Tikhomirova Elena V.

Background. In today's rapidly changing world, it is extremely important to maintain one's own trajectory in relation to life goals, the image of the future at different stages of professionalization. In this regard, it is relevant to determine personal regulators that allow for conscious and purposeful influencing the achievement of the expected future and their change in the process of professionalization.

Objective. The study had its purpose to investigate the image of the future, its characteristics (completeness, clarity, time perspective), functions and personal regulators (self-regulation, coping behavior and life orientations) at different stages of professionalization.

Methods. The study implemented quantitative methods: a basic questionnaire by V.I. Morosanova "Style of self-regulation of behavior - SSPM", 2015; “Time Perspective Questionnaire” (F. Zimbardo, 1997) adapted by A. Syrtsova, 2007; "Test of Life-Meaning Orientations" (Crumbaugh, Maholick, 1964) adapted by D.A. Leontiev, 2000; methodology "WCQ – Ways of Coping Questionnaire" (R. Lazarus and S. Folkman, 1985) adapted by T.L. Kryukova, E.V. Kuftyak, M.S. Zamyshlyaeva, 2004. And qualitative methods: the method “Unfinished Sentences” (Sachs, Levy, 1950) modified by the authors and metaphorical associative maps “Roads” (G. Salpeter, 2014) for which the author’s semi-standardized interview was developed (S.I. Konzhin, M.V. Saporovskaya, 2021).

Sample. The study involved 184 people - men and women from 16 to 40 years old (M = 23.2; SD = 7.43) who gave informed consent to participate in it. The respondents were divided into three empirical groups: respondents at the stage of professional self-determination (aged 16-17); respondents at the stage of obtaining professional education (aged 18-25); respondents engaged in professional activities (aged 26-40).

Results. The study revealed significant differences in the influence of self-regulation, coping behavior and life-meaning orientations on the time perspective of the future at different stages of professionalization. Content-analysis allowed to establish the structure, clarity, and completeness of the image of the future. Regression analysis indicated that “Locus of control-Self”, the coping strategy “Planning to solve a problem” and the regulatory-cognitive competence “Planning” make the greatest contribution to the regulation of the Future image of the respondents. Focus on the Future, the relevance of planning the Future image have certain differences and specifics at the different stages of professionalization.

Conclusion. Locus of control, strategies of coping behavior and regulatory competencies can be considered as personal regulators of creating an image of the future at different stages of professionalization.