Features of the representations of their future in adolescents undergoing a life crisis ²⁶⁴⁸

Earlier we have shown that teenagers placed in temporary shelters are going through a grave life crisis and are not able to think about their future in a positive way. In this study particular ideas about the way of life of this category of teenagers were investigated by using the method of Kronik and Golovaha’s «Evaluation of the five-year intervals» (PGI). The results of the research testify to the fact, that in comparison with a control group of affluent peers, both younger and older teenagers from orphanages differ in the affective character of their feelings towards the actual situation, which is reflected in the significant decrease in the estimates of the frequency of occurrence of significant events in the current five-year period and inflating those assessments compared to the previous five-year period, as well as in the decrease in the projected frequency of future events and shortening of the planned duration of life. In the article the authors discuss the features of the subjective picture of the world of the adolescents living in a life crisis and outline the ways of correction of their emotional-motivational sphere.

Keywords: way of life, life crisis, adolescence, future prediction, adolescents’ self-awareness

Column: Psychology of Personality