The study of motivation for choosing a profession by psychology students at the beginning and at the end of their studies

In recent years, the profession of a psychologist has gained significant popularity. The reasons why people choose to study psychology can vary, such as interest in the workings of the mind, desire to offer support, or need for self-reflection. Motives based on negative aspects, such as a desire for power over others or interest in manipulation, are not conducive to a successful career in psychology. Motivation can be influenced by various factors, and Russian studies have demonstrated the connection between motivation and personality traits, as well as how motives can change during the educational process. This article discusses a study that aimed to investigate and compare the motivations for choosing a career among psychology students during their first and final years. The study involved two groups of participants and utilized the «Motives for Choosing a Profession» (R.V. Ovcharova) questionnaire and the «Methodology for Determining the Main Motives for Choosing a Career» (E.M. Pavlyutenkov) method. The results showed that both first-year and fourth-year students exhibited a dominant intrinsic motivation. However, graduates were found to have more prominent individual and external positive motivations, as well as creative motivations related to the content and financial rewards of their work. The authors also note that the motivation for choosing a profession changes during the studying period. At the beginning of the studies, there is a shift from cognitive and socially significant motives to internal, personally significant, and external positive and creative motivations by the time of graduating from university.