Psychological mechanisms as a subject of psychological research: domestic and foreign experience

Abstract

The article presents a theoretical analysis of psychological mechanisms as a subject of psychological research in both Ukrainian and international scientific discourse. The relevance of the research is determined by the lack of a unified approach to defining the essence of psychological mechanisms, their structure, functions, and role in personality functioning. The aim of the article is to generalize and systematize scientific approaches to understanding psychological mechanisms as presented in the works of Ukrainian and foreign scholars.
The paper examines the main approaches to the interpretation of the concept of «psychological mechanism» in Ukrainian psychology. Particular attention is paid to the scientific views of S. Maksymenko, who considers psychological mechanisms as essential components of personality functioning and development, as well as to the works of other Ukrainian researchers who have explored the processes of self-regulation, adaptation, and personality formation. The article also highlights approaches that define a mechanism as a system of means, methods, or their combination, while psychological mechanisms are viewed as a system of internal processes and modes of functioning that ensure the emergence, development, and operation of personality traits. Special emphasis is placed on the role of psychological mechanisms in self-regulation, adaptation, personality formation, and human development.
Foreign approaches to understanding psychological mechanisms are also analyzed, particularly the psychoanalytic concept proposed by S. Freud, within which psychological mechanisms are represented as a system of personality adaptation mechanisms. In particular, psychological defense mechanisms and coping are identified as the principal mechanisms of adaptation. Defense mechanisms are aimed at reducing internal tension and maintaining psychological balance, whereas coping serves as a mechanism for overcoming stressful situations and adapting to environmental demands.
The theoretical analysis has shown that psychological mechanisms constitute a system of internal mental processes that ensure the integrity, dynamics, and self-regulation of personality. It is concluded that the concept of psychological mechanisms is multidimensional and interdisciplinary in nature, which necessitates further theoretical and empirical research in this field.