Questions:

1. General characteristics of a military personnel's psychological makeup.

2. The main directions, forms, and methods of individual educational work with junior commanders.

The education of warriors is a complex and multifaceted process that requires a certain level of psychological and pedagogical knowledge. The success of this process largely depends on the educator's ability to see and understand each individual soldier, taking into account their state and mood.

1

The characteristics of a person's psychological makeup involve assessing the features of all components that define the psyche of a particular military personnel. The basis of a person's psychological makeup consists of mental processes (cognitive, emotional, and volitional), properties, states, and formations. In this context, the educator is interested in the level of development of the subordinate's attention, memory, will, and thinking, as well as the stability of their emotions. However, the most significant components of a person's psychological makeup, which influence the flow of mental processes and the state of a person, are the mental properties of the individual. Mental properties primarily determine a person's individuality. "If personality is the 'top' of the entire structure of human properties," noted the prominent Soviet psychologist B. G. Ananyev, "then individuality is the 'depth' of personality and the subject of activity." Therefore, when studying a subordinate, a sergeant (or chief petty officer) focuses on revealing the subordinate's mental properties, which reflect the overall characteristics of the individual.

The mental properties of a person include direction, temperament, character, and abilities.

One of the most important personality traits is direction. Direction is a personality trait that expresses a person's life aspirations, their near and far goals, attitudes, motivations, and the nature of their activities to achieve those goals. Direction plays a crucial role in the overall structure of a person's personality, as it determines the content, social, and moral value of a person. Direction influences what a person does, how they do it, and why they do it, as well as the goals they pursue in their lives and activities.

Among the individual characteristics of the psyche that determine the differences in character, a person's temperament plays a significant role. Temperament is a mental characteristic of an individual that is characterized by the dynamics of mental processes. Temperament is influenced by the innate qualities of the nervous system and the environment in which a person is raised. "Temperament," as Ivan Pavlov once said, "is the most general characteristic of each individual and their nervous system."

People of different temperaments are characterized in certain ways.

SANGVIAN. His neuro-psychic processes are strong and change quite quickly. In his external behavior, he is a mobile and at the same time reserved person, with pronounced facial expressions and gestures. He is impressionable, reacts quickly to external stimuli, is not prone to introspection, easily copes with tasks, and enjoys active work. He is sociable and cheerful. Russian Admiral S.O. Makarov and Soviet Commander M.V. Frunze had traits of the sanguine temperament.

CHOLERIC. His temperament is characterized by a high intensity of neuropsychic processes that quickly replace each other. He is unbalanced, excitement usually prevails over inhibition, often unrestrained, sharp, decisive, proactive, sociable. Such temperament was possessed by A.V. Suvorov, V. I. Chapaev and A. S. Pushkin.

PHLEGMATIC. The nervous and mental processes of his activity

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They are strong, and their excitation is balanced by their inhibition. They are slow in their actions and rarely lose their temper. When solving a problem, they take a long time to think it over, but once they make a decision, they carry it out calmly and persistently. According to A.N. Tolstoy's description, Mikhail Kutuzov had similar traits.

MELANCHOLIC. His neuro-psychic processes are poorly expressed, inhibitory reactions predominate. He is usually self-absorbed, reserved, unsociable, gestures and facial expressions are sluggish. Often allows fluctuations in making a decision, doubts in its correctness.

When studying a person's temperament, it is essential to consider the following very important factors:

First of all, people usually do not have pure types of temperament; in real life, there is a mixture of different types of temperament, with a predominance of certain traits that are usually used to define a person's temperament.

Secondly, temperament changes and develops under the influence of living conditions and activities in a team. It should be noted that this process is relatively slow;

Thirdly, in individual educational work, it is unacceptable to have a biased attitude towards temperament, as a person of any temperament can develop all socially significant personality traits. Taking into account temperament is important because it allows for the correct selection of methods and ways to develop the necessary positive qualities and personality traits in a military personnel;

Fourth, when characterizing a subordinate, it is necessary to take into account his temperament in relation to other personality traits, primarily his intellectual development, moral qualities, orientation, and emotional state. For example, a person with a sanguine temperament, who has sufficient intellectual and moral development, tends to actively and successfully solve the tasks assigned to him;

Fifth, it is necessary to comprehensively take into account the peculiarities of each individual's temperament when training and educating personnel, as warriors perceive educational material differently depending on their temperament. The intelligence, readiness, receptivity, and activity of some warriors in their studies, as well as the inertia, slowness, and low productivity of others, are largely influenced by their temperament.

In the process of educating and leading people, knowledge and consideration of the temperament of subordinates will help the junior commander to choose the right individual methods and means of educational influence. They will be more effective if the commander uses different methods in working with people of different temperaments.

Temperament is an important personality trait, but it is not the only one. Temperament is a dynamic prerequisite for a more significant personality trait, which is character. Character is a combination of the most stable personality traits that influence all aspects of a person's behavior and express their individual uniqueness. Character is the most comprehensive expression of a person's personality traits, qualities, and characteristics, and these combinations are unique to each individual. There are as many characters as there are people.

Every warrior has individual traits that allow us to judge their practical and business capabilities.

Individual traits can be divided into groups:

- intellectual (quick-wittedness, resourcefulness, wit, and ingenuity);

- emotional (impressionability, endurance, balance, hot-temperedness, suspiciousness, etc.);

- volitional (determination, courage, perseverance, and organization, etc.).

K.D. Ushinsky noted that only an individual can influence the development of an individual, and only a character can transform a character. This leads to the crucial requirement for a commander-educator to be an example and develop stable and strong positive traits.

Thus, character development is an essential ongoing process that does not stop in either peaceful or combat situations.

Personality abilities are also among the most important mental properties. Abilities are a set of mental characteristics that allow a person to successfully master and engage in certain activities.

Abilities are not all individual characteristics, but only those that are relevant to successful activities in a particular field. Moreover, abilities are not just knowledge and skills, but opportunities and favorable conditions for achieving successful results in activities and mastering knowledge and skills. Some abilities are more general, such as mental or physical abilities, while others are more specific, such as musical or pedagogical abilities.

A peculiar accumulation and combination of abilities that allows a person to successfully engage in one or more activities is called giftedness. A high degree of giftedness combined with hard work is known as talent.

The highest degree of giftedness, expressed in creative work and scientific discoveries of great importance to humanity, is genius.

Abilities, being individual mental qualities of a person, are closely related to other aspects of personality (interests, temperament, and character) and change during the process of learning and practical activity.

Developing the abilities of subordinates means consciously and purposefully shaping their mental qualities and processes that determine their readiness to perform certain actions.

Abilities develop in the process of activity, and not spontaneously by themselves. The best means of developing the abilities of a warrior is direct military activity.

The most important personality traits determine the mental image of a military personnel and his individuality.

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Knowledge of these properties helps the commander to study people properly, to manage their activities skillfully, and to provide more comprehensive and specific training and upbringing for their subordinates.

2

When it comes to the personnel of a squad or platoon as an object of educational work, it should be taken into account that they are very heterogeneous in their composition. It is clear that the methods and approaches of a junior commander to different categories and groups of military personnel cannot be the same, especially in the field of individual educational work.

Knowledge of subordinates is one of the duties of commanders (superiors). The Internal Service Regulations of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation require a comprehensive study of personnel, knowledge of their business and moral-psychological qualities, and daily work on their upbringing.

At first glance, studying personnel seems like a simple task. However, in practice, it is a complex and multifaceted process that requires both time, experience, and knowledge from the educator.

Modern practical psychology and the experience of individual work with personnel convincingly demonstrate that a commander needs to comprehensively study each subordinate, their individual mental and socio-pedagogical characteristics. A system is required that includes methods of direct and indirect study of a warrior's individual characteristics.

Direct study is carried out through observation, conversation, experiment, individual assistance, joint activities, etc. Indirect study is carried out through the study of products of activity, various documents, generalization of independent characteristics, biographical material, analysis of the attitude of colleagues, etc.

In each specific case, the educator determines which methods and approaches are most appropriate for obtaining the most accurate and high-quality information about the student. It is important to remember the advice of A.S. Makarenko: "The educator's knowledge of the student should not be obtained through indifferent observation, but rather through collaborative work and active assistance. The educator should view the student not as an object of study, but as an object of education."

The knowledge of a subordinate is not an end in itself, but a means of ensuring the effectiveness of his training, education (interaction), and joint activities in the interests of military service and the warrior himself.

The accumulation, generalization, and systematization of data obtained through a comprehensive study of an individual's personality traits, as well as the educator's ability to free themselves from subjectivity and separate the layers of randomness, allow them to obtain objective and comprehensive information about their subordinates, their capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses.

An important and rather time-consuming activity of commanders and superiors, which helps to form a preliminary impression of a soldier, is working with documents (document analysis).

A personal file (autobiography, questionnaire, characteristics, and educational documents) is usually studied. It helps the educator to learn about the main events in a person's life that may have influenced their personality development. Important information about a soldier's social activities, discipline, knowledge, and physical development can be obtained from their service record, library card, medical record, and other documents.

Summarizing the opinions of colleagues about a person's behavior and actions (the so-called method of summarizing independent characteristics) helps to get to know a person better.

By comparing the observations and conclusions of many people, we can identify misconceptions about a person, eliminate incorrect assessments, and determine their true qualities.

In order to study and educate subordinates, the analysis of their performance is widely used in military practice. This involves taking into account the actions and deeds of subordinates, as well as their shortcomings and achievements in various activities. It is important for the educator to examine the level of activity, initiative, and creativity in work, as well as the motives for this activity, the conditions under which work is performed, and so on. The way a soldier performs their duties can provide information about their skills, abilities, interests, and other personal qualities.

One of the most common and accessible methods of studying a military personnel is observation.

During this process, facts about a subordinate's actions, behavior, and opinions are collected, analyzed, summarized, and systematized, allowing for a better understanding of their individual characteristics. Observing a person in a relaxed environment, such as in a dining hall, smoking area, during breaks in training sessions, or in other settings where there are no immediate commanding officers present, is an effective method for identifying the alignment between a soldier's mindset and behavior.

To improve the effectiveness of observation, it is possible to deliberately create situations in which a soldier can demonstrate the qualities that are to be evaluated.

At the same time, the educator must remember that it is not always possible to judge a person by their individual actions or draw conclusions about them based on a single observation. Therefore, the observation process must be continuous, specific, and active.

The most reliable information about a subordinate can be obtained through personal communication with him. By conducting an individual conversation, a junior commander can not only assess the needs, inclinations, interests, and personality traits of a soldier, but also gain insight into their true feelings, opinions about the team, fellow soldiers, and more. This allows for a comprehensive understanding of the subordinate's personality.

The success of a conversation largely depends on the educator's adherence to certain rules. One of these rules is thorough preparation for the conversation. It is important to consider the topic, content, and objectives of the conversation.

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a list of questions to ask the warrior, while also studying all the available information about him. It is also important to choose the right location and time for the interview.

It is important that the conversation takes place in a calm and trusting environment, without any outsiders. All questions should be simple and clear. They should be asked in such a way that the conversation leads to a unified narrative of the soldier's experiences and difficulties during military service. The key to a successful conversation is its creative nature. It should not be a simple questionnaire with pre-determined questions that serve as a guide for the conversation.

An important aspect of individual work is the selection of educational methods that most accurately and fully correspond to the individual characteristics and training level of the military personnel. Various methods can be used:

- method of persuasion;

- example method;

- reward method;

- method of coercion.

Let's look at some of them.

The main, decisive role in the upbringing of a subordinate's personality is played by the method of persuasion. Persuasion is a complex process that requires the leader to be able to work with a soldier, find the right means of influencing their consciousness, character, habits, and behavior, taking into account their personal qualities and individual characteristics. Persuading means influencing their consciousness, feelings, and will.

Keep in mind that persuading does not mean coercing.

"Persuasion and exhortation to carry out orders," M. V. Frunze said, " are in themselves the grossest violations of discipline."

An important method of individual educational work is also the method of encouragement. The educational value of this method is that it strengthens the soldiers' faith in their own strength and capabilities, develops a sense of personal dignity, raises their spirits, promotes the development of initiative and discipline, mobilizes them to overcome difficulties in their service, and inspires them to successfully overcome their shortcomings.

Experience shows that it is harmful when a commander or superior, without properly studying the individual characteristics of a subordinate, begins to praise and reward them excessively for minor achievements in their service and personal behavior. However, it is also inappropriate for a superior to be overly stingy with praise, failing to recognize and acknowledge the achievements of their subordinates in their studies and service. There is no need to reward every positive action taken by a soldier. Sometimes, it is beneficial to simply acknowledge and praise the actions or deeds of a subordinate at the right time.

It is a big mistake for individual junior commanders to get carried away with the same types of rewards. The approach should be differentiated and varied.

In individual educational work with personnel, the method of coercion is used along with the method of encouragement. Coercion as a method of education is a system of psychological and pedagogical influence on a subordinate who is negligent in performing their duties.

The coercion method is usually used after all other methods of influencing a subordinate have been exhausted and have not yielded the desired result. It is used in combination with the persuasion method and is based on it. The effectiveness of coercion is determined by the fact that it helps to eradicate a person's negative qualities, forcing the guilty party to experience and understand their actions, and to reconsider and change their behavior.

The personal example of the commander and superior is of great importance in individual educational work with the subordinate's personality. The personal organization of the leader, his impeccable compliance with all service requirements, and his moral character are the most important and indispensable conditions for the education of the subordinate's personality.

These methods of education are widely combined with an individual approach to personality development. In particular, the following methods are used:

- individual conversations (explanation of laws, regulations, relevant provisions on certain official and legal issues, etc.);

- individual assistance;

- specific friendly criticism (at meetings and conferences);

- individual tasks and assignments (educational and official tasks, and public assignments);

- individual requirements, etc.

Individual tasks and assignments are selected taking into account the personality traits of each soldier in order to develop certain character traits, willpower, high moral, psychological, and combat qualities, as well as organization and discipline.

Individual assistance can take the form of advice, explanations, and persuasion on specific official and personal matters. Assistance can also be provided in the form of moral support to overcome psychological difficulties in military communities and other areas.

Criticism of a soldier's misconduct or negative qualities should be objective and fair, so that it is not perceived as painful and produces the desired result. It is advisable to start by highlighting the positive qualities, successes, and achievements of the subordinate.

Experience shows that only a comprehensive use of the entire arsenal of forms and methods of individual educational work can produce the desired results. In each specific case, the educator determines which methods and approaches are most appropriate for obtaining the most accurate and high-quality information about the subordinate. And, of course, the goal of understanding the object of education is not an end in itself, but rather a means of ensuring the effectiveness of their training, upbringing, and joint activities in the interests of military service and the individual soldier.

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