Psychological immunity of ukrainian migrants depending on childhood scenario sets

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Psychological immunity of ukrainian migrants depending on childhood scenario sets

The study of psychological immunity of the individual in conditions of adaptation to new socio-cultural surroundings is proposed. Scenario decisions of migrants - unconscious, irrational mind sets for adapting to life viewed as mechanisms of acquired psychological immunity - are in the focus of empirical research. Forced migration is considered to be a breakdown of normal life scenario which, therefore, requires transformation. The main results of correlation analysis are as follows: (1) there is statistically significant connection between scenario sets of internally displaced persons and personal readiness to changes, which considered as a criterion of psychological immunity; (2) scenario sets create a sense of security, but interfere with adaptation to altered socio-cultural surroundings. In this regard, the modality of migrant's contact with socio-cultural surroundings which impacts the establishment of acculturation strategies has been predicted and featured. The requirement of correction of migrants' childhood scйnario sets is revealed.

У дослідженні розкрито психологічний імунітет індивіда в умовах адаптації до нового соціокультурного середовища. Увагу зосереджено на емпіричному вивченні сценарних рішень мігрантів - несвідомих, ірраціональних установок на присто - сування до життя як механізмів набутого психологічного імунітету. Вимушену міграцію запропоновано розглянути як «зрив» звичного життєвого сценарію, який потребує трансформації. Основні результати кореляційного аналізу такі: (1) існує статистично значимий зв'язок між сценарними установками внутрішньо переміщених осіб та особистісною готовністю до змін, що визначено критерієм психологічного імунітету; (2) сценарні установки створюють відчуття захищеності, однак є психологічними бар'єрами в пристосуванні до зміненого соціокультурного середовища. У зв'язку з цим с прогнозовано модальність контакту мігрантів із соціокультурним середовищем, що впливає на формування стратегій акультурації, та виявлено необхідність у корекції сценарних установок, а отже, штучному формуванні активного психологічного імунітету.

Ключові слова: сценарні рішення, психологічний імунітет, стратегії акультурації, мігранти, вимушено внутрішньо переміщені особи.

В исследовании психологический иммунитет индивида изучается в условиях адаптации к новой социокультурной среде. Внимание сосредоточено на эмпирическом исследовании сценарных решений мигрантов - бессознательных иррациональных установок на приспособление к жизни как механизмов приобретенного психологического иммунитета. Вынужденную миграцию предлагается рассматривать как «срыв» привычного жизненного сценария, который нуждается в трансформации. Основные результаты корреляционного анализа следующие: (1) существует статистически значимая связь между сценарными установками внутренне перемещенных лиц и личностной готовностью к изменениям, которая определена критерием психологического иммунитета; (2) сценарные установки создают чувство защищенности, однако являются психологическими барьерами в приспособлении к измененной социокультурной среде. В связи с этим спрогнозирована модальность контакта мигрантов с социокультурной средой, которая влияет на формирование стратегий аккультурации, и обнаружена необходимость в коррекции сценарных установок, а следовательно - в штучном формировании активного психологического иммунитета.

Background of the Problem. Such circumstances as economical crisis, annexation of the Crimea, armed conflict in the East of Ukraine aggravate internal and external migration processes and, consequently, a problem of socio-cultural adaptation of migrants and corresponding coadaptation of host side. According to International Organization for Migration factsheet, 2015 is the year of record growth of the number of international migrants (244 million persons), including forced displacement (a 45 % increase compared to three and a half years ago) [1]. Current situation in Ukraine reflects these world processes. 415 citizens of Ukraine acquired the status of refugee, 1150 persons got an additional form of shelter for humanitarian reasons during 2015. The number of labor migrants outreach 700 thousands citizens of Ukraine [2]. A quantity of Ukrainians living in another country constantly increases; for instance, they make up over 6 % of foreigners from Third World on the territory of the European Union. According to latest published data of The Ministry of Social Policy there are about 1 million 800 thousands internally displaced persons in Ukraine in 2016 [3], as of July, 2017, 1 273 577 families from Donbas and Crimea have been registered by regional and city administrations [4]. All of them were forced to leave their domiciles due to armed conflict, temporary occupation of territories or in order to escape negative consequences of these issues.

In this context, exploration of ways to solve migrants' problems related to adaptation is a significant scientific goal. We accentuate adaptive resource of personality among other factors of adjustment to altered surroundings; psychological immunity is considered to be an indicator of adaptive resource [5]. The main function of psychological immunity the mechanism of which can be well illustrated in the context of biological immunity is to help an organism to resist the effect of aggressive agents, to wit, destructive impact of surroundings. In this regard, investigation o f migrants' scenario sets (decisions) which, according to transaction analysts [6; 7; 8], act as an unconscious reaction to external threat and provide a strategy of survival in the moment of decision-making, acquires its particular importance. Viewing scenario decisions - the main structural component of life scenario (unconscious life plan [6]) - as psychological immunity can direct to new studies aimed to strengthen migrants' vitality and to improve socio - psychological component of their integration to new cultural surrounding.

Analysis of Recent Studies on this Issue. The most significant contribution to our comprehension of outlined problem has been made by studies of S. Vaskivska [5] who draws a parallel between the concepts of immunity in medicine and psychology and defines psychological immunity as a complex of internally personal phenomena of personality. We accept as fundamental the author's thesis regarding the functions of psychological immunity, namely: recognition, prognostication and managing the situation - which provide harmonious realization of own uniqueness and authenticity keeping the integrity of personality in interaction with surroundings. This thesis is corresponding to the definition of psychological immunity given by A. Ollah who has represented it as multidimensional unit of personal resilience resources or adaptive capacities [9].

Following A. Aunaishvilly [10], who has distinguished the concept of psychological immunity from the concept of psychological defense on the basis of realism in perception of information from outer world as the criterion, we come to a conclusion that psychological immunity advances development of appropriate behavior and, accordingly, boosts adequate adaptation to altered circumstances. According to psychodrama (J. Moreno [11] and others), this process is the form of spontaneity blocking of which causes creativity neuroses and passivity. To understand the mechanisms of self-defense, the works of J. Young [12] are of significant importance since the author emphasizes the role of unmet children's needs in the development of early maladaptive schemas which take the form of beliefs and result in corresponding coping styles and modes which makes us consider schemas to be allied to scenario behavior.

In this regard, we should also mention the study of S. Maksimova [13] who has empirically disclosed significant connections between childhood scenario decisions (psychological barriers) and different forms of creative activity (both adaptive and non-adaptive). However, clarifying the role of childhood scenario sets in the process of psychological immunity development requires further scientific surveys.

Objectives. Despite the fact that importance and relevance of outlined problem is beyond a doubt, the analysis of recent scientific publications shows quite a poor number of studies dedicated to psychological immunity (in particular, in the context of migration) and the role of scenario sets (decisions) in the process of adaptation. The lack of researches on the point and obvious practical need of them guided the purpose of this paper to emphasizing the concept of psychological immunity in the context of inquiry about resource and destructive potential of scenario sets in conditions of adaptation to altered surroundings.

Scenario sets are structural components of life scenario which we consider to be a cognitive-emotional pattern of identification of individual which reflects in the behavioral strategies of internal model of own self.

Life scenario (script) expresses life position of individual which is a sum of beliefs about self, others and world as a whole. While integrating individual and socio-cultural experience life scenario creates a sense of confidence and safety regarding future, but at the same time it preserves certain behavioral models which can cause problems of adaptation when surroundings change. However, childhood scenario decisions, which are formed unconsciously mainly under parents' impacts, according to transactional analysts, serve as the most effective survival strategy at the moment of its assuming, and therefore we are researching this phenomenon in the context of acquired psychological immunity.

Materials and Methods. To study connection between early childhood decisions and compound of abilities providing harmonious social and psychological adaptation, following diagnostic tools were used: (1) Early Childhood Decisions Questionnaire (S. Maksymova) [13], which allowed to reveal person's mind sets formed under the influence of bans and drivers in childhood; (2) Personal Change-Readiness Survey (PCRS) by Rolnik, Heather, Gold and Hal, adapted by N. Bazhanova and H. Bardiier which made it possible to assess reliably passion/drive, creativity/resourcefulness, optimism, courage/adventurousness, adaptability, confidence, tolerance for ambiguity as components of readiness to change [14];

(1) Life Sense Orientation Test (D. Leontiev), which is adapted version of Purpose-In-Life Test by J. Crumbaugh & L. Maholick and allowed to reveal individual experiencing the ontological significance of life [15];

(2) Subjective Well-being Scale (G. Perrudet-Badoux) adapted by M. Sokolova, which allows us explore emotional comfort of the individual [16]. Since these tools operate quantitative scales Pearson's coefficient was applied for correlation analysis.

Results and Discussion. The sample of empirical research consisted of 29 internally displaced persons (statistical power for Pearson's correlation is 0,8). The results of empirical study testify statistically significant connection between the level of subjective well-being and particular scenario bans and drivers presented in Table 1, namely: `Don't present yourself / Don't appear' (0,531, p<0,05), `Don't be a child' (0,390, p<0,01), `Don't succeed' (0,429, p<0,01), `Don't be yourself (0,598, p<0,05), `Don't be significant' (0,453, p<0,01), `Don't belong' (0,410, p<0,01), `Attempt' (0,381, p<0,01), `Hurry up' (0,384, p<0.01). Such issue may indicate certain orientation of migrants to feel secure, stable in the way they were taught in childhood and this reflects in the life scenario program. On the basis of acquired data we assume with high probability that the injected parent's instructions, orders, drivers similarly like mechanisms of psychological defense maintain emotional comfort in adulthood. In this sense, life scenario can be equated with psychological immunity, yet it provides the function of recognizing the threat, managing the situation, predicting future, reaching the sense of emotional control over the situation.

Table 1 The Results of Correlation Analysis Between Scenario Set and Subjective Well-being Indicators