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A RESEARCH OF THE DIGITAL TRACE OF INDIVIDUALITY IN RELATION TO ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR
Margarita Shapovalova1, Elena Serdyukova2, Rita Iagodkina3
13Pyatigorsk State University, RUSSIA 2Kadyrov Chechen State University, RUSSIA [email protected]
Abstract
The article presents a study that attempts to investigate the features of students' environmental behavior. The peculiarity of this work is the inclusion of some indicators of the digital trace of individuality (openness/closedness of the profile and the color scheme of the profile) in the analysis of the results obtained using valid methods characterizing students' attitudes to environmental issues. The authors trace the relationship between the indicators characterizing environmental behavior and the studied indicators of the digital trace of students' individuality. Also, in the process of analyzing the results obtained, a relationship was revealed between the age characteristics of students and the features of their profile in VK.
Keywords: digital trace of individuality, integrated individuality, environmental issues, digital environment, VK users, environmental behavior, student age
I. Introduction
Trying to analyze the digital trace of individuality, or as we propose from the point of view of the theory of integrated individuality of V.S. Merlin and the theory of polymorphic individuality of V.V. Belous [1] - the supra-status (digital) level of individuality, it is necessary to evaluate its profile in the social network according to available open parameters. In this study, we attempted to analyze the characteristics of the attitude to environmental issues in the student environment, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, to link these characteristics with some parameters of the digital trace of individuality - the openness or closedness of the profile in the social network and the predominant colors in the photographs that are available in the profile. This approach is relevant, since the actively developing digital environment makes its own adjustments to the structure of individuality [2]. Not so long ago - in the early 2000s, psychologists considered this environment, the environment of the Internet space exclusively as a resource that negatively affects the psyche. In studies, the Internet environment was considered addictive.
II. Methods
The study involved first-year students of the Institute of International Relations of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "Pyatigorsk State University" - future journalists and specialists in international relations. The diagnostics were conducted in September 2024. We asked the respondents to provide a link to their profile on the social network during the diagnostic methods. Of the 123 students who passed the test, 98 provided this information. Another feature of this component of the study was that several students provided incorrect access to the profile. Thus, 86 people remained in the sample - 69 girls and 17 boys. The profile for
analysis was characterized by 2 indicators - openness / closeness of the profile and the predominant color of photos, pictures, etc., which are available in the profile.
To diagnose attitudes towards environmental issues and manifestations of environmental behavior, we used valid diagnostic methods - the Method of Diagnosing Motivation for Interaction with Nature "Alternative"; the Scale of Environmental Concern and the Method of "Differential Emotions Scale" [3]. To process the obtained data, we used statistical data analysis.
At the final stage of the study, a comparative analysis of the obtained data and their interpretation was carried out.
III. Results
At the first stage, our goal was to characterize students' profiles on VK by two characteristics: openness or closedness of the profile and the predominant color scheme of the profile photo, which will indicate the emotional background of the digital trace of individuality.
Profile transparency
■ open
■ closed
color range of the profile
■ black and gray
■ red and orange multicolor
Figure 1: Results of the analysis of profile openness/closedness and profile color scheme" (%)
Of the provided VK profiles, 30% were closed. The remaining 70% are open and filled profiles. We assume that students exhibit extroverted behavior in the digital space - they are open to the digital environment and ready to interact. As for the color scheme, black or gray predominates in most profiles (77%). Red or orange predominates in 5% of cases, and in 28% of cases, there is a variety of colors and no dominance of any color. The predominance of black indicates an emotional state characteristic of the stage of adaptation to the university conditions, the presence of a certain stress characteristic of the transition from adolescence to young adulthood. Black in this situation is a desire for independence, resistance to external pressure and denial of any authorities. To this characteristic should be added the manifestation of aggression and depression.
In the further analysis, we will consider the results of diagnostics using methods that determine environmentally responsible behavior - the Method of Diagnostics of Motivation for Interaction with Nature "Alternative"; the Scale of Environmental Concern and the Method "Scale of Differential Emotions". In the analysis, we will trace the relationship between the obtained results and the features of the digital trace of individuality.
Fig. 2 shows the results of diagnostics using the Alternative method of diagnosing motivation for interaction with nature. In the sample under study, two types of motivation predominate:
aesthetic and cognitive. This fact indicates that respondents perceive nature as an object of beauty when actively interacting with it. High rates of this type of motivation are demonstrated by 68% of students with an open VK profile.
Also, high rates are presented in the cognitive type of motivation, which indicates the attitude to the environment as an object of knowledge in interaction with it. This type of motivation prevails in 30% of students with an open profile. It should be noted that 89% of students have a multi-color profile photo.
100 80 60 40 20 0
I high I low
Aesthetic type of motivation (E)
Cognitive type of motivation (K)
Practical type of motivation (P)
Pragmatic type of motivation (PG)
Figure 2: Results of the Methodology for diagnosing motivation for interaction with nature "Alternative" (%)
Fig. 3 shows the results of the "Scale of Environmental Concern" method. It is obvious that high scores were obtained for all scales, which indicates concern about the fate of animals, birds and the ecosystem as a whole, as well as concern about the impact of the consequences of environmental problems on children, people who live in the same region. A high level is also observed for the "Egoistic Concern" indicator - everything that concerns the consequences of environmental problems for one's own health, one's own lifestyle and future. Such scores indicate a high level of involvement in understanding the consequences of environmental problems in real life. Moreover, such data are shown by all representatives of this sample - students with open and closed profiles and with all types of color schemes in the profile.
Figure 3: Results for the Environmental Concern Scale Methodology (%) Based on the data obtained, we can state a high level of environmentally responsible behavior.
Figure 4: Results for the "Differential Emotions Scale" method (%)
The results presented in Fig. 4 determine the level of emotion that the subjects showed regarding the current situation. In the block of positive emotions, there is a predominance of low emotion in all indicators: "Interest", "Joy" and "Surprise". Comparing the data with the manifestation of the digital trace of individuality, and specifically in the prevailing color scheme -black and gray, there is a connection between the emotional state and the prevailing color of the profile. In the block of negative emotions, low values are recorded for all four indicators, which once again confirms the closeness and some emotional instability inherent in first-year students. In general, the general index of positive emotions and negative emotions are distributed approximately in equal shares between high and low indicators. At the same time, the picture is complemented by the predominance of the low level of the indicator " Anxious and depressive emotions ", which characterizes the predominance of environmental features over individual ones in the manifestation of emotions regarding the situation associated with the attitude to environmental problems.
IV. Discussion
The study by Ivanova I.V. and Konenkova N.V. examines the influence of the reflexive-value approach on the formation of environmentally responsible behavior of young people [4]. Scientists have proven the importance of interpersonal relationships and both general and environmental culture in the formation of environmentally responsible behavior. The study by Matovaya N.I and Shagarova L.M. highlights a very relevant and burning topic of our country's share - tourism and its development [5]. Their work examines the need for environmentally responsible behavior of tourists in nature conservation areas. This problem is considered within the framework of the contradiction between the need to develop domestic tourism and the need to preserve unique natural monuments of Russia. Demenshin V.N. in his "Review of Foreign Studies of Environmental Consciousness" [6] refers to the studies of I. Tilikidou and J. Zotos, who, based on the works of B. Schlegelmilch, developed an approach to describing environmental consciousness, in which they included all components of environmentally responsible consumer behavior, while the behavioral aspect includes pro-environmental purchasing behavior, pro-environmental behavior after purchase and environmental protection activities [7]. Summarizing the sources we have cited, we can state that environmentally responsible behavior in the student environment is not considered in psychological science.
In the aspect of the digital trace of individuality, Tulupyeva T.D. and Ivanova A.Yu. consider a psychological approach, which involves studying the manifestation of mental properties and characteristics of a person during communication and behavior on the network, taking into account that communication occurs within social groups, this approach is characterized as socio-psychological [8; 9; 10]. Gaidash O.V. in his study, describing modern approaches to the interpretation of the digital trace, states the fact that the features of these characteristics of individuality are used mainly by marketers [11].
From the point of view of the theory of integrated individuality by V.S. Merlin and polymorphic individuality by V.V. Belous [12], the digital trace of individuality (the data that can be openly available in the digital environment) has not yet been considered as a supra-status level of integrated individuality. In this paper, we postulate a new approach to the study of the holistic individuality of a modern person.
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