Resources, Potentials and Academic Achievements of Students. Part 1. Differentiation of Resources and Potentials

Introduction. To develop the measures for improvement of the training in higher education, it is necessary to establish external and internal prerequisites for academic achievements of students. The external prerequisites include structural and functional organisation, educational environment. The internal prerequisites consist of cognitive factors – intelligence, creativity, and non-cognitive factors – self-efficacy, self-control, motivation, expectations and goal setting. However, the internal prerequisites have not yet thoroughly studied yet; the currently available information about them is rather contradictory and fragmented. There is no consistency in the interpretations and criteria of personal learning resources and potentials, and the numerous models are inaccurate in most cases.

The aim of the present research is to conceptually harmonise and systematise disjointed scientific data on the internal resources and potentials of students as prerequisites for their academic success in higher education.

Methodology and research methods. The resources and potentials are differentiated by personality categories and cognitive processes based on analytical review of psychological research. The system-integrative approach was the key approach to study the individual. Initially, this approach involves the identification (differentiation) of the basic components of the system followed by the reverse process – their commonality (integration) into the system, in which its new qualities and capabilities can be revealed.

Results and scientific novelty. The psychological theories and concepts of resources and personality potentials are arranged and reconsidered. The differences in foreign and Russian studies of this topic are highlighted. Their diverse components from the field of general, social and development psychology are mainly due to different traditions. Despite the considerable differences in scientific search and research approaches, the general idea is revealed: the resources are recognised as the space of current, and potentials – the space of possible. This raises the questions about the optimal expression and measurement of data determinants of students’ academic achievements, and whether there are intersections between resources and potentials.
The existing models of resources and potentials are critically assessed. The independent importance of these phenomena and the demand for their separate analysis are shown: the clarifications made by the authors, in some cases, contribute to a better understanding of the phenomena under consideration. The authors of the present article propose to classify both resources and potentials into personal and cognitive categories in terms of their future integration in order to fill some gaps in psychological knowledge. The specific actions are outlined to study empirically the resources and potentials of students’ academic achievements with the aim of building a generalised model, converging on the contributions of all internal prerequisites to these achievements.

Practical significance. The research materials are of practical significance for specialists in higher education. Moreover, the research outcomes can be included in the training courses in personality psychology and cognitive psychology for students of psychology departments of classical and pedagogical universities.

1. Tolochek V. A., Zhuravleva N. I. Dynamics and actualization of subject’s psychological resources throughout professional career. Psikhologicheskiy zhurnal = Psychological Journal. 2015; 36 (1): 91–107. (In Russ.)

2. Gordeeva T. O., Osin E. N. Differences in achievement motivation and learning motivation in students exhibiting different types of academic attainment (Unified State Examination (USE) scores, academic competition results, academic records). Psikhologicheskie issledovaniya = Psychological Studies [Internet]. 2012 [cited 2019 Dec 10]; 5 (24): 4. Available from: http://psystudy.ru (In Russ.)

3. Kornilova T. V., Smirnov S. D., Chumakova M. V., Kornilov S. A., Novototskaya-Vlasova E. V. Modification of C. Dwek’s questionnaires in the context of students’ academic achievements study. Psikhologicheskiy zhurnal = Psychological Journal. 2008; 29 (3): 86–100. (In Russ.)

4. Lobanov A. P., Radchikova N. P., Drozdova N. V., Voronova A. V. Influence of academic and non-academic types of intelligence on academic achievements of students. Izvestiya Saratovskogo universiteta. Novaya seriya. Seriya Akmeologiya obrazovaniya. Psikhologiya razvitiya = Izvestiya of Saratov University. New Series. Series: Educational Acmeology. Developmental Psychology. 2018; 7 (4): 304–312. DOI: 10.18500/2304–9790–2018–7-4–304–312 (In Russ.)

5. Wilson T. D., Buttrick N. R. New directions in social psychological interventions to improve academic achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology. 2016; 108 (3): 392–396. DOI: 10.1037/edu0000111

6. Schneider M., Preckel F. Variables associated with achievement in higher education: A systematic review of meta-analyses. Psychological Bulletin. 2017; 143(6): 565–600. DOI: 10.1037/bul0000098

7. Vyatkin B. A., Dorfman L. Ya. Sistemnaya integratsiya individual’nosti cheloveka = System integration of human personality. Moscow: Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences; 2018. 176 p. (In Russ.)

8. Tolochek V. A. Stili deyatel’nosti: resursnyy podkhod = Styles of activity: Resource approach. Moscow: Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences; 2015. 366 p. (In Russ.)

9. Tolochek V. A. “Assets-abilities-resources” in determining the social success of a person. Ed. by Zhuravlev A. L., Kol’tsova V. A. Fundamental’nye i prikladnye issledovaniya sovremennoy psikhologii: rezul’taty i perspektivy razvitiya = Fundamental and applied research of modern psychology: Results and development prospects. Moscow: Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences; 2017. p. 1265–1272. (In Russ.)

10. Hobfoll S. E. Social and psychological resources and adaptation. Review of General Psychology. 2002; 6 (4): 307–332. DOI: 10.1037/1089–2680.6.4.307

11. Grebner S., Elfering A., Semmer N. K. The success resource model of job stress. Ed. by Perrewé P. L., Ganster D. C. Research in occupational stress and well-being: Vol. 8. New developments in theoretical and conceptual approaches to job stress. Bingley, United Kingdom: Emerald Group Publishing Limited; 2010. p. 61–108.

12. Oberauer K., Farrell S., Jarrold C., Lewandowsky S. What limits working memory capacity? Psychological Bulletin. 2016; 142 (7): 758–799. DOI:10.1037/bul0000046

13. Kronenwett M., Rigotti T. When do you face a challenge? How unnecessary tasks block the challenging potential of time pressure and emotional demands. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. 2019; 24 (5): 512–526. DOI:10.1037/ocp0000149

14. Hatch D. J., Potter G. G., Martus P., Rose U., Freude G. Lagged versus concurrent changes between burnout and depression symptoms and unique contributions from job demands and job resources. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. Advance online publication. 2019. DOI: 10.1037/ocp0000170

15. Rubinshteyn S. L. Bytie i soznanie. Chelovek i mir = Being and consciousness. Man and the world. Saint-Petersburg: Publishing House Piter; 2003. 512 p. (In Russ.)

16. Ananev B. G. Chelovek kak predmet poznaniya = Man as an object of knowledge. Saint-Petersburg: Publishing House Piter; 2001. 288 p. (In Russ.)

17. Petrovskiy V. A. Opulence and reflection: Four resources model. Psikhologiya. Zhurnal Vysshey shkoly ekonomiki = Psychology. Journal of the Higher School of Economics. 2008; 1: 77–100. (In Russ.)

18. Sergienko E. A. Behaviour control: Individual resources of subject control. Psikhologicheskie issledovaniya = Psychological Studies [Internet]. 2009 [cited 2019 Dec 10]; 5 (7): 1. Available from: http://psystudy.ru (In Russ.)

19. Larionova L. I. The problem of the resource approach in the psychological-pedagogical literature. Psikhologiya. Istoriko-kriticheskie obzory i sovremennye issledovaniya = Psychology. Historical-critical Reviews and Current Researches. 2017; 6 (6A): 50–58. (In Russ.)

20. Kalashnikova S. A. Personal resources as an integral characteristic of personality. Molodoy uchenyy = Young Scientist. 2011; 2 (8): 84–87. (In Russ.)

21. Bodrov V. A. Psikhologicheskiy stress: razvitie i preodolenie = Psychological stress: Development and overcoming. Moscow: Publishing House PER SE; 2006. 528 p. (In Russ.)

22. Ivanova T. Yu., Leont’ev D. A., Osin E. N., Rasskazova E. I., Kosheleva N. V. Contemporary issues in the research of personality resources at work. Organizatsionnaya psikhologiya = Organisational Psychology. 2018; 8 (1): 85–121. (In Russ.)

23. Leont’ev D. A. Autoregulation, resources, and personality potential. Sibirskiy psikhologicheskiy zhurnal = Siberian Journal of Psychology. 2016; 62: 18–37. DOI: 10.17223/17267080/62/3 (In Russ.)

24. Trifonova A. V. The resource-based approach to intellectual abilities. Sovremennye issledovaniya sotsial’nykh problem = Modern Studies of Social Issues [Internet]. 2015 [cited 2019 Dec 24]; 4 (48). Available from: http://journals.org/index.php/sisp/article/view/6121. DOI: 10.12731/2218–7405–2015–4-12 (In Russ.)

25. Druzhinin V. N. Psikhologiya sposobnostey. Izbrannye trudy = Psychology of abilities. Selected works. Moscow: Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences; 2007. 541 p. (In Russ.)

26. Kholodnaya M. A. Intelligence, creativity, learning capability: Resource approach (on development of V. N. Druzhinin’s ideas). Psikhologicheskiy zhurnal = Psychological Journal. 2015; 36 (5): 5–14. (In Russ.)

27. Kholodnaya M. A. Psikhologiya intellekta: Paradoksy issledovaniya = Psychology of Intelligence: The paradoxes of research. Saint-Petersburg: Publishing House Piter; 2002. 264 p. (In Russ.)

28. Khazova S. A. Mentalnye resursy subekta: fenomenologiya i dinamika = The mental resources of the subject: Phenomenology and dynamics. Kostroma: Kostroma State University named after N. A. Nekrasov; 2013. 386 p. (In Russ.)

29. Vasilevskaya E. Yu., Molchanova O. N. Possible selves: Review of international studies. Psikhologiya. Zhurnal Vysshey shkoly ekonomiki = Psychology. Journal of the Higher School of Economics. 2016; 13 (4): 801–815. (In Russ.)

30. Engelhard K., Quante M. (Eds.). Handbook of potentiality. 2018. 433 p. DOI: 10.1007/978–94–024–1287–1

31. Tormala Z. L., Jia J. S., Norton M. I. The preference for potential. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2012; 103 (4): 567–583. DOI:10.1037/a0029227

32. Maslow A. H. Toward a psychology of being. New York: Start Publishing LLC; 2013. 228 p.

33. Rogers C., Lyon H. C., Tausch R. On becoming an effective teacher. London: Routledge; 2013. 288 p.

34. Bi C., Oyserman D. Left behind or moving forward? Effects of possible selves and strategies to attain them among rural Chinese children. Journal of Adolescence. 2015; 44: 245–258. DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2015.08.004

35. Destin M., Oyserman D. Incentivizing education: Seeing schoolwork as an investment, not a chore. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2010; 46(5): p. 846–849. DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2010.04.004

36. Hock M. F., Deshler D. D., Schumaker J. B. Enhancing student motivation through the pursuit of possible selves. Ed. by Dunkel C., Kerpelman J. Possible selves: Theory, research, and application. Huntington, New York: Nova; 2006. p. 205–221.

37. Oyserman D., Bybee D., Terry K. Possible selves and academic outcomes: How and when possible selves impel action. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2006; 91 (1): 188–204. DOI: 10.1037/0022–3514.91.1.188

38. Stolarski M., Fieulaine N., van Beek W. (Eds.). Time perspective theory: Review, research and application. Cham, Switzerland: Springer; 2015. 551 p.

39. Zajenkowski M., Stolarski M., Maciantowicz O., Malesza M., Witowska J. Time to be smart: Uncovering a complex interplay between intelligence and time perspectives. Intelligence. 2016; 58: 1–9. DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2016.06.002

40. Rönnlund M., Carelli M. G. Deviations from a balanced time perspective in late adulthood: Associations with current g and g in youth. Intelligence. 2018; 71: 8–16. DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2018.09.002

41. Wraw C., Deary I. J., Der G., Gale C. R. Intelligence in youth and mental health at age 50. Intelligence. 2016; 58: 69–79. DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2016.06.005

42. Runco M. A. Divergent thinking, creativity, and ideation. Ed. by Kaufman J. C., Sternberg R. J. Cambridge handbook of creativity. New York: Cambridge University Press; 2010. p. 413–446.

43. Runco M. A. Education for creative potential. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research. 2003; 47 (3): 317–324.

44. Sordia N., Martskvishvili K., Neubauer A. From creative potential to creative achievements: Do emotional traits foster creativity? Swiss Journal of Psychology. 2019; 78(3–4): 115–123. DOI: 10.1024/1421–0185/a000227

45. Jauk E., Benedek M., Neubauer A. C. The road to creative achievement: A latent variable model of ability and personality predictors. European Journal of Personality. 2013; 28: 95–105. DOI: 10.1002/per.1941

46. Pochebut L. G., Sventsitskiy A. L., Mararitsa L. V., Kazantseva T. V., Kuznetsova I. V. Sotsial’nyy kapital lichnosti = Social capital of personality. Moscow: Publishing House INFRA-M; 2016. 250 p. (In Russ.)

47. Kornilova T. V. Rigidity, tolerance for uncertainty and creativity in the system of intellectual and personality potential. Vestnik Moskovskogo universiteta. Seriya 14. Psikhologiya = The Moscow University Herald. Series 14. Psychology. 2013; 4: 36–47. (In Russ.)

48. Bogoyavlenskaya D. B. Psikhologiya tvorcheskikh sposobnostey = Psychology of creativity. Moscow: Publishing House Akademija; 2002. 320 p. (In Russ.)

49. Markov V. N. Activity potential: between subject and purpose. Mir psikhologii = World of Psychology. 2014; 3: 133–146. (In Russ.)

50. Markov V. N., Sinyagin Yu. V. Personality potential. Mir psikhologii = World of Psychology. 2000; 1: 250–261. (In Russ.)

51. Mishina M. M. Fenomen intellektual’noy deyatel’nosti lichnosti (teoretiko-metodologicheskie osnovaniya i osobennosti proyavleniya v raznovozrastnoy studencheskoy srede) = The phenomenon of intellectual activity of a personality (theoretical and methodological bases and features of manifestation in a different age student environment). Moscow: Information and Publishing Department of Moscow Region State University; 2013. 410 p. (In Russ.)

52. Golovey L. A., Derbeneva M. Yu. Intellectual as a factor of vocational self-determination of a personality. Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo universiteta. Seriya 12. Psikhologiya. Sotsiologiya. Pedagogika = Bulletin of Saint-Petersburg State University. Series

53. Psychology. Sociology. Pedagogy. 2009; 2(2): 58–66. (In Russ.)

54. Kudryavtseva N. A. Theoretical model of intellectual potential. Ed. by Krylov A. A., Golovey L. A. Intellektual’nyy potentsial cheloveka: problemy razvitiya = Intellectual potential of a person: Problems of development. Saint-Petersburg: Saint-Petersburg State University; 2003. p. 7–36. (In Russ.)

55. Ushakov D. V. Psikhologiya intellekta i odarennosti = Psychology of intelligence and giftedness. Moscow: Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences; 2011. 464 p. (In Russ.)