Psychological and pedagogical characteristics of interpersonal communication of adolescents with an increased level of anxiety

Abstract

Introduction. Communication in adolescence is often accompanied by a manifestation of insecurity and increased levels of anxiety. The research urgency is caused by necessity of psychological-pedagogical study of the phenomenon of communication of adolescents with a high level of anxiety that will improve the work of specialists to ensure the optimal intellectual, emotional, and personal development in individuals in this age group. The purpose of the study is to compile psychological characteristics of "anxious" and "non-anxious teenagers" in the process of communication. Materials and methods of research. Empirical research was conducted in educational organizations in Kolomna and Orekhovo-Zuyevo, Moscow region, where students of grades 6-7 acted as respondents. Total sample size: 60 people: 30 girls and 30 boys. In the interests of studying the psychological and pedagogical characteristics of interpersonal communication of adolescents with an increased level of anxiety, we used the following empirical methods: the method "test of communicative skills of L. V. Michelson", which allows you to determine the level of communicative competence and the quality of formation of basic communicative skills in the study sample; the method of studying the level of communication and organizational abilities (CBS) Sinyavsky V. V., Fedoroshin V. A.); the method "Diagnostics of interpersonal relations" (DMO) T. Leary, which allows you to identify the features of interpersonal communication of adolescents; Phillips' method of diagnosing the level of school anxiety, which allows you to assess not only the overall level of school anxiety, but also the components of General anxiety associated with various areas of school life. In addition, we used statistical data processing methods: Spearman correlation analysis, Mann-Whitney comparative analysis, included in the statistical analysis package STATISTICA v. 6.0. Results. Our empirical study to identify the features of communication between adolescents with an increased level of anxiety, showed that this category of children is characterized by resorting to a dependent type of behavior in the process of communication, this indicator was found in 15 respondents (25%), which may be manifested depending on the opinion of others, the need for help and trust from others and excessive modesty, which is also characteristic of another type of communication of this category of teenagers – the submissive type. In addition, teenagers with an increased level of anxiety can choose an aggressive type in communication, this indicator was found in 9 respondents (15 % of the group), which can be expressed in intemperance, short temper and unfriendliness.