Grechukha I. Psychological Specificity of Developing Empathy in the Structure of Literary Ability of Senior High School Students

The dissertation is aimed at the study of psychological features of empathy development in the structure of literary abilities of high school students. The structural-dynamic model of empathy development in the structure of literary abilities of high school students is theoretically substantiated and empirically tested. Theoretical generalization and empirical research of empathy development in the structure of literary abilities of high school students are given. The program of high school students’ literary abilities development through actualization and development of their empathy is substantiated, developed, and tested. Based on the scientific sources’ analysis, the concept of literary abilities is defined as the combination of the psychological traits which allows the achievement of substantial results in literary undertakings and affects personal development. Early adolescence is defined as sensitive period for the development of literary abilities. Empathy is a specific manifestation of human sensitivity that is involved in all stages of the literary creative process. It is showed that the optimal functioning of literary abilities is ensured by the presence in their structure of empathy, its mechanisms, and socio-psychological, personal, and subjective empathic correlates. It is proved that empathy as an integral quality of personality is a system-forming factor in the development of literary abilities. The main psychological conditions for the functioning of empathy in the structure of literary abilities of high school students include the systematic interaction of the appropriate level of empathy, socio-psychological, personal and subjective correlates of empathy and its dominant forms. Characteristics of typological levels of development of literary abilities was carried out taking into account the content of their structural components. It is established that the mechanisms of empathy that determine the literary work of high school students are: emotional infection, imitation, identification, reflection, decentration, feeling, maladaptive activity. The age features of empathy development in the structure of literary abilities of high school students have been empirically established. High school students belonging to different types (levels) of literary abilities development differ significantly in terms of empathy, its forms and empathic correlates. The presence of a larger number of personal empathic correlates was stated in high school students with the level of development of literary abilities "capable" and "talent", compared with high school students who are gifted. Subjective empathic correlates are more represented in “talented” high school students. Differences in the development of structural components of literary abilities of high school students depending on the level of development of their empathy were revealed. The existence of statistically significant relationships between indicators of all structural components of literary abilities and integral empathy and its forms has been confirmed. The presence of socio-psychological, personal and subjective empathic correlates as conditions / factors for the development of literary abilities, which reflect the integrity and interdependence of their structural components and factors of development, has been established. It is proved that integral empathy is a system-forming factor in the development of literary abilities of high school students. According to the identified specifics of the role of empathy in literary work, a program was developed for the development of literary abilities of the early adolescence through the actualization and development of its empathy. The effectiveness of the program was established using psychodiagnostics sections before and after the formative experiment. The results obtained during the approbation and control diagnostics prove the effectiveness of the program of development of literary abilities of the personality of early adolescence through the actualization and development of its empathy.