Dr. Hab., Professor K.G. Erdyneyeva¹
PhD, Associate Professor R.E. Popova¹
PhD, Associate Professor V.K. Hebert^1
1Transbaikal State University, Chita

Keywords: educator, adaptive physical education, personality/ behavioral disorders, profesional stress tolerance, functionality.

Background. Modern academic lifestyles are known to be associated with low stress tolerances and inefficiency of the survival mechanisms on the whole [9, p. 362-375]. Professional stress tolerance may be defined as the integrated/ multilevel/ systemic personality quality/ characteristic [4-10] or health component that determine the individual resistivity to stressors [8].

Objective of the study was to analyze different aspects of the future adaptive physical educator’s stress tolerance.

Methods and structure of the study. Sampled for the study run in 2013-19 were the 18-30 year old Transbaikal State University’s Physical Education and Sports Department students (n=60) majoring in adaptive physical education under 49.03.02 Physical Education Service for People with Health Impairments discipline. A special priority was given to the heart rate variability ranked as a key psycho-emotional stress tolerance test rate, with the test data produced and processed by computerized Varicard Test System as recommended by the R.M. Bayevsky et al. Instruction Manual [1, p. 65; 2]. Individual functionality was rated by the vegetative balance and neurohumoral regulation parameters and adaptive responses to different stressors. We obtained the 5-min cardiointervalograms in practical post-lecture/ workshop laboratory tests and during the academic/ industrial/ undergraduate practices. We used a computerized Integrated Stress Rating and Correction System [6] to profile the individual stress exposure and stress building process – starting from the stress triggers/ problems analysis to the first manifestations of acute/ chronic stress conditions (i.e. the personality/ behavioral disorders – PD, BD) – followed by individual stress tolerance building recommendations.

Results and discussionю The functionality tests found the heart rate (HR) averaging 73±3.1 beats/ min; the stress index SI (regulatory systems tension rate) in the laboratory tests was estimated at 48.67±7.31 points; and the standard deviation (SD) equaled 30.7±2.03 ms: see Table 1. The tests found some prevalence of the sympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system activity; albeit the low-to-high-frequency ratio (LF/HF) in spectral analysis averaged 1.47± 0.26 that is indicative of a normotonic bias.

Table 1. Heart rate variability test data of the sample

Tests in the academic practice found some growth of the heart rate with insignificant heart rate variability differences. It were the industrial and undergraduate practices that were associated with significant heart rate variability differences due to the growth of the regulatory mechanisms tension indices indicative of overstrain. The psycho-physiological test data showed the need for the individual mobilization-compensatory mechanisms to be activated to secure better regulation and adaptability of the sample.

The Integrated Stress Rating and Correction System test rates showed the following stress exposure picture: in lectures and workshops the total stress index of the sample averaged 45.08 (expressed stress rate), versus the stress peaks in the practices. The Integrated Stress Rating and Correction System test rates (Table 2) including the key test indices showed that the professional situation self-rates may be ranked among the top professional stressors. The stress indices were found to reach their peaking values in the industrial and undergraduate practice. Ranked high among the professional stressors were also the excessive difficulty and versatility of the problems need to be solved.

Table 2. Integrated Stress Rating and Correction System test rates of the sample

Conclusion. Professional stressors are known to be among the key reasons for the teacher’s service inefficiency. The heart rate variability analysis of the sample of future adaptive physical education teachers found meaningful growths of the heart rate, stress index, and vegetative-sympathetic index in the industrial and undergraduate practices. The post-lecture/ workshop heart rate variability profiles were found virtually the same as in the academic practice albeit still indicative of some activity growth in the sympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system. The heart rate variability peaks in the industrial and undergraduate practices are associated with the growth of activity of the sympathetic mechanisms of autonomic nervous system. Special efforts to test and analyze the heart rate variability profiles in the practice periods are recommended to maintain the academic performance at optimal levels and detect the potential stress exposures. Professional stressors were found dominated by the professional situation self-rates and exposure to acute stressors, followed by the difficulty and versatility of the problems need to be solved. Awareness of the values of the problems in the practices contributed to the total stress levels. The detected sags in the general well-being urge the research community to develop and offer special efficient professional stress coping strategies. The study found a wide variation in exposure to chronic stressors, and this finding is recommended to be taken into account by the stress tolerance analysis.

References

1. Bayevskiy R.M. Analysis of heart rate variability when using various electrocardiographic systems. Part 10. Vestnik aritmologii, 2001, no. 24, pp. 65-87
2. Bayevskiy R.M., Kirillov O.I., Kletskin S.E. Mathematical analysis of heart rate changes during stress. M.: Nauka publ., 1984. 214 p.
3. Barabanshchikova V.V. Professional deformations of specialist in innovative activities. Lomonosov MSU; Psychology faculty. M.: Kogito-Tsentr publ., 2017. 234 p.
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8. Erdyneyeva K.G., Popova R.E., Vereshchagina L.M. Building professional stress resistance in future teacher: educational conditions and factors. Nauchnoe obozrenie. Ser. 2: Gumanitarnye nauki. 2014. no. 6. pp. 55-62.
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Corresponding author: po@zabgu.ru

Abstract

The relevance of the study of psychophysiological aspects of stress tolerance in future adaptive physical education teachers is in the fact that there are many stress factors in their professional activity. Objective of the study was to determine the structural constituents of stress tolerance in future adaptive physical education teachers.

Psychophysiological diagnostics of the respondents (n=60, 18-30 years old) included the study of the dynamics of their functional status by analyzing the autonomic balance indices and neurohumoral regulation level; severity of the adaptive response of the body under the influence of various stressors using the VARIKARD hardware-software complex. The integral diagnostics and correction of job-related stress technique (A.B. Leonova) enabled to determine the causes and negative manifestations of stress. The psychophysiological test results indicate the inclusion of the respondents’ mobilization and compensatory mechanisms providing a high level of regulation and effective adaptation. Among the persistent individual functional status rates are: index of tension of regulatory systems (SI); standard deviation from the average value. The analysis of the main profile indices revealed an extremely high level of stress among the respondents on the scales "Subjective assessment of a professional situation" (maximum value of T-points – 89.38), "Personality and behavioral deformations" (maximum value of T-points - 70.76), which testifies to the excessive complexity of the tasks, the need to strictly follow the prescribed instructions, the lack of knowledge and skills. 25% of students were found to have the signs of a burnout syndrome (an empty feeling, disappointment with the chosen profession, etc.), neurotic disorders (groundless fears, state anxiety, etc.).

A multivariate integrative method to assess stress tolerance in future adaptive physical education teachers can be used as a differentiating indicator of formation of stress tolerance in them as professionals. Monitoring of the dynamics of functional status with due regard to the stress exposure symptoms will enable to forecast possible failures in adaptation.