Manifestation of anxiety in primary school age. Causes of anxiety in children of primary school age Features of the manifestation of anxiety in primary school age

INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................3

1.1. General characteristics of the concept of “anxiety”.................................................. 5

1.2. Peculiarities of behavior of anxious children.................................................................... ... 9

1.3. Causes of the occurrence and development of anxiety in children.................................... 11

2. EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE PHENOMENON

ANXIETY IN PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

AGE ................................................................................................... 17

2.1. Progress of the experiment. Description of the methods used......................................... 17

2.2. Ascertaining stage of the experiment................................................... ........... 20

2.3. Formative stage of the experiment................................................... ............... 23

2.4. Control stage of the experiment......................................................... ............... 25

CONCLUSION. .................................................................................................... 29

LIST OF REFERENCES USED ......................................... 32

APPLICATIONS .................................................................................................... 34

INTRODUCTION

The harmonious development of a child’s personality is possible in the presence of health, defined by the World Health Organization as the state of physical, mental and social well-being of the child.

Currently, the number of children at risk has increased; every third schoolchild has deviations in the neuropsychic system. The psychological self-awareness of children entering school is characterized by a lack of love, warm, reliable relationships in the family, and emotional attachment. Signs of trouble, tension in contacts, fears, anxiety, and regressive tendencies appear. The number of anxious children, characterized by increased anxiety, uncertainty, and emotional instability, is growing. The emergence and consolidation of anxiety is associated with the dissatisfaction of the child’s age-related needs.

During age-related peaks of anxiety, anxiety acts as non-constructive, which causes a state of panic and despondency. The child begins to doubt his abilities and strengths. But anxiety disorganizes not only educational activities, it begins to destroy personal structures. Therefore, knowledge of the causes of increased anxiety leads to the possibility of timely development and implementation of correctional and developmental work that helps reduce anxiety and develop adequate behavior in children of primary school age.

Many prominent psychologists and teachers have dealt with the problem of anxiety in children and reducing its level. Among them are A. M. Prikhozhan, E. I. Rogov, S. L. Rubinshtein, R. S. Nemov, L. V. Makshantseva, E. A. Savina, N. P. Shanina, G. G. Arakelov , N. E. Lysenko, L. V. Borozdina, B. D. Kochubey, N. V. Klyueva, R. V. Kasatkina, S. V. Kryukova, R. V. Ovcharova, etc.

In the domestic psychological and pedagogical literature, several approaches to understanding anxiety can be distinguished. Some researchers consider anxiety primarily within the framework of stressful situations, as a temporary negative emotional state that occurs in difficult, threatening, unusual conditions. Others consider anxiety to be a trait of temperament. A number of scientists consider anxiety as a socially determined personality trait; they argue that the manifestation of anxiety in children is greatly influenced by socialization, which takes place intensively in kindergartens and school.

Purpose of the study: to study the characteristics of the manifestation of anxiety in children and determine the effectiveness of correctional and developmental activities aimed at reducing the level of anxiety in children of primary school age.

Research hypothesis: the use of correctional and developmental programs in the educational process aimed at reducing the level of anxiety in children gives positive results.

Object of study: anxiety in children.

Subject of study: Features of the manifestation of anxiety in children of primary school age.

Research objectives:

1. Investigate the features of the manifestation of anxiety in children.

2. Study methods for identifying anxiety in children of primary school age.

3. To identify the impact of a correctional and developmental program on reducing the level of anxiety in primary schoolchildren.

The study used the following methods: psychodiagnostic techniques, observation, ascertaining, formative and control experiments, statistical data processing.

1. THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF LITERATURE ON THE PROBLEM OF ANXIETY IN CHILDREN

1.1. General characteristics of the concept of “anxiety”

There are many definitions of the concept of “anxiety” in the psychological literature. Let's list just a few of them.

S. L. Rubinstein understands anxiety as a person’s tendency to experience anxiety, i.e. an emotional state that arises in situations of uncertain danger and manifests itself in anticipation of an unfavorable development of events th.

According to V.K. Vilyunas, anxiety is an individual’s tendency to experience anxiety, characterized by a low threshold for the occurrence of an anxiety reaction: one of the main parameters of individual differences.

A. M. Prikhozhan gives the following definition: anxiety is the experience of emotional discomfort associated with the expectation of trouble, with a premonition of impending danger.

According to the definition of S.S. Stepanov, anxiety is the experience of emotional distress associated with a premonition of danger or failure.

Anxiety is distinguished as an emotional state and as a stable property, personality trait or temperament.

According to R. S. Nemov’s definition, anxiety is a constantly or situationally manifested property of a person to come in a state of heightened anxiety, to experience fear and anxiety in specific social situations.

Despite the variety of definitions of the phenomenon of anxiety, most researchers agree on the need to consider it differentially - as a situational phenomenon and as a personal characteristic, taking into account the transition state and its dynamics.

Modern studies of anxiety are aimed at distinguishing between situational anxiety, associated with a specific external situation, and personal anxiety, which is a stable property of the individual, as well as at developing methods for analyzing anxiety as a result of the interaction between the individual and his environment.

G. G. Arakelov, N. E. Lysenko, E. E. Schott note that anxiety is a multi-valued psychological term that describes both a certain state of individuals at a limited point in time and a stable property of any person. An analysis of the literature of recent years allows us to consider anxiety from different points of view, allowing for the assertion that increased anxiety arises and is realized as a result of a complex interaction of cognitive, affective and behavioral reactions provoked when a person is exposed to various stresses. Anxiety - as a personality trait is associated with the genetically determined properties of the functioning human brain, causing a constantly heightened sense of emotional arousal, emotions of anxiety.

Highlight two main types of anxiety. The first of them is the so-called situational anxiety, those. generated by some specific situation that objectively causes concern. This condition occurs in any person on the threshold of possible troubles and life complications. This condition is not only completely normal, but also plays a positive role. It acts as a kind of mobilizing mechanism that allows a person to approach emerging problems seriously and responsibly. What is more abnormal is a decrease in situational anxiety, when a person, in the face of serious circumstances, demonstrates carelessness and irresponsibility, which most often indicates an infantile life position, insufficiently formulated self-awareness.
A certain level of anxiety is a natural and obligatory feature of an individual’s active activity. Each person has their own optimal or desired level of anxiety - this is the so-called useful anxiety. A person’s assessment of his condition in this regard is for him an essential component of self-control and self-education. However, an increased level of anxiety is a subjective manifestation of personal distress.

The manifestations of anxiety in different situations are not the same. In some cases, people tend to behave anxiously always and everywhere, in others they reveal their anxiety only from time to time, depending on the prevailing circumstances.

Another type is the so-called personal anxiety. It can be considered as a personal trait, manifested in a constant tendency to experience anxiety in a wide variety of life situations, including those that objectively do not lead to this. It is characterized by a state of unaccountable fear, an uncertain sense of threat, and a readiness to perceive any event as unfavorable and dangerous. A child susceptible to this condition is constantly in a wary and depressed mood; it is difficult for him to contact the outside world, which he perceives as frightening and hostile.

As a predisposition, personal anxiety is activated when certain stimuli are perceived by a person as dangerous, associated with specific situations, threats to his prestige, self-esteem, self-esteem.

Individuals classified as highly anxious tend to perceive a threat to their life in a wide range of situations and react very intensely, with a pronounced state of anxiety.

The behavior of highly anxious people in activities aimed at achieving success has the following features:

ö Highly anxious individuals react more emotionally to messages about failure than low-anxious individuals;

ö Highly anxious people work worse than low-anxious people in stressful situations or when there is a shortage of time allotted to solve a problem;

ö Fear of failure is a characteristic feature of highly anxious people. This fear dominates their desire to achieve success;

ö motivation to achieve success prevails among low-anxiety people. It usually outweighs the fear of possible failure;

ö for highly anxious people, messages about success have greater stimulating power than messages about failure; low-anxious people are more stimulated by messages about failure.

A person’s activity in a particular situation depends not only on the situation itself, on the presence or absence of personal anxiety in the individual, but also on the situational anxiety that arises in a given person in a given situation under the influence of developing circumstances.

The impact of the current situation, a person’s own needs, thoughts and feelings, the characteristics of his anxiety as personal anxiety determine his cognitive assessment of the situation that has arisen. This assessment, in turn, causes certain emotions (activation of the autonomic nervous system and increased state of situational anxiety along with expectations of possible failure). Information about all this is transmitted through neural feedback mechanisms to the human cerebral cortex, influencing his thoughts, needs and feelings.

The same cognitive assessment of the situation simultaneously and automatically causes the body to react to threatening stimuli, which leads to the emergence of countermeasures and corresponding responses aimed at reducing the resulting situational anxiety. The result of all this directly affects the activities performed. This activity is directly dependent on the state of anxiety, which could not be overcome with the help of the responses and countermeasures taken, as well as an adequate cognitive assessment of the situation.

Thus, a person’s activity in an anxiety-generating situation directly depends on the strength of situational anxiety, the effectiveness of countermeasures taken to reduce it, and the accuracy of the cognitive assessment of the situation.

1.2. Peculiarities of behavior of anxious children

Everything that is characteristic of anxious adults can also be attributed to anxious children. Usually these are very unconfident children with unstable self-esteem. Their constant feeling of fear of the unknown leads to the fact that they rarely take the initiative. Being obedient, they prefer not to attract the attention of others, they behave in an exemplary manner both at home and at school, they try to strictly fulfill the requirements of parents and educators - they do not violate discipline, they clean up their toys. Such children are called modest, shy. However, their exemplary behavior, accuracy, and discipline are of a protective nature - the child does everything to avoid failure.

Anxious children are characterized by frequent manifestations of restlessness and anxiety, as well as a large number of fears, and fears and anxiety arise in situations in which the child would seem to be in no danger. They are particularly sensitive. So, a child may worry: while he is in the garden, what if something happens to his mother.

Since anxious children are often characterized by low self-esteem, they have an expectation of trouble from others. This is typical for those children whose parents set impossible tasks for them, demanding that the children are not able to do, and if they fail, they are usually punished.

Anxious children are very sensitive to their failures, react sharply to them, and tend to give up activities, such as drawing, in which they have difficulty.

In such children, you can notice a noticeable difference in behavior in and outside of class. Outside of class, these are lively, sociable and spontaneous children; in class they are tense and tense. They answer the teacher’s questions in a quiet and muffled voice, and may even begin to stutter. Their speech can be either very fast and hasty, or slow and labored. As a rule, prolonged excitement occurs: the child fiddles with clothes with his hands, manipulates something.

Anxious children have a tendency to develop bad habits of a neurotic nature (they bite their nails, suck fingers, and engage in masturbation). Manipulating their own body reduces their emotional stress and calms them down.

Drawing helps to recognize anxious children. Their drawings are distinguished by an abundance of shading, strong pressure, and small image sizes. Often such children “get stuck” on details, especially small ones.

Anxious children have a serious, restrained expression on their face, downcast eyes; such a child sits neatly on a chair, tries not to make unnecessary movements, not to make noise, and prefers not to attract the attention of others.

So, the behavior of anxious children is characterized by frequent manifestations of restlessness and anxiety; such children live in constant tension, always feeling threatened, feeling that they could face failure at any moment.

For a practical psychologist, a child’s behavior and his expression of feelings are an important indicator in understanding the inner world of a little person, indicating his mental state, well-being, and possible development prospects. The emotional background provides the psychologist with information about the degree of emotional well-being of the child. The emotional background can be positive or negative.

The child's negative background is characterized by depression, bad mood, and confusion. The child hardly smiles or does it ingratiatingly, the head and shoulders are lowered, the facial expression is sad or indifferent. In such cases, problems arise in communication and establishing contact. The child often cries and is easily offended, sometimes for no apparent reason. He spends a lot of time alone and is not interested in anything. During examination, such a child is depressed, lacks initiative, and has difficulty making contact.

One of the reasons for such a child’s emotional state may be the manifestation of an increased level of anxiety.

1.3. Causes of the occurrence and development of anxiety in children

What is the etiology of anxiety?

Among the causes of childhood anxiety, according to E. A. Savina, in the first place are improper upbringing and unfavorable relationships between the child and his parents, especially with his mother. Thus, rejection and non-acceptance of the child by the mother causes him anxiety due to the impossibility of satisfying the need for love, affection and protection. In this case, fear arises: the child feels the conditionality of maternal love (“If I do something bad, they won’t love me”). Failure to satisfy the need for love will encourage him to seek its satisfaction by any means.

A prerequisite for the occurrence of anxiety is increased sensitivity (sensitivity). However, not every child with hypersensitivity becomes anxious. Much depends on the way parents communicate with their child. Sometimes they can contribute to the development of an anxious personality. For example, there is a high probability that an anxious child will be raised by parents who provide a type of overprotective upbringing (excessive care, petty control, a large number of restrictions and prohibitions, constant pulling back).

In this case, the adult’s communication with the child is authoritarian in nature, the child loses confidence in himself and his own abilities, he is constantly afraid of negative evaluation, begins to worry that he is doing something wrong, i.e. experiences a feeling of anxiety, which can take hold and develop into a stable personal formation - anxiety.

Overprotective upbringing can be combined with symbiotic, i.e. an extremely close relationship between a child and one of the parents, usually the mother. In this case, communication between an adult and a child can be either authoritarian or democratic (the adult does not dictate his demands to the child, but consults with him and is interested in his opinion). Parents with certain characterological characteristics - anxious, suspicious, unsure of themselves - are prone to establishing such relationships with their children. Having established close emotional contact with the child, such a parent infects his son or daughter with his fears, i.e. contributes to the formation of anxiety.

For example, there is a relationship between the amount of fears in children and parents, especially mothers. In most cases, the fears experienced by children were inherent in mothers in childhood or are manifesting themselves now. A mother in a state of anxiety involuntarily tries to protect the child’s psyche from events that somehow remind her of her fears. Also, a channel for transmitting anxiety is the mother’s care for the child, consisting of only forebodings, fears and anxieties.

Factors such as excessive demands on the part of parents and educators can contribute to increased anxiety in a child, as they cause a situation of chronic failure. Faced with constant discrepancies between his real capabilities and the high level of achievement that adults expect from him, the child experiences anxiety, which easily develops into anxiety. Another factor that contributes to the formation of anxiety is frequent reproaches that cause feelings of guilt (“You behaved so badly that your mother had a headache,” “Because of your behavior, your mother and I often quarrel”). In this case, the child is constantly afraid of being guilty before his parents. Often the reason for a large number of fears in children is the restraint of parents in expressing feelings in the presence of numerous warnings, dangers and anxieties. Excessive strictness of parents also contributes to the emergence of fears. However, this only happens in relation to parents of the same sex as the child, i.e., the more a mother prohibits a daughter or a father prohibits a son, the more likely they are to develop fears. Often, without thinking, parents instill fear in their children with their never realized threats like: “Your uncle will take you into a sack,” “I will leave you,” etc.

In addition to the listed factors, fears also arise as a result of the fixation in the emotional memory of strong fears when encountering anything that represents danger or poses an immediate threat to life, including an attack, accident, surgery or serious illness.

If a child’s anxiety increases, fears appear - an indispensable companion to anxiety, then neurotic traits may develop. Self-doubt, as a character trait, is a self-deprecating attitude towards oneself, one’s strengths and capabilities. Anxiety as a character trait is a pessimistic attitude towards life when it is presented as full of threats and dangers.

Uncertainty gives rise to anxiety and indecision, and these, in turn, lead to change the appropriate character.

Thus, a child who is unsure of himself, prone to doubts and hesitations, a timid, anxious child is indecisive, not independent, often infantile, and highly suggestible. An insecure, anxious person is always suspicious, and suspiciousness gives rise to distrust of others. Such a child is afraid of others and expects attacks, ridicule, and insults. He fails to cope with the task in the game, with the task.

This contributes to the formation of psychological defense reactions in the form of a aggression directed at others.

Thus, one of the most famous methods, which anxious children often choose, is based on a simple conclusion: “In order not to be afraid of anything, you need to make them afraid of me.” The mask of aggression carefully hides anxiety not only from others, but also from the child himself. However, deep down in their souls they still have the same anxiety, confusion and uncertainty, lack of solid support.

Also, the reaction of psychological defense is expressed in refusal to communicate and avoidance of persons from whom the “threat” comes. Such a child is lonely, withdrawn, and inactive.

It is also possible that a child finds psychological protection by escaping into a fantasy world. In fantasies, the child resolves his insoluble conflicts; in dreams, his unfulfilled needs are met.

Fantasies are one of the most wonderful qualities inherent in children. Normal fantasies (constructive) are characterized by their constant connection with reality. On the one hand, real events in a child’s life give impetus to his imagination (fantasies seem to continue life); on the other hand, fantasies themselves influence reality - the child feels the desire to make his dreams come true. The fantasies of anxious children lack these properties. A dream does not continue life, but rather opposes itself to life. This same separation from reality is in the very content of disturbing fantasies, which have nothing to do with the actual possibilities, actual capabilities and abilities, and prospects for the child’s development. Such children do not dream at all about what their soul really lies in, in which they could actually express themselves.

Anxiety as a certain emotional state with a predominant feeling of restlessness and fear of doing something wrong, not meeting generally accepted requirements and norms, develops closer to 7 and especially 8 years of age with a large number of unresolvable fears that come from an earlier age. The main source of anxiety for preschoolers and primary schoolchildren is the family. Later, already for teenagers, this role of the family decreases significantly; but the role of the school doubles.

It has been noticed that the intensity of the experience of anxiety and the level of anxiety in boys and girls are different. In preschool and primary school age, boys are more anxious than girls. This has to do with what situations they associate their anxiety with, how they explain it, and what they fear. And the older the children, the more noticeable this difference is. Girls are more likely to attribute their anxiety to other people. People with whom girls can associate their anxiety include not only friends, family, and teachers. Girls are afraid of so-called “dangerous people” - drunkards, hooligans, etc. Boys are afraid of physical injuries, accidents, as well as punishments that can be expected from parents or outside the family: teachers, school principal, etc. .

The negative consequences of anxiety are expressed in the fact that, without generally affecting intellectual development, a high degree of anxiety can negatively affect the formation of divergent (i.e. creative, creative) thinking, for which such personality traits as lack of fear of new things are natural, unknown

So,

Thus, based on the analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature, the following can be done: conclusions:

Anxiety is defined as a persistent negative experience of worry and expectation of disadvantage from others.

The cause of anxiety is always the child’s internal conflict, his inconsistency with himself, the inconsistency of his aspirations, when one of his strong desires contradicts another, one need interferes with another. The most common causes of such internal conflict are: quarrels between people who are equally close to the child, when he is forced to take the side of one of them against the other; incompatibility of different systems of demands placed on a child, when, for example, what parents allow and encourage is not approved at school, and vice versa; contradictions between inflated aspirations, often instilled by parents, on the one hand, and the real capabilities of the child, on the other, dissatisfaction of basic needs, such as the need for love and independence.

However, in children of senior preschool and primary school age, anxiety is not yet a stable character trait and is relatively reversible with appropriate psychological and pedagogical measures; it can be significantly reduced if teachers and parents raising him follow the necessary recommendations.

2. EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE PHENOMENON OF ANXIETY IN CHILDREN OF PRIMARY SCHOOL AGE

2.1. Progress of the experiment. Description of the methods used

To study the phenomenon of anxiety and identify the effectiveness of a correctional and developmental program aimed at reducing the level of anxiety in children of primary school age, we conducted a study that was carried out in three stages. At the first stage of the ascertaining experiment, we selected methods and conducted a diagnostic examination in order to identify anxiety in children and establish the causes of anxiety.

At the second stage of the formative experiment, we prepared and carried out a correctional and developmental program aimed at reducing the level of anxiety in children.

The third stage - control - was aimed at determining the effectiveness of using such a program.

The study involved students of grade 2 "A" (control group - 16 people) and grade 2 "B" (experimental group - 14 people) of secondary school No. 1 named after Y. Kolas in the village of Pinkovichi, Pinsk district, Brest region. The study was conducted from February to March 2006.

Purpose of the study: studying the characteristics of the manifestation of anxiety in children of primary school age and determining the effectiveness of a correctional and developmental program aimed at reducing anxiety in children.

Research objectives:

1. Study methods for identifying anxiety in children of primary school age and diagnose the level of anxiety in children of the study group;

2. Develop a correction program and identify the impact of this program on reducing the level of anxiety in primary schoolchildren.

To identify children with pronounced anxiety, we used: a technique for measuring the level of anxiety by Lavrentieva G.P. and Titarenko T.M. and the Phillips School Anxiety Test.

Methodology for measuring anxiety level Lavrentieva G.P. and Titarenko T.M.

Target: measuring anxiety levels.

Material: the questionnaire consists of 20 statements (Appendix 1).

The caregiver or teacher fills out the questionnaire while observing the child’s behavior.

Interpretation of results:

The number of “pluses” indicating the level of anxiety is summed up:

ö 17-20 points – very high level of anxiety;

ö 13-16 points – high level of anxiety;

ö 9-12 points – average (with a tendency to high) level;

ö 4-8 points – average (with a tendency to low) level;

ö 0-3 points – low level of anxiety.

Phillips School Anxiety Test

Target: studying the level and causes of anxiety associated with school in children of primary school age.

Material: a test consisting of 58 questions that can be read to students, or can be offered in writing. Each question requires an unambiguous answer “Yes” or “No” (Appendix 2).

Instructions:“Guys, now you will be asked a questionnaire, which consists of questions about how you feel at school. Try to answer sincerely and truthfully, there are no right or wrong, good or bad answers. Don't think about the questions for too long. On the answer sheet at the top, write down your first name, last name, and class. When answering a question, write down the answer “+” in the box with the question number if you agree with it, or “–” if you disagree.”

Interpretation of results:

When processing the results, questions are identified whose answers do not coincide with the test key. For example, to the 58th question the child answered “Yes,” while in the key this question corresponds to “-,” that is, the answer is “no.” Answers that do not match the key are manifestations of anxiety (Appendix 3).

During processing the following is calculated:

1. The total number of mismatches for the entire test. If it is more than 50%, we can talk about increased anxiety in the child, if more than 75% of the total number of test questions indicate high anxiety.

2. The number of matches for each of the 8 anxiety factors identified in the test. The level of anxiety is determined in the same way as in the first case. The general emotional internal state of the student is analyzed, which is largely determined by the presence of certain anxiety syndromes (factors) and their number.

1. General anxiety at school is the general emotional state of a child associated with various forms of his inclusion in school life.

2. – the emotional state of the child, against the background of which his social contacts develop (primarily with peers).

3. – an unfavorable mental background that does not allow the child to develop his needs for success, achieving high results, etc.

4. Fear of self-expression – negative emotional experiences of situations associated with the need for self-disclosure, presenting oneself to others, demonstrating one’s capabilities.

5. – negative attitude and anxiety in situations of testing (especially public) knowledge, achievements, and capabilities.

6. – focus on the importance of others in assessing the results of their actions and thoughts, anxiety about the assessments given by others, expectation of negative assessments.

7. – features of the psychophysiological organization that reduce the child’s adaptability to stressful situations, increasing the likelihood of an inadequate destructive response to a disturbing environmental factor.

8. – a general negative emotional background of relationships with adults at school, which reduces the success of the child’s education.

2.2. Ascertaining stage of the experiment

During our initial diagnosis of the level of anxiety according to the method of Lavrentieva G.P. and Titarenko T.M. the following results were obtained:

1. In the control group:

ö 1 subject (Inna B.) scored 19 points, which corresponds to a very high level of anxiety;

ö 6 subjects (Irina A., Katya V., Maxim G., Maxim K., Nastya S., Yulya Y.) received from 13 to 16 points, which corresponds to a high level of anxiety;

ö 4 subjects (Sveta B., Lisa E., Ruslan K., Marina P.) received 9-12 points, which corresponds to average with a tendency to a high level of anxiety;

ö 4 subjects (Olya G., Sergey I., Masha P., Artem S.) scored from 4 to 6 points, which corresponds to the average with a tendency to a low level of anxiety;

ö 1 subject (Kristina L.) received 1 point, which corresponds to a low level of anxiety.

2. In the experimental group:

ö 1 person (Marina S.) received 20 points, which corresponds to a very high level of anxiety;

ö 5 subjects (Katya A., Volodya I., Vadim K., Sveta F., Tanya U.) scored from 13 to 16 points, which corresponds to a high level of anxiety;

ö 3 subjects (Sergey A., Tanya P., Evgeny R.) scored 9-12 points, which corresponds to average with a tendency to a high level of anxiety;

ö 4 subjects (Anya D., Yulia S., Ira S., Olya Y.) scored from 4 to 8 points, which corresponds to the average with a tendency to a low level of anxiety;

ö 1 subject (Evgenia Z.) received 3 points, which corresponds to a low level of anxiety.

An analysis of the results obtained is presented in Table 1.

Table 1

Note: HS – high level of anxiety; B – high;

SV – average with a tendency to high; CH – average with a tendency to low; N – low

In percentage terms it looks like this:

table 2

So, from Table 2 it is clear that the majority of children in both the control and experimental groups have very high and high levels of anxiety (43.8% and 42.9%, respectively).

Having tested children in accordance with the Phillips method of studying school anxiety, we obtained the results presented in Table 3.

Table 3

So, from Table 3 it can be seen that 2 subjects each in the control and experimental groups have general anxiety at school, as well as frustration of the need to achieve success; 1 subject – experiences of social stress; 3 subjects each have a fear of self-expression. 2 subjects in the control group and 1 in the experimental group showed low physiological resistance to stress; 3 subjects in the control group and 2 subjects in the experimental group had problems and fears in relationships with teachers.

Using this technique, we did not analyze the general indicator of anxiety, but considered each parameter separately, so each parameter was informative for us, and in a certain way led us to identify the causes of anxiety.

Analyzing the results of this study, we noticed that for the largest number of children in these groups, the most common factors of high anxiety are the fear of not meeting the expectations of others and the fear of self-expression. Based on this, we made the assumption that the cause of anxiety in these groups is disturbances in the system of interaction between children and each other. Therefore, it was concluded that the correctional and developmental program should be aimed at developing constructive ways of interaction among anxious children, their interpersonal relationships, as well as the development of communication skills.

2.3. Formative stage of the experiment

With the correct design of the experimental work and the research process itself, it is possible not only to ascertain the condition of children of primary school age, but also to make some predictions in their development, and on their basis to build a correction program.

Under psychological correction is understood as a certain form of psychological and pedagogical activity to correct such features of mental development that, according to the system of criteria accepted in developmental psychology, do not correspond to the hypothetical “optimal” model of this development, the norm or, rather, the age guideline as an ideal option for the development of a child at one or another stage of ontogenesis .

At the formative stage During the experiment, we needed to create the necessary conditions to equip the developmental environment for younger schoolchildren in order to reduce their level of anxiety.

The following stood before us tasks:

1. Uniting the group, developing rules of conduct in class.

2. Development of ideas about the value of another person and oneself, the development of communication skills, awareness of problems in relationships with people, the formation of positive interaction strategies.

3. Acquiring the skill of acting in a conflict situation, mastering ways to resolve one’s own problems, and awareness of the motives of interpersonal relationships.

To solve these problems, we made an attempt to draw up a correctional and developmental program aimed at developing constructive ways of interaction among anxious children, their interpersonal relationships, as well as the development of communication skills.

The methodological basis of the formative experiment was the methodological recommendations of the following authors: Kryukova S.V., Slobodyanik N.P. (“I’m surprised, angry, afraid, boastful and happy”), Klyueva N.V., Kasatkina R.V. (“Teaching children to communicate”), Ovcharova R.V. (“Practical psychology in elementary school”) (Appendix 4).

Based on observation and conversations with primary schoolchildren and teachers, we also developed pedagogical recommendations for working with anxious children:

1. In order to significantly reduce a child’s anxiety, it is necessary for teachers and parents raising a child to ensure the child’s real success in any activity (drawing, playing, helping around the house, etc.). The child needs to be scolded less and praised more, and not comparing him with others, but only with himself, assessing the improvement of his own results (he drew better today than yesterday, etc.);

2. A gentle assessment regime is necessary in the area in which the child’s success is low. For example, if he dresses slowly, you don’t need to constantly focus his attention on this. However, if even the slightest success appears, you should definitely celebrate it;

3. Pay more attention to the situation at home and at school. Warm emotional relationships and trusting contact with adults can also help reduce a child’s general anxiety.

4. It is necessary to study the system of personal relationships of children in the class in order to purposefully form these relationships in order to create a favorable emotional climate for each child.

5. You cannot ignore unpopular children. It is necessary to identify and develop their positive qualities, raise their low self-esteem and level of aspirations in order to improve their position in the system of interpersonal relationships. It is also necessary for the teacher to reconsider his personal attitude towards these children.

2.4. Control stage of the experiment

At the final control stage of the experiment, to test the effectiveness of correctional and developmental work aimed at reducing anxiety in children of primary school age, we carried out repeated diagnostics, which made it possible to trace the dynamics of reducing anxiety in children of primary school age in the experimental group. For this purpose, the original techniques were again used.

Results of the control section using the technique for measuring the level of anxiety by Lavrentieva G.P. and Titarenko T.M. are reflected in table 4.

Table 4

The results of the re-administration of the Phillips School Anxiety Test are as follows:

Table 5

So, based on tables 4 and 5, we can state that after carrying out correctional and developmental work in the experimental group, 6.2% of children’s fear of the knowledge test situation decreased; In 6.3% of anxious children, general anxiety at school and frustration of the need to achieve success decreased. The fear of not meeting the expectations of others decreased by 25%, the fear of self-expression - by 18.8%. And the problems and fears in relationships with teachers among the anxious children of the experimental group completely disappeared.

50% of children showed low anxiety scores, 50% of children anxiety scores decreased, but remained high. In our opinion, this can be explained by the fact that these children require longer correctional and developmental work.

Thus, the results obtained allow us to talk about the positive dynamics of the process of reducing the level of anxiety in the experimental group. At the same time, the anxiety indicators of children in the control group remained virtually unchanged.

A comparative analysis of the results of diagnosing the level of anxiety of children in the experimental group at the ascertaining and control stages of the experiment is presented in Diagram 1.

Diagram 1

Note: 1 – general anxiety at school;

2 – experiences of social stress;

3 – frustration of the need to achieve success;

4 – fear of self-expression;

5 – fear of knowledge testing situations;

6 – fear of not meeting the expectations of others;

7 – low physiological resistance to stress;

8 – problems and fears in relationships with teachers.

Thus, having analyzed the results of the ascertaining and control stages of the experiment, we come to the conclusion about the effectiveness of the correctional and developmental program used during the experiment, aimed at reducing the level of anxiety in children of primary school age.

CONCLUSION

In the first chapter of the course work, it was emphasized that human activity in an anxiety-generating situation directly depends on the strength of situational anxiety, the effectiveness of countermeasures taken to reduce it, and the accuracy of the cognitive assessment of the situation.

The cause of anxiety is always the child’s internal conflict, his inconsistency with himself, the inconsistency of his aspirations, when one of his strong desires contradicts another, one need interferes with another. The most common causes of such internal conflict are: quarrels between people who are equally close to the child, when he is forced to take the side of one of them against the other; incompatibility of different systems of demands placed on a child, when, for example, what parents allow and encourage is not approved at school, and vice versa; contradictions between inflated aspirations, often instilled by parents, on the one hand, and the real capabilities of the child, on the other, dissatisfaction of basic needs, such as the need for love and independence.

In children of primary school age, anxiety is not yet a stable character trait and is relatively reversible with appropriate psychological and pedagogical measures; a child’s anxiety can be significantly reduced if teachers and parents raising him follow the necessary recommendations.

The practical part of the course work was aimed at identifying the causes of anxiety in children and determining the effectiveness of a correctional and developmental program aimed at reducing anxiety in children of primary school age.

We tried to give the most general description of the correction process. They showed that correction is an integral part of psychological and pedagogical assistance, that this process is not built spontaneously, but on certain principles, briefly reviewed the stages of building a correction program, and developed pedagogical recommendations for working with anxious children.

The control experiment allowed us to trace the dynamics of anxiety reduction in children of primary school age in the experimental group. At this stage, the effectiveness of the proposed correctional and developmental program has been confirmed, i.e. correctional and developmental work aimed at developing communication skills, as well as constructive ways of interaction, helped reduce anxiety in children of primary school age. Since the more means a child has to overcome a difficulty, the means that allow him to effectively interact with the children around him, the easier it is for him to find a way out of a conflict situation and achieve positive results, the less anxious his behavior becomes.

The study allowed us to draw the following general conclusions:

Firstly, the attempt to create a correctional and developmental program aimed at developing communication skills, as well as constructive ways of interaction and reducing their anxiety, justified itself.

Secondly, on this basis it can be considered that the study experimentally developed some aspects of the large and complex work of providing real psychological assistance to children of primary school age through specially created correctional and developmental classes included in the system of general education lessons.

Thirdly, the experimental research carried out has a clear general practical orientation. The principles developed in the program for the development of communication skills, constructive methods of interaction, as well as the development of the ability to most successfully realize oneself in interaction behavior, can be used in mass practice of working with children of primary school age.

This program does not represent the only complete version, it can be expanded, but it is important to maintain the order in which exercises aimed at getting to know each other and self-discovery of participants were concentrated in the first sessions, and exercises aimed at positively changing the ways of interaction - closer to the end of the cycle .

Thus, the data obtained are the basis for further research on this issue, including convincing that the establishment of certain causes of increased anxiety, as well as the use of targeted correctional and developmental activities, actually have an impact on reducing anxiety in the behavior of children of primary school age. Work on psychoprophylaxis and overcoming anxiety in children of primary school age should not be narrowly functional, but general, person-oriented, focused on those environmental factors and developmental characteristics that can cause anxiety at each age. At primary school age, a central place is given to working with the adults around the child.

The results of the experimental study allowed us to conclude that the means of prevention and correction of anxious children are varied in object, subject, purpose and content. Their appropriate combination in the practical activities of teachers and psychologists, the focus on overcoming shortcomings in the development of a child’s personality, and improving the conditions of his education and upbringing can give positive results.

Thus, the purpose of the study – to study the characteristics of the manifestation of anxiety in children and to determine the effectiveness of correctional and developmental activities aimed at reducing the level of anxiety in children of primary school age – has been achieved; hypothesis - the use of correctional and developmental programs in the educational process aimed at reducing the level of anxiety in children gives positive results - confirmed; tasks have been accomplished.

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APPLICATIONS

Annex 1

Signs of anxiety (questionnaire by Lavrentieva G.P. and Titarenko T.M.):

Anxious child:
1. Cannot work for a long time without getting tired.
2. It is difficult for him to concentrate on something.
3. Any task causes unnecessary anxiety.
4. While performing tasks, he is very tense and constrained.
5. Feels embarrassed more often than others.
6. Often talks about tense situations.
7. As a rule, blushes in unfamiliar surroundings.
8. Complains that he has terrible dreams.
9. His hands are usually cold and wet.
10. He often has upset bowel movements.
11. Sweats a lot when excited.
12. Doesn't have a good appetite.
13. Sleeps restlessly and has difficulty falling asleep.
14. He is timid and fears many things.
15. Usually restless and easily upset.
16. Often cannot hold back tears.
17. Does not tolerate waiting well.
18. Doesn't like to take on new things.
19. I am not confident in myself, in my abilities.
20. Afraid to face difficulties.

Appendix 2

Phillips School Anxiety Inventory text

1. Is it difficult for you to stay on the same level with the whole class?

2. Do you get nervous when the teacher says he is going to test how much you know about the material?

3. Do you find it difficult to work in class the way the teacher wants you to?

4. Do you sometimes dream that the teacher is furious because you don’t know the lesson?

5. Has it ever happened that someone in your class hit or hit you?

6. Do you often want the teacher to take his time when explaining new material until you understand what he is saying?

7. Do you worry a lot when answering or completing a task?

8. Does it ever happen to you that you are afraid to speak up in class because you are afraid of making a stupid mistake?

9. Do your knees shake when you are called to answer?

10. Do your classmates often laugh at you when you play different games?

11. Does it happen that you are given a lower grade than you expected?

12. Are you worried about whether they will keep you for a second year?

13. Do you try to avoid games that involve choices because you usually don't get chosen?

14. Does it happen at times that you tremble all over when you are called to answer?

15. Do you often get the feeling that none of these classmates want to do what you want?

16. Do you get very nervous before starting a task?

17. Is it difficult for you to get the grades that your parents expect from you?

18. Are you sometimes afraid that you will feel sick in class?

19. Will your classmates laugh at you, will you make a mistake when answering?

20. Are you like your classmates?

21. After completing a task, do you worry about whether you did it well?

22. When you work in class, are you sure that you will remember everything well?

23. Do you sometimes dream that you are at school and cannot answer the teacher’s question?

24. Is it true that most guys treat you friendly?

25. Do you work more hard if you know that the results of your work will be compared in class with the results of your classmates?

26. Do you often wish you could worry less when asked?

27. Are you sometimes afraid to get into an argument?

28. Do you feel your heart start beating fast when the teacher says that he is going to test your readiness for the lesson?

29. When you get good grades, do any of your friends think that you want to curry favor?

30. Do you feel good with those of your classmates to whom the guys treat with special attention?

31. Does it happen that some guys in class say something that offends you?

32. Do you think those students who fail to cope with their studies lose their favor?

33. Does it seem like most of your classmates don't pay attention to you?

34. Are you often afraid of looking ridiculous?

35. Are you satisfied with the way your teachers treat you?

36. Does your mother help in organizing evenings, like other mothers of your classmates?

37. Have you ever worried about what others think of you?

38. Do you hope to study better in the future than before?

39. Do you think that you dress as well for school as your classmates?

40. When answering in class, do you often think about what others think about you at this time?

41. Do capable students have any special rights that other children in the class do not have?

42. Do some of your classmates get angry when you manage to be better than them?

43. Are you satisfied with the way your classmates treat you?

44. Do you feel good when you are left alone with the teacher?

45. Do your classmates sometimes make fun of your appearance and behavior?

46. ​​Do you think you worry about your preschool activities more than other kids?

47. If you can't answer when asked, do you feel like you're about to cry?

48. When you lie in bed in the evening, do you sometimes think with anxiety about what will happen at school tomorrow?

49. When working on a difficult task, do you sometimes feel that you have completely forgotten things that you knew well before?

50. Does your hand tremble slightly when you are working on a task?

51. Do you feel yourself getting nervous when the teacher says he is going to give the class an assignment?

52. Does testing your knowledge at school scare you?

53. When the teacher says that he is going to give the class a task, do you feel afraid that you will not be able to complete it?

54. Have you sometimes dreamed that your classmates can do something that you cannot?

55. When the teacher explains the material, do you think your classmates understand it better than you?

56. On the way to school, do you worry that the teacher might give the class a test?

57. When you complete a task, do you strongly feel that you are doing it poorly?

58. Does your hand tremble slightly when the teacher asks you to do a task on the board in front of the whole class?

Appendix 3

Phillips School Anxiety Test Key:

"-" - No

Appendix 4

Corrective and developmental program aimed at reducing the level of anxiety in children of primary school age

Main goal of the program – through the creation of a zone of proximal development, to promote the mental and personal growth of the child and thereby help him adapt to the conditions of the school.

In accordance with this goal, program objectives:

ö create a sense of belonging to a group, help the child feel more protected;

ö develop social behavior skills;

ö help increase self-confidence and develop independence;

ö form a positive attitude towards your “I”;

Principles of lesson design:

The principle of gradual immersion and exit from a traumatic situation (within an exercise, within a lesson, within correctional work);

The beginning and end of the lesson should be ritualistic in order to preserve the child’s sense of integrity and completion of the lesson;

The classes include games (exercises, techniques) that correspond to the tasks of the correctional stage, the lesson stage, and the individual needs of each child.

All classes of the correctional and developmental program have a common flexible structure filled with different content.

The lesson consists of several parts, each of which can be used independently.

Part 1. Introductory: The purpose of the introductory part of the lesson is to set the group up for joint work and establish emotional contact between all participants. Basic work procedures - greetings, games with names.

Part 2. Working: This part accounts for the main semantic load of the entire lesson. It includes sketches, exercises, games aimed at the development and partial correction of the emotional, personal and cognitive spheres of the child. Basic procedures:

ö elements of fairy tale therapy with improvisation;

ö elements of psychodrama;

ö games to develop communication skills;

ö games to develop perception, memory, attention, imagination;

ö drawing, blotography, pointillism.

Part 3. Final: The main goal of this part of the lesson is to create in each participant a sense of belonging to the group and to consolidate positive emotions from working in the lesson. This involves carrying out some kind of general fun game or other collective activity, for example, creating a common drawing.

Each lesson necessarily includes procedures that promote self-regulation in children, namely:

ö muscle relaxation exercises (reduce the level of arousal, relieve tension);

ö breathing exercises (has a calming effect on the nervous system);

ö facial gymnastics (aimed at relieving general tension, plays a big role in the formation of expressive speech in children);

ö motor exercises, including alternately or simultaneously performing movements with different hands to any text (promote interhemispheric interaction);

ö reading nursery rhymes with alternating movements, tempo and volume of speech (promotes the development of arbitrariness).

In each lesson, in addition to new information, there are repetitions. Since children love to watch the same cartoons and read the same fairy tales over and over again, classes with repetitions become close and understandable to them. The information obtained in this way is better remembered. Greetings and farewells to children are ritual in nature; as a rule, they are individual in each group.

This program consists of 10 lessons and is designed for a period of 5 weeks. Classes were conducted on the principle of socio-psychological training in a classroom where you can freely sit and move around. Their duration did not exceed one school lesson. Classes were held twice a week. The training group consisted of 15 people. Each child was given the opportunity to express themselves, be open and not be afraid of mistakes.

Lesson No. 1

Goals:

ö increasing children's self-confidence;

ö group cohesion;

ö familiarity with the feeling of timidity.

Materials:

ö ball of wool.

Progress of the lesson:

I have a ball in my hands. Now we will pass it around, and everyone who has it in their hands will say their name and tell us what they like to do most. I will start, and the one sitting to my left will continue.(The goal is to unite children).

So, I am Sveta. Most of all I like to walk in the park with my dog...

Great!

Now listen to my story...(The goal is to become familiar with the emotion “timidity” and its external manifestations).

The boy Kostya came to kindergarten for the first time. He entered the locker room, changed clothes, met the teachers and went to the door to the group. He opened the door slightly and looked inside. There was shyness on his face. Let's try to portray timidity: the eyes are slightly lowered, the head is slightly tilted to the side. Who wants to portray Kostya?.. What can children do to help the boy?..

Fine!

Now let's play a game called “I am a Lion.”(The goal is to increase children's self-confidence). Close your eyes and imagine that each of you has turned into a lion. Lion is the king of the animals. Strong, powerful, self-confident, calm, wise. He is beautiful and free.

Open your eyes and take turns introducing yourself on behalf of the lion, for example: “I am the lion Gosha.” Walk around the circle with a proud, confident gait.

Great!

Sit on the chairs. Let everyone say about themselves: “I am very good” or “I am very good.”(The goal is to create a positive emotional background, increase confidence). But before we say, let's practice a little. First, let’s say the word “I” in a whisper, then in a normal voice, and then shout it. Now let's do the same with the words “very” and “good” (or “good”).

And finally, together: “I’m very good!”

Well done! Now everyone, starting with the one sitting to my right, will say whatever they want - in a whisper, in a normal voice, or shout, for example: “I am Natasha! I’m very good” or “I’m Kirill! I am very good"

Amazing! Let's stand in a circle, hold hands and say: “We are very good!” - first in a whisper, then in a normal voice and shout.

This concludes our lesson. Goodbye.

Lesson 2

Target:

ö developing the ability to work harmoniously in a group, group cohesion.

Time: 40 minutes.

1. Game "Typewriter"

Progress of the game:

“Let's see if we can work well as a group. Let's try to reproduce the process of typing an excerpt from a song or poem well known to you. For example, “A Christmas tree was born in the forest.” Each person takes turns producing one letter of the word (“V – l – e – s – y...") At the end of the word, everyone stands up, at the punctuation mark they stamp their feet, at the end of the line they clap their hands. There is one condition of the game: whoever makes a mistake leaves the game, leaves the circle. So, the first participant pronounces the first letter, the second - the second, etc. Don't forget about punctuation marks. Let's start. Well, now we can evaluate who our winners are. Thank you, this is game over."

2. Game “Let’s make a story”

Progress of the game:

Leading: “We begin the story: “Once upon a time ...”, the next participant continues, and so on in a circle. When it’s the host’s turn again, he directs the plot of the story, sharpens it, makes it more meaningful, and the game continues. At the end there is a discussion about whether it was difficult to complete the task and follow the progress of the story.”

3. Game "Round Dance"

Progress of the game:

Participants stand in a circle, take each other’s hands, look into each other’s eyes, and smile.

Lesson 3

Target:

ö relieving tension among participants, self-awareness.

Time - 40 minutes.

1. Game "Magic Word"

Progress of the game:

The facilitator reminds participants of the importance of some “magic words” and expressions such as: thank you, please be kind, you are so kind, you are so wonderful. Participants in a circle should greet each other using those “magic words” that they remembered.

Time 4-5 minutes.

2. Parts of my “I”

Materials: paper, markers.

Progress of the game:

The presenter invites the children to remember what they were like in different cases, depending on the circumstances (sometimes they are so different from themselves, as if they were different people), how they happen, an internal dialogue with themselves and try to draw these different features of their “I”. This can be done as it turns out, perhaps symbolically.

After completing the task, the participants, including the presenter, take turns showing their drawings to the group and tell what is depicted in them. Children exchange impressions, whether it was difficult to complete the task, or whether it was difficult to tell what they depicted. The presenter collects the drawings with the condition that they will not be shown to any of the students or teachers.

3. Game "Steam Engine"

Progress of the game:

Children line up one after another, holding their shoulders. The train carries children, overcoming various obstacles with the carriages.

4. “Round dance”

Progress of the game:

Lesson No. 4

Goals:

ö increase group cohesion;

ö increase children's self-confidence.

Materials:

ö tape recorder and cassette recording of calm music;

ö a ball of fairly strong thread;

ö a candle in a safe candlestick.

Progress of the lesson:

Hello, I'm glad to see you!

Let's greet each other and play Echo" (The purpose of this exercise is to tune the children into each other, to make each child feel like the center of attention.)

The one sitting to my right says his name and claps his hands, like this: “Vasya, Vasya,” and we repeat after him together, like an echo. Then Vasya’s neighbor on the right, Ira, claps her name, and we repeat again. Thus, everyone will take turns calling and clapping their name.

Now that you and I have said our names, I’ll sing a song about how glad I am to see you. “I’m very glad that Seryozha is in the group...” I hold a ball in my hands. When I start singing, I will give it to the person I sing about. Whoever receives the ball wraps the thread around his finger and passes it to the next child sitting to his right. When my song ends, you and I will be connected by one thread. I start...

Great!

The ball has returned to me. Now let's all raise our hands up, lower them down, and put them on our knees. Try to do everything at the same time, because if someone hesitates, our circle will collapse. Now let’s carefully place the thread that connects us on the floor.

Now show me your right hand, and now your left hand. Let's make friends with our fingers.(The purpose of the exercise is coordination of movements and the development of fine motor skills, memory development).

The girls and boys in our group are friends.

You and I will make friends with little fingers.

Let's start counting again.

One two three four five!

Children fold their hands into a lock and alternately connect the fingers of their right and left hands, starting with their little fingers.

Very good!

Now stand in a circle and hold hands. Let's play a game called "Good Animal".(The goal is to develop a sense of unity).

We are one big, kind animal. Let's listen to how it breathes. Now let's breathe together. Inhale - everyone takes a step forward. Exhale – step back. Our animal breathes very smoothly and calmly. Now let's picture and listen to how his big heart beats. Knock - step forward, knock - step back, etc.

Great!

Our lesson ends. I thank you all. It was a pleasure to work with you.

And now I will light a candle, and we will all pass it to each other and say thank you for working together.

Lesson No. 5

Goals:

ö develop coordination of movements;

ö develop auditory perception.

Progress of the lesson

Children sit in a circle on chairs.

Hello.

Let's start our meeting with the game "Tank Engine with a Name"(the goal is to get children to work together).

Now everyone will turn into a locomotive. When the “locomotive” drives in a circle, it will clap its hands and say its name. I’ll start: “Sveta, Sveta...” I drove a whole circle, and now I’ll choose one of you, and he will become a train instead of me. I choose Olya. Now she will say her name and clap her hands, and I will become her trailer, put my hands on her shoulders and repeat her name with her... Let's go!

So we have driven a whole circle, now Olya will choose the one who will become the “engine”, and we will already repeat his name in formation.

And so on until all the children take part in the game.

Great!

We arrived on our train to a sunny meadow and now we will play a game called “Recognize by Voice”(the goal is the development of auditory perception).

Let's stand in a circle and hold hands. We need one person inside the circle. Who wants to stand in the center?.. Great, Sasha! Everyone else will dance around you and sing a song. And let Sasha listen to her carefully and do what we ask him to do. Listen to the song...

Sasha, you are in the forest now.

We call you: “Ay!”

Well, close your eyes, don’t be shy.

Find out who is calling you quickly.

Now, Sasha, close your eyes, and the one I touch will take a step forward and call: “Sasha! Aw!” And you try to guess who called you.

If the child guessed correctly, he will take the place of the leader; if not, you can call the child again. The game is repeated several times.

Now let's take a look around. What time of year is it now? That's right, autumn... Imagine that we are standing near a plum tree. Let's take a look at it...(the goal of the game is to develop coordination of movements).

I invite everyone to dance near her. Remember that when I clap my hands, you will have to quickly sit down in your seats.

We dance near the plum tree(3 times) - on a sunny autumn day.

So we're spinning in place(3 times) - on a sunny autumn day.

So we stomp our feet(3 times) - on a sunny autumn day.

So we clap our hands(3 times) - on a sunny autumn day.

This is how we wash our hands(3 times) - on a sunny autumn day.

So we wipe our hands(3 times) - on a sunny autumn day.

So we wipe our hands and quickly run to mom.

When there is a clap, all the children run and sit on the chairs.

And now that we are at home, let's collect everything we need and go hunting.(The game “We are hunting a lion”, the goal is to develop interhemispheric interaction).

This is an exercise in rhythmization, alternating the tempo and volume of speech. It is necessary to pronounce the text expressively line by line, accompanying it with movements corresponding to the events taking place. And the children should repeat the text and movements after you or improvise, making their movements in time with the spoken text.

We are hunting a lion.

We are not afraid of him.

We have a long gun

And a spyglass.

Oh! What is this?

And this is a field: top-top-top.

Oh! What is this?

And this is a swamp: champ-champ-champ.

Oh! What is this?

And this is the sea: glug-glug-glug.

Oh! What is this?

And this is the path: shur-shur-shur.

You can't crawl under it.

You can't fly over it.

There is no way around it, but the path is straight.

We went out into the clearing.

Who is this lying here? Let's touch it.(Children “touch an imaginary lion”). Yes, it's a lion! Oh, mommies! They got scared of him and ran home.

Along the path: shur-shur-shur.

By sea: glug-glug-glug.

Through the swamp: champ-champ-champ.

Across the field: top-top-top.

We ran home.

The door was closed.

Wow!(as you exhale) Tired.

Well done!

This concludes our lesson, goodbye.

Lesson No. 6

Goals:

ö increase children's self-confidence;

ö develop arbitrariness;

ö develop a positive attitude towards peers.

Progress of the lesson:

Children sit on chairs in a circle.

Good morning!

Get your pens ready for work. Let's try to read the poems and perform movements to them.

Children should change places of their palms lying on their knees in time with the spoken text (you can move your palms from one shoulder to another).

Three wise men in one basin

We sailed across the sea in a thunderstorm.

Be stronger than the old basin,

Our story would have been longer.

Amazing!

And now I will tell you a fairy tale. It's called "The Boasting Hare."

In one forest there lived a hare. He considered himself the smartest, most beautiful, bravest animal in the forest. A hare runs through the forest, showing off, but none of the animals pays attention to him. Well, isn't it a shame? He climbed onto a stump and let’s show off:

- I am the bravest, I am the most beautiful, I am the smartest animal in the forest! I'm not afraid of anyone, neither the wolf nor the forest. Now, if I met her, everyone would immediately know which of us is stronger!

And at this time a crow flew past. She heard the hare boasting and got angry.

- Who is the smartest? Who is the bravest? Who is this most beautiful? - asked the crow and sat down right in front of the hare. - Well, how handsome are you? Your ears are long, your tail is short! He is not afraid of the wolf. Yes, as soon as he appears, you are gone.

The hare was offended and decided to prove to the crow that she was making fun of him in vain, but where is it! The crow itself climbed onto the stump and let’s boast:

- If there is anyone beautiful in our forest, it’s me. My beak is long, strong, my feathers are black and shimmer in the sun! And if a wolf appears, then I won’t be at a loss. As soon as I pecked him on the nose, he was like that!

And at this time a wolf walked past. He heard the words of the boastful crow and became very angry.

- Who dares to laugh at me? Where did this vagrant bird come from? Well, be careful, now I’ll teach you a lesson,” said the wolf and rushed straight at the braggart.

The crow got scared and screamed:

- Save me! Help! The wolf is going to eat me now!

The hare heard that a wolf was nearby, and out of fear he jumped to the side, and landed right on the wolf. The wolf got scared: “What did that fall on me from above?” He threw the crow and ran straight into the forest.

And the crow opened her eyes and saw that there was no wolf, but the hare was standing in front of her, trembling with fear.

- Oh, thank you, oblique! If it weren't for you, a wolf would have eaten me. You are truly the bravest, strongest, most beautiful animal in the forest!

The hare immediately perked up. He climbed onto a stump and said:

- What did you think? I truly am the bravest, most beautiful and strongest animal in the forest!

From that day on, the hare began to believe that he was the most, the most, the most...

This is such a fairy tale. And now we will pretend to be a hare. Let's show it one by one, in a circle. To do this, you need to gallop around the circle like a bunny, stand on a “stump” (on a chair) and boast: “I am the most beautiful, I am the smartest, I am the bravest, I am not afraid of anyone.”

You did great! And now a crow appears. She will stand in front of the stump and say: “How beautiful are you? Your tail is short and your ears are long! How brave are you? Just tell you that you saw a wolf nearby, you will immediately run away.” But the hare will still stand on the stump and continue to praise himself: “But I’m still the best animal in the forest!” And you and I will support the hare. Who wants to be a hare? Voronoi?

Amazing! Now let's try to praise not ourselves, but our neighbor. I will begin. “The best neighbor is my neighbor on the right. He is a very kind, attentive boy, he helps the kids...” And now you take turns praising each other.

This concludes our lesson, goodbye!

Lesson 7

Target:

ö development of communication skills, awareness of various character traits and feelings.

Time: 40 minutes

Game "Back to Back"

Progress of the game:

The presenter says that in the group there is an opportunity to gain communication experience that is not available in everyday life. Two group members sit back to back to each other and try to maintain a conversation in this position for 3-5 minutes. At the end, they share their feelings.

The presenter asks questions:

- was it similar to familiar everyday situations (for example, a telephone conversation), what were the differences;

- was it easy to carry on a conversation;

- how the conversation turns out - more frank or not.

1. Game "Monster"

Progress of the game:

Leading: “We all admit to having different shortcomings. Let's imagine that in the center of our circle there is a scarecrow - an unattractive one, like the kind they put in gardens to scare away birds. It has all those qualities that we consider our shortcomings. So, if someone admits some weakness, he says: “Some kind of scarecrow” - and names this shortcoming. Then each of us will say why, in general, those qualities that were named are not bad, but not about those qualities that he himself named, but about those that others named in your stuffed animal.”

The presenter writes down what the participants named and names one or more features of the stuffed animal. After all participants have spoken, the presenter shows what he wrote down, and the children say what advantages this or that quality has.

2. Round dance

Progress of the game:

Participants enter a circle, hold hands, look into each other’s eyes, and smile.

Lesson 8

Target:

ö formation of positive interaction strategies.

Time - 40 minutes.

1. Game “Why we love”

Progress of the game:

Leading: “When we interact with others, we usually find that we like or dislike them. As a rule, we associate this assessment with the internal qualities of a person. Let's try to evaluate what qualities we value and accept in people. The task will be completed in writing. Choose a person in the group who, in many ways, you really like. List five qualities that you particularly like about this person. And so, without specifying the person himself, indicate five qualities that you especially like about him. Let's start! Your time is up. Now, please, take turns reading your characteristics, and we will try to determine which person your characteristics apply to. Please, who starts?

2. Game “The Blind Man and the Guide”

Progress of the game:

Leading: “How important it is to trust people in life! How often this is not enough, and how much we sometimes lose from it. Please everyone stand up, close your eyes and walk around the room in different directions for a few minutes. So good. Now randomly split into pairs. One of you closes your eyes, and the other leads him around the room, gives him the opportunity to touch various objects, helps him avoid collisions with other couples, gives appropriate explanations about their movement, etc. So, one stands in front with open eyes. The other, at arm's length, slightly touching the back of the person in front, stands up with his eyes closed. Please start. Okay, now switch roles. Everyone must go through the school of “trust.” Please start. Okay, now sit in a circle, think and tell me, who felt confident, reliable, who had the desire to completely trust their partner? Let everyone evaluate their partner by raising their hand with the required number of fingers - we evaluate using a five-point system. The follower raises as many fingers as he considers necessary to give to his guide. Please consider your assessment, and the leader will evaluate the best guides.”

3. “Round dance”

Progress of the game:

Participants stand in a circle, hold hands, look into each other’s eyes and smile.

Lesson 9

Target:

ö awareness of problems in relationships with people, activation of self-awareness.

Time: 40 minutes.

1. Game “Continue”

Progress of the game:

Children are given a list of sentences that need to be completed from the point of view of how they think others see them:

I feel good when...

I'm sad when...

I get angry when...

I'm afraid when...

I feel brave when...

Then, in a circle, the children read out their sentences, and a discussion is held, based on the answers, in which situations children most often feel good, feel sad, etc.

2. Game “Gratitude without words”

Progress of the game:

Participants are divided into pairs as desired. Couples go to the center of the circle, first one and then the other trying to express gratitude without the help of words. Then the couples share their impressions about:

How did I feel while doing this exercise?

Whether the image of gratitude from the partner looked sincere or feigned;

Was it clear what feeling the partner was portraying?

3. “Round dance”

Progress of the game:

Participants stand in a circle, hold hands, look into each other’s eyes and smile.

Lesson 10

Target:

ö awareness of the motives of interpersonal relationships.

Time: 40 minutes.

Each participant tells what working in the group gave him, what new things he learned about himself and others.

Final words from the presenter. The presenter says that these classes showed that we all have a lot of possibilities, a lot of things that make each of us unique, inimitable, and what we all have in common. That’s why we need each other, every person can achieve success in life and make life more fun and joyful for other people around him. Goodbye. Thanks for the work.

Phillips School Anxiety Questionnaire Answer Sheet

Last name and first name_______________________________________

Class_______________________________________________

Questionnaire form from Lavrentieva G.P. and Titarenko T.M.

Last name and first name_______________________________________

Class_______________________________________________

The answers do not match the test key:

Ascertaining stage:

Control group:

1. Irina A. - No. 2, 3, 7, 12, 16, 21, 23, 26, 28, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 8, 13, 17, 22, 24, 15, 1, 4

2. Inna B. - No. 5, 10, 15, 20, 24, 30, 33, 36, 39, 42, 44, 2, 6, 11, 32, 35, 41, 44, 47,1, 3, 4, 21, 26, 31, 16

3. Sveta B. - No. 2, 6, 11, 32, 35, 41, 44, 47, 1, 3, 6, 11, 17, 19, 25, 29, 32, 35, 38, 41, 43, 5, 24, 36, 15, 16, 18, 47

4. Katya V. - No. 9, 14, 18, 23, 28, 27, 31, 34, 37, 40, 45, 24, 47, 41, 42, 43, 8, 2, 1, 5, 4

5. Olya G. - No. 3, 8, 13, 17, 22, 1, 3, 6, 11, 17, 19, 25, 29, 32, 35, 38, 41, 43, 39, 15, 16, 24, 25, 31

6. Maxim G. - No. 9, 14, 18, 23, 28, 2, 3, 7, 12, 16, 21, 23, 26, 28, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58

7. Lisa E. - No. 27, 31, 34, 37, 40, 45,1, 5, 8, 11, 12, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 36, 32, 29, 10

8. Sergey I. - No. 27, 31, 34, 37, 40, 45, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 36, 32, 29, 10

9. Ruslan K. - No. 2, 6, 11, 32, 35, 41, 44, 47, 2, 7, 12, 16, 21, 26, 19, 25, 29, 32, 35, 38, 41, 43, 5, 24, 36, 15

10. Maxim K. - No. 27, 31, 34, 37, 40, 45, 19, 25, 29, 32, 35, 38, 41, 43, 5, 24, 36, 15

11. Christina L. - 19, 25, 29, 32, 35, 38, 41, 43, 5, 24, 36, 15

12. Masha P. - No. 2, 7, 12, 16, 21, 26, 19, 25, 29, 32, 35, 38, 41, 43, 5, 24, 36, 15

13. Marina P. - No.

14. Artem S. - No. 3, 8, 13, 17, 22, 19, 25, 29, 32, 35, 38, 41, 43, 5, 24, 36, 15, 2, 7, 12

15. Nastya S. - No. 3, 8, 13, 17, 22, 19, 25, 29, 32, 35, 38, 41, 43, 5, 24, 36, 15

16. Julia Y. - No. 3, 8, 13, 17, 22. 2, 6, 11, 32, 35, 41, 44

Experimental group:

1. Sergey A. - No. 1, 3, 6, 11, 17, 19, 25, 29, 32, 35, 38, 41, 43, 27, 31, 34, 37, 40, 45, 2, 6, 11, 32, 35, 41, 44, 47

2. Katya A. - No. 2, 3, 7, 12, 16, 21, 23, 26, 28, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 3, 8, 13, 17, 22

3. Anya D. - No. 3, 8, 13, 17, 22, 5, 10, 15, 20, 24, 30, 33, 36, 39, 42, 44, 23, 28, 32, 29

4. Evgenia Z. - No. 1, 3, 6, 11, 17, 19, 25, 29, 32, 23, 28, 41, 43

5. Volodya I. - No. 9, 14, 18, 23, 28, 1, 3, 6, 11, 17, 19, 25, 29, 32, 35, 38, 41, 43, 5, 10, 15, 20, 24

6. Vadim K. - No.

7. Tanya P. - No. 2, 3, 7, 12, 16, 21, 23, 26, 28, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 41, 43

8. Evgeny R. - No. 3, 8, 13, 17, 22, 27, 31, 34, 37, 40, 45, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58

9. Marina S. - No. 27, 31, 34, 37, 40, 45, 1, 3, 6, 11, 17, 19, 25, 29, 32

10. Julia S. - No. 2, 7, 12, 16, 21, 26, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 23, 28

11. Ira S. - No. 3, 8, 13, 17, 22, 1, 3, 6, 11, 17, 19, 25, 29, 32, 23, 28, 5, 10, 15, 20, 24

12. Tanya U. - No. 2, 7, 12, 16, 21, 26, 1, 3, 6, 11, 17, 19, 25, 29, 32, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 23, 28

13. Sveta F. - No. 2, 7, 12, 16, 21, 26, 5, 10, 15, 20, 24, 23, 28, 41, 43, 1, 3, 6, 11, 17, 19, 25, 29, 32

14. Olya Y. - No. 2, 6, 11, 32, 35, 41, 44, 47, 3, 8, 13, 17, 22, 1, 3, 6, 11, 17, 19, 25, 29, 32, 41, 43

Introduction

anxiety school age

The relevance of research. Currently, the number of anxious children characterized by increased anxiety, uncertainty, and emotional instability has increased.

The current situation of children in our society is characterized by social deprivation, i.e. deprivation, restriction, insufficiency of certain conditions necessary for the survival and development of each child.

The Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation notes that the number of children at risk has increased; every third schoolchild has deviations in the neuropsychic system.

The psychological self-awareness of children entering school is characterized by a lack of love, warm, reliable relationships in the family, and emotional attachment. Signs of trouble, tension in contacts, fears, anxiety, and regressive tendencies appear.

The emergence and consolidation of anxiety is associated with the dissatisfaction of the child’s age-related needs. Anxiety becomes a stable personality formation in adolescence. Before this, it is a derivative of a wide range of disorders. The consolidation and intensification of anxiety occurs according to the mechanism closed psychological circle , leading to the accumulation and deepening of negative emotional experience, which, in turn, generates negative prognostic assessments and largely determines the modality of actual experiences, contributes to the increase and maintenance of anxiety.

Anxiety has a pronounced age specificity, revealed in its sources, content, forms of manifestation of compensation and protection. For each age period, there are certain areas, objects of reality that cause increased anxiety in most children, regardless of the presence of a real threat or anxiety as a stable formation. These age-related peaks of anxiety are a consequence of the most significant sociogenic needs.

IN age-related peaks of anxiety anxiety acts as unconstructive, which causes a state of panic and despondency. The child begins to doubt his abilities and strengths. But anxiety disorganizes not only educational activities, it begins to destroy personal structures. Therefore, knowledge of the causes of increased anxiety will lead to the creation and timely implementation of correctional and developmental work, helping to reduce anxiety and the formation of adequate behavior in children of primary school age.

The purpose of the study is to examine the characteristics of anxiety in children of primary school age.

The object of the study is the manifestation of anxiety in children of primary school age.

The subject of the study is the causes of anxiety in children of primary school age.

Research hypothesis -

To achieve the goal and test the research hypothesis, the following tasks were identified:

Analyze and systematize theoretical sources on the problem under consideration.

To study the characteristics of anxiety in children of primary school age and to establish the causes of increased anxiety.

Research base: 4th grade (8 people) of the Center for Curative Pedagogy and Differentiated Education No. 10 in the city of Krasnoyarsk.

Psychological and pedagogical characteristics of anxiety. Definition of the concept of “anxiety”. Domestic and foreign views on this issue

In the psychological literature one can find different definitions of this concept, although most studies agree on the need to consider it differentially - as a situational phenomenon and as a personal characteristic, taking into account the transition state and its dynamics.

The word "anxious" has been noted in dictionaries since 1771. There are many versions explaining the origin of this term. The author of one of them believes that the word “alarm” means a thrice repeated signal about danger from the enemy.

The psychological dictionary gives the following definition of anxiety: it is “an individual psychological characteristic consisting in an increased tendency to experience anxiety in a wide variety of life situations, including those that do not predispose one to this.”

It is necessary to distinguish anxiety from anxiety. If anxiety is episodic manifestations of a child’s restlessness and excitement, then anxiety is a stable condition.

For example, it happens that a child gets nervous before speaking at a party or answering questions at the blackboard. But this anxiety does not always manifest itself; sometimes in the same situations he remains calm. These are manifestations of anxiety. If the state of anxiety is repeated frequently and in a variety of situations (when answering at the board, communicating with unfamiliar adults, etc.), then we should talk about anxiety.

Anxiety is not associated with any specific situation and appears almost always. This condition accompanies a person in any type of activity. When a person is afraid of something specific, we talk about the manifestation of fear. For example, fear of the dark, fear of heights, fear of enclosed spaces.

K. Izard explains the difference between the terms “fear” and “anxiety” in this way: anxiety is a combination of some emotions, and fear is only one of them.

Anxiety is a state of expedient preparatory increase in sensory attention and motor tension in a situation of possible danger, ensuring an appropriate reaction to fear. A personality trait manifested by mild and frequent expression of anxiety. The individual’s tendency to experience anxiety, characterized by a low threshold for the manifestation of anxiety; one of the main parameters of individual differences.

In general, anxiety is a subjective manifestation of personal distress. Anxiety occurs under a favorable background of the properties of the nervous and endocrine systems, but is formed during life, primarily due to disruption of forms of intrapersonal and interpersonal communication.

Anxiety is negative emotional experiences caused by the expectation of something dangerous, having a diffuse nature, not associated with specific events. An emotional state that arises in situations of uncertain danger and manifests itself in anticipation of an unfavorable development of events. In contrast to fear as a reaction to a specific threat, it is generalized, diffuse or pointless fear. Usually associated with the expectation of failure in social interaction and often due to unawareness of the source of danger.

In the presence of anxiety, increased breathing, increased heart rate, increased blood flow, increased blood pressure, increased general excitability, and a decreased perception threshold are recorded at the physiological level.

Functionally, anxiety not only warns of a possible danger, but also encourages the search and specification of this danger, the active exploration of reality with the goal (installation) of identifying a threatening object. It can manifest itself as a feeling of helplessness, self-doubt, powerlessness in the face of external factors, an exaggeration of their power and threatening nature. Behavioral manifestations of anxiety consist in a general disorganization of activity, disrupting its direction and productivity.

Anxiety as a mechanism for the development of neuroses - neurotic anxiety - is formed on the basis of internal contradictions in the development and structure of the psyche - for example, from an inflated level of claims, insufficient moral validity of motives, etc.; it can lead to an inappropriate belief in the existence of a threat to one's own actions.

A. M. Prikhozhan points out that anxiety is the experience of emotional discomfort associated with the expectation of trouble, with a premonition of impending danger. Anxiety is distinguished as an emotional state and as a stable property, personality trait or temperament.

According to the definition of R. S. Nemov, “anxiety is a constantly or situationally manifested ability of a person to enter a state of increased anxiety, to experience fear and anxiety in specific social situations”

E. Savina, Associate Professor of the Department of Psychology at Oryol State Pedagogical University, believes that anxiety is defined as a persistent negative experience of concern and expectation of trouble on the part of others.

According to the definition of S.S. Stepanov, “anxiety is the experience of emotional distress associated with a premonition of danger or failure.”

According to the definition of A.V. Petrovsky: Anxiety is an individual’s tendency to experience anxiety, characterized by a low threshold for the occurrence of an anxiety reaction; one of the main parameters of individual differences. Anxiety is usually increased in neuropsychic and severe somatic diseases, as well as in healthy people experiencing the consequences of psychotrauma, in many groups of people with deviant subjective manifestations of personality dysfunction .
Modern anxiety research is aimed at distinguishing situational anxiety, associated with a specific external situation, and personal anxiety, which is a stable property of the individual, as well as developing methods for analyzing anxiety as a result of the interaction of the individual and his environment
G.G. Arakelov, N.E. Lysenko, E.E. Schott, in turn, note that anxiety is a multi-valued psychological term that describes both a certain state of individuals at a limited point in time, and a stable property of any person. An analysis of the literature of recent years allows us to consider anxiety from different points of view, allowing for the assertion that increased anxiety arises and is realized as a result of a complex interaction of cognitive, affective and behavioral reactions provoked when a person is exposed to various stresses.

Anxiety - as a personality trait is associated with the genetically determined properties of the functioning human brain, causing a constantly heightened sense of emotional arousal, emotions of anxiety.

In a study of the level of aspirations in adolescents, M.Z. Neymark discovered a negative emotional state in the form of anxiety, fear, aggression, which was caused by dissatisfaction of their claims to success. Also, emotional distress such as anxiety was observed in children with high self-esteem. They pretended to be the best students, or occupy the highest position in the team, that is, they had high aspirations in certain areas, although they had no real opportunities to realize their aspirations.

Domestic psychologists believe that inadequately high self-esteem in children develops as a result of improper upbringing, inflated estimates by adults of the child’s successes, praise, and exaggeration of his achievements, and not as a manifestation of an innate desire for superiority.

The high assessment of others and the self-esteem based on it suits the child quite well. Confrontations with difficulties and new demands reveal its inconsistency. However, the child strives with all his might to maintain his high self-esteem, since it provides him with self-respect and a good attitude towards himself. However, the child does not always succeed in this. Claiming a high level of academic achievement, he may not have sufficient knowledge and skills to achieve them; negative qualities or character traits may not allow him to take the desired position among his peers in the class. Thus, contradictions between high aspirations and real possibilities can lead to a difficult emotional state.

From unsatisfaction of needs, the child develops defense mechanisms that do not allow recognition of failure, uncertainty and loss of self-esteem into the consciousness. He tries to find the reasons for his failures in other people: parents, teachers, comrades. He tries not to admit even to himself that the reason for his failure lies in himself, comes into conflict with everyone who points out his shortcomings, and shows irritability, touchiness, and aggressiveness.

M.S. Neymark calls it affect of inadequacy - ... an acute emotional desire to protect oneself from one’s own weakness, by any means to prevent self-doubt, repulsion from the truth, anger and irritation against everything and everyone from entering the consciousness . This condition can become chronic and last for months or years. The strong need for self-affirmation leads to the fact that the interests of these children are directed only towards themselves.

This condition cannot but cause anxiety in the child. Initially, the anxiety is justified, it is caused by real difficulties for the child, but constantly as the inadequacy of the child’s attitude towards himself, his capabilities, people becomes stronger, inadequacy will become a stable feature of his attitude to the world, and then distrust, suspicion and other similar traits that real anxiety will become anxiety, when the child expects trouble in any cases that are objectively negative for him.

The understanding of anxiety was introduced into psychology by psychoanalysts and psychiatrists. Many representatives of psychoanalysis considered anxiety as an innate personality trait, as an initially inherent state of a person.

The founder of psychoanalysis, S. Freud, argued that a person has several innate drives - instincts that are the driving force of human behavior and determine his mood. S. Freud believed that the collision of biological drives with social prohibitions gives rise to neuroses and anxiety. As a person grows up, the original instincts receive new forms of manifestation. However, in new forms they encounter the prohibitions of civilization, and a person is forced to mask and suppress his desires. The drama of an individual's mental life begins at birth and continues throughout life. Freud saw a natural way out of this situation in sublimation libidinal energy , that is, in directing energy towards other life goals: production and creative. Successful sublimation frees a person from anxiety.

In individual psychology, A. Adler offers a new look at the origin of neuroses. According to Adler, neurosis is based on such mechanisms as fear, fear of life, fear of difficulties, as well as the desire for a certain position in a group of people, which the individual, due to some individual characteristics or social conditions, could not achieve, that is, it is clearly visible that neurosis is based on situations in which a person, due to certain circumstances, to one degree or another experiences a feeling of anxiety.

A feeling of inferiority can arise from a subjective feeling of physical weakness or any deficiencies in the body, or from those mental properties and personality traits that interfere with satisfying the need for communication. The need for communication is at the same time the need to belong to a group. The feeling of inferiority, of inability to do anything, gives a person certain suffering, and he tries to get rid of it either through compensation, or by capitulation, renunciation of desires. In the first case, the individual directs all his energy to overcome his inferiority. Those who did not understand their difficulties and whose energy was directed towards themselves fail.

Striving for superiority, the individual develops way of life , line of life and behavior. Already by the age of 4-5, a child may develop a feeling of failure, inadequacy, dissatisfaction, inferiority, which can lead to the fact that in the future the person will suffer defeat.

The problem of anxiety became the subject of special research among neo-Freudians and, above all, K. Horney. In Horney's theory, the main sources of anxiety and restlessness of the individual are not rooted in the conflict between biological drives and social prohibitions, but are the result of incorrect human relationships. In the book Neurotic personality of our time Horney lists 11 neurotic needs:

Neurotic need for affection and approval, the desire to please others, to be pleasant.

Neurotic need for partner who fulfills all desires, expectations, fear of being alone.

Neurotic need to limit one's life to narrow boundaries, to remain unnoticed.

Neurotic need for power over others through intelligence and foresight.

Neurotic need to exploit others, to get the best from them.

The need for social recognition or prestige.

The need for personal adoration. Inflated self-image.

Neurotic claims to personal achievements, the need to surpass others.

Neurotic need for self-satisfaction and independence, the need to not need anyone.

Neurotic need for love.

Neurotic need for superiority, perfection, inaccessibility.

K. Horney believes that by satisfying these needs, a person strives to get rid of anxiety, but neurotic needs are insatiable, they cannot be satisfied, and, therefore, there are no ways to get rid of anxiety.

To a large extent, K. Horney is close to S. Sullivan. He is known as the creator interpersonal theory . A person cannot be isolated from other people or interpersonal situations. From the first day of birth, a child enters into relationships with people and, first of all, with his mother. All further development and behavior of an individual is determined by interpersonal relationships. Sullivan believes that a person has an initial anxiety, anxiety, which is a product of interpersonal (interpersonal) relationships.

Sullivan views the body as an energy system of tension that can fluctuate between certain limits - a state of rest, relaxation (euphoria) and the highest degree of tension. The sources of tension are the body's needs and anxiety. Anxiety is caused by real or imaginary threats to human safety.

Sullivan, like Horney, considers anxiety not only as one of the basic properties of personality, but also as a factor determining its development. Having arisen at an early age as a result of contact with an unfavorable social environment, anxiety is constantly and invariably present throughout a person’s life. Getting rid of anxiety for an individual becomes central need and the determining force of his behavior. A person produces various dynamisms , which are a way to get rid of fear and anxiety.

E. Fromm approaches the understanding of anxiety differently. Unlike Horney and Sullivan, Fromm approaches the problem of mental discomfort from the position of the historical development of society.

E. Fromm believes that in the era of medieval society, with its method of production and class structure, man was not free, but he was not isolated and alone, did not feel in such danger and did not experience such anxieties as under capitalism, because he did not was alienated from things, from nature, from people. Man was connected to the world by primary bonds, which Fromm calls natural social connections existing in primitive society. With the growth of capitalism, primary bonds are broken, a free individual appears, cut off from nature, from people, as a result of which he experiences a deep sense of uncertainty, powerlessness, doubt, loneliness and anxiety. To get rid of the anxiety generated negative freedom , a person strives to get rid of this very freedom. He sees the only way out in escaping from freedom, that is, escaping from himself, in an effort to forget himself and thereby suppress the state of anxiety in himself. Fromm, Horney and Sullivan are trying to show various mechanisms for getting rid of anxiety.

Fromm believes that all these mechanisms, including escape into oneself , only cover up the feeling of anxiety, but do not completely rid the individual of it. On the contrary, the feeling of isolation intensifies, as the loss of one’s I constitutes the most painful condition. Mental mechanisms of escape from freedom are irrational; according to Fromm, they are not a reaction to environmental conditions, and therefore are not able to eliminate the causes of suffering and anxiety.

Thus, we can conclude that anxiety is based on the fear reaction, and fear is an innate reaction to certain situations related to maintaining the integrity of the body.

The authors do not differentiate between worry and anxiety. Both appear as an expectation of trouble, which one day causes fear in the child. Anxiety or worry is the anticipation of something that can cause fear. With the help of anxiety, a child can avoid fear.

Anxiety about potential physical harm. This type of anxiety arises as a result of the association of certain stimuli that threaten pain, danger, or physical distress.

Anxiety due to loss of love (mother's love, the affection of peers).

Anxiety can be caused by feelings of guilt, which usually does not appear earlier than 4 years of age. In older children, guilt is characterized by feelings of self-humiliation, annoyance with oneself, and the experience of oneself as unworthy.

Anxiety due to inability to master the environment. It occurs when a person feels that he cannot cope with the problems that the environment poses. Anxiety is related to, but not identical to, feelings of inferiority.

Anxiety can also arise in a state of frustration. Frustration is defined as the experience that occurs when there is an obstacle to achieving a desired goal or a strong need. There is no complete independence between situations that cause frustration and those that lead to a state of anxiety (loss of parental love, etc.) and the authors do not provide a clear distinction between these concepts.

Anxiety is common to every person to one degree or another. Minor anxiety acts as a mobilizer to achieve a goal. A strong feeling of anxiety can be emotionally crippling and lead to despair. Anxiety for a person presents problems that need to be dealt with. For this purpose, various protective mechanisms (methods) are used.

In the occurrence of anxiety, great importance is attached to family upbringing, the role of the mother, and the relationship between the child and the mother. The period of childhood predetermines the subsequent development of personality.

Thus, Masser, Korner and Kagan, on the one hand, consider anxiety as an innate reaction to the danger inherent in each individual, on the other hand, they put the degree of a person’s anxiety depending on the degree of intensity of the circumstances (stimuli) causing anxiety that the person faces , interacting with the environment.

Thus, the concept of “anxiety” is used by psychologists to denote a human condition that is characterized by an increased tendency to worry, fear and worry, which has a negative emotional connotation.

Classification of types of anxiety

There are two main types of anxiety. The first of them is the so-called situational anxiety, i.e. generated by some specific situation that objectively causes concern. This condition can occur in any person in anticipation of possible troubles and life complications. This condition is not only completely normal, but also plays a positive role. It acts as a kind of mobilizing mechanism that allows a person to approach emerging problems seriously and responsibly. What is more abnormal is a decrease in situational anxiety, when a person, in the face of serious circumstances, demonstrates carelessness and irresponsibility, which most often indicates an infantile life position and insufficient formation of self-awareness.

Another type is the so-called personal anxiety. It can be considered as a personal trait, manifested in a constant tendency to experience anxiety in a wide variety of life situations, including those that objectively do not lead to this. It is characterized by a state of unaccountable fear, an uncertain sense of threat, and a readiness to perceive any event as unfavorable and dangerous. A child susceptible to this condition is constantly in a wary and depressed mood; it is difficult for him to contact the outside world, which he perceives as frightening and hostile. Consolidated in the process of character formation to the formation of low self-esteem and gloomy pessimism.

Causes of the appearance and development of anxiety in children

Among the causes of childhood anxiety, in the first place, according to E. Savina, is improper upbringing and unfavorable relationships between the child and his parents, especially with his mother. Thus, rejection and rejection by the mother of the child causes anxiety in him due to the impossibility of satisfying the need for love, affection and protection. In this case, fear arises: the child feels the conditionality of material love (“If I do something bad, they won’t love me”). Failure to satisfy the child's need for love will encourage him to seek its satisfaction by any means.

Childhood anxiety can also be a consequence of the symbiotic relationship between the child and the mother, when the mother feels like one with the child and tries to protect him from the difficulties and troubles of life. It “ties” you to yourself, protecting you from imaginary, non-existent dangers. As a result, the child experiences anxiety when left without a mother, is easily lost, worried and afraid. Instead of activity and independence, passivity and dependence develop.

In cases where upbringing is based on excessive demands that the child is unable to cope with or copes with difficulty, anxiety can be caused by the fear of not being able to cope, of doing the wrong thing; parents often cultivate “correct” behavior: the attitude towards the child may include includes strict control, a strict system of norms and rules, deviation from which entails censure and punishment. In these cases, the child’s anxiety may be generated by fear of deviation from the norms and rules established by adults (“If I do not do as my mother said, she will not love me,” “If I do not do what I should, I will be punished”).

A child’s anxiety can also be caused by the peculiarities of the teacher’s (educator’s) interaction with the child, the prevalence of an authoritarian communication style, or inconsistency of requirements and assessments. In both the first and second cases, the child is in constant tension because of the fear of not fulfilling the demands of adults, of not “pleasing” them, of setting strict boundaries.

When we talk about strict limits, we mean the restrictions set by the teacher. These include restrictions on spontaneous activity in games (in particular, in outdoor games), in activities, on walks, etc.; limiting children's spontaneity in the classroom, for example, cutting off children (“Nina Petrovna, but I have... Quiet! I see everything! I’ll come up to everyone myself!”); suppression of children's initiative (“put it down now, I didn’t say take the leaves in your hands!”, “Shut up immediately, I’m saying!”). Restrictions can also include interrupting the emotional manifestations of children. So, if emotions arise in a child during an activity, they need to be thrown out, which can be prevented by an authoritarian teacher (“who’s funny there, Petrov?! I’ll laugh when I look at your drawings,” “Why are you crying? You’ve tortured everyone with your tears!").

Disciplinary measures applied by such a teacher most often come down to reprimands, shouting, negative assessments, and punishments.

An inconsistent teacher (educator) causes anxiety in the child by not giving him the opportunity to predict his own behavior. The constant variability of the teacher's (educator's) demands, the dependence of his behavior on his mood, emotional lability entail confusion in the child, the inability to decide what he should do in a particular case.

The teacher (educator) also needs to know situations that can cause children's anxiety, especially the situation of non-acceptance from peers; the child believes that it is his fault that he is not loved, he is bad (“they love good people”) to deserve love, the child will strive with the help of positive results, success in activities. If this desire is not justified, then the child’s anxiety increases.

The next situation is a situation of rivalry, competition; it will cause especially strong anxiety in children whose upbringing takes place in conditions of hypersocialization. In this case, children, finding themselves in a situation of competition, will strive to be first, to achieve the highest results at any cost.

Another situation is a situation of suspended responsibility. When an anxious child falls into it, his anxiety is caused by the fear of not meeting the hopes and expectations of an adult and of being rejected by him. In such situations, anxious children usually have an inadequate reaction. If they are anticipated, expected, or frequently repeated in the same situation, causing anxiety, the child develops a behavioral stereotype, a certain pattern that allows him to avoid anxiety or reduce it as much as possible. Such patterns include systematic fear of participating in activities that cause anxiety, as well as the child’s silence instead of answering questions from unfamiliar adults or those towards whom the child has a negative attitude.

In general, anxiety is a manifestation of personal distress. In some cases, it is literally nurtured in the anxious and suspicious psychological atmosphere of the family, in which the parents themselves are prone to constant fears and anxiety. The child becomes infected with their moods and adopts an unhealthy form of response to the outside world.

However, such an unpleasant individual trait sometimes manifests itself in children whose parents are not susceptible to suspiciousness and are generally optimistic. Such parents, as a rule, know well what they want to achieve from their children. They pay special attention to the discipline and cognitive achievements of the child. Therefore, they are constantly presented with various tasks that they must solve in order to meet the high expectations of their parents. It is not always possible for a child to cope with all the tasks, and this causes dissatisfaction among elders. As a result, the child finds himself in a situation of constant tense anticipation: whether he managed to please his parents or made some kind of omission, for which disapproval and censure will follow. The situation may be aggravated by inconsistency of parental demands. If a child does not know for sure how one or another of his steps will be evaluated, but in principle foresees possible dissatisfaction, then his entire existence is colored by tense alertness and anxiety.

Also, the emergence and development of anxiety and fear can intensively influence the developing imagination of children in fairy tales. At 2 years old, this is a Wolf - a crack with teeth that can cause pain, bite, eat, like Little Red Riding Hood. At the turn of 2-3 years, children are afraid of Barmaley. At 3 years old for boys and at 4 years old for girls, the “monopoly on fear” belongs to the images of Baba Yaga and Kashchei the Immortal. All these characters can introduce children to the negative, negative sides of human relationships, to cruelty and treachery, callousness and greed, as well as danger in general. At the same time, the life-affirming mood of fairy tales, in which good triumphs over evil, life over death, makes it possible to show the child how to overcome the difficulties and dangers that arise.

Anxiety has a pronounced age specificity, revealed in its sources, content, forms of manifestation and prohibition.

For each age period, there are certain areas, objects of reality that cause increased anxiety in most children, regardless of the presence of a real threat or anxiety as a stable formation.

These “age-related anxieties” are a consequence of the most significant social needs. In young children, anxiety is caused by separation from their mother. At the age of 6-7 years, the main role is played by adaptation to school, in early adolescence - communication with adults (parents and teachers), in early adolescence - attitude to the future and problems associated with gender relations.

Peculiarities of behavior of anxious children

Anxious children are characterized by frequent manifestations of restlessness and anxiety, as well as a large number of fears, and fears and anxiety arise in situations in which the child would seem to be in no danger. Anxious children are particularly sensitive. So, a child may worry: while he is in the garden, what if something happens to his mother.

Anxious children are often characterized by low self-esteem, due to which they have an expectation of trouble from others. This is typical for those children whose parents set impossible tasks for them, demanding that the children are not able to complete, and in case of failure, they are usually punished and humiliated (“You can’t do anything! You can’t do anything!” ").

Anxious children are very sensitive to their failures, react sharply to them, and tend to give up activities, such as drawing, in which they have difficulty.

In such children, you can notice a noticeable difference in behavior in and outside of class. Outside of class, these are lively, sociable and spontaneous children; in class they are tense and tense. They answer the teacher’s questions in a quiet and muffled voice, and may even begin to stutter. Their speech can be either very fast and hasty, or slow and labored. As a rule, prolonged excitement occurs: the child fiddles with clothes with his hands, manipulates something.

Anxious children tend to develop bad habits of a neurotic nature (they bite their nails, suck their fingers, pull out hair). Manipulating their own body reduces their emotional stress and calms them down.

Drawing helps to recognize anxious children. Their drawings are distinguished by an abundance of shading, strong pressure, and small image sizes. Often such children “get stuck” on details, especially small ones. Anxious children have a serious, restrained expression on their face, lowered eyes, sit neatly on a chair, try not to make unnecessary movements, not make noise, and prefer not to attract the attention of others. Such children are called modest, shy. Parents of their peers usually set them as an example to their tomboys: “Look how well Sasha behaves. He doesn't play around while walking. He neatly puts away his toys every day. He listens to his mother." And, oddly enough, this entire list of virtues can be true - these children behave “correctly.” But some parents are concerned about their children's behavior. (“Lyuba is very nervous. Anything brings her to tears. And she doesn’t want to play with the guys - she’s afraid that they will break her toys.” “Alyosha constantly clings to her mother’s skirt - you can’t pull her away.”) Thus, the behavior of anxious children is characterized by frequent manifestations of worry and anxiety; such children live in constant tension, all the time, feeling threatened, feeling that they could face failure at any moment.

Ascertaining experiment and its analysis. Organization, methods and techniques of research

The study was conducted at the Center for Curative Pedagogy and Differentiated Education No. 10 in the city of Krasnoyarsk, 4th grade.

Methods used:

Anxiety test (V. Amen)

Goal: Determine the child’s anxiety level.

Experimental material: 14 drawings (8.5x11 cm) made in two versions: for a girl (the picture shows a girl) and for a boy (the picture shows a boy). Each drawing represents some typical situation in a child’s life. The child's face is not drawn in the drawing, only the outline of the head is given. Each drawing is accompanied by two additional drawings of a child's head, sized exactly to match the contour of the face in the drawing. One of the additional drawings shows a smiling face of a child, the other a sad one. Conducting the study: The drawings are shown to the child in a strictly listed order, one after another. The conversation takes place in a separate room. After presenting the child with the drawing, the researcher gives instructions. Instructions.

1.Playing with younger children. “What kind of face do you think the child will have: happy or sad? He (she) plays with the kids"

2.Child and mother with baby. “What kind of face do you think this child will have: sad or happy? He (she) is walking with his mother and baby"

.Object of aggression. “What kind of face do you think this child will have: happy or sad?”

.Dressing. “What kind of face do you think this child will have, sad or happy? He (she) gets dressed"

.Playing with older children. “What kind of face do you think this child will have: happy or sad? He (she) plays with older children"

.Going to bed alone. “What kind of face do you think this child will have: sad or happy? He (she) is going to bed."

.Washing. “What kind of face do you think this child will have: happy or sad? He (she) is in the bathroom"

.Rebuke. “What kind of face do you think this child will have: sad or happy?”

.Ignoring. “What kind of face do you think this baby will have: happy or sad?”

.Aggressive attack “What kind of face do you think this child will have: sad or happy?”

.Collecting toys. “What kind of face do you think this child will have: happy or sad? He (she) puts away the toys"

.Insulation. “What kind of face do you think this child will have: sad or happy?”

.Child with parents. “What kind of face do you think this child will have: happy or sad? He (she) is with his mom and dad"

.Eating alone. “What kind of face do you think this child will have: sad or happy? He (she) eats.”

To avoid imposing choices on the child, the name of the person alternates in the instructions. The child is not asked additional questions. (Annex 1)

Diagnosis of school anxiety levels

Purpose: The technique is aimed at identifying the level of school anxiety in primary and secondary schoolchildren.

Instructions: Each question must be answered unequivocally “Yes” or “No”. When answering a question, the child must write down its number and the answer “+” if he agrees with it, or “-” if he disagrees.

Content characteristics of each factor. General anxiety at school is the general emotional state of a child associated with various forms of his inclusion in school life. Experiences of social stress are the emotional state of a child, against the background of which his social contacts develop (primarily with peers). Frustration of the need to achieve success is an unfavorable mental background that does not allow the child to develop his needs for success, achieving high results, etc.

Fear of self-expression - negative emotional experiences of situations associated with the need for self-disclosure, presenting oneself to others, demonstrating one’s capabilities.

Fear of knowledge testing situations - a negative attitude and the experience of anxiety in situations of testing (especially public) knowledge, achievements, and opportunities.

Fear of not meeting the expectations of others - focus on the importance of others in assessing one's results, actions, and thoughts, anxiety about the assessments given by others, expectation of negative assessments. Low physiological resistance to stress is a characteristic of the psychophysiological organization that reduces a child’s adaptability to stressful situations and increases the likelihood of an inadequate, destructive response to a disturbing environmental factor. Problems and fears in relationships with teachers are a general negative emotional background of relationships with adults at school, reducing the success of a child’s education. (Appendix 2)

1.Questionnaire by J. Taylor (personal anxiety scale).

Goal: identifying the level of personal anxiety of the subject.

Material: questionnaire form containing 50 statements.

Instructions. You are asked to answer a questionnaire that contains statements regarding certain personality traits. There can be no good or bad answers here, so express your opinion freely and don’t waste time thinking.

Let's give the first answer that comes to mind. If you agree with this statement in relation to you, write next to its number “Yes , if you don’t agree, “No,” if you can’t clearly define it, “I don’t know.”

They are characterized by a tendency in a wide range of situations to perceive any manifestation of the qualities of their personality, any interest in them as a possible threat to their prestige and self-esteem. They tend to perceive complicated situations as threatening and catastrophic. According to the perception, the strength of the emotional reaction is manifested.

Such people are quick-tempered, irritable and in constant readiness for conflict and readiness to defend themselves, even if this is objectively not necessary. They are usually characterized by an inadequate reaction to comments, advice and requests. The possibility of nervous breakdowns and affective reactions is especially high in situations where we are talking about their competence in certain issues, their prestige, self-esteem, and their attitude. Excessive emphasis on the results of their activities or ways of behavior, both for the better and for the worse, a categorical tone towards them or a tone expressing doubt - all this inevitably leads to breakdowns, conflicts, and the creation of various kinds of psychological barriers that prevent effective interaction with such people.

It is dangerous to make categorically high demands on highly anxious people, even in situations where they are objectively feasible for them; an inadequate reaction to such demands can delay, or even postpone for a long time, the achievement of the required result.

Psychological portrait of low-anxiety individuals:

Characterized by pronounced calm. They are not always inclined to perceive a threat to their prestige and self-esteem in the widest range of situations, even when it really exists. The emergence of a state of anxiety in them can be observed only in particularly important and personally significant situations (exams, stressful situations, a real threat to marital status, etc.). Personally, such people are calm, they believe that they personally have no reasons or reasons to worry about their lives, reputation, behavior and activities. The likelihood of conflicts, breakdowns, and affective outbursts is extremely low.

Research results

Research methodology “Anxiety Test (V. Amen)”

5 out of 8 people have a high level of anxiety.

Research methodology “Diagnostics of the level of school anxiety”

As a result of the study, we received:

· General anxiety at school: 4 out of 8 people have a high level, 3 out of 8 people have an average level, and 1 out of 8 people have a low level.

· Experience of social stress: 6 people out of 8 have a high level, 2 people out of 8 have a medium level.

· Frustration of the need to achieve success: 2 out of 8 people have a high level, 6 out of 8 people have an average level.

· Fear of self-expression: 4 out of 8 people have a high level, 3 people have an average level, 1 person has a low level.

· Fear of knowledge testing situations: 4 out of 8 people have a high level, 3 people have an average level, 1 person has a low level

· Fear of not meeting the expectations of others: 6 out of 8 people have a high level, 1 person has an average level, 1 person has a low level.

· Low physiological resistance to stress: 2 out of 8 people have a high level, 4 people have an average level, 2 people have a low level.

· Problems and fears in relationships with teachers: 5 out of 8 people have a high level, 2 people have an average level, 1 person has a low level.

Research methodology “J. Taylor Questionnaire”

As a result of the study, we received: 6 people had an average level with a tendency to high, 2 people had an average level of anxiety.

Research methods - drawing tests “Human” and “Non-existent animal”.

As a result of the study, we received:

Christina K.: lack of communication, demonstrativeness, low self-esteem, rationalistic, non-creative approach to a task, introversion.

Victoria K.: sometimes negativism, high activity, extroversion, sociability, sometimes the need for support, rationalistic, non-creative approach to a task, demonstrativeness, anxiety, sometimes suspiciousness, wariness.

Ulyana M.: lack of communication, demonstrativeness, low self-esteem, sometimes the need for support, anxiety, sometimes suspicion, wariness.

Alexander Sh.: uncertainty, anxiety, impulsiveness, sometimes social fears, demonstrativeness, introversion, defensive aggression, need for support, feeling of insufficient skill in social relationships.

Anna S.: introversion, immersion in one’s inner world, tendency to defensive fantasizing, demonstrativeness, negativism, negative attitude towards the examination, daydreaming, romanticism, tendency to compensatory fantasizing.

Alexey I.: creative orientation, high activity, impulsiveness, sometimes asociality, fears, extroversion, sociability, demonstrativeness, increased anxiety.

Vladislav V.: increased anxiety, demonstrativeness, extroversion, sociability, sometimes the need for support, conflict, tension in contacts, emotional disturbance.

Victor S.: negativism, possible depressive background mood, wariness, suspicion, sometimes dissatisfaction with one’s appearance, extroversion, sometimes the need for support, demonstrativeness, increased anxiety, aggression, poverty of imagination, sometimes suspiciousness, wariness, sometimes internal conflict, conflicting desires , a feeling of insufficient skill in social relationships, fear of attack and a tendency towards defensive aggression.

It is very useful for such a child to attend group psychocorrectional classes - after consultation with a psychologist. The topic of childhood anxiety has been sufficiently developed in psychology, and usually the effect of such activities is noticeable.

One of the main ways to help is the desensitization method. The child is consistently placed in situations that cause him anxiety. Starting with those that only worry him a little, and ending with those that cause severe anxiety and even fear.

If this method is used on adults, then it must be supplemented with relaxation and relaxation. For small children this is not so easy, so relaxation is replaced by sucking candy.

They use dramatization games when working with children (to “scary school”, for example). Plots are selected depending on which situations worry the child the most. Techniques of drawing fears and telling stories about your fears are used. In such activities, the goal is not to completely rid the child of anxiety. But they will help him express his feelings more freely and openly and increase his self-confidence. Gradually he will learn to control his emotions more.

You can try one of the exercises with your child at home. Anxious children are often prevented from completing some task by fear. “I won’t be able to do this,” “I won’t be able to do this,” they tell themselves. If a child refuses to get down to business for these reasons, ask him to imagine a child who knows and can do much less than he does. For example, he can’t count, doesn’t know letters, etc. Then let him imagine another child who will probably cope with the task. It will be easy for him to see that he is far from being incompetent and can, if he tries, get closer to full skill. Ask him to say, “I can’t...” and explain to himself why he finds it difficult to complete this task. “I can...” - note what he can already do. “I can…” - how well he will cope with the task if he makes every effort. Emphasize that everyone does not know how to do something, cannot do something, but everyone, if they want, will achieve their goal.

Conclusion

It is known that changing social relationships pose significant difficulties for a child. Anxiety and emotional tension are associated mainly with the absence of people close to the child, with changes in the environment, usual conditions and rhythm of life.

The expectation of impending danger is combined with a feeling of uncertainty: the child, as a rule, is not able to explain what, in essence, he is afraid of.

Anxiety, as a stable state, interferes with clarity of thought, effective communication, enterprise, and creates difficulties when meeting new people. In general, anxiety is a subjective indicator of personal distress. But for it to form, a person must accumulate a baggage of unsuccessful, inadequate ways to overcome the state of anxiety. That is why, in order to prevent an anxious-neurotic type of personality development, it is necessary to help children find effective ways in which they could learn to cope with anxiety, uncertainty and other manifestations of emotional instability.

The cause of anxiety is always the child’s internal conflict, his inconsistency with himself, the inconsistency of his aspirations, when one of his strong desires contradicts another, one need interferes with another. Conflicting internal states of a child’s soul can be caused by:

1. conflicting demands on him, coming from different sources (or even from the same source: it happens that parents contradict themselves, either allowing or rudely prohibiting the same thing);
2. inadequate requirements that do not correspond to the child’s capabilities and aspirations;
3. negative demands that put the child in a humiliated, dependent position.

In all three cases feelings arise loss of support , loss of strong guidelines in life, uncertainty in the world around us.

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.#"justify"> Annex 1

Anxiety test (V. Amen)

Appendix 2

Diagnosis of the level of school anxiety

1.Do you find it difficult to stay on the same level with the rest of the class?

2.Do you get nervous when your teacher says he's going to test how much you know about the material?

.Do you find it difficult to work in class the way the teacher wants you to?

.Do you sometimes dream that your teacher is furious because you don't know your lesson?

.Has anyone in your class ever hit or hit you?

.Do you often wish your teacher would take his time explaining new material until you understand what he is saying?

.Do you get very nervous when answering or completing a task?

.Does it ever happen to you that you are afraid to speak up in class because you are afraid of making a stupid mistake?

.Do your knees shake when you are called to answer?

.Do your classmates often laugh at you when you play different games?

.Do you ever get a lower grade than you expected?

.Are you worried about whether you will be retained for a second year?

.Do you try to avoid games that involve choices because you usually don't get chosen?

.Does it happen at times that you tremble all over when you are called to answer?

.Do you often get the feeling that none of your classmates want to do what you want?

.Do you get very nervous before starting a task?

.Is it difficult for you to get the grades your parents expect from you?

.Are you sometimes afraid that you will feel sick in class?

.Will your classmates laugh at you, will you make a mistake when answering?

.Are you like your classmates?

.After completing a task, do you worry about whether you did a good job?

.When you work in class, are you confident that you will remember everything well?

.Do you sometimes dream that you are at school and cannot answer the teacher’s question?

.Is it true that most guys treat you in a friendly manner?

.Do you work harder if you know that your work will be compared in class with that of your classmates?

.Do you often wish you could worry less when people ask you questions?

.Are you afraid to get into an argument at times?

.Do you feel your heart start beating fast when the teacher says he is going to test your readiness for class?

.When you get good grades, do any of your friends think that you want to curry favor?

.Do you feel good with those of your classmates to whom the guys treat with special attention?

.Does it happen that some kids in class say something that offends you?

.Do you think those students who fail in their studies lose favor?

.Does it seem like most of your classmates don't pay attention to you?

.Are you often afraid of looking ridiculous?

.Are you satisfied with the way your teachers treat you?

.Does your mother help organize evenings, like other mothers of your classmates?

.Have you ever worried about what others think of you?

.Do you hope to study better in the future than before?

.Do you think that you dress as well as your classmates for school?

.Do you often think when answering in class what others are thinking about you at this time?

.Do bright students have any special rights that other children in the class do not have?

.Do some of your classmates get angry when you manage to be better than them?

.Are you satisfied with the way your classmates treat you?

.Do you feel good when you are alone with the teacher?

.Do your classmates sometimes make fun of your appearance and behavior?

.Do you think you worry about your schoolwork more than other kids?

.If you can't answer when someone asks you, do you feel like you're going to cry?

.When you lie in bed at night, do you sometimes think anxiously about what will happen at school tomorrow?

.When working on a difficult task, do you sometimes feel that you have completely forgotten things that you knew well before?

.Does your hand shake slightly when you are working on a task?

.Do you feel yourself getting nervous when the teacher says he's going to assign the class an assignment?

.Does having your knowledge tested at school scare you?

.When a teacher says she is going to give the class an assignment, do you feel afraid that you won't be able to complete it?

.Have you sometimes dreamed that your classmates can do something that you cannot?

.When the teacher explains the material, do you feel like your classmates understand it better than you?

.When you complete a task, do you usually feel that you are doing it poorly?

.Does your hand shake slightly when the teacher asks you to do a task on the board in front of the whole class?

Processing and interpretation of results.

When processing the results, questions are identified; the answers to which do not match the test key. For example, to the 58th question the child answered Yes , while in the key this question corresponds -, that is, the answer No . Answers that do not match the key are manifestations of anxiety. During processing the following is calculated:

.The total number of mismatches throughout the entire text. If it is more than 50%, we can talk about increased anxiety in the child, if more than 75% of the total number of test questions indicate high anxiety.

.The number of matches for each of the 8 anxiety factors identified in the text. The level of anxiety is determined in the same way as in the first case. The general internal emotional state of the student is analyzed, which is largely determined by the presence of certain anxiety syndromes (factors) and their number.

.General anxiety at school - 2, 3, 7, 12, 16, 21, 23, 26, 28, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58; sum = 22

.Experience of social stress - 5, 10, 15, 20, 24, 30, 33, 36, 39, 42, 44; sum = 11

Frustration of the need to achieve success - 1, 3, 6, 11, 17, 19, 25, 29, 32, 35, 38, 41, 43; sum = 13

Fear of self-expression - 27, 31, 34, 37, 40, 45; amount = 6

Fear of knowledge testing situations - 2, 7, 12, 16, 21, 26; amount = 6

Fear of not meeting the expectations of others - 3, 8, 13, 17, 22; amount = 5

Low physiological resistance to stress - 9, 14, 18, 23, 28; amount = 5

Problems and fears in relationships with teachers - 2, 6, 11, 32, 35, 41, 44, 47; sum = 8

Table. Key:

1 -7 -13 -19 -25 +31 -37 -43 +49 -55 -2 -8 -14 -20 +26 -32 -38 +44 +50 -56 -3 -9 -15 -21 -27 -33 -39 +45 -51 -57 -4 -10 -16 -22 +28 -34 -40 -46 -52 -58 -5 -11 +17 -23 -29 -35 +41 +47 -53 -6 -12 -18 -24 +30 +36 +42 -48 -54

Appendix 3

Data processing is carried out using a key

Key: statements 1 - 37 for the answer “Yes” - 1 point, “No” - 0 points;

statements 38 - 50 for the answer “No” - 1 point, “Yes” - 0 points.

In accordance with the key, the sum of points is calculated and the number of “I don’t know” answers divided by two is added to it. The resulting final result is correlated with the evaluation criteria.

Criteria for evaluation:

5 points - low level of anxiety;

15 points - average level with a tendency to low;

25 points average level with a tendency to high;

40 points high level;

50 points is a very high level.

I usually work under a lot of pressure.

At night I have difficulty falling asleep.

Unexpected changes in my usual environment are unpleasant for me.

I often have nightmares.

I find it difficult to concentrate on any task or work.

I have extremely restless and interrupted sleep.

I would like to be as happy as I think others are happy.

Of course, I lack self-confidence.

My health worries me a lot.

At times I feel completely useless.

I often cry, my eyes are wet.

I notice that my hands begin to shake when I try to do something difficult or dangerous.

At times, when I am confused, I start to sweat and this makes me extremely worried and embarrassed.

I often catch myself worrying and worrying about something.

Often I think about things that I would not like to talk about.

Even on cold days I sweat easily.

I have periods of such anxiety that I cannot sit still.

Life for me is almost always associated with extraordinary tension.

I'm much more sensitive than most people.

I get confused easily.

My position among others worries me greatly.

I find it very difficult to concentrate on anything.

Almost all the time I feel anxious about someone or something.

At times I become so excited that I have difficulty falling asleep.

I had to experience fear even in those cases when I knew for sure that nothing threatened me.

I tend to take things too seriously.

It sometimes seems to me that difficulties are piled up in front of me that I cannot overcome.

Sometimes I feel like I'm good for nothing.

I feel unsure of my abilities almost all the time.

I am very worried about possible failures.

Waiting always makes me nervous.

There were times when anxiety deprived me of sleep.

Sometimes I get upset over little things.

I am an easily excitable person.

I'm often afraid that I'm going to blush.

I don't have the courage to endure all the difficulties ahead.

Sometimes it seems to me that my nervous system is shaken and I’m about to break down.

Usually my feet and hands are quite warm.

I usually have an even and good mood.

I almost always feel quite happy.

When I have to wait a long time for something, I can do it calmly.

I rarely have headaches after experiencing worries and troubles.

My nerves are no more upset than other people's.

I'm confident.

Compared to my friends, I consider myself quite brave.

I'm no more shy than others.

I'm usually calm and it's not easy to get angry.

I practically never blush.

I can sleep peacefully after any troubles.

Manifestation of anxiety in primary school age.

Content.

Introduction

1. Natural causes of anxiety

Conclusion.

2.3. Determination of the level of personal anxiety. The Children’s Form of Manifest Anxiety Scale - CMAS (Adaptation by A.M. Prikhozhan.)

2.4 Determination of the predominant type of temperament among students in the experimental class.2.5 Tracing the relationship between the level of personal anxiety and the prevailing temperament.

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

Currently, there is an increase in the number of children characterized by increased anxiety, uncertainty, and emotional instability, which are the main signs of anxiety.

Anxiety, as many psychologists note, is the main cause of a number of psychological problems, including many developmental disorders in children. An increased level of anxiety is considered as an indicator of a “pre-neurotic state”; it can lead to disturbances in the emotional sphere of the personality, to behavioral disorders, for example, to delinquency and addictive behavior in adolescents. Therefore, it is very important to identify in advance children for whom anxiety has become a personality trait in order to prevent its level from increasing.

A large number of studies have been devoted to the problem of anxiety in various fields of scientific activity: psychology, pedagogy, biochemistry, physiology, philosophy, sociology.

Anxiety in children is studied mainly within a single age. One of the modern researchers of anxiety in children of primary school age is A.M. Prikhozhan. It is at primary school age that situational anxiety can turn into a stable personality trait.

Anxiety is the experience of emotional discomfort associated with the expectation of trouble, with a premonition of impending danger. (Parishioner A.M. 13)

Purpose of the study : to study the causes and features of the manifestation and diagnosis of personal anxiety in children of primary school age.

Subject of study: personal anxiety

Object of experimental research : manifestations of anxiety as a stable personality trait of a primary school student..

Research hypothesis: The level of anxiety is determined by the prevailing type of temperament.

Research objectives:

Study psychological and pedagogical literature on the research problem.

To diagnose the level of personal anxiety of 2nd grade students in a comprehensive school.

Determine the predominant temperament of students in the experimental class.

To trace the relationship between the level of personal anxiety and the prevailing temperament of students in the experimental class.

Research methods:

Theoretical analysis of scientific literature.

Questioning.

Testing

Expert assessment method.

Research base:

Moscow secondary school No. 593.

Theoretical substantiation of the phenomenon of personal anxiety in childhood.

1. The concept of anxiety in psychological literature.

It is believed that the concept of anxiety was first introduced into psychology by S. Freud in his work “Inhibition. Symptom. Anxiety." (1926) He defined anxiety as an unpleasant experience that acts as a signal of anticipated danger.

In modern psychology, the word anxiety usually means the equivalent of the English word anxiety, which in the traditional translation into Russian has two meanings:

1) a special emotional state that occurs in a person at certain moments; 2) a tendency to worry as an individual psychological trait. (17)

Most researchers adhere to the distinction between situational anxiety and anxiety as a personality trait.

Thus, C. D. Spielberger, studying anxiety as a personal property and anxiety as a state, divided these two definitions into “reactive” and “active”, “situational” and “personal” anxiety.

According to Yu. L. Khanin,states of anxiety or situational anxiety arise “as a person’s reaction to various, most often social and psychological stressors(expectation of a negative assessment or aggressive reaction, perception of an unfavorable attitude towards oneself, a threat to one’s self-esteem and prestige). Against,Personal anxiety as a trait, property, disposition gives an idea of ​​individual differences in exposure to various stressors. (Izard K.E. 6)

A.M. Prikhozhan in his definition of anxiety says that “Anxiety is distinguished as an emotional state and as a stable property, personality trait or temperament.” (Parishioner A.M.13)

According to R.S. Nemov: “Anxiety is a constantly or situationally manifested property of a person to come in a state of heightened anxiety, to experience fear and anxiety in specific social situations.” (Nemov R. S.12)

In Russian literature, situational anxiety is usually referred to as “anxiety,” and personal anxiety as “anxiety.”

Anxiety is a psychological state that is accompanied by subjective feelings of tension, anxiety, gloomy forebodings and activation of the autonomic nervous system. (Kostyak T.V.9)

Anxiety is a reaction to a threat to the life and well-being of any person; it has real grounds arising from human experience, and therefore is an adequate state in a stressful situation.

Personal anxiety is a stable trait, an individual psychological feature, which manifests itself in a person’s tendency to frequently and intensely experience a state of anxiety. (Kostyak T.V.9)

Anxiety is associated with experiencing a neutral situation as threatening and the desire to avoid an imaginary threat. This is the expectation of bad things in a situation that is objectively not dangerous for a person and contains the possibility of both favorable and unfavorable outcomes. Therefore, anxiety is anxiety that is inadequate to a given situation.

Anxiety is a personal formation closely related to a person’s “I-concept”, to “self-involvement”, excessive introspection that interferes with activity, and attention to one’s experiences (I. Sarason, S. Sarason). According to L.I. Bozhovich, anxiety belongs to the affective-need sphere. It has its own motivating force. Its structure, like that of any complex psychological formation, includes a cognitive, emotional and behavioral, operational aspect. ( Cordwell M.8.)

A distinctive feature is the dominance of the emotional aspect and the expression of compensatory and protective manifestations in the operational component.

(Bozhovich L.I.3)

Anxiety can have not only a negative, but also a positive impact on activity and personal development. The positive value is that it allows a person to better understand the emotional state of other people, intuitively feel their mood and predict the way they will behave in a certain situation. It sharpens a person’s reactions, increases his observation, contributes to the formation of the necessary knowledge and skills that help him adapt to changing living conditions. An average level of anxiety provides the necessary level of readiness to respond to a variety of stimuli. Too high levels disorganize human activity and often indicate the presence of neurotic disorders.

Anxiety and the associated experience of emotional distress and apprehension of threat indicate that the child’s important age-related needs are not satisfied. (K. Horney, 16) At primary school age, the leading need is the need to confirm the student’s new position, to receive high grades from adults , and acceptance in the peer group. School is not the main factor in the emergence and development of anxiety. It is a derivative of a wide range of family relationships.

Anxiety as a stable property of a person develops according to the principle of a closed psychological circle, in which it is consolidated and strengthened. This leads to the accumulation and deepening of negative emotional experience, which contributes to an increase and maintenance of anxiety.

Anxiety becomes a stable personal development in elementary school.

1. Natural causes of anxiety.

Such scientists as B.M. have been and are studying the natural preconditions of anxiety. Teplov, V.D. Nebylitsin, E.P. Ilyin, N.N. Danilova, J. Reikovsky, V.S. Merlin,N. D. Levittov and others)

The emergence of anxiety as a stable personality trait is influenced by the innate individual characteristics of children associated with the dynamics of the nervous system.N.D. Levitov (1969) points out that an anxious state is an indicator of the weakness of the nervous system, the chaotic nature of nervous processes.

The individual characteristics of a child’s higher nervous activity are based on the properties of the nervous processes of excitation and inhibition and their various combinations, such as strength, mobility, balance of nervous processes. Data from B.M. Teplov point out the connection between the state of anxiety and the strength of the nervous system. The assumptions he made about the inverse correlation between the strength and sensitivity of the nervous system found experimental confirmation in the studies of V.D. Fable. They concluded that people with a weak type of nervous system have higher levels of anxiety. (Parishioner A.M.14)

V. S. Merlin and his students consider anxiety to be a property of temperament (“psychodynamic anxiety”). They recognize natural prerequisites as the main factors - the properties of the nervous and endocrine systems. Their studies obtained statistically significant correlations between indicators of anxiety and the basic properties of the nervous system (weakness, inertia). (Izard K.E.6)

Features of the functioning of the nervous system are manifested in the psychological sphere of the child in the form of certain psychodynamic qualities that characterize the speed and flexibility of switching from one stimulus to another, the form and threshold of emotional response to various situations, the direction of reactions in difficult situations, the degree of openness to new experience, etc. (Horney K. 16)

The speed of switching from one stimulus to another can be high or low. With a high switching speed (plasticity, rigidity), children quickly change their ways of thinking in the process of interacting with the subject environment. Low switching speed (rigidity), especially in the emotional sphere, leads to anxiety. This is due to the fact that the child is focused on negative experiences, immersed in dark thoughts, and remembers grievances for a long time.

The degree of anxiety is also related to the speed of decision-making in a situation containing alternatives.

Impulsive children complete tasks quickly, but make many mistakes. They are less capable of analysis than reflexive children, and are more sensitive to the possible discrepancy between the obtained result and the expected one, which leads to an increase in anxiety.

Reflective children tend to think about a task for a long time before they make a decision. They spend a lot of time thinking and collecting as much material as possible, and as a result, they cope with the task more successfully. But it is more difficult for them to complete tasks when there is a shortage of time, so they do poorly on tests and experience difficulties in situations of public assessment, which leads to an increase in the level of anxiety. Also, anxiety in reflective children can be caused by the fact that their reflexivity can turn into soul-searching, looking for shortcomings in themselves. The tendency to think about current events and people’s behavior can cause an increase in anxiety in such students, since they are painfully aware of their failure, do not distinguish between an assessment and a mark, and are often constrained and tense in communication.

In an impulsive and flexible child, anxious reactions arise faster and manifest themselves more strongly, but it is easier to calm him down and distract him from anxious thoughts. Reflexive and rigid children experience troubles more deeply and cannot tolerate injustice. Therefore, under unfavorable conditions, they are more likely than flexible ones to develop constant anxiety. (Kostyak T.V.9)

Anxiety is associated with the degree of a person’s openness to the world (extroversion, introversion), which is innate, and his sociability, which develops in the process of interacting with people. An important role in the formation of this quality is played by the individuality of parents, their educational strategies and the attitude of significant adults towards the child.

Extroverted children have a pronounced focus on communication, so they are especially sensitive to the alienation of their parents and their prohibitions on communicating with peers. These circumstances can provoke anxiety, since the student cannot explain to himself why parents do not approve of what is, from his point of view, a natural desire to communicate with friends.

Introverted children are more closed, they are wary of adults, and it is more difficult for them to establish contacts with peers. If a closed, uncommunicative child is raised in a family in which both parents are pronounced extroverts, he will inevitably have difficulties in communication, as adults try to artificially expand the circle of his social contacts, which leads to even greater withdrawal into himself, which in turn leads to the emergence of uncertainty, and, consequently, an increase in anxiety, as the child begins to assume that he is not able to meet the expectations of his parents.

Children with an introverted orientation may also have increased anxiety among introverted parents. Adults who are distrustful of others support the child’s isolation, which can become alarming, since the lack of social experience leads to numerous mistakes and misunderstandings when trying to establish relationships with others. (Parishioner A.M. 14)

Differences in the emotional sphere of children are also manifested in the threshold of emotional response (high and low) and the form of expression of emotions (open and closed). Younger schoolchildren who openly express their emotions are dynamic, mobile, and easy to make contact with. The emotions they experience are easily guessed by their facial expressions and behavior. Children with a closed form of expression of emotions are restrained, emotionally cold, and calm. It is difficult to guess their true feelings. A child with a high threshold of emotions reacts only to situations, it is difficult to make him laugh or upset, and with a low threshold of emotions he reacts to any little thing. The lower the threshold of emotional response and the less expressed emotions in behavior, the less resistant to stress. It is difficult for him to communicate with others, since any remark causes him strong, but invisible to others, feelings. Such children keep their true feelings to themselves, so they are more likely to experience anxiety.

The development of anxiety is influenced by such a feature of the child’s emotional sphere as neuroticism (emotional stability or instability). The level of neuroticism is associated with the strength of the reaction of the autonomic nervous system to various influences. Emotionally unstable children with a high level of neuroticism react faster, more intensely and longer to troubles, even after the negative factor has ceased to act. Emotionally unstable children constantly change their mood; their reactions in a stressful situation often do not correspond to the strength of the stimulus. Such children are highly susceptible to emotional overload, which leads to increased anxiety.

An important role in the development of anxiety is played by preferences for a certain type of attribution of causation of events and responsibility - locus of control. It can be external and internal. People with an external locus of control believe that everything in their life depends on luck, and people with an internal locus believe that all events are under their control. Internals are more active in resisting adversity and coping with anxiety. Externals, on the contrary, are more susceptible to negative influences, more often experience tension, and are more prone to experience anxiety, since they rely on chance, abdicate responsibility for the course of events in their lives, and therefore are unprepared for many stressful situations. (Parishioner A.M.13)

In addition to the listed factors, a biological factor of increased vulnerability, genetically transmitted by parents, can play a certain role in the development of anxiety, according to M. Rutter. But the author clarifies that if we are talking about social behavior, then the role of the genetic component here is quite insignificant. (Balabanova L.M.2)

Attempts have also been made to identify the role of heritability of anxiety as a personality trait. R Cattell and I Scheier proved that one of the factors involved in anxiety depends significantly on heredity. (Ilyin E.P.7)

1. Manifestations of anxiety in children of primary school age.

Anxiety in younger schoolchildren manifests itself at the psychological and physiological level.

At the psychological level, it is felt as tension, concern, anxiety, nervousness, and is experienced in the form of feelings of uncertainty, helplessness, powerlessness, insecurity, loneliness, impending failure, inability to make a decision, etc.

At the physiological level, anxiety reactions manifest themselves in increased heart rate, increased breathing, increased minute volume of blood circulation, increased general excitability, decreased sensitivity thresholds, sleep disturbances, the appearance of headaches and stomach pains, nervous disorders, etc. (Parishioner A.M 14)

Personal anxiety can take different forms. The form of anxiety is understood as a special combination of the nature of the experience, awareness, verbal and non-verbal expression in the characteristics of behavior, communication and activity.

In Russian psychology, there are two main forms of anxiety: open (consciously experienced and manifested in behavior and activity as a state of anxiety) and hidden (unconscious, manifested either in excessive calmness or indirectly through specific modes of behavior).

There are three types of open anxiety: acute, unregulated anxiety, regulated and compensated anxiety, cultivated anxiety.

Acute, unregulated anxiety outwardly manifests itself as a symptom of anxiety, which the child cannot cope with on his own.

Main behavioral symptoms:

tension, stiffness or increased fussiness;

slurred speech;

tearfulness;

constant work corrections, apologies and excuses;

senseless obsessive movements (the child constantly twirls something in his hands, pulls his hair, bites his pen, nails, etc.).

Working memory deteriorates, which manifests itself in the difficulty of recalling and remembering information. (So ​​during a lesson a student can forget the material he has learned, but after the lesson he can immediately remember it.)

Physiological manifestations include redness, paleness of the face, increased sweating, trembling hands, flinching when handled unexpectedly.

Regulated and compensated anxiety is characterized by the fact that children themselves develop effective ways to cope with it. Younger schoolchildren are trying to either reduce the level of anxiety or use it to stimulate their own activities and increase activity.

Cultivated anxiety, unlike the two previous forms, is experienced by the child not as a painful state, but as a value, because allows you to achieve what you want. Anxiety can be accepted by the child himself as a factor that ensures his organization and responsibility (worrying about an upcoming test, a junior student carefully collects his briefcase, checks whether he has forgotten something he needs), or deliberately exacerbates the symptoms of anxiety (“The teacher will give me a higher grade, if he sees how worried I am."

A type of cultivated anxiety is “magical” anxiety, which is especially common among younger schoolchildren. In this case, the child, as it were, “conjures evil forces”, constantly replaying in his mind the situations that worry him, however, he is not freed from the fear of them, but strengthens it even more.

Hidden anxiety manifests itself in the fact that a child tries to hide his emotional state both from others and from himself, as a result of which the perception of both real threats and his own experiences is disrupted. This form of anxiety is also called “inadequate calm.” Such children do not have external signs of anxiety; on the contrary, they exhibit increased, excessive calmness.

Another manifestation of hidden anxiety is “withdrawal from the situation,” but it is quite rare. (Kostyak T.V.9)

Anxiety can be “masked” - manifested in the form of other psychological states. “Masks” of anxiety help to experience this state in a milder form. Such “masks” most often include aggressiveness, dependence, apathy, excessive daydreaming, etc.

To cope with anxiety, an anxious child often behaves aggressively. However, when committing an aggressive act, he is afraid of his “courage”; in some younger schoolchildren, manifestations of aggression cause a feeling of guilt, which does not inhibit aggressive actions, but, on the contrary, strengthens them.

Another form of anxiety is passive behavior, lethargy, lack of interest in activities and pronounced emotional reactions to current events. This behavior often results from the child’s unsuccessful attempts to cope with anxiety through other means, such as fantasy.

At primary school age, fantasizing, the child mentally moves from reality to the real world, without being disappointed in reality. If a student tries to replace reality with a dream, it means that not everything is going well in his life. Fearing conflict situations, an anxious child can plunge into a fantasy world, get used to loneliness and find peace in it, relief from worries. Another negative feature

Excessive fantasy means that a child can transfer some elements of fantasy into the real world. This is how some children “revive” their favorite toys, replace them with friends, and treat them as real beings.

It is quite difficult to distract anxious children from fantasizing and return them to reality.

In physically weakened, often ill schoolchildren, anxiety can manifest itself in the form of a “sinking” into illness, which is associated with the debilitating influence of anxiety on the body. Frequently recurring anxious experiences in this case lead to real deterioration in health. (Kochubey B., Novikova E.10)

The school situation clearly reveals differences in the behavior of anxious and non-anxious children. Highly anxious students react more emotionally to failure, such as a low grade, and work less effectively in stressful situations or under time pressure. Anxious guys most often refuse to complete tasks that are difficult, from their point of view. Some of these children develop an overly responsible attitude towards school: they strive to be the first in everything because of the fear of failure, which they try to prevent by any means. Anxious students have difficulty accepting many school norms because they are not confident that they can meet them.

Anxious younger schoolchildren are characterized by an inability to take into account conditions. They often expect success in cases where it is unlikely, and are not confident in it when the probability is quite high. They are guided not by real conditions, but by some kind of internal premonitions. They are characterized by the inability to evaluate their actions, find the optimal zone of difficulty for a task, and determine the probability of the desired outcome of an event. Many anxious younger schoolchildren take an infantile position towards the teacher. They perceive the mark, first of all, as an expression of the teacher’s attitude towards themselves.

An anxious child is prone to overgeneralizations and exaggerations (“No one will ever love me.”; “If my mother finds out, she will kill me.”).

Anxious children develop inadequate self-esteem. Low self-esteem predisposes to negative affectivity, e.g. tendency towards negative emotions. The child is focused on negative aspects, ignores the positive aspects of current events, such a child remembers mainly negative emotional experiences, which leads to an increase in the level of anxiety. (Prikhozhan A.M. 14)

Conclusion:

Anxiety is a personality trait that is expressed in the experience of emotional discomfort that arises when sensing a threat or danger.

The main cause of anxiety is the failure to satisfy the leading needs of age. For a younger student, this is the approval of a new social role - a student, receiving high grades from adults, and acceptance in a peer group.

Anxiety as a stable property of a person develops according to the principle of a closed psychological circle, in which it is consolidated and strengthened. Negative emotional experiences accumulate and deepen, which contributes to an increase and maintenance of anxiety.

In elementary school, situational anxiety under the influence of various social factors can develop into a stable personality trait. Children with a weak type of nervous system are more susceptible to negative environmental influences. Therefore, the level of personal anxiety is determined by the type of temperament.

Studying the influence of temperament on the manifestations of anxiety in children of primary school age.

2.1 Determination of the level of anxiety in children of the experimental class. Sears Method (Expert Rating). (15)

The study was conducted in Moscow secondary school No. 593. The subjects were 26 2nd grade students.

The level of anxiety in children was determined using the Siris method (expert rating).

The teacher of the experimental class acted as an expert.

The expert was asked to evaluate each child in accordance with the following characteristics on the Sears scale:

Often tense and constrained.

He often bites his nails. Sucking his finger.

Easily scared.

Hypersensitive.

Tearful.

Often aggressive.

Touchy.

Impatient, can't wait.

Easily blushes and turns pale.

Has difficulty concentrating.

Fussy, a lot of unnecessary gestures.

My hands are sweating.

When communicating directly, it is difficult to get involved in work.

Answers questions excessively loudly or excessively quietly.

The data was entered into a special form. Opposite the child’s FI, “+” indicated the presence of the trait being assessed, and “-” indicated its absence.

Example of a form.

№ attribute being assessed

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

During processing, the number of “+” was counted.

Interpretation:

1-4 signs - low anxiety;

5-6 signs - severe anxiety;

7 or more signs - high anxiety.

2.2 Diagnosis of anxiety using the “Cactus” graphic method (18)

The technique is intended for working with children over 3 years old.
Target : study of the child’s emotional and personal sphere.
Each child was given a sheet of A4 paper and a simple pencil (colored pencils were also used).
Instructions: “On a piece of paper, draw a cactus, draw it the way you imagine it.” Questions and additional explanations are not allowed.

After completing the drawing, the child was asked additional questions, the answers to which helped clarify the interpretation:
1. Is this cactus domestic or wild?
2. Does this cactus prickle a lot? Can you touch it?
3. Does the cactus like it when it is looked after, watered, and fertilized?
4. Does the cactus grow alone or with some plant next door? If it grows with a neighbor, then what kind of plant is it?
5. When the cactus grows, how will it change (needles, volume, shoots)?

Data processing .
When processing the results, data corresponding to all graphical methods is taken into account, namely:

 spatial position

 picture size

 line characteristics

 pencil pressure
In addition, specific indicators specific to this methodology are taken into account:

 characteristics of the “cactus image” (wild, domestic, feminine, etc.)

 characteristics of the drawing style (drawn, schematic, etc.)

 characteristics of needles (size, location, quantity)

Interpretation of results : based on the results of the processed data from the drawing, it is possible to diagnose the personality traits of the child being tested:

Aggressiveness – the presence of needles, especially a large number of them. Strongly protruding, long, closely spaced needles reflect a high degree of aggressiveness.

Impulsiveness – abrupt lines, strong pressure.

Egocentrism, desire for leadership - a large drawing located in the center of the sheet.

Self-doubt, dependence - a small drawing located at the bottom of the sheet.

Demonstrativeness, openness - the presence of protruding processes in the cactus, pretentious forms.

Stealth, caution - arrangement of zigzags along the contour or inside the cactus.

Optimism – the image of “joyful” cacti, the use of bright colors in the version with colored pencils.

Anxiety – the predominance of internal shading, broken lines, the use of dark colors in the version with colored pencils.

Femininity - the presence of soft lines and shapes, decorations, flowers.

Extroversion – the presence of other cacti or flowers in the picture.

Introversion - the picture shows only one cactus.

The desire for home protection, a sense of family community - the presence of a flower pot in the picture, an image of a home cactus.

Lack of desire for home protection, a feeling of loneliness - an image of a wild, desert cactus.

2.3. Determination of the level of personal anxiety. The Children’s Form of Manifest Anxiety Scale - CMAS (Adaptation by A.M. Prikhozhan.) (5)

The scale was developed by American psychologistsA . Castaneda , IN. R . McCandless , D . S . Palermo in 1956 based on the manifest anxiety scale (Manifest Anxiety Scale ) J.Taylor ( J . A . Taylor , 1953), intended for adults. For the children's version of the scale, 42 items were selected, rated as the most indicative of the manifestation of chronic anxiety reactions in children. The specificity of the children's variant is also that the presence of a symptom is indicated only by affirmative answer options. In addition, the children's version is supplemented with 11 points of the control scale, which reveals the test subject's tendency to give socially approved answers. Indicators of this trend are identified through both positive and negative responses. Thus, the methodology contains 53 questions.

In Russia, an adaptation of the children's version of the scale was carried out and publishedA.M.Prihozhan .

The technique is intended for use from 8-12 years old.

Target : identificationanxiety as a relatively sustainable education.

Materials: a form containing 53 statements with which you must agree or disagree.

Test instructions:

Suggestions are printed on the following pages. There are two answer options for each of them:right Andwrong . The sentences describe events, incidents, experiences. Read each sentence carefully and decide whether you can relate it to yourself, whether it correctly describes you, your behavior, qualities. If yes, put a tick in the True column, if not, put a tick in the False column. Don't think about the answer for too long. If you cannot decide whether what is said in a sentence is true or false, choose what you think happens more often. You cannot give two answers to one sentence at once (i.e., underline both options). Don't miss sentences, answer everything.

Sample form .

Surname____________________________

Name_________________________________

Class________________________________

31

You are afraid that something might happen to you.

32

In the evening you find it difficult to sleep.

33

You are very worried about grades.

34

You're never late.

35

You often feel unsure of yourself.

36

You always speak only the truth.

37

You feel like no one understands you.

38

You are afraid that they will tell you: “You are doing everything badly.”

39

You're afraid of the dark.

40

You find it difficult to concentrate on your studies.

41

Sometimes you get angry.

42

Your stomach often hurts.

43

You get scared when you are left alone in a dark room before going to bed.

44

You often do things that you shouldn't do.

45

You often have a headache.

46

You are worried that something will happen to your parents.

47

Sometimes you don't keep your promises.

48

You often get tired.

49

You are often rude to your parents and other adults.

50

You often have terrible dreams.

51

You feel like the other guys are laughing at you.

52

Sometimes you lie.

53

You are afraid that something bad will happen to you.

Key to the test

Key to the subscale "social desirability » (CMAS item numbers)

Answer “Correct”: 5, 17, 21, 30, 34, 36.

Answer "False": 10, 41, 47, 49, 52.

The critical value for this subscale is 9. This and a higher result indicate that the subject’s answers may be unreliable and may be distorted under the influence of the social desirability factor.

Key to subscaleanxiety

“True” answers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12,13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 , 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, 50, 51, 53.

The resulting score represents the primary, or “raw”, score.

Processing and interpretation of test results

Preliminary stage

1 . Look through the forms and select those on which all the answers are the same (only “true” or only “false”). As already noted, in the CMAS, the diagnosis of all symptoms of anxiety implies only an affirmative answer (“true”), which creates processing difficulties associated with the possible mixing of indicators of anxiety and the tendency to stereotypy, which occurs in younger schoolchildren. To check, you should use a “social desirability” control scale, which includes both answer options. If a left-sided trend (all answers are “true”) or a right-sided trend (all answers are “wrong”) is detected, the result obtained should be considered questionable. It should be carefully monitored using independent methods.

2 . Pay attention to the presence of errors in filling out forms: double answers (i.e. underlining both “true” and “incorrect”), omissions, corrections, comments, etc. In cases where the test subject has incorrectly filled in no more than three points of the anxiety subscale (regardless of the nature of the error), its data can be processed on a general basis. If there are more errors, then processing is impractical. Particular attention should be paid to children who miss or double-response to five or more CMAS items. In a significant proportion of cases, this indicates difficulty in choosing, difficulties in making a decision, an attempt to avoid answering, i.e., it is an indicator of hidden anxiety.

Main stage

1 . Data are calculated on a control scale - the “social desirability” subscale.

2 . Anxiety subscale scores are calculated.

3 . The primary rating is converted to a scale rating. The standard ten (walls) is used as a scale rating. To do this, the subject’s data are compared with the normative indicators of a group of children of the corresponding age and gender.

Anxiety. Table for converting “raw” points into walls