Herasymchuk O. Psychological conditions for overcoming aggression by a frustrated personality

The dissertation is devoted to a comprehensive study of the problem of overcoming aggression in adults experiencing frustration, theoretical justification, and empirical verification of the psychological conditions for transforming destructive behavior into constructive activity. The scientific work focuses on studying the specifics of aggressive reactions in the 33-52 age group, analyzing the factors of frustration in conditions of social instability, and developing an integrative program of psychocorrection aimed at developing self-regulation, emotional intelligence, and skills for sublimating aggressive energy into constructive energy. The relevance of the research topic lies in the need to resolve the contradiction between the growing level of psycho-emotional tension among the population in conditions of martial law and the insufficient effectiveness of existing monomodal correction methods. Contemporary challenges require a rethinking of approaches to aggression, not as a phenomenon that must be suppressed, but as an energy resource that needs to be redirected. The relevance of the study is dictated by the lack of verified tools for stabilizing a frustrated personality. The creation of an applied intervention algorithm allows shifting the focus from random reactions to systematic state management. This is necessary to restore the subject's emotional control and increase the effectiveness of their contacts with the social environment. The outlined scientific research is determined by the general focus of modern psychological science on the search for integrative mechanisms for restoring mental health and adapting the personality to crisis conditions of life. The research material consisted of the results of an empirical study of 158 respondents aged 33 to 52, obtained using a psychodiagnostic complex that included the author’s «Express questionnaire on the level of personal frustration and its factors», standardized methods for studying aggressive behavior, frustration reactions, self-assessment of mental states, and the level of self-actualization. The empirical base made it possible to identify correlations between internal states and external behavioral manifestations. The study is based on an integrative approach that synthesizes the conceptual provisions of cognitive-behavioral therapy, humanistic psychology, and body- oriented practices. This methodological synergy has enabled a transition from a linear fixation on manifestations of aggression to a holistic understanding of the genesis and mechanisms of maladaptive patterns in the personality structure. Defining aggression as a plastic process has made it possible to substantiate the possibility of its purposeful modification through comprehensive intervention. The algorithm for overcoming aggression involves a sequential transition from the rational restructuring of experience to the physical release of accumulated tension, which ensures the final sublimation of destructive potential into resourceful and socially significant forms of activity. A theoretical analysis of the phenomenon of aggression has been carried out within the psychoanalytic (Z. Freud, E. Fromm), frustration (J. Dollard, N. Miller, L. Berkowitz), behavioral (A. Bandura, A. Bass), and humanistic (C. Rogers, A. Maslow) approaches. It has been determined that aggression in a frustrated personality is a complex formation determined by a number of factors: biological (neurophysiological characteristics), individual psychological (low self-esteem, emotional instability, locus of control – H. Heckhausen, R. Beron) and socio- situational (parenting style, environmental influence – D. Richardson). The methodological principles and results of diagnostics are revealed. It has been empirically established that verbal aggression and irritation prevail in the 33-52 age group against the background of restraint of physical manifestations. The statistically confirmed inverse relationship between indicators of frustration, rigidity, and the ability to understand oneself indicates a mechanism for limiting a person's reflective resources. High emotional tension combined with rigid cognitive attitudes complicates the process of objectively identifying one's own states, which limits the ability to choose adaptive strategies for overcoming difficulties. In this state, a lack of self-analysis leads to the choice of reactive (aggressive) forms of behavior, as the individual becomes incapable of timely cognitive re-evaluation of the frustrating factor and searching for alternative ways to achieve the goal.