Pozdnyshev Y. The social-psychological basis of the sports activity subjects' image formation.

The dissertation is devoted to the study of conditions, models, technologies and criteria of success in the sports activity subjects' image formation (athlete, coach, sports team, sports fans). The theoretical and methodological grounds of the image research are analyzed. A system of scientific and theoretical-methodological approaches to the analysis of the category "image" is formulated. The new scientific research area in the psychology of image is defined - the psychology of image in sports. The social-psychological peculiarities of the mass media influence on the image in sports formation are researched. It is shown that all types of mass media take part in the sports activity subjects' image formation, but a certain type preference is given by the recipient, depending on his age, place of living, income and education. Reference system models of the sports activity subjects' image formation, based on the immanent empirical referents of the image of each sports activity subject are created. Integrated media codes are formulated, which play a key role in the sports activity subjects' image formation. A system of psychotechnologies for the sports activity subjects' image formation is created. It is shown that the elements of PR, propaganda, and advertising are the effective social and communicative psychotechnologies for the sports activity subjects' positive image formation; and the tools are visualization, verbalization and emotionalization. Such concepts as "reference image", "the athlete's positive image", "the coach's positive image", "the sports team's positive image", "the football fans' image" are introduced into scientific circulation.