Filatova A.F., Kostromina S.N. Value-semantic determinants of experiencing one's own destructiveness: qualitative analysis

The study of destructive phenomena in the everyday life of a modern person is of special interest to psychological science and the practice of psychological counseling and psychotherapy. Contrary to the traditional view that destructive behavior is lonely caused by violations of emotional and volitional regulation, many forms and manifestations of destructiveness can be considered from the standpoint of self-determination of personality, which implies subjective involvement, purposefulness, and voluntariness of actions, as well as awareness of oneself as the cause and author of destruction. A person's experience of his/her own destructiveness can be associated with the actualization and realization of life values and meanings. Qualitative analysis of personality experiences will significantly complement the quantitative studies of destructive behavioral patterns presented in modern literature. The aim of the work is to study the value and semantic components of a person's experience of his/her own destructiveness, as well as to verify the hypothesis that destructive activity is associated with different levels of mechanisms of personality self-determination. The study sample consisted of 20 people aged 20 to 50 years old. A semi-structured interview was used as the method of data collection, and thematic content analysis was used as the method of data processing. The results of the study contain a description of behavioral, emotional, and cognitive components of the experience of destructiveness, which differ depending on the orientation of destruction outward or inward. Empirical referents corresponding to three levels of self-determined destructive activity were found in the respondents' texts: 1) spontaneous destructive intents connected with emotional self-regulation or self-stimulation; 2) voluntary initiations of destructiveness to achieve communicative goals; 3) meanings and values of destruction arising in conditions of actualization of personality’s life values or their conflict. The role of values of self-reinforcement, self-transcendence, auto-stimulation, openness to change, and self-direction in the process of value and meaning self-determination of personal destructiveness is shown. The results of the study allow us to draw a conclusion about the connection between the experience of personality destructiveness and the realization of life meanings and values of personality.

Key words: personality destructiveness, destructive behavior, destruction, self-destruction, determinism, self-determination, values, personal meaning, qualitative methods

For citation: Filatova, A.F., Kostromina, S.N. (2024). Value-semantic determinants of experiencing one's own destructiveness: qualitative analysis. New Psychological Research, No. 2, 30–59. DOI: 10.51217/npsyresearch_2024_04_02_02