Self-actualisation and life-purpose orientations of students with different hierarchy of values

The article presents the results of exploring value and life-purpose orientations along with self-actualisation of studying youth. Two groups of students were identified according to the hierarchical structure of value orientations that have different features of life-purpose orientations and aspects of self-actualisation. The study was conducted on the basis of the State University of Social Sciences and Humanities. A large number of students of the humanities specialties participated in it. The analysis of values was performed with the methodology of value orientations proposed by M. Rokeach, the analysis of self-actualisation aspects – with a self-actualisation test suggested by L.Y. Gozman, M.V. Kroz and M.V. Latiskaya. The examination of life-purpose orientations was based on the test of life-purpose orientations developed by D. A. Leontiev. It was empirically proved that value orientations being a general meaningfulness of life are associated with its perception as a holistic process and with such features of self-actualisation as goals, beliefs, attitudes, and principles. Consequently, in the first group of students, behaviour and values depended on external evaluation and guidance, and due to the fact that attitudes to values are formed at a given time and in certain conditions, students being the subjects cannot control their life. The second group of students realises the phenomenon of self-actualisation as independence, the desire to follow their own values in life and behaviour, which are integrated into the personality structure, and the youth being the subjects can exercise this control.