Psychological defense mechanisms of students when performing creative tasks

The study expands the understanding of the role of personal factors in the implementation of creative activity. The novelty of the work is due to the study of the psychological defense mechanisms and barriers to creative activity that arise in the process of students performing creative tasks. When diagnosing psychological defense mechanisms, an integrated approach was implemented that combines the use of a test and the author’s scale of standardized observation at the time of creative activity in a specially organized experimental situation. Then, by the methods of factorial and correlation analysis, the structure of interrelations of personality defense mechanisms, barriers in creative activity and creativity were proved. Students who are characterized by immature psychological defenses (projection and regression) more often note a large number of obstacles in their work. Alternative options for psychological defense during the performance of a creative task were identified, showing varying degrees of effectiveness: students prefer more adaptive mechanisms of compensation or substitution, or a less adaptive mechanism - negation. More mature defense mechanisms (compensation and intellectualization) are accompanied by a higher level of creative characteristics, while more primitive ones (negation and reaction) are accompanied by their decrease. The results obtained can be taken into account when developing technologies for developing the creative potential of students through conscious work with the psychological defense mechanisms and barriers to creative activity.

creativity, creative activity, defense mechanisms, barriers to creative activity, students