Forms of Self-Control

Вопрос 2 Психологический механизм профессиональной надежности моряков. Самоконтроль и его формы.

2. Psychological Mechanisms of Reliability: Self-Control

The main psychological mechanism of providing professional reliability is self-control. Self-control is the ability of a person to control himself, his actions, mental processes, emotions, behaviour. It's main function is self-checking (самопроверка).

It should be noted that self-control is a necessary condition of healthy, adequate mentality. There are various forms of self-control:

1. For example, a volitional attention (произвольное внимание) due to which a person supervises himself, his own behavior and activity.

2. Self-control is integrated into volition, strong-willed effort (волевое усилие) aimed at overcoming difficulties (obstacles) toward the planned purpose.

3. Self-control plays a basic role in a psychomotor ([͵saıkəʋʹməʋtə] – психомоторный, относящийся к произвольным движениям ) activity of a person. It is shown in conscious self-regulation of the required action, check of movement and coordination correctness, etc.

4. Self-control is brightly shown by the example of emotional states (эмоц. состояния):the person checks his own emotional state, revealing possible deviations.

E.g. In case of a 'mismatch ( рассоглассование), the mechanism of correction is switched on: it suppresses emotional "explosion", and returns emotional reaction to the normal state. It’s necessary to note, that influence upon emotions can have preventive character (упреждающий характер) as well.

E.g. Expecting violation of emotional balance in the situations of danger, risk, increased responsibility, etc., a person seeks to prevent it by means of special methods of self-influence ( самовлияние ): self-persuasion ( самоубеждение ), self-orders (самоприказы), etc.

Emotions, Self-control & Traits of Character

(+) Self-control manifestation in the field of emotions is directly connected with such important trait of character as the self-possession (самообладание), which makes a person yield to reason ( слушать голоса разума ), not emotions, be able to carry out his activity in the most unfavourable circumstances.

(–) It is important to emphasize that violation or reduction of self-control inevitably leads to emergence of emotional problems. A person with a reduced self-control over the emotional sphere can show violent emotional reactions (excessive joy,, fear, anger, etc.). He is impulsive (импульсивный), inclined to hasty decisions and unreasonable judgments (склонный к поспешным решениям и необоснованным суждениям).