The problem of personality infantilism: theoretical analysis and main directions of diagnostics

One of the pressing psychological problems of modern society is progressive infantilism. Under the influence of digitalization and the rapid development of technologies using artificial intelligence, the risks of developing infantilism are rapidly increasing. The development of personal infantilism is undoubtedly influenced by the digital environment and parenting styles. Modern people are increasingly drawn into the practice of physical and intellectual passivity against the backdrop of a prolonged and difficult social maturation. This article presents a theoretical analysis of the main approaches to analyzing the personal determinants of infantilism. Leading theoretical approaches and empirical results of research on infantilism in foreign and Russian scientific works are considered. The subject of the presented work is the theoretical substantiation of the main approaches to diagnosing personal infantilism. The purpose of the article is to theoretically substantiate the structural components of the model of the leading determinants of personal infantilism. The methods of theoretical analysis allowed to identify methodological approaches that served as the basis for the presented approaches to diagnosing personal infantilism. In foreign and Russian studies, the methodological basis for determining the determinants of personality infantilism are: cognitive distortions; the dynamics of the development of irresponsible behavior in childhood and adolescence; identity crisis; variability and selectivity of maturation strategies at different age periods. The novelty of this article lies in the substantiation of a structural model of personality determinants and consideration of the main psychological markers of infantilism manifestations. As a result, a theoretical analysis of current models of personality infantilism in foreign and Russian scientific literature made it possible to formulate and substantiate a new structural model of infantilism, integrating the key aspects of this phenomenon. The content of the model is represented by interconnected components, including cognitive-behavioral, emotional, moral-reflexive and activity-motivational. Based on the analysis of domestic and foreign psychological studies, a scientific substantiation is provided for each structural component and the leading indicators for diagnosing the manifestations of these components are considered. In conclusion, the significance of the components of each indicator of personality infantilism is considered and determined. The proposed model and its theoretical justification are the basis for comprehensive diagnostics and development of corrective programs for the prevention and correction of manifestations of infantilism in various age periods of personality development.