Metaphorization of the World’s Image as a Psychological Tool for Discovery of the Students’ Potentials

Background and aim of study:

The dynamism of modern transformations plus the variety of challenges, which surrounding reality gives in all spheres of a person’s life, are characterized by etiological factors. These etiological features cause the asthenia of adaptation mechanisms and exhaustion of the body's functional reserves lessening the efficiency and activity of a person. In an era of accelerated transformations, the most vulnerable group is the student youth. The intrinsic characteristics of the younger generation are the following: the development, normalization, and integration of the worldview together with the intensive development of social maturity. This development occurs on the background of emotional experiences associated with a significant number of crucial decisions made in the shortest periods. Therefore, a system of effective psychological tools is needed for maintaining and supporting mental health, which provides adaptability to objective conditions along with adequate responses to external influences. Moreover, the regulation plus the stability of behavior and activity are dependent on mental health. The metaphorization of the world’s image is an effective psychological tool for unlocking not only potentials but also internal resources. The metaphorization of the world’s image is a dynamic process that without filters or limitations originates the strategies of thinking needed for personal life affecting the person’s states, decisions, actions, behavior, and the experience of success and happiness.

Results:

Illumination of the “World’s image” various aspects is the theoretical-methodological basis for the researches of such authors as I. Andreeva, E. Fromm, M. Johnson, O. Leontiev, V. Molyako, S. Symonenko, B. Velichkovsky, and others. Besides, the concepts of the psycho-physiological adaptation are discussed in the works of L. Abolin, P. Anokhin, O. Asmolov, V. Kaznacheev, A. Rean, V. Rosov, G. Selie, L. Vygotsky, and others. The metaphor as the multi- faceted phenomenon has gained recognition in the publications of K. Alekseev, D. Davidson, V. Gak, J. Guilford, J. Lakoff, E. McCormack, V. Moskalyuk, S. Neretina, J. Ortega-and-Gasset, I. Polozova, O. Potebna, and others. The exposure of “the metaphorical image” category (MI) is related to such notions as the figurative code and the image representations that have to be taken into consideration. The elucidation of “the metaphorical image” includes the description of its functions, for instance, cognitive, prognostic, regulatory, creative, and communicative. The essence plus specific characteristics of the actual world and students’ psychological states were investigated based on a free-associative experiment using content and intent analysis in four blocks of research: І. A set of creative tasks was given to the students for understanding of their psychological state in quarantine situation to develop and implement the creative tasks for recognition of one’s state in quarantine situation (in total, 510 students of KNUCA, KUC, TNU participated in this research). For instance, 1) the student was asked to choose one of the proposed MI that was associated with one’s mental state. Besides, the student had to select one of the suggested MI that was real in the quarantine situation or desirable/optimal, and describe its negative and positive characteristics; 2) the student had to identify a resource MI and based on MI interpretation to respond on such questions as: “What kinds of my resources are needed for my optimal state?”, “How can I react in the best manner possible to harmonize my mental state?” etc; 3) the student received a task to write the suggestions for his next steps. II. Identification of categorically perceived MI and its content is important when one understood the essence of it and its purpose. III. The classification of the descriptions was made based on the tendencies that are dominated in the students’ psychological states which were associated with a particular metaphorical motive. IV. The descriptions have been selected on the grounds of such characteristics as advancing the constructive hypotheses for optimization of personal psychological state, the significant qualitative changes, awareness, importance, and multifunctionality.

Conclusion:

Thus, the study gives rise to the assertion that to the students, who worked with metaphorical images characterized by such features as multifacetedness, multifunctionality, and uncertainty, this practice provided the new opportunities, and strengthened the relationship between young person’s internal and external resources widening and deepening student’s self-awareness and world concept in the entire perceptive, conceptual, affective, and motor system.

DOI and UDC:

UDC: 159.923.2:81.33 DOI: 10.26697/ijes.2020.2.25

Information about the authors:

Kostyuchenko Оlena Viktorovna – Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychology, Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts, Kyiv, Ukraine. Research interests: resource and health-preserving psychotechnologies, psychology of management, psychology of artistic creativity, components of creative and professional potential of the person; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7853-2670.