Theoretical approaches towards the study of uncertainty effects in the process of personality development meaning regulation

Abstract

Introduction. The article hopes to provide a theoretical analysis of research papers dedicated to the way various uncertainty effects influence personality development. The uncertainty phenomenon has to be considered due to the research field enhancement while elaborating adequate patterns of personality development meaning regulation.

Theoretical Basis. Uncertainty effects are revealed epistemically and ontologically in the objective sphere, and existentially and phenomenologically in the subjective sphere.

Results. Epistemically uncertainty effects are a changeable level of cognitive reflection; continuity of certainty and uncertainty; ambiguous, incomplete and insufficient information; lack of human knowledge about human abilities; disregard for casualties and anomalies; blurred and multiple current psychological paradigms. Ontologically uncertainty effects are relativity of existence; development points with equal probability; a chance of synergistic effect; different human abilities of achieving goals within their existence; aspiration to gain new personal experience; different susceptibility to development pathway deviations. Existentially uncertainty effects are the absence of well-defined external clues in search of life purpose; personality development crises; discrepancy in tolerance levels towards uncertainty; discrepancy in credibility levels towards the world; nonidentity of individuals’ personal experiences; different ideas of action purposes; discrepancy in contradiction levels of interaction between an individual and the society; an unbalanced combination of rational and emotional perception; impossibility of permanent psychological comfort. Phenomenologically uncertainty effects are success and failure expectation risks; different motivation levels; “learned helplessness”; learning interferences due to implicit knowledge; lack of time for reflection over decisions; a subconscious phase of decision making; conscious and subconscious meaning attribution.

Discussion. An individual has to act under the influence of many uncertainty effects. Taking this into consideration allows a more full-fledged theoretical and empiric study of personality development processes.