Information and educational environment of higher school as a factor of the formation of coping strategies in the structure of students’ personality (ecological and psychological aspect)

The conditions in which the life of a contemporary person is passing can be called extreme ones that stimulate the development of stress. Therefore, at present it is particularly relevant to talk about adaptation, which is one of the key problems of modern psychology. The problem of adaptation originated in biology, where attempts to study the relationship of organisms with the environment appeared rather early. Today this problem has outgrown the scope of natural science and has been enriched by the ideas of modern social and human sciences, where it acquired a new content. The increased interest in this problem is determined by the intensive changes taking place in contemporary society. The importance of the study is due to the fact that under the conditions of crisis development of contemporary Russian society, the number of people who are unable to overcome difficulties of life is increasing. The article presents the results of an empirical study of the styles of defense and coping behavior of students in difficult life situations, overcoming which either passive psychological defense mechanisms or active coping mechanisms are used. The leading research methods are diagnostic and static methods, allowing one to identify the presence of significant differences in copying strategies and defense mechanisms in students. The results of the empirical study led to the conclusion that the styles of defense and coping behavior are a reflection of the close interaction of many mental characteristics, including intellectual development. These characteristics, acting integrally, are the psychological support for opposing deviant behavior and, in its turn, contribute to a sense of psychological well-being. In addition, a comprehensive study of specific features of the use of psychological defense mechanisms, coping mechanisms, and frustration reactions made it possible to describe the structure of the regulation methods used by a person to adapt in the environment. The results obtained in the study give a better insight into understanding of the structure of adaptive mechanisms and reveal the regulation features of a person’s behavior. The authors of the study found that the use of non-constructive coping mechanisms in frustration and stressful situations and the excessive use of psychological defense mechanisms is a cause of maladaptation, which prevents the sensation of psychological well-being and personal development. The revealed features and interconnections of coping mechanisms, psychological defense mechanisms, frustration reactions, practical thinking and psychological well-being give a more complete picture of adaptive capabilities of a person’s personality and their connection with psychological well-being. The results obtained can help in predicting possible risks in the process of overcoming and experiencing stress. The obtained data can be used in personality psychotherapy and in the setting of university learning.