AGGRESSIVE TENDENCIES IN THE SYSTEM OF PERSONAL FACTORS FOR THE CHOICE OF MECHANISMS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL PROTECTION DURING WAR EVENTS

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to present the results of an empirical study of aggressiveness inthe system of personal factors in the selection of psychological protection mechanisms during war. Methods. In the research process, the Plutchik-Kellerman-Conte “Life Style Index” method was usedto determine psychological defenses; the Ilyin questionnaire “Auto- and heteroaggression” – to determinethe direction of aggression; the Bass-Dark method “Questionnaire of Indicators and Forms of Aggression” – todetermine aggressive tendencies. The results. The specifics of psychological defenses and the expressivenessof forms of aggressive behavior of civilians who have been on the territory of Ukraine since the beginningof the war are given. Peculiarities of manifestations of aggressiveness and protective mechanisms in menand women are considered. It has been established that the compensatory defense mechanism is the drivingforce for all persons. Men have a reactive response to frustrating war events, and women have recourse toprimitive forms of defense – denial and regression. It is shown that men are characterized by auto-aggressivetendencies and a sense of guilt, while women are characterized by hetero-aggressive tendencies and indirectaggression. The presence of a complex structure of correlations between indicators of psychologicalprotection mechanisms and aggressiveness, which has gender specificity, was revealed. 48 correlationrelationships were determined in the group of women (the most statistically significant indicators betweenregression, substitution and aggressiveness). 25 correlation relationships were determined in the group of men(the most statistically significant indicators between substitution and aggressiveness). Conclusions. Withthe help of qualitative and quantitative analysis, it was established that armed military aggression changedthe structure of interrelationships of aggressiveness and the choice of psychological protection mechanisms.Correlational analysis does not allow to reveal cause-and-effect relationships between the investigatedphenomena, so the prospects for further research will be study of personal factors that affect the productivityof using certain psychological defense mechanisms during military threats.