1]. Their official activities related to state coercion generate a backlash from citizens and a desire to interfere with the legitimate activities of police officers ^[1]. The stressful situation that arose during the use of physical force, special means and firearms causes a state of psychoemotional and physiological stress, according to the degree of impact it depends on the psychological and physical training of the employee. This situation is characterized by the emergence of a so-called psychological barrier ^[2], with tremor of the extremities, rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing. These and other factors are quite difficult for most employees to overcome. In this regard, employees of the Department of Internal Affairs need to form and develop moral and psychological stability at the initial stage of formation, and in the future - to constantly improve and maintain the skills of managing their psycho–emotional state.

The initial stage of the formation of employees begins during the period of professional training, within the framework of which there is an acquaintance with fire training. This discipline can and should be considered as an extreme situation ^[3]. Studying in educational professional training programs is a fertile time when both victories and mistakes turn into invaluable experience.

Thus, the relevance of our research is due to the need to relieve mental stress and bring your body to a normal state in order to resist the negative emotional states that arise during fire training.

The purpose of the research is to improve the shooting technique and increase the effectiveness of shooting exercises by students of professional training using "express" methods of managing the psycho-emotional state.

Research objectives:

1. Identify the main negative factors affecting students of vocational training during shooting and creating a stressful situation that does not allow them to successfully perform a shooting exercise.

2. To study the basic "express" methods of managing the psycho-emotional state, which can be used during shooting to relieve mental stress and bring your body into a calm state by students of professional training.

3. Consider the possibility of technically correct execution of shooting exercises by trainees of vocational training in fire training classes, using "express" methods of psychoemotional state management.

Analysis of the study of the problem.

All employees of the Department of Internal Affairs are required to be highly qualified specialists, ready to make the right decision at any time and, accordingly, perform their tasks at a high level, capable of using service weapons in the current situation, guided by the requirements of the Federal Law "On Police". And for this, they must be proficient in firearms ^[4]. This skill is acquired by employees of the Department of Internal Affairs during professional training during the passage of the discipline "Fire training", which is included in all major vocational training programs and is an integral part of them.

A. Ya. Korkh noted that in relation to athletes, the shooter must have the following basic data:

- a sufficiently developed muscular system and endurance so that its quality does not decrease during exertion and prolonged shooting;

- the ability to maximally relax muscle groups that are not directly involved in holding the body during manufacture;

- strong muscles involved in the breathing process, when the chest is somewhat compressed, do not feel difficulty breathing;

- precision and consistency of movements, quickness of reaction, well-developed sense of balance, etc.

In relation to a police officer, all these qualities for successful shooting must certainly be present, and additionally a high psychological stability in a state of emotional arousal must be developed ^[5].

It is normal to experience the usual human fear of shooting, and especially before the first shooting, the first shot, before the weapon in your hands. This is not cowardice. The psyche distinguishes between various types of threats, over time remembers the negative effects on the body (flash and sound of a shot, recoil of a weapon) and begins to react to it less sharply. She launches processes that help overcome the problems that have arisen and find the necessary "strength-resources" to counter the threat and form a new habit. Which is produced over a certain period of time during daily training ^[6]. Thus, stress tolerance increases, but all this is individual and depends on the personal characteristics of the person, the importance of the situation, and the time of its impact.

As a result, it is necessary to develop the ability to manage a psychoemotional state, that is, to carry out psychological self-regulation in situations that affect trainees of vocational training as stress during the study of fire training: at training or control shooting, at intermediate certification ^[7]. When passing a control test on knowledge of the theoretical section, compliance with standards, exercises of control shooting within the framework of the final exam according to the departmental order^[2] There are no trial attempts. There is only an opportunity to retake the test or exam next time and again on commission. And the result of passing the final exam is an indicator not only of the technical, but also of the psychological readiness of the student, that he has successfully completed the vocational training program and is ready to use firearms. Do not hope for a miracle, wait for life to correct, teach. A positive result is important here and now. After all, there is often no second chance in life.

With the help of self-regulation, three effects can be achieved:

- calming (reducing emotional tension);

- recovery (elimination of fatigue);

- activation (increase in psychophysiological activity).

At the same time, the main goal of mental self–regulation is the fulfillment of an intended or assigned task and the management of a currently relevant psychophysiological state ^[8].

If there are cases of disobedience to the legitimate requirements of an internal affairs officer by citizens in their official activities, during fire training classes within the framework of professional service and physical training, during inspections, control and target inspections, as well as during passing tests, exams for vocational training and other similar cases, it is reasonable to use express to overcome the psychological barrier-methods of managing the psycho-emotional state: respiratory and verbal self-regulation techniques, and exercises that contribute to the early restoration of emotional stability.

"Express" self-regulation methods are used during a traumatic situation to quickly achieve a positive result, they are easy to use and short-term in time. This is the advantage of "express" methods of self-regulation ^[9].

An arbitrary or volitional change in the functioning of human mental activity associated with calming, relaxation, increased tone, and mobilization is achieved by breathing techniques.

Breathing techniques are used to activate or relax an emotional state. Inhalation and exhalation are two physiological processes that make up breathing. Physiologically, they are associated with the mobilization of the body - inhalation and with calming – exhalation ^[10].

Activation of the emotional state during breathing is carried out on the inhale and after it a pause is made, and when relaxing – on the exhale and a pause is also made. The meaning of the pause of the respiratory cycle (inhalation to achieve arousal and exhalation to achieve a feeling of warmth, comfort) is to enhance the action of the corresponding phase.

In order to calm down in a stressful situation, to relieve mental tension, it is necessary to take 8-10 short breaths using the lower abdomen, and the same number of slow exhalations. And, conversely, in order to get together as much as possible, overcome doubts about your abilities, "jitters", you need to perform 8-10 breathing procedures with slow inhalation and sharp exhalation.

Depending on the circumstances, the mental and somatic state can be changed. The regulation and correction of these states is carried out with the help of psychotechnics of verbal self-regulation, that is, by a complex method of speech control. Behavioral programs are implemented in accordance with the processes occurring inside and the conditions of the external environment ^[11].

These techniques make it possible:

- to concentrate attention, focusing it on the more important points in this particular situation;

- to limit consciousness from the influence of negative experiences that have arisen from the sphere of the unconscious in the human psyche;

- use them during operational and official activities, including in cases of use of weapons.

Techniques of verbal self-regulation can be divided into two types: techniques of self-monitoring and self-assessment.

To implement the self–monitoring technique, you need to ask yourself several questions, the purpose of which is to stimulate thinking and increase attention to your own physical and emotional state ^[11]. So, when using self-monitoring techniques in fire training classes, you need to ask yourself questions related to your personal physical and mental state, environmental conditions, etc., for example, "What is my goal?", "What prevents me from achieving it?". At the same time, it is necessary to control what is happening inside oneself and the surrounding environment. The result of using self–monitoring techniques is the identification of negative signs - excessive tension and nervousness, confused attention and a state of panic, lethargy of muscles, etc. After that, you should proceed to psychological self-regulation by express methods, thereby optimizing your psychophysiological and spatial state.

Self-assessment is one of the simplest and most accessible methods of psychological self-regulation. It is based on motivation through the power of words. It is realized by giving commands, and to himself. They are served clearly, briefly, abruptly and clearly. First, the self-statement is formulated and repeated two or three times to himself. And then commands are given, if possible, then out loud, for example, "Don't worry!", "Relax!", "Concentrate!", "Put aside fear!", "Get together!". These self-expressions allow you to restrain the manifestation of emotions.

The self-test technique can ideally be used to successfully perform shooting exercises, which are mostly time-limited. In this regard, in a short period of time, the trainee of professional training must evaluate the target and perform the shooting exercise technically correctly and quickly. At the same time, in order to achieve a positive result – hitting the target (target) and obtaining a satisfactory assessment, it is necessary to observe the order and conditions of the exercise without violating safety measures.

During the practical training, the formation and development of the skill of self-instruction takes place, while a reflex connection is developed between giving commands to oneself and performing elements of the shooting technique ^[11]. The importance of self-instruction lies in giving yourself commands to begin the practical implementation of clear actions with weapons, the accuracy and correctness of which is worked out with a training weapon idle. Such work on the repeated repetition of these actions helps to improve the shooting technique, gives confidence in yourself and your weapon, strengthens them so that the skill develops into a skill. It is necessary to approach idle training with full responsibility. If an irresponsible and negligent attitude is allowed during its conduct, then when performing a shooting exercise from a combat weapon, this will inevitably affect and affect the final result. When you train hard, you develop the ability to endure. And patience and endurance are important components in fire training. Subsequently, this will help to reduce psycho-emotional and physiological stress, and ensure the use of shooting skills in emergency situations.

The state of relaxation, which is achieved using methods of psychological self-regulation, is a kind of empty vessel that needs to be filled, that is, programmed. Programming is the process of forming a program that is given to an organism with a certain physical and mental state. The program should be easy to understand, not large in volume, clear and positive. If the program text is formulated independently, for personal use in a specific situation, then this process is called self-programming. The use of the phrases "right now", "right today" and their repeated repetition enhances the effect of the program. Phrases can be spoken out loud, in front of a mirror, if the situation allows, or just out loud. For their correct construction when used during fire training classes, it is necessary to know the procedure and conditions for performing a shooting exercise, the technical elements of a well-aimed shot and safety measures during shooting. Phrases that can be included in the program: "Right now I am confident in myself", "Right now I will succeed", "Right now I will be able to shoot accurately", "Right now I am charged with positivity". If a given program of action causes discomfort to the shooter, then it can be easily corrected, because no one knows better than himself what result he wants to get in shooting and what needs to be changed currently in his psychological state.

If you get a good result, you need to praise yourself and you must do it, and generally make it a rule to praise yourself, make yourself praise yourself for high achievements. To praise, evaluating your well–done work, means not just to recharge yourself and multiply your productivity at the moment, but to increase it as a whole. At the same time, some of the praise is spent immediately, and some remains with you forever. Praise charges you emotionally, gives you the strength to move on and overcome difficulties. To expect and hope that someone will support and praise is naive, to say the least. There is a good saying – "If you don't praise yourself, no one will praise you." The lack of external positive assessment, approval, and emotional nourishment does not increase self-esteem, does not give confidence, and leads to a very rapid loss of strength. The lack of a positive assessment is painfully tolerated with neuropsychiatric stress and usually leads to irritability, nervousness, and in some cases to aggressiveness. In this regard, you need to encourage yourself and you need to do this immediately after successfully working out the educational question in the classroom. The encouragement procedure should be repeated in each case, several times during the lesson, for example, after a successfully completed test on the theoretical part of either the standard or the shooting exercise.

In order to consolidate any actions and develop skills for their implementation, it is necessary to repeat these actions many times, and the last or final repetition should be as close as possible to the original. At the same time, it is necessary to show restraint and perseverance until it becomes such. The most important goal of studying practical and theoretical educational issues of fire training is to achieve a moment of understanding and repetition of actions to get as close to the standard as possible. It is necessary to finish their training on a positive basis, so that there is a desire for the next lesson to learn more high-quality theoretical material, work out the elements of shooting techniques on shooting simulators and reproduce their skills, and show their knowledge to get a high score. Otherwise, there will be a negative aftertaste in the form of low self-esteem, thoughts about personal inability and professional unfitness. This method of psychological self-regulation is called self-assimilation (self-perception). The following phrases can serve as an example of phrases of this method: "I did it!", "I'm handsome!", "I'm cool!". If you convince yourself of this, it will be much easier to convince others of this.

The course of the study.

This study was conducted in the period from 2023 to 2024 on the basis of the Tyumen Institute for Advanced Training of Employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in full-time format. The study involved 59 trainees who completed professional training in the main program: "Professional training of enlisted personnel and junior commanding officers who were first recruited to the internal affairs bodies as a police officer" and 61 trainees who completed professional training under the basic program: "Professional training of middle and senior management personnel, who were first recruited to the internal affairs bodies and have higher or secondary professional (non-legal) education, as a "Policeman" employee. The duration of the training was five months. The study groups were divided into two subgroups, each with three, according to vocational training programs. The number of people in the subgroups is almost the same.

The discipline "Fire training" is contained in all vocational training programs, and its content and the order of passage are identical. In the first subgroup, "express" methods of managing the psycho-emotional state were not used, and in the second they were actively used from the very beginning of training in all types of classes: at training and control shooting, when passing tests on knowledge of theoretical material, meeting standards, on tests and exams.

The maximum result of self-regulation is obtained by using several express methods in a complex. The nuances of a certain specific situation and personal style determine the most appropriate set of methods of psychological self-regulation. Together, they multiply the positive effect and effectively complement each other. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out a careful individual selection of self-regulation methods and subsequently apply only it.

In accordance with the schedule for the passage of the discipline "Fire training" of vocational training and the methodology of its teaching, after passing the test of knowledge of the theoretical part of fire training, which is the admission of students to shooting, the following topics are consistently studied: "Techniques and rules of pistol shooting", "Pistol practice shooting", "Pistol control shooting" and "Exam".

As an example, let's consider the use by students of several "express" methods of managing the psycho-emotional state, which contribute to the speedy restoration of emotional stability immediately before performing the shooting exercise. These are self-monitoring, self-programming, self-assessment, breathing techniques and one of the exercises to eliminate muscle clamps, and finally self-awareness. The presented methods are used in the order of their enumeration.

Throughout the training, much attention is paid to such an important element of the technique of producing a well-aimed pistol shot as a grip. The grip is the holding of the pistol grip with the hand, which ensures the stability of the weapon at the time of aiming and pulling the trigger. The grip should be tight. Of great importance is the correct grip force, the slightest change, which leads to muscle clamps and negatively affects the accuracy of shooting. The strength of the grip depends on both physical fitness and the psychological state of the shooter. Muscle clamps are muscle tension that is initiated by the impact of psychological stress. To relieve neuropsychiatric tension, it is important to relax muscles in order to quickly restore reserves of strength and energy. But in most cases it is impossible to completely relax all the muscles at the same time. A positive result is achieved if attention is focused on the more relevant ones at the moment.

During the preparation for the shooting exercise, directly in the classroom or exam, when practicing the elements of the idle shooting technique, the listener is recommended to apply "express" methods of managing the psycho-emotional state: self-monitoring, self-programming, self-assessment. While at the firing line, before the report on readiness to fire, the listener can perform breathing techniques, combining them with an exercise aimed at minimizing anxiety and quickly relaxing the muscles of the hand holding the weapon. In this situation, at the moment of increasing emotional tension, the listener is recommended to clench his fingers into a fist, hold them in this position for 3 to 5 seconds, then relax his hands. Repeat 5-7 times. This exercise reduces muscle tone, it prevents convulsive twitching, which sharply displaces the weapon from the aiming area. With a positive result of the completed exercise of training or control shooting, you need to praise yourself, thereby recharge emotionally and give yourself confidence for the future.

The result of using psychological self-regulation is the release of additional energy and the direction of its flow to actively eliminate the problems that have arisen.

From any situation, an employee of the Department of Internal Affairs has every chance to emerge victorious if he is psychologically stable and not broken.

The results of the study.

The use of "express" methods of psychoemotional state management: respiratory and verbal self-regulation techniques, and exercises in the second subgroup contributed not only to a decrease in the number of unsatisfactory grades based on the results of the fire training exam, but also to an increase in positive results: the number of unsatisfactory grades in the exam was 8, which is 6 less than in the first subgroup (44.86%), due to the increase in positive ratings, the average score was 3.91, which is 0.55 more than in the first subgroup (14.07%). In this case, the results of passing the exam for the first time are considered, without taking into account the results of the second and commission retakes.

The conducted research suggests that when using "express" methods of managing the psycho-emotional state, trainees of vocational training experience a speedy restoration of emotional stability and, in this regard, a higher and more stable effectiveness of shooting exercises, which positively affects the overall individual assessment of fire readiness. The priority is the assessment for the shooting exercise of control shooting, and for the control test on the theoretical part and the standard for types of weapons, the assessment is not lower than "satisfactory".

When getting a good result, confidence in one's abilities and capabilities increases, attention is focused on the correct execution of the elements of a well-aimed shot, mood improves, emotional mood, and psycho-emotional and physiological stress decreases. Thus, students develop an internal individual readiness for adequate behavior in the circumstances of everyday life that pose a danger to their lives and health when solving operational and official tasks.

The main conclusions are:

1. A fire training teacher should have knowledge not only in his field, but also understand certain issues of psychology. Knowledge of ways to manage a psychoemotional state will contribute to a faster achievement of the main goal: to teach students of professional training the skillful use of firearms in any stressful situation without the participation of consciousness, will, that is, instinctively, at the level of intuition.

2. In the available variety of methods of psychological regulation, in the course of our research, the most simple to use and time-consuming "express" methods of managing a psychoemotional state were established. They can be used during a traumatic situation to quickly achieve a positive result, for example, during classes in the discipline "Fire training" to relieve mental stress and bring your body to a normal state at the firing line before performing a shooting exercise.

3. The psychotraumatic factors affecting the trainees of professional training during shooting generate a state of psychoemotional and physical stress. It is characterized by tremor of the arms and legs, difficulty breathing, and a rapid heartbeat. The use of the author of the article "express" - methods of psychoemotional state management contributed to the growth of shooting results, as well as optimization of the time required for training in shooting techniques.

Based on the above, it follows that psychological self–regulation, which is used by trainees of vocational training, and after its passage in fire training classes within the framework of professional service and physical training by police officers who have fixed service weapons, while maintaining small arms shooting skills, is the ability to resist negative emotional states during stressful situations.

Thus, the psychological self–regulation of students used by them in fire training is:

- the ability to withstand negative emotional stresses arising in stressful situations;

- conscious influence on your psyche, which aims to relieve mental stress and bring the body back to normal.