Correlations between Intellectual Abilities and Features of the Motivational-Emotional Sphere in College-Age Boys and Girls

<p>The research is aimed at clarifying and comparing the specifics of the correlations between intellectual abilities, manifestations of emotions and motives in boys and girls of student age. In the process of theoretical analysis, the researchers' points of view on the nature of intellectual abilities are compared, interpretations of the essential characteristics of the motivational and emotional sphere manifested in various spheres of life are presented. It is shown that the productivity of the intellectual abilities of the individual is conditioned by the prevailing motives and the degree of severity of emotional states. 105 individuals took part in the study: 40 female and 65 male students of the Siberian Polytechnicnical College at the age of 17-20 years. Various statistical methods were used to process the data. Correlation analysis allowed to reveal the correlations between the studied characteristics both in the whole sample and separately for male and female parts of it. In the total sample, an inverse correlation was found between respondents' assessment of their well-being and their performance in solving tasks, which is explained by the need for conscious regulation of intellectual activity. This correlation is most vividly manifested in the subtests on practical ability plans, in which the use of verbal-logical thinking and the synthetic act of correlating the task condition and actualization of the necessary knowledge are assumed. Statistically significant differences were found in the two-factor analysis of variance. On average, girls have a higher motivation to achieve success, more often conditioned by external factors. They are also more sensitive to the influence of mental adaptation processes on the productivity of thought operations. Young men, as a rule, have a higher subjective assessment of anxiety and a lower level of motivation to achieve success, which, however, does not significantly affect the results of their mental activity. In addition, the sample of young men has a higher level of mental stress, as focusing on the problem-solving process may require more cognitive resources.</p>