The sovereignty of the psychological space of individuals in semi-closed educational groups (using the example of cadets and military university students)

The relevance of studying the sovereignty of the psychological space of the individual in a semi-closed study group is derived from its role as an indicator of the ratio of individual and group elements, as well as its regulatory function. Objective: the goal of the study is to identify the manifestation degree of the sovereignty indicators of the personal psychological space and their correlation with socio-psychological characteristics in semi-closed educational groups at different levels of education (cadets and military students). Hypothesis: cadets, being a younger age group, experience the learning process in a semi-closed group more intensely than military students, which leads to a decrease in the manifestation degree of the sovereignty indicators. Participants: 222 respondents living and studying in Moscow (n = 107 cadets, aged 15-17, M = 15.9, SD = 0.69, 75% males and n = 115 military university students, aged 17-21, M = 18.4, SD = 1.88, 87% males). Methods (tools): the questionnaire ‘Sovereignty of Psychological Space – 2010’ (S. K. Nartova-Bochaver) was used to evaluate sovereignty; to analyze socio-psychological characteristics, the following methods were employed: the technique ‘Value-Accessibility Ratio in Different Life Spheres’ (E. B. Fantalova), ‘Group Cohesion Index’ methodology (K. Sisor), A. F. Fiedler’s method for diagnosing the psychological atmosphere of the team. Results: the study shows that cadets experience a greater traumatization of the sovereignty of the personal psychological boundaries than military students. ‘Normal’ levels of psychological sovereignty were associated with value system, personal experiences, collective cohesion, and team atmosphere. Main conclusions: the sovereignty indicators of the personal psychological space in a semi-closed educational group are determined by the organizational and educational setting of the institutions of different educational stages (secondary and higher education); socio-psychological characteristics play a supportive role in preserving sovereignty in the context of a semi-closed group. Practical Significance: findings can assist psychologists working with cadets and military university students in facilitating student adaptation.