THE EMOTIONAL NATURE OF ADOLESCENTS' COGNITIVE ACTIVITY

Abstract. The article discusses the emotional nature of cognitive activity. Experiments conducted with adolescents to clarify this issue are described. It is shown that during adolescence, cognitive processes that are not regulated by emotions cannot sustain their continuity for long periods. Researchers' approaches to this issue vary and these approaches clarify the connection between emotion and cognitive activity, highlighting its negative and positive aspects. Reviewing these studies enables the understanding of the emotional nature of cognitive activity in adolescents, as emotion serves as an essential and significant stimulus for cognitive activity. The article interprets the methods applied in age-differentiated groups of adolescents and their outcomes. Tasks given to participants reveal adolescents' ability to manage and regulate emotional influences in cognitive activity. It was determined that the primary causes of emotional arousal in adolescents' cognitive activity are related to the patterns of psychological age and individual characteristics. Nonetheless, social factors significantly affect their emotional domain. Interestingly, adolescents demonstrate their ability to acquire scientific knowledge in various subjects and solve complex tasks through summative assessments. However, they struggle to fully comprehend their individuality and personal qualities. They are not yet capable of sufficiently using their willpower to manage educational actions independently of emotional influences. These contradictions in the impact of emotional processes on cognitive activity create significant challenges for adolescents. All of these are associated with selfdiscovery and self-determination efforts arising from the age crisis, curiosity about new emotional impressions and instability in those interests. The article also identifies factors contributing to the lack of effective emotional regulation of adolescents' cognitive activity during the educational process. Examples include confusion in assigning and solving tasks, difficulties in comprehending tasks, recognizing new concepts and selecting necessary mental constructs. Other factors include the mismatch between self-assessment and academic evaluations.