Deformation of Stable Meaning Formation and Its Difference from Transformation in Experiencing a Situation of Life Crisis

   Introduction. Deformation of meaning formation, as an internal mechanism of personal meaning change in the situation of life crisis, is insufficiently studied. This leads to a limited use of the process of meaning regulation of personal meaning change, which entails difficulties of the individual in finding a way to correct his or her meaning-oriented state, such as
stagnation, getting stuck and overcoming.

   Objective. To reveal the mechanism of deformation of meaning formation when personal meaning changes in it in the situation of life crisis and to indicate the difference between deformation and transformation. Comparison of deformation and transformation processes. Using a comparative analysis of the processes of deformation and transformation of meaning formation, we find a clear difference in the mechanism of personal meaning change. In the case of deformation, the situation of life crisis remains unchanged, including motive and goal (meaning motive), attitude and action (meaning attitude). In this case, only their ratio changes, in contrast to the transformation of meaning formation, where the situation changes completely with a complete transition of meaning structures into new or different ones. Pattern of meaning regulation. Deformations of meaning formation are revealed in the mechanism of the pattern of meaning regulation, where changes in personal meaning occur when experiencing a situation of life crisis by means of meaning choice. Meaning choice is a system-forming factor of personal meaning change towards one of the three poles of the pattern of meaning regulation, in the meaning trace of experience (introjection), in conscious experience (ensartence) and in goal-setting (intension). Strategies of meaning choice. In the case of deformation of meaning formation, the meaning motive and meaning attitude do not change into new meaning structures, but change the internal ratio of the goal and action, respectively. This occurs through meaning choice with the purpose of changing personal meaning toward stability (certainty) or instability (uncertainty). Three types of meaning choice strategies are involved in changing personal meaning: the strategy of meaning trace of experience, the strategy of conscious experience, and the strategy of goal setting.

   Discussion. At deformation of semantic formation its type and type of personality are formed depending on what semantic choice was made under the influence of the situation of life crisis. Such an indicator of semantic choice as readiness of a personality to make it in experiencing the situation of life crisis is determined.

1. Abakumova, I. V. (2008). Sense-Didactics. Textbook for Masters of Pedagogy and Psychology. CREDO Publishing House. (In Russ.)

2. Abakumova, I. V., & Godunov, M. V. (2019). Meaning-making strategies : a review of domestic research. Innovative science: psychology, pedagogy, defectology, 2(1), 57–65. (In Russ.)

3. Abakumova, I. V., Godunov, M. V., & Golubova, V. M. (2019). Theoretical approaches to the study of uncertainty effects in the processes of meaning regulation of personality development. Russian Psychological Journal, 16(3), 59–71. (In Russ.) doi: 10.21702/rpj.2019.3.5

4. Abakumova, I. V., Ermakov, P. N., Godunov, M. V., & Danchenko, I. V. (2021). The psychology of meaning-making strategies: polymodality of causal images and choice under uncertainty. Credo. (In Russ.)

5. Allport, G. W. (1935). Attitudes. In C. Murchison (ed.) A handbook of social psychology (P. 798‒844). Clark University Press.

6. Asmolov, A. G. (2007). Psychology of personality: Cultural-historical understanding of human development (3^rd ed., revised and supplement). Smysl; Academia Publishing Center. (In Russ.)

7. Asmolov, A. G., Bratus, B. S., Zeigarnik, B. V., Petrovsky, V. A., Subbotsky, E. V., Kharash, A. U., & Tsvetkova, L. S. (1979). On some perspectives of the study of meaning formations of personality. Voprosy psychologii, 4, 35–76. (In Russ.)

8. Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper Perennial.

9. Druzhinin, V. N. (1994). Structure and logic of psychological research (2^nd ed., revised). IPRAN. (In Russ.)

10. Godunov, M. V. (2022). Strategies of meaning-making of personality in conditions of information uncertainty: preadaptive and adaptive approach [Doctoral dissertation]. DSTU. (In Russ.)

11. Gusev, A. N. (2004). Psychophysics of sensory tasks: System-activity analysis of human behavior in a situation of uncertainty. Moscow University Publishing House; UMK “Psychologists”. (In Russ.)

12. Gendlin, Y. D. (2000). Focusing: A new psychotherapeutic method for working with experiences (A. S. Rigina, pers. comm. in English). Independent firm “Class”. (Original published 1996). (In Russ.)

13. Gray, A. V. (2003). Structural and content characteristics of the system of personal meanings. In “Siberian psychology today: Collection of scientific papers”. Issue 2. Kuzbassvuzizdat. (In Russ.)

14. Katz, D., & Stotland, E. (1959). A preliminary statement to a theory of attitude structure and change. In S. Koch (ed.) Psychology: a study of a science (P. 423–475). McGraw-Hill.

15. Karpinsky, K. V. (2019). Psychology of meaning-life crisis : a monograph. GrSU. (In Russ.)

16. Lewin, K. (2001). Dynamic psychology: Selected writings. Meaning. (In Russ.)

17. Leontiev, A. N. (2004). Activity. Consciousness. Personality. Meaning; Academia Publishing Center. (In Russ.)

18. Leontiev, A. N. (1975). Activity. Consciousness. Personality. Politizdat. (In Russ.)

19. Leontiev, D. A. (2003). Psychology of meaning: the nature, structure and dynamics of meaning reality (2^nd ed., revised). Meaning. (In Russ.)

20. Magomed-Eminov, M. Sh. (1998). The transformation of personality. Psychoanalytic Association. (In Russ.)

21. Maddi, S. R. (1983). Existential Analysis. In R. Harre, R. Lamb (eds.) The encyclopedic dictionary of psychology (P. 223–224). Blackwell.

22. McGuire, W. J. (1974). Attitudes. In Encyclopaedia Britannica (P. 360–363). Chicago.

23. Phenix, P. (1964). Realms of meaning: a philosophy of the curriculum for general education. McGraw-Hill.

24. Speth, G. G. (1996). Phenomenon and meaning: phenomenology as a basic science and its problems. Aquarius. (In Russ.)

25. Subbotsky, E. V. (1977). Study of meaning formations in the child. Vestnik of Moscow University, 1, 62–72. (In Russ.)

26. Tikhomirov, O. K. (1984). Psychology of thinking : A textbook. Moscow University Press. (In Russ.)

27. Ukhtomsky, A. A. (1978). Selected works. Science. (In Russ.)

28. Vasilyuk, F. E. (1984). The psychology of experience. Moscow State University. (In Russ.)

29. Volkov, P. V. (2004). Psychological Healer. Guide to the prevention of mental disorders. RIPOL Classic. (In Russ.)

30. Vygotsky, L. S. (1956). Selected psychological works. Publishing house of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of the RSFSR. (In