Visnyk of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Series Psychology

Personality Emotional Well-Being Under Uncertainty Conditions: Adaptation Psychological Resources

2026-05-28T12:06:55+00:00

The article presents theoretical and empirical study results of emotional well-being under uncertainty conditions as one of contemporary society key psychological phenomena. The relevance of the topic is determined by the fact that under war-related instability conditions, socio-economic transformations, forced migration, and chronic stress, the issue of preserving the mental health of the population becomes especially important. Emotional well-being is considered an essential indicator of successful adaptation, reflecting an individual’s ability to maintain inner balance, function productively, and cope constructively with life challenges. The purpose of the study was to identify the peculiarities of emotional well-being depending on uncertainty intolerance level, as well as to determine the psychological adaptation resources role under current crisis conditions. The sample consisted of 103 respondents aged 18 and older, some of whom changed their permanent place of residence after the full-scale war beginning. A set of psychodiagnostic methods was used to assess psychological health, subjective well-being, well-being cognitive characteristics, and uncertainty intolerance. The obtained data were processed using descriptive statistics, correlation, comparative, and regression analysis. It was found that respondents who experienced forced relocation demonstrated lower levels of emotional well-being, life satisfaction, and psychological stability compared to those who had not changed their residence place. A statistically significant negative relationship was identified between uncertainty intolerance and emotional well-being, indicating the adverse perceiving ambiguity and uncontrollability impact as threatening factors for the psycho-emotional state of personality. At the same time, social support, psychological flexibility, emotional self-regulation skills, and positive cognitive reappraisal were found to be important protective resources contributing to psychological balance. The study scientific novelty lies in emotional well-being psychological mechanism understanding in the wartime uncertainty context and in clarifying the uncertainty intolerance role as a risk factor for emotional maladjustment. The practical results significance consists in their application possibility in psychological counseling, crisis intervention, psychoeducational programs, and work with internally displaced persons, and mental health support measures for Ukrainian population.

Beyond Resilience and Trauma: Seven Post-Crisis Identity Trajectories Through the Transcultural Positive Psychotherapy Lens

2026-05-28T12:06:58+00:00

Aim. The article presents the results of the empirical verification and theoretical expansion of the "Integrative Model of Existential Choice and Adaptation" (Iteration 1.2). The study aims to specify post-crisis identity trajectories among the civilian population during prolonged warfare, while substantiating the mediating role of resource spheres and the moderating role of existential continuums within the adaptation process. Methods. A sequential mixed-methods design was employed (N > 600). The empirical corpus comprised 102 semi-structured narrative interviews with residents of Kharkiv and the surrounding region, analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis (codebook approach). Additionally, an original five-step self-reflection tool was piloted (N > 400) using descriptive statistics to evaluate the subjective effectiveness of guided self-help interventions. Results. The findings support expanding the typology of belonging identity from three to seven distinct trajectories: transformed local, alienated local, multi-local, temporary evacuation, mono-local, liminal, and reintegrated. The "Activity" sphere (R2) was identified as an autonomous resource module facilitating the regulatory mechanism of adaptation. The functional roles of variables were formalized: existential continuums (C1–C6) act as moderators, while resource spheres (R1–R4) serve as mediators in the integration of traumatic experience. The dynamic coexistence of post-traumatic growth (PTG) and post-traumatic depreciation (PTD) was conceptualized as the predominant adaptive pattern. Conclusions. Successful adaptation is determined by the capacity for cognitive structuring of experience and the existential choice alignment with the selected identity trajectory. The developed self-reflection tool is validated as an effective psychological instrument, bridging the transcultural positive psychotherapy principles with evidence-based practice.

Psychoanalytical Uncertainty Understanding in Contemporary Psychological Counseling

2026-05-28T12:07:01+00:00

The article provides a theoretical understanding of the uncertainty phenomenon in modern psychological counseling through the psychoanalytic approach prism. The relevance of the study is due to the growing demand for psychological assistance in conditions of social instability, war trauma, forced migration, and life roles transformation, which form a mass experience of predictability and internal support loss. It is shown that uncertainty in counseling practice manifests itself not only as an external problem, but also as a deep psychological state associated with anxiety, symbolization disorders, identity instability, and the actualization of early object relations. Classic and contemporary psychoanalytic concepts are analyzed, within which uncertainty is considered a structural characteristic of mental life that activates defense mechanisms and unconscious repetition scenarios. It is argued that in situations of life certainty loss, a request for consultation often masks a deep conflict between the need for autonomy and the desire for external support. Particular attention is paid to the role of transference and countertransference, the containing environment, and the development of the ability to symbolize and mentalize as key mechanisms for transforming the uncertainty experience in the psychological assistance process. The specifics of psychoanalytically oriented counseling are identified, in which the work is aimed not at quickly eliminating uncertainty, but at forming the client's ability to withstand the openness of the future, integrate the ambivalence of experience, and restore the subject position in making life decisions. The methodological limitations of the classical psychoanalytic model in mass social instability conditions are outlined, and the need to integrate the psychodynamic perspective with modern evidence-based approaches to psychological assistance is justified. Prospects for further research are identified, related to the empirical verification of psychoanalytic models of working with uncertainty and the development of adapted formats for short-term counseling in a prolonged crisis context.

Interpersonal Relationships Ecological Quality in Adults at Wartime

2026-05-28T12:07:03+00:00

The article provides a theoretical justification of ecological interpersonal relationships problem among adults in full-scale war in Ukraine context. It is shown that war, causing stress increased levels of anxiety, uncertainty, and traumatic experience accumulation, significantly affects the interpersonal interaction quality. At the same time, constructive relationships serve as an important resource for reducing psychological tension and supporting recovery after traumatic events. The aim of the article is to theoretically substantiate the ecological interpersonal relationships essence and to identify their key parameters in wartime conditions. The research methods include theoretical scientific approaches analysis, contemporary psychological concepts generalization, and ecological space structure modeling in interpersonal relationships. As a result of the study, within the ecological approach, “ecological interpersonal relationships”concept is clarified and defined as those that ensure safe emotional closeness, mutual support, mental health and subjective well-being preservation, and contribute to the relationship systems stability under prolonged stress condition. The key parameters of interpersonal relationships ecological space are identified: subjectivity (responsibility in relationships and acceptance of the other), as well as interaction characteristics such as trust, support, and nonviolent communication. A diagnostic tool for assessing ecological quality level in interpersonal space has been developed and tested. The pilot study results confirm its applicability in psychological practice, particularly in support programs for adults in wartime conditions.

The Illustrations Emotional Coloring Influence in Advertising Messages on Attitudes Toward a Fiction Book and the Advertising Message

2026-05-28T12:07:06+00:00

The relevance of the study is determined by visual components growing role in advertising communication and the insufficient representation of experimental studies examining the advertising illustrations psycohological influence specifically in the book advertising field. In contemporary media environments, illustrations not only attract attention but also shape emotional expectations, influence a product perception, and affect attitudes toward advertising messages. Despite extensive research in advertising psychology and media psychology, the emotionally colored illustrations impact on attitudes toward fiction books remains insufficiently explored. The aim of the study was to investigate positively and negatively emotionally colored illustrations influence in advertising messages on attitudes toward a fiction book and the advertising message itself. The study employed the subjective scaling methods and polar profiles (semantic differential). Statistical data analysis included one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey post hoc comparisons, and effect size calculations using Cohen’s d, η², and ω² coefficients. The sample consisted of 50 first-year university students aged 16–20, divided into one control group and two experimental groups. The stimulus materials included a fantasy book annotation and two variants of illustrations with different emotional valence: a positively colored illustration (“kind”) and a negatively colored illustration (“harsh”). The control group evaluated the annotation without illustrations. The results demonstrated that emotionally colored illustrations significantly influenced respondents’ perceptions of both the book and the advertising message. Negatively emotionally colored illustrations reduced the characters subjective perception as interesting and contributed to perceiving the psychological book atmosphere as less comfortable. At the same time, positively emotionally colored illustrations unexpectedly reduced originality evaluations of both the book and the advertising message, a plot introduction engaging nature, and the correspondence of the advertisement to readers’ interests and expectations. Significant differences between groups were identified for several subjective scaling indicators and one pair of polar profile characteristics. Large effect sizes were observed for a number of statistically significant differences. The findings suggest that the emotional coloring of illustrations may function as an emotional frame influencing the interpretation of textual information. Excessively harmonious and positively colored visual images do not necessarily strengthen positive attitudes toward a fiction book, especially when the annotation contains dramatic, conflict-related, or threatening plot elements. The study expands current understanding of advertising perception psychological mechanism in book marketing field and highlights the importance of emotional congruence between visual elements and the semantic atmosphere of a literary work.

Emotional Intelligence Cognitive Correlates in Adults: Creative Thinking Role

2026-05-28T12:07:08+00:00

Background. The article examines the correlation between emotional intelligence and creative thinking in adults within the context of contemporary technological transformations and social uncertainty. The study relevance is driven by the necessity to identify internal psychological resources for personal adaptation and professional self-actualization in the digital age, where the integration of emotional competence and creativity serves as a key competitive advantage. Purpose. The study aims to provide a theoretical substantiation and empirical verification of the relationship between the components of emotional intelligence and the indicators of creative thinking in adults. Methods. The methodological framework is based on a comprehensive approach, including a theoretical analysis of modern emotional intelligence concepts and empirical diagnostic methods. The study utilized V. Zarytska’s emotional intelligence assessment and P. Torrance’s Verbal Test of Creative Thinking. Mathematical and statistical data processing was performed using Spearman’s rank correlation analysis and k-means cluster analysis to identify specific respondent profiles. Results. The findings confirm a stable positive correlation between the emotional intelligence and creativity indicators overall levels. Statistically significant correlations were established between the ability to understand and manage emotions and such creative thinking characteristics as flexibility, originality, and elaboration. Cluster analysis allowed for the differentiation of respondents based on their emotional-cognitive functioning profiles. Based on the empirical data, an emotional intelligence development program was designed and tested, focusing on stimulating creative activity in adults. Conclusions. The study validates the hypothesis regarding the integration of emotional and cognitive-creative processes in adulthood. The results suggest that developing emotional competence serves as an effective tool for actualizing creative potential. The practical significance of the work lies in the potential implementation of the developed methodological recommendations into psychological support systems for professionals and adult education programs.

Veteran Image among Senior Grade Students with Various Degrees of Trust in the World, in Other People, and in Themselves

2026-05-28T12:07:13+00:00

The problem of understanding and forming the image of a veteran is relatively new for modern Ukrainian psychology, although the general interest of scientists in the processes of creating images in collective and individual consciousness has a long history. The purpose of the work: to determine the features of veteran’s image in high school students with varying degrees of trust in the world, in other people and in themselves. Research methods: questionnaire method (developed by us) to determine the attitude towards veterans; incomplete sentence method; semantic differential of Ch. Osgood (adaptation of S. Yanovska, P. Sevostyanov and R. Turenko); methodology "Trust / distrust of the individual in the world, in other people, in himself" (O. Savchenko); methods of statistical data processing: descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, method of comparative analysis for dependent samples (Wilcoxon test). Sample. The study involved 107 high school students from secondary schools in Kharkiv aged 15 to 17, including 56 girls and 51 boys. Conclusions. It was found that the attitude of the studied high school students towards veterans is ambivalent, with positive and negative assessments equally represented. At the same time, the attitude of high school students towards veterans is less positive than towards civilians. The level of trust in themselves, towards other people and towards the world was not associated with the characteristics of veterans image perception by high school students - therefore, the ideas of these individuals about veterans are relatively stable, socially conditioned and to a small extent depend on the individual psychological characteristics that determine the degree of trust inherent in a person.

Optimising Adult Digital Learning Strategies in an Intensively Digitalising Society

2026-05-28T12:07:17+00:00

The article addresses the effective digital learning problem for adults under radical uncertainty conditions, accelerated digitalisation, and increasing demands for individual adaptation in the digital society. The study relevance is grounded in the fact that for the so-called "digital immigrants" generation, engaging with new digital environments is frequently accompanied by technostress, cognitive overload, and a subjective control diminished sense. The aim of the article is to provide a theoretical foundation and empirical validation of effective digital learning strategies for adults, taking into account psychophysiological responses to digital novelty. The research methods included literature and psychophysiological experiment theoretical analysis using EEG monitoring, as well as latent profile, variance, regression, and mediation analyses. The study identified contemporary approaches to adult digital learning, namely andragogy, self-directed learning, microlearning, technology tutoring, and digital competence development. The significance of digital as the successful adaptation primary predictor of successful adaptation to new digital environments was empirically demonstrated. In accordance with four types of psychophysiological adaptation in adults and the stress-inducing factors associated with digital environments, the appropriateness of differentiated learning strategies was substantiated. A categorical approach to digital learning is proposed, understood as a shift from mastering individual applications to acquiring the functional digital environments groups logic; this approach contributes to reducing digital anxiety, enhancing digital subjectivity, and fostering the autonomy of the adult user. Strategic recommendations for effective digital learning among adults are provided.

Learning Motivation Features in Socially Vulnerable Families Adolescents in their Basic Emotions Context

2026-05-28T12:07:20+00:00

The relevance of this study is determined by the growing number of adolescents raised in socially vulnerable families (e.g., internally displaced families, combatant’s families, households affected by traumatic experiences, violence, or substance dependence). Such contexts often intensify emotional strain, undermine psychological resources, and create additional risks for school disengagement. In contemporary educational psychology, academic motivation is increasingly viewed not only as a driver of learning outcomes but also as adolescents’ socio-emotional adaptation and well-being marker. Against this background, the interplay between adolescents’ basic emotions and their academic motivation becomes a particularly important research and applied issue, especially when the family environment is chronically stressful and unstable. The aim of the article is to examine academic motivation in adolescents from socially vulnerable families in relation to the intensity of their basic emotions, as well as to identify the specific patterns of these associations through a comparative design with a control group. The study involved 155 adolescents aged 11–15 years. The experimental group consisted of 73 participants whose families met the criteria of social vulnerability according to the registry of the charitable organization “Trohy vohnyu,” while the control group included 82 adolescents whose families were not categorized as socially vulnerable and were not registered in relevant institutions. The emotional domain was assessed using Izard’s Differential Emotions Scale (adapted by A. Leonov and M. Kapitsa) and the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (SPANE; adapted by V. Olefir, V. Bosniuk, and K. Malofeikina). Academic motivation was measured with the School Motivation Questionnaire (adapted by M. Lemak and V. Petryshche) and a modified idiographic “Ladder” technique that captured adolescents’ subjective evaluations of their school achievement in the past, present, and future. The latter instrument motivational meaning was operationalized through the academic success perceived trajectory and the degree of optimism regarding future learning. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, group comparisons using the Mann–Whitney U test, and Spearman rank correlations to detect relationships between emotional and motivational indicators. The findings demonstrate that adolescents from socially vulnerable families show a significantly lower level of school motivation and a less positive attitude toward themselves as students. They also tend to evaluate their academic success less favorably across temporal perspectives and exhibit a more pessimistic orientation toward future schooling compared to their peers from the control group. Regarding emotional functioning, the socially vulnerable group is characterized by a more pronounced intensity of several negative basic emotions and by a more negative affective balance, reflected in lower positive experiences and higher negative experiences. Importantly, the correlation structure between basic emotions and motivational indices differs between the groups. Among socially vulnerable adolescents, the emotional–motivational links are less coherent and more fragmented, with several associations being predominantly inverse. Such a pattern may indicate a disruption or partial disintegration of emotion–motivation regulation under chronic social stress conditions. In contrast, the control group demonstrates a more predictable and integrated relatioships configuration between emotional experiences and motivational indicators, which may reflect more stable self-regulation mechanisms supported by relatively favorable social conditions. Overall, the results support the study hypothesis that academic motivation is significantly related to adolescents’ current emotional states and that the family’s social vulnerability moderates both motivation and the configuration level of emotion–motivation associations. The practical implications of the study involve targeted psychological and educational interventions development aimed at strengthening adolescents’ internal academic motivation, improving emotional stability, and supporting a more optimistic academic future perspective in socially vulnerable populations. These findings may be used in school-based psychological services, psychosocial support programs, and preventive initiatives addressing educational risks in families under chronic adversity.

Stress Resilience Factors in Children’s with Special Educational Needs Parents

2026-05-28T12:07:25+00:00

The article presents the results of a study on stress resilience children’s with special educational needs parents and examines the characteristics of emotional intelligence and perceived social support within the studied sample. Contemporary scientific approaches to understanding emotional intelligence, stress resilience, and social support as resources of psychological well-being are analyzed. Based on an empirical study conducted among 52 parents of children with special educational needs, the levels of key components of emotional intelligence, stress resilience, perceived stress, and the social support role were determined. Emotional intelligence and perceived social support were identified as significant factors associated with stress resilience in parents of children with special educational needs. A substantial combined effect of emotional intelligence and social support on the level of stress resilience was identified. An inverse relationship between stress resilience and perceived stress levels was also established. The findings may be applied in psychological counseling practice and in the development of support programs for children’s with special educational needs parents.

Traumatic Stress Disorder Signs Diagnosing Using a Drawing

2026-05-28T12:07:28+00:00

The aim of the study was to analyze the projective potential of pictorial methods in the diagnosis of acute and post-traumatic stress disorders caused by traumatic events. The study uses a theoretical methods system - analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization, abstraction, concretization, systematization, classification - to determine the main concepts and approaches. Empirical processing of the material was carried out by using observation methods, interviews, documentation analysis, analysis of activity products and a modified projective test "Man in the Rain". The study was agreed with the the Commission on Ethics of Scientific Research of the Kherson State Agrarian and Economic University. As a result, more than 100 drawings were collected and analyzed. Based on their study, several features in the depiction of a man in the rain were identified. They are characteristics of the person with mental trauma symptoms. In general, it is emphasized that the diagnosis of PTSD requires a radically new approach and, accordingly, new diagnostic tools. In Ukraine, in conditions of war, the need for group diagnostics of PTSD is growing. Ukrainian need tools that can be used remotely, when it is not possible to wait for the end of the traumatic circumstances; when it is impossible to isolate all the traumatized in safe conditions to provide them with assistance; when mental traumas happen one by one. These methods are desirable to be able to diagnose the degree of traumatic experience and memories, avoiding excessive criticism and rationalization, overcoming repression and denial. One of the options for such diagnostics can be diagnostics using the proposed modification of the “Man in the Rain” technique. The methodology we used has shown significant projective potential, as well as a positive consultative effect in working with traumatized individuals.

Critical Review of Psychometric Properties of Projective Techniques: The Case of the Lüscher Color Test and the Szondi Test

2026-05-28T12:07:31+00:00

The article presents a critical analysis of the psychometric properties of two widely used projective techniques: the Luscher Color Test and the Szondi Test. The study aimed to synthesize data on their validity, reliability, and theoretical foundations through a review of scientific sources (Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar). Results indicate that the Luscher Test demonstrates low convergent validity (no correlations with MMPI, IPAT), unstable test-retest reliability (mean r ≈ 0.33–0.37), and lack of measurement invariance due to cultural, gender, and age influences on color preferences. Effects of social desirability and the Barnum effect were identified. The Szondi Test exhibits significant stimulus validity issues (photo selection driven by visual characteristics/social stereotypes), unconfirmed criterion validity (minimal correlation with PCL-R), undefined factor structure, and low test-retest reliability. Its theoretical basis (genotropism) contradicts modern classifications of mental disorders (DSM-5-TR, ICD-11). Both instruments, alongside other projective techniques (e.g., Koch’s Tree Test), are labeled by researchers as "probably" or "certainly discredited" due to insufficient evidence of psychometric soundness. Their use risks misdiagnosis, erroneous expert conclusions (including in legal settings), and undermines psychology’s scientific credibility. The conclusion emphasizes that developers bear responsibility for demonstrating scientific validity, and only tools with empirically confirmed psychometric properties are suitable for professional application.

Ukrainian Existential Anxiety Questionnaire (EAQ) Adaptation for Adolescents

2026-05-28T12:07:34+00:00

This article presents the results of developing and validating a Ukrainian-language adaptation of the existential anxiety questionnaire (EAQ) for adolescents. The sample included 141 students in grades 10-11, aged 14-17 (M = 15.8 years, SD = 0.71, 85 girls and 56 boys). An analysis of the questionnaire factor structure revealed that inverse statements, which refer to the absence of guilt, trust in fate, and the absence of doubts about previous meanings of life, interfere with the diagnosis of existential anxiety. A shortened 7-item questionnaire is proposed, which includes six statements describing three types of existential anxiety manifestations, along with a statement about belief in the meaning of life in general. Empirical grounds for considering existential anxiety as a single-factor construct are provided. The internal consistency (ω = 0.76) of the abbreviated Ukrainian-language version of the Existential Anxiety Questionnaire for Adolescents (EAQ-UA) was confirmed. Moderate positive correlations of existential anxiety with the Beck Anxiety Inventory and eco-anxiety scores, as well as a weaker negative correlation with life satisfaction and a positive correlation with negative experiences, support convergent validity. The absence of a significant correlation with positive experiences and a weak correlation with rumination support the discriminant validity of the abbreviated version of the EAQ-UA.

The moral intelligence scale: Ukrainian language version adaptation

2026-05-28T12:07:36+00:00

This article presents the results of the adaptation of the Ukrainian-language version adaptation of the Moral Intelligence Scale (F. Alsmeheen). Moral intelligence is defined as an individual’s ability to apply universal ethical principles to their own value system, life goals, and behavioral actions. The development of moral intelligence is significantly influenced by a person’s emotional stability, conscientiousness, and openness. It was found that instrument original 6-factor structure was not confirmed in the Ukrainian sample, which may be due to the fact that, in our sociocultural and mental environment, internal moralities undergo significant pragmatization criteria. The adaptation process involved the removal of items with low significance and high uniqueness, which contributed to enhancing an instrument structural integrity. The Ukrainian-language version of the Moral Intelligence Scale includes three scales (“Prosocial Orientation,” “Intercultural Tolerance and Respect,” “Self-Regulation”) and a moral intelligence integrated measure. The Ukrainian-language version contains ten items, compared to thirty in the original. The indices of internal consistency and convergent validity questionnaire’s factors were found to be sufficient. The new model demonstrated excellent discriminant validity, as evidenced by the low level of latent intercorrelations among the subscales. Overall structure’s indicators fit with the empirical data pointed to the questionnaire’s high structural validity, allowing the Moral Intelligence Scale to be considered a promising, reliable, and concise psychodiagnostic tool within the domestic research landscape.

Psychological Content of "Journalist Mental Health" Concept in the Professional Activity Context

2026-05-28T12:07:38+00:00

The article substantiates the concept psychological content of "a journalist mental health" as an independent scientific construct. The relevance stems from this concept formal definition absence in psychological science, despite more than two decades of empirical research documenting elevated PTSD, depression, and burnout among media professionals. The situation of Ukrainian journalists during Russia’s full-scale war has transformed this academic gap into an urgent applied problem: the most extensive wartime dataset globally reveals simultaneous deterioration and adaptation within the same population. The purpose of the study is to integrate general psychological models of mental health with the journalistic activity specifics to construct a profession-specific framework. The methodology encompasses analysis of five general models (WHO, Keyes, Ryff, Seligman, Lukat) and two occupational frameworks (JD-R, ProQOL), followed by comparative analysis with empirically documented features of journalistic work. The results demonstrate that six characteristics of journalism — chronic traumatic exposure as a professional requirement, dual-role oscillation, wartime civic-existential duality, information warfare burden, impossibility of rotation, and organizational silence — render existing models necessary but insufficient. An original definition is proposed: journalist mental health is a two-dimensional dynamic state operating across four levels — individual, professional, organizational, and structural. The model integrates Keyes’ dual-continuum framework, Stamm’s ProQOL, Ryff’s eudaimonic dimensions, and Naidonova’s reflexive approach. Verification against IMI longitudinal data (2022–2025) confirms the model’s capacity to account for both destructive and adaptive trends. Prospects include empirical testing using ProQOL, PMH-Scale, and CD-RISC on a sample of Ukrainian journalists.