Relationship of the general emotional orientation with irrational attitudes and mechanisms of psychological defenses

Aim of this work is to identify and study the relationship of the general emotional orientation with irrational attitudes and mechanisms of psychological defenses.

Methodology. In the empirical study the following methods were used: the test questionnaire "Emotional Orientation" by B.I. Dodonova; method of diagnosing irrational attitudes by A. Ellis; test questionnaire "Life Style Index" by R. Plutchik, G. Kellerman, H. R. Conte adapted by L. I. Wasserman, O. F. Erysheva, E. B. Club. Statistical data processing was performed using Spearman's rank correlation method.

Results. The results indicate the presence of an inverse relationship between the general emotional orientation and psychological defenses. We believe that most types of emotional orientation can be attributed to personal resources for overcoming stress. Thus, emotions experienced in the process of cognition, communication, disinterested help to other people, contemplation of objects of art or nature, can create a positive emotional mood that is conducive to reducing excessive stress and the severity of psychoprotections, thus increasing the adaptive capabilities of a person. The exceptions were hedonistic and romantic emotional orientations, which showed a direct connection with denial. The desire to mystify the surrounding reality and indulge in exclusively sensual pleasures can lead to a loss of contact with objective reality. This fact calls into question the absolute value of positive emotions, if they are due to the non-constructive life position of the individual. No stable links were found between the general emotional orientation and irrational attitudes. The exception was the aesthetic emotional orientation, which showed the presence of inverse conjugation with the psychoprotective projection and irrational attitudes of the "obligation towards other people" group. An attempt was made to theoretically comprehend the relationship obtained, as a result of which it was concluded that the aesthetic emotional orientation can be a factor in the cognition of the surrounding reality, the formation of a more complete and holistic picture of the world and the harmonization of relationships with other people.

Research implications. The results obtained in the study expand the understanding of the emotional sphere of a person and the determinants of his behavior, revealing the nature of the relationship of emotional orientation with psychological defense mechanisms and irrational attitudes. The results of the empirical study can be used in the practical activities of a psychologist in order to form productive strategies for self-realization, taking into account the leading type of emotional orientation, reduce the severity of irrational attitudes, as well as to develop recommendations for increasing the level of adaptation of the individual to various situations and maintaining psychological health.

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