E3S Web of Conferences 164, 10021 (2020) https://doi.org/10.

1051/e3sconf /202016410021
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Personal choice: strategic life decision-making

and conscience
Liubov Pomytkina1*, Arthur Gudmanian1, Olena Kovtun1, and Serhii Yahodzinskyi1
1
National Aviation University, 03058 Kyiv, Ukraine

Abstract. The article highlights the problem of subjective choice in

making strategic life decisions and its correlation with conscience. The
study describes the nature of strategic life decision-making, determines
types of strategic life decisions, discloses the essence of human
experiences associated with strategic life decision-making, and provides
results of empirical research. Decision-making, as viewed in scientific
psychological practice, is an intense cognitive process for which a human
actor should be prepared to perform, drawing upon a full range of
knowledge, abilities, skills, and personal qualities. Decisions, though
varied by type and degree of difficulty and complexity, are united by
choice – that is the individual’s choice as such. Crucial moments of
decision-making may affect people in myriad ways. This article analyses
the experiences of such human actors while making strategic life decisions,
defined by scientists to mean outstanding, fateful, associated with great
responsibility, with their leading role in human living space, and formation
of a person’s way of living. Emotions and emotional responses occupy a
space of paramount importance in this type of decision-making. As
strategic life decisions are cognizantly and predominantly made mainly in
late adolescence, the authors present summarized results of the empirical
research that was carried out for several years among students enrolled in a
variety of higher educational institutions within Ukraine.

1 Introduction
For many people decision-making can be an exciting, if not ‘stressful’ moment. For some,
it is a moment of future success and triumph, however, for others decision-making can
resemble long and painful experiences. Why is it a moment, not hours, days or years of
suffering? What causes suffering and torment of the wrong decision?
Decision-making always involves a single choice made among available alternatives.
When a decision must be made but all the alternatives are irrelevant or undesirable, a
person may experience certain emotions that may well cause suffering or torment.
The aim of the article is to find out how young people in the modern world make the
important decisions for their future. According to the research aim, the following tasks were
set: 1) to study the nature of strategic life decision-making and determine types of strategic
life decisions; 2) to show interrelation of decision-making and conscience; 3) to present

*
Corresponding author: [email protected]

© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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empirical data on correlation of strategic life decision-making with personal qualities of

youth, their choice of strategies for achieving objectives and reflection.

2 Etymology of decisions
First of all, let us consider the difference between a choice and decision-making. A choice
is viewed as a process (short or long). Decision-making is a moment of great import for the
person who has made it. It is also necessary to differentiate at least three types of decisions:
a) cognitive emotionally tense; b) vitally important; c) strategic life.
In the first case, a person must make a choice and take the only right decision in a very
short period. This often happens in the professional activity of operators, pilots, divers,
astronauts, and military men, as these professionals often operate in stressful conditions.
The tension of the decision-making moment is caused by extraordinary responsibility the
actor assumes (for ourselves, for other people, for the task being done, etc…), and is often
compounded by the lack of time to make such an important and critical decision.
In the second case, a vitally important decision is made in the event where primordial
vitality is concerned. For example, when a person sees a person drowning or someone on
fire, the actor’s decision whether to extend or withhold aid is vitally important. Firstly, it is
important for the person in distress i. e, the hope for salvation or the assurance of their
demise. Secondly, it is important for the very actor, since the decision must be properly
weighed and taken in accordance with personal priorities and values, (e.g. potential risks, or
benefits, or moral beliefs). These vitally important decisions can also be attributed to as
emotionally tense in that a decision may be required quickly.
In case of making strategic life decisions, to which scientists refer decisions such as
professional self-determination, choice of a marriage partner, or formation of personal
attitudes, beliefs and relationships [1-3], the emotional component becomes the most
influential. A person may experience stress and uncertainty for quite a long time (after such
decisions are made). They may feel burden of responsibility for their own life and for
effects on the lives of the closest people in his or her immediate milieu. The consequences
can be severe, as the decision taken and the strategies employed for its realization shape the
construction of this person’s future.
In all three cases, the process of decision-making develops gradually in accordance with
certain, scientifically described stages, alongside the actuation of dominating psychological
mechanisms within these different stages.

3 Strategic life decisions

In the following paragraphs we will focus on strategic life decisions. This type of decision-
making usually takes a long time (sometimes even several years!) and is associated with
powerful emotional and volitional efforts, and may be accompanied by certain experiences.
In our opinion, the aforementioned observations necessitate further scientific research of
this phenomenon and its nature.
Scientists define strategic life decisions as decisions of outstanding, fateful character.
They are associated with great responsibility, play leading role in human living space, and
influence the formation of person’s walk of life (way of living) [4]. A strategic life decision
can be an act of personal choice, or can be determined by external circumstances (public
opinion, political situation, etc.). Strategic life decision-making is, firstly, a process of
extreme responsibility; secondly, it is associated with projecting long-term intervals of
human life; and thirdly, it is highly influenced by values, feelings, and emotions. Strategic
life decisions are aimed at choosing: values and ideals, a loved one, and professional

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activity; work, friendship and love [5]; achievements in career or professional activity,
establishing relationships in the society and in the personal and family space; attitudes to
the world of external objects or things, towards other people, and of the self. Thus, strategic
life decisions include decisions on professional self-determination, choice of a marriage
partner, or formation of personal attitudes, beliefs and relationships, among other things.
Analyses reveal that the most sensitive age for making strategic life decisions is late
adolescence (18-25 years), which is the typical age for students considering post-secondary
education. Students within this age range age are generally characterized by creativity and
strong desire for personal fulfillment. Indeed, scientists have found it to be the most
significant period in human life. In late adolescence a person usually develops his or her
ultimate set of values, which project influence in shaping the main directions of self-
fulfillment for other stages of life [4].
Analysis of scientific works revealed that strategic life decision-making follows the
following stages: 1) awareness of the importance of goals; 2) creative search of new
alternatives or options, and evaluation of their desirability; 3) making a preliminary
decision; and 4) making an ultimate strategic life decision [3,4,6,7].
Thus, by definition strategic life decisions cannot be made by a person per saltum. Such
decision requires lengthy deliberation and consideration, and as such long time, may cause
strong feelings of uncertainty, regret, or second-guessing.

4 The experience of decision-making in the work of researchers

In the 1960’s, some research on ambiguity tolerance-intolerance were conducted (Tolerance
Ambiguity Scale), the results of which were summarized in the relevant questionnaire [8].
Tolerance for ambiguity was considered by scientists as an individual predisposition to
evaluate uncertain situations as desirable or as threatening. It is a person's ability to accept
conflict and tension arising in situations of duality, to resist incoherent and contradictory
information, to accept the unknown, and to feel comfortable in the face of uncertainty [8].
Tolerance is viewed as a personal characteristic and is studied from the perspective of
psychological stability, within a system of values, personal settings, and a set of various
individual properties [9]. Tolerance for ambiguity is associated with high emotional
intelligence and high self-efficiency. Conversely, intolerance is associated with low
academic intelligence and low self-efficiency. Additionally, through numerous studies,
researchers have noted the emergence of anxiety, and therefore certain experiences as
predictor of individual intolerance to ambiguity.
Janis and Mann in their research of extreme activities, viewed a decision-making
process as one full of a person’s experiences [10]. In particular, decision-making is defined
as an emotionally intense cognitive process. Scientists sought to study the deepest
psychological mechanisms of decision-making, which they associate with motivational
conflicts, clashes of emotive / emotional tendencies, and emphasize subtle shades of
person’s emotional processes. Researchers also tried to examine choice and decision-
making without applying formal approaches typical for this branch of science. They paid
great attention to the question why it is difficult for people to make decisions, and analyzed,
above all, the motivational side of strategic life decision-making.
It is important that they present decision in the context of temporal perspective,
emphasizing not instantaneity but duration of the process, and its division into several
stages. However, the number of stages and criteria for division are not the same. In
particular, Janis and Mann associate decision-making with risk assessment and commitment
and differentiate the following five stages, stating certain experiences of a person associated
with doubt and fear:
1. Assessment of the problem – What happens / will happen if I do nothing?

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2. Analysis / consideration of options – Will the chosen course of action itself allow solve
the problem? Have I considered a sufficient number of options?
3. Evaluation of options – What is the best option? What requirements does this option
demand?
4. Notification associates of the selected course of action, adoption of commitment – Do I
need to notify the decision to others?
5. The decision despite the risk – Is the risk high if I change nothing?
The list of stages indicates the social context of decision-making, meaning that
implementation of the decisions made will occur under the pressure of obligations taken
and in the presence of other people. However, a person is not always ready to share every
decision with others. Some decisions (especially strategic life) people can keep a secret
even from close friends, until realizing them in practice. For instance, a decision on
determination of personal attitudes, or choice of a marriage partner a person may keep a
secret until he/she is eventually certain that the decision is final or reasonable.
An examination of contemporary European and American scientists confirm the
presence of experiences while decision-making in different social situations: while
choosing decisional conflict styles among high school students [11]; in self-examination of
stimulant-dependent and opiate-dependent individuals while decision-making about
stimulants usage [12]; while decision-making on relations between an individual and a
society [13], etc.
K. Arnold in her book “Small Move, Big Change: Using Microresolutions to Transform
Your Life Permanently”, outlines specific interrelations between routine daily decisions,
and decisions on a larger scale [14]. The author explains how “microresolutions” – tiny
behavioral modifications that can be incorporated into daily habits – are the key to making
lasting changes for life. Since these are microresolutions, they can be quite easily estimated,
fully managed, and effortlessly complied with. This allows a person to feel like a winner,
get more organized, and self-improve every single day, and eventually achieve his/her
major goals. The book explains how to look at existing tendencies, recognize the actions
and external cues that trigger a behavior, and re-wire routines to turn a new and improved
behavior into a habit, all without using much willpower. However, the book lacks
description of psychological techniques and practical guides that allow achieving the
desired condition.
“Mental turnover” in decision-making. What happens in the human psyche when it is
involved in decision-making? Decision-making is known as a complex hierarchical process
of human mental activity, during which initial uncertainty of a problem situation is reduced
[7]. To make a decision means to select a specific purpose and course of action, and to give
that course a specific advantage over others [3,15].
Ukrainian psychologist M.Ya. Grot studied interdependence of decision-making and
personal characteristics of an individual [16]. Grot’s key ideas formed the basis of many
theories of Western scholars and developed the major paradigm of the twentieth century
world psychology. Grot described the decision-making process and outlined its specific
complexity, which he called “mental turnover” as a basic mechanism of human mental life
and a basic unit of mental activity [16]. Mental turnover is characterized by a unity of
sensory, motor and converting components and starts with external movements and
impressions that turn into inner impressions or feelings which, in turn, generate a sense of
internal volitional aspirations, culminating with external movements and actions.
The scientist Grot M.Ya. defined mental turnover as a unit of mental activity, as a
holistic / integral process of intensification of perception, emotion, intellectual and
volitional activity of a person [16]. Thus, mental turnover is a cyclic process that
determines the sequence of emotional and intellectual activity of a person, prior to his/her
taking a preliminary decision, which, after receiving additional information and reflection

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of new alternatives, is specified. This cycle can repeat until an ultimate decision is made,
evoking volitional efforts for its fulfillment.
Is it logical, then, to speak about the ability to make an ultimate strategic life decision if
the human psyche, after getting new information, starts a new cycle involving perception,
analysis, comparison, generalization, awareness – that is the whole complex of mental
activities? In our opinion, it is more correct to call this phenomenon "decision taken at a
certain time." Even when the decision is made, a person still cannot sleep easily, rethinks,
and changes his / her mind. What disturbs this person? What makes him / her feel restless?
Asking such questions, we can hear potential answers like that: I feel thoughts of other
people, and they disturb / confuse me... Here a new question arises: are these thoughts, in
fact, the thoughts of other people or my own, personal thoughts. What emotions and
experiences does a person have when he / she feels gaze of his or her own conscience?
At the end of the ХIХ th century, W. James conducted in-depth research of the human
consciousness, creating his famous model, which to this day is influential in the cognitive
psychology of consciousness [17]. James dedicated considerable attention to the decision-
making process as a model of choice. The scientist believed that the choice is determined
by mind, will, accidental impulse and fear, highlighting five types of decisions:
1. A reasonable / rational decision. An individual considers arguments for and against a
certain course of action and chooses one. Arguments are rationally weighed and a decision
is made with a clear sense that a person is free.
2. A volitional decision. An individual focuses on the sensation of "internal efforts". This is
a "slow, deep movement of will". This option of decision is quite rare, because most human
choices are made effortlessly.
3. A drifting decision: In this case there are no decisive arguments in favor of a particular
choice; every argument seems good, and an individual is experiencing fatigue or frustration
of his / her decision. It seems that the decision chosen enables a drift in a direction that is
externally influenced.
4. An impulsive decision: An individual feels unable to make a decision, and the choice can
become random. However, the answer comes from inside, not outside, as in the previous
case. An individual perceives him- / herself as the one that acts automatically and often
impulsively.
5. Decisions caused by change of views. This decision often occurs suddenly and is the
result of some important external experience, or internal state (e.g., sadness or fear). It leads
to a significant change of what a person wishes or aspires.
The views of the scientist (W. James) are important for our research, because this
differentiation of decisions enables us to come closer to understanding of those processes
and experiences, which happen within an individual and, in particular, those that involve
mental and volitional processes, random impulses and affective reactions fear.

5 Human experiences
Let us consider the psychological content of human experiences. As it is known, experience
in psychology is considered in three meanings that together make understanding of this
phenomenon. Experience is defined: 1) as any emotionally colored state of a person and the
phenomenon of reality directly represented in the mind as an event of his / her own life; 2)
as aspirations, desires and wishes that reflect in the individual consciousness the process of
selecting motives and goals of future activities and thus contribute to person’s conscious
attitude to events happening in his / her life; 3) as a form of activity that occurs when a
person is unable to achieve leading motives of his / her life, when there is a collapse of
ideals and values; it is manifested in turning a person’s psychological world and aimed at
rethinking of his / her existence.

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All of these forms of experience act as internal signals by which a person realizes a
choice of possible alternatives, makes decisions, and regulates his or her own behavior. As
a special form of activity, experiences allow a person to endure severe events in critical life
situations, and gain meaningfulness of existence due to revaluation of values [15].
So, experience is a form of expression of person’s attitude to the object, to the situation,
to another person, and to self. It is an emotional and sensory reflection of person’s attitude
to the surrounding world.

6 Psychological mechanisms of experiences

Human experiences are primarily caused by the mechanisms of reflection. Reflection is
known as a process of a person’s self-understanding of internal mental acts and states.
R. Dekart identified reflection with the ability of an individual to focus on the content of his
or her own thoughts, abstracting from everything external or corporal [18]. J. Loсke
understood reflection as a special source of knowledge, as an internal experience opposite
to external, based on the senses [19]. But reflection cannot be limited to the individual’s
self-knowledge or self-understanding; it also presupposes an individual’s awareness of how
he / she is perceived and evaluated by others and by the community. It is a kind of cognitive
process, during which a person becomes the object of his or her own observation: thoughts,
feeling and analyses of his or her own mental states.
In psychological dictionaries, reflection is defined as intellectual (rational) process
aimed at analysis, understanding and cognition of self (own actions, behavior, tasks,
speech, experience, feelings, states, abilities, character, relationships with and attitude to
others, life objectives) that is conceptually, procedurally and functionally linked to
introspection, retrospection and self-consciousness. We believe that in making strategic life
decisions it is worthwhile to emphasize and differentiate between intellectual and personal
reflection.
Scientists define intellectual reflection as the ability to select, analyze, and correlate
one’s own actions with the substantive work. In the process of decision-making intellectual
reflection is necessary for a person to understand the basis of own mental activity.
Intellectual reflection manifests itself through complementary mechanisms of generation
and control. It provides general regulation of subject-operating transformations of the
content of decision-making process: the mechanism of generation provides the use and
transformation of integral guideline of mental activity – its semantic gestalt (models, tools,
charts), and the control mechanism – specification and implementation in the thinking
already existing integral functional elements of its content.
Personal reflection is considered by scientists in one and the same synonymic row with
the concept "self-reflection," which provides self-organization and self-mobilization of a
person in different conditions of his / her existence [20,21]. Scientists also studied personal
reflection in the process of self-regulation when an individual is at the same time an object
of reflection and its subject, who regulates own actions and deeds [1]. Personal reflection
provides an individual with the ability to reflect and interpret their own motives, predict
consequences of actions and deeds to self and others, and coordinate personal goals and
behavior with the means of achieving them [20].
It is the personal reflection that encourages individual self-determination, particularly in
three key areas of life: determination of personal attitudes, professional self-determination,
and choice of a marriage partner.
Personal reflection in the process of strategic life decision-making manifests itself in
person’s self-reconsidering own anima which is realized through directing cognition at self,
analyzing own inner world, evaluating own qualities and states. When a person forecasts
future activity in every moment of life, regulates his or her own behavior and deeds or

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chooses objectives, he/she always relates their own potential with understanding how
important and significant for him / her are the requirements and conditions of strategic life
decision-makings (in other words, self-reflects). Thus, the unity of intellectual and personal
reflections in the strategic life decision-making contributes to their adequacy and is
essential for the rising efficiency of preparing people to perform the aforementioned
actions.
Depending on directions of assessment and reassessment of personal contents, an
individual may experience different types of personal reflection: a retrospective type of
personal reflection (assessment and reassessment of the past self-concept); a situational
type of personal reflection (assessment and reassessment of the real self-concept); or a
prospective type of personal reflection (assessment and reassessment of the future self-
concept).
As researcher point out, the leading criterion for the existence of personal reflection is
"reflective analysis," which leads a person to gain new knowledge of self as a subject of
life, and allows differentiation of three levels of self-reflection: fixed, understated, and
balanced. The balanced level is considered the most effective in self-knowledge, self-
assertion, and self-development of a person.
However, the availability of a reflection mechanism does not guarantee evoking a
person’s emotional experiences in either a positive or negative way. Rather, we should
speak about a complex set of mechanisms that involves, according to the stages of the
decision-making, motivational, emotional, volitional mechanisms [4].

7 Decision-making and conscience

What worries a person when trying to make a decision? What haunts us when a decision
seems to have already been made, when there seems to be uncertainty as to the best course
of action?
A number of questions may arise:
– Have I made the right decision?
– Has everything been taken into account?
– What will other people think of my decision? What will they say? How will they treat
me?
– What impact will it have on my future? On someone else’s future?
All the experiences felt both during the decision-making process and after it, are evoked
not only by the reflection mechanism but also by an integral mechanism, often called
conscience.
The notion of "conscience" is defined in philosophical dictionaries as a "moral category
that reflects the highest form of person’s capacity to moral self-control." Unlike motive (a
sense of duty) conscience also comprises self-evaluation of the actions taken before
because of person’s self-understanding own responsibility to others and society. Conscience
binds a person not only to gain self-respect through own actions, or to develop a sense of
honor and personal dignity, but also to fully dedicate him/herself to the community, society,
and humankind. Moreover, conscience implies the ability of a person to be critical about
one’s own and other people's opinions, the needs of the society, the shared or individual
responsibilities for one’s own actions insofar as it may affect society at large.
Conscience is an ability of a person that is brought up by the society. It is determined by
the degree of historical development and by social position of a person in the objective
conditions into which he/she is placed. Being an active back reaction of a person to the
requirements of the society and its progressive development, conscience is viewed as an
internal engine of person’s moral self-improvement and a stimulus for his / her active and
practical approach to the reality. Conscience can occur both in the form of person’s rational

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understanding of the moral significance of own actions, and in the complex of emotional
experiences (feelings of remorse). Developing the conscience of a person is one of the most
important aspects in the formation of human morality. Thus, the mechanism of conscience
manifests itself in emotional experiences and it is due to the conscience that human
experiences evoke strong emotion.
Emotions are viewed as mental reflections of direct passionate life experiences,
inducing events and situations; as relatively brief conscious experiences characterized by
intense mental activity coupled with varying degrees of pleasure or displeasure. Human
emotions are referred to as processes of internal control of behavior. As S.L. Rubinshtein
points out, a person "experiences what happens with him / her and what he / she does;
demonstrates in some way his / her attitude to the surrounding. The experience of this
attitude to the surrounding makes a rich and various area of human emotions and feelings”
[6]. Thus, emotions are treated as a specific type of reflection, as a kind of unity of reflected
content and experiences, which implies attitude of a person to his / her own reflection.
American psychologist C.E. Izard indicated that, “in the process of conscience
formation – the process of moral development of an individual – all emotions play a certain
role ... But the main role belongs to the guilt – the most important of all emotions” [22].
The theory of differential emotions considers the emotion of guilt as one of the most basic.
The concept of guilt has come a long way in evolutionary development: every sociocultural
unity (a family, a church, etc.) based on certain ethical and moral principles forms
conditional signals of fault: they set certain standards of conduct and try to convince
younger generation to accept them. These postulates (moral and ethical principles) make up
a cognitive component of conscience. Mature conscience and related emotions form the
affective-cognitive structure that evaluates every step of an individual to its compliance
with moral principles. The experience of guilt, to a greater extent than fear, influences a
person and his or her conscience, in Izard’s estimation.
Izard assures us that while the experience of guilt focuses a person's attention on the
source of guilt, it does not let go without remorse or excuses. Furthermore, the source of
fear makes run and releases to a safe distance from it [22]. The ability to balance on the
border that measures conformity dictated by fear and responsibility, inspired by a sense of
guilt, can be seen as evidence of a mature conscience and moral behavior. The sense of
responsibility makes a nucleus of the structure of conscience: it focuses on the awareness of
guilt and at the same time facilitates the selection of the behavior style that reduces the
likelihood of intense feelings of guilt. Responsibility is an important component of
willpower. It reflects certain social, moral and legal attitudes of the individual to the group,
community or society as a whole, and is characterized by fulfilling moral duties and legal
norms. In strategic life decision-making, responsibility characterizes abilities and capacities
of a person to act as a subject, set purposes consciously, and carry out decisions –in
essence, to make the right choice [23-26].
In analyzing the psychological content of experiences in strategic life decision-making,
we conclude that the conscience of a person determines the range of emotions and feelings,
especially those of doubt, guilt and fear, and is mediated by personal qualities such as
responsibility and perseverance, among others. It enables us to speak about the emotional
and volitional sphere of personality, for volitional efforts (willpower) allow a person to
come to a conclusion, to stop experiencing uncertainty and make the right decision (or
correct a previous one). Personal volitional qualities enable a person to realize and
implement strategic life decisions to develop personal attitudes (view of life), professional
self-determination, and choice of a marriage partner.
The importance of willpower development is discussed at length in contemporary
European and American studies. K. McGonigal, a professor at Stanford University, in her
book “The Willpower Instinct”, outlines the techniques of achieving strategic life goals

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[27]. McGonigal has conducted an in-depth study of human willpower and its basic
qualities. Summarizing the results of current research in the field, McGonigal explains how
to replace bad habits with useful ones, how not to postpone the case until the last minute,
and how to concentrate and cope with stress. McGonigal considers that it is surprisingly
easy to develop willpower, inasmuch as all that is necessary for this is a belief in one’s own
potential. According to her, a person experiences conflicts and emotional stress due to
insufficiently developed willpower, for the human brain tends to conflate the promise of
reward with a guarantee of happiness.

8 Results of empirical research

Since the process of strategic life decision-making primarily concerns the youth, over
several years we conducted empirical studies of a number of students enrolled in higher
educational establishments in Ukraine. The study focused on finding out how young people
in the modern world make the important decisions for their future.
The research of willpower, in particular a number of volitional powers, showed that
decision-making is determined, first of all, by such personal qualities as independence (r =
0,82, at p ≤ 0,01), resolve (r = 0,57, at p ≤ 0,01), commitment (r = 0,46, at p ≤ 0,05) and
desire to forecast the future (r = 0,47, at p ≤ 0,05). In particular, the highest correlation of
the quality "independence" is consistent with the detected specificity of those decisions that
are vitally important, and therefore responsibility for their consequence’s rests not on
parents or referent environment, but on a young person’s internal understanding of self-
agency.
Table 1. Fragment of the factor matrix of correlation connection between student's personality
characteristics and their readiness for making strategic life decisions (n = 850).
Depends
Aspires to
on Inde- Purposefu Level of
Indecisive Decisive predict the
circumsta pendent l readiness
future
nces
Indecisive - 0.12 -7.17** -0.43 -0.44 -0.17 -0.519**
Depends on
0.12 - 0.03 -0.42 -0.526* -0.540* -0.586**
circumstances
Decisive -0.717** 0.03 - 0.41 0.462* 0.23 0.569**
Independent -0.43 -0.42 0.41 - 0.44 0.34 0.817**
Purposeful -0.44 -0.526* 0.462* 0.44 - 0.705** 0.464*
Aspires to
predict the -0.17 -0.540* 0.23 0.34 0.705** - 0.467*
future
Level оf
-0.519** -0.586** 0.569** 0.817** 0.464* 0.467* -
readiness
Note: * - the connection is significant at the level p ≤ 0.05; ** - the connection is significant at
the level p ≤ 0.01.

The analysis of the correlation matrix made it possible to construct a hierarchy of

personality characteristics on the measure of connection and significance in the process of
students making strategic life decisions (see Fig. 1). Thus, making strategic life decisions
by students is determined by the actualization of their personal qualities, including
independence, decisiveness, purposefulness, aspiration to predict the future. However, the

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development of these qualities in students corresponds to the average and lower average
levels.

Fig. 1. Hierarchy of personality qualities of students, connected with readiness to making strategic
life decisions.
Diagnostic of strategies for achieving objectives showed that most students choose a
passive strategy (38.9%), which is characterized by excessive caution, renunciation of
leadership, and social closure of personality. An active and flexible strategy (33.3%), which
constitutes a significant minority, is characterized by a combination of activity with
communicative "diplomacy". The dominance of passive strategy is consistent with on the
“wait-and-see” attitude of today's youth, who seem indifferent to the majority of public life.
This may explain why students lack personal readiness to make strategic life decisions.
Research of students’ reflection with prolonged decision-making, showed that 39.4% of
respondents demonstrated below the average level, which is characterized by insufficient
ability to analyze and consider own actions and make important decisions. The students
were not able to adequately assess themselves and other people, and thus understand how
they are assessed by others.
Prospective reflection was determined as a dominant type among young people
(62.5%). On the one hand, this proves the efficiency of the function of analysis of future
activity, behavior and prediction. On the other hand, the low level of situational (6.2%) and
retrospective reflection (9.4%) prevents students from making sufficient analysis of
previously performed actions; does not allow assessing motives, reasons and background of
the happened and causes of errors, and therefore impedes their constructive cooperation and
effective decision-making in the future.
We also studied personal qualities of the students, such as tolerance for ambiguity (was
characteristic of 37.8 % responders). The results showed that today's young people are
mostly intolerant to uncertainty; they feel constant stress due to ambiguity, uncertainty and
multidimensionality of choices in different situations. Striving for clarity and transparency
leads to the tendency that students respond to prolonged uncertainty with anxiety and
experience.
Findings of the conducted narrative study proved that students experience constant
anxiety (63.7%) due to long-term uncertainty in making ultimate decision on determination
of personal attitudes (view of life), professional self-determination, and choice of a
marriage partner. This produces emotional instability and affective reactions.

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E3S Web of Conferences 164, 10021 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf /202016410021
TPACEE-2019

General results of empirical studies have shown a lack of readiness of students to

adequate strategic life decision-making.

9 Conclusions
Thus, subjective choices made in the process of strategic life decision-making, is
characterized by certain emotional experiences. Experiences felt by a person while strategic
life decision-making (regarding determination of personal attitudes (view of life),
professional self-determination, and choice of a marriage partner) are caused primarily by
their features, such as prolonged duration, increased responsibility for their impact on the
entire life and presence of the previous decision. The main factor of the experience is
conscience, which may evoke feelings of guilt, doubt, fear and inadequate responsibility
while reflection.
Thus, the main psychological mechanisms of strategic life decision-making are
represented by mental turnover as a unit of mental activity; intellectual and personal
reflection as general mechanism of consciousness; and conscience as a factor of experience
in various forms of emotional and volitional reactions and feelings of the individual.
We may conclude that the psychological mechanisms discussed above in their unity
cause the ability of an individual to regulate personal experiences in making strategic life
decisions and solving crucial life problems. At the same time, these psychological
mechanisms are general in nature and are not related to such determining characteristics as
age, leading needs, social status of an individual, and others. Each of them is actuated
during the experience depending on the content of strategic life decisions themselves.

10 Discussion
Conducted theoretical and empirical research does not make a claim for exhaustive results.
Disputable remain questions regarding the possible impacts of society, environment,
advertising and Internet networks on the human involved in the decision-making process.
Therefore, future research will be dedicated to the analysis of psychological principles
on which personal readiness of an individual to make strategic life decisions is developed.
This will help to differentiate from the general array of psychological mechanisms, i.e.
those mechanisms that are the most characteristic for the aforementioned decisions and
experiences. Unfortunately, researches of experiences of young people during prolonged
decision-making are currently limited due to lack of psycho diagnostic tools for
determining their psychological content, depth and intensity. However, understanding the
importance of this issue, we are working to develop research methods that will be outlined
in further publications.

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