Digitalization as a Factor in the Socio-Psychological Adaptation of Students

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15826/csp.2025.9.3.352

Abstract

This article explores the impact of digitalization on individual adaptive potential, defined as the psychological prerequisites for successful adaptation, essential for an effective educational process. The study identifies patterns in how digitalization reshapes students’ adaptive potential and its core components, or key adaptive qualities. A comprehensive psychodiagnostic approach was applied, including methods for assessing the development of adaptive qualities, calculating intercorrelation matrices, and using the χ² method to evaluate the homogeneity of their structural organization. The research involved two cohorts of university students in Yaroslavl (Russia), selected through stratified sampling: a historical group from 2014 (n = 78) and a current group from 2024 (n = 74). Both groups included students majoring in the humanities and natural sciences, ensuring comparability in key demographic and educational characteristics. Results revealed a significant decrease in the development of several adaptive qualities among current students compared to their counterparts ten years earlier. These changes manifest at two levels: the analytical level, reflecting a reduction in separate qualities, and the structural level, showing altered integration and coherence within the system of adaptive qualities. Structural transformations were found to have the most pronounced impact on overall adaptive potential. Collectively, these findings point to a new phenomenon, described as a “syndrome of decreased adaptability,” resulting from the influence of digitalization. The study highlights the need for targeted educational and developmental interventions to support students’ adaptive capacities in the digital era.

Author Biographies

Anatoliy V. Karpov, Demidov Yaroslavl State University, Yaroslavl

Anatoliy V. Karpov, Dr. Sci. (Psychology), is the Dean of the Psychology Faculty and Head of the Department of Labor and Organizational Psychology at the Demidov Yaroslavl State University, as well as a Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Education. He has received several prestigious awards, including the S. L. Rubinstein Award, L. S. Vygotsky Medal, and V. V. Davydov Medal for his contributions to science. Anatoliy Karpov has developed original psychological concepts that address critical methodological issues in psychology, significantly advancing its theory. He proposed a comprehensive concept of activity and introduced new theoretical ideas in cognitive psychology related to modern metacognitive knowledge. Additionally, he created a unifying psychological theory of reflexive regulation, elucidating the integral system of reflexive processes in activity regulation and their organizational mechanisms. Anatoliy Karpov is esteemed for his role as a principal organizer of academic events in psychology and as a member of the Presidium of the Russian Psychological Society.

Alexander A. Karpov, Demidov Yaroslavl State University, Yaroslavl

Alexander A. Karpov, Dr. Sci. (Psychology), Professor of the Department of Labor and Organizational Psychology at the Demidov Yaroslavl State University, as well as a Professor of the Russian Academy of Education and Honorary Employee of the Russian Academy of Sciences. His academic interests revolve around the psychology of professional activity and cognitive psychology.

Anastasia A. Volchenkova, Demidov Yaroslavl State University, Yaroslavl

Anastasia A. Volchenkova, Cand. Sci. (Psychology), Associate Professor of the Department of Labor and Organizational Psychology at the Demidov Yaroslavl State University. Her academic interests cover the field of cyber psychology.

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Published
2025-10-10
How to Cite
Karpov, A., Karpov, A., & Volchenkova, A. (2025). Digitalization as a Factor in the Socio-Psychological Adaptation of Students. Changing Societies & Personalities, 9(3), 762-781. doi:10.15826/csp.2025.9.3.352
Citation Formats
Issue
Vol. 9, No. 3 (2025)
Section
Articles