The role of individual psychological characteristics in the professional choice of a psychologist

Context and relevance. The emergence of new professions, the evolution of old ones, and the lack of clarity of competencies for narrow specialties complicate the process of professional self-determination. Choosing a specific specialization becomes the most difficult stage of this process. Specialization concretizes not only the subject matter, but also the psychological content of work as an important part of a person’s social existence. Individual psychological characteristics of a personality play an important role here. Objective. To examine the relationship between students’ self-determination within a chosen profession during professional training and their individual psychological characteristics. Hypothesis. Preferences for specific professional activities are associated with temperament traits, self-esteem, and the level of personal aspirations. Methods. The study involved 102 university students and senior secondary-school students. Data were collected using a battery of psychological questionnaires and measures of preferences for professional activities. Results. Preferences for particular professional activities were found to be related to previously formed activity orientations reflecting temperament characteristics. Deviations from this pattern were associated with self-esteem and the rigidity of aspiration levels. A relationship was identified between low self-liking, low self-confidence, and the degree of correspondence between the chosen type of professional activity and an individual’s psychological profile. Conclusions. Progression toward professional specialization promotes the development of a detailed image of future socio-professional activity that is consistent with an individual’s psychological characteristics.

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