Humanities Studios: Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy

Features of the structure of life values among university students and their relationship with academic performance under conditions of Russian aggression

Iryna Suprun*

isuprun@nubip.edu.ua

Download article
Abstract

The relevance of the study is determined by the need to analyse the internal psychological resources of university students, in particular, life values, as factors of resilience and academic performance under conditions of prolonged war-related stress and uncertainty. The purpose of the study was to provide an empirical analysis of students’ life values and their relationship with academic performance under conditions of Russian aggression against Ukraine. The theoretical basis of the study was Schwartz’s theory of basic values. The empirical study was conducted among first-year students of a higher education institution using the Portrait Values Questionnaire. The analysis of the empirical data did not identify a statistically significant relationship between the first-ranked value and academic performance. Further analysis was consequently focused on the second-ranked value as a more differentiated indicator of the value hierarchy, which can capture subtler psychological patterns. Hedonism occupies the leading position in the value structure of most students. The highest academic performance was recorded among students whose dominant orientation was achievement, whereas orientations towards stimulation, hedonism, and self-direction were associated with lower learning outcomes. Statistically significant differences were identified between groups of students with different leading value orientations. Stimulation and hedonism were associated with lower indicators of academic performance, while achievement had a more pronounced positive relationship with learning outcomes. Under conditions of wartime uncertainty, hedonistic orientations become more widespread and may perform a compensatory function in emotional self-regulation, while also reducing learning motivation. The results of the study may be used to develop psychological support programmes for students and to optimise the educational process during wartime

Keywords

value orientations; resilience; learning motivation; psychological adaptation; educational environment; socio-psychological factors

Suggested citation
Suprun, I. (2026). Features of the structure of life values among university students and their relationship with academic performance under conditions of Russian aggression. Humanities Studios: Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, 14(3), 100-111. https://doi.org/10.31548/hspedagog/3.2026.100
References
  1. Aelenei, C., Jury, M., Darnon, C., Sicard, A., Maggio, S., & Martinot, D. (2023). Self-enhancement values and academic achievement: An interaction with students’ parental level of education and gender? British Journal of Educational Psychology, 93(2), 626-640. doi: 10.1111/bjep.12571.
  2. Bureau, J.S., Howard, J.L., Chong, J.X.Y., & Guay, F. (2022). Pathways to student motivation: A meta-analysis of antecedents of autonomous and controlled motivations. Review of Educational Research, 92(1), 46-72. doi: 10.3102/00346543211042426.
  3. Chykhantsova, O.A. (2018). Hardiness and its relationship with personal values. Problems of Modern Psychology, 42, 211-231. doi: 10.32626/2227-6246.2018-42.211-231.
  4. Chykhantsova, O.A. (2021). Psychological foundations of personality hardiness: Monograph. Kyiv: Talkom.
  5. Daniel, E., Bardi, A., Fischer, R., Benish-Weisman, M., & Lee, J.A. (2022). Changes in personal values in pandemic times. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 13(2), 572-582. doi: 10.1177/19485506211024026.
  6. Erikson, E.H. (1993). Childhood and society. New York: W.W. Norton.
  7. Frankl, V.E. (2016). Man’s search for meaning. Boston: Beacon Press.
  8. Fromm, E. (1947). Man for himself: An inquiry into the psychology of ethics. New York: Rinehart & Co.
  9. Halian, I., & Halian, O. (2018). Psychology of meaning-of-life experiences of modern student youth. Psychological Journal, 4(8), 38-57. doi: 10.31108/1.2018.8.18.3.
  10. Howard, J.L., Bureau, J., Guay, F., Chong, J.X.Y., & Ryan, R.M. (2021). Student motivation and associated outcomes: A meta-analysis from self-determination theory. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 16(6), 1300-1323. doi: 10.1177/1745691620966789.
  11. Huliak, U., & Lisnevskyi, V. (2024). The value component in the structure of the motivational sphere of a serviceman’s personality. Bulletin of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Psychology, 1(19), 11-16. doi: 10.17721/BPSY.2024.1(19).2.
  12. Karpenko, Z.S. (2018). Axiological psychology of personality: Monograph. Ivano-Frankivsk: Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University.
  13. Kokun, O.M. (2020). Professional resilience of personality: Analysis of the phenomenon. Actual Problems of Psychology, 5(20), 68-81.
  14. Lazos, H.P. (2018). Resilience: Conceptualization of concepts and review of modern research. Actual Problems of Psychology, 3(14), 26-64.
  15. Lopez-Zafra, E., Ramos-Álvarez, M.M., El Ghoudani, K., Luque-Reca, O., Augusto-Landa, J.M., Zarhbouch, B., Alaoui, S., Cortés-Denia, D., & Pulido-Martos, M. (2019). Social support and emotional intelligence as protective resources for well-being in Moroccan adolescents. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, article number 1529. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01529.
  16. Masten, A.S. (2021). Resilience of children in disasters: A multisystem perspective. International Journal of Psychology, 56(1), 1-11. doi: 10.1002/ijop.12737.
  17. O’Connor, D.B., et al. (2021). Research priorities for the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. British Journal of Psychology, 111(4), 603-629. doi: 10.1111/bjop.12468.
  18. Poropat, A.E. (2009). A meta-analysis of personality and academic performance. Psychological Bulletin, 135(2), 322-338. doi: 10.1037/a0014996.
  19. Ryan, R.M., & Deci, E.L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, article number 101860. doi: 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860.
  20. Sagiv, L., & Schwartz, S.H. (2022). Personal values across cultures. Annual Review of Psychology, 73, 517-546. doi: 10.1146/annurev-psych-020821-125100.
  21. Schwartz, S.H. (2017). The refined theory of basic values. In S. Roccas & L. Sagiv (Eds.), Values and behavior: Taking a cross-cultural perspective (pp. 51-72). Cham: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-56352-7_3.
  22. Semkiv, I.I. (2013). Adaptation of Sh. Schwartz’s “Portrait values questionnaire” into Ukrainian. Practical Psychology and Social Work, 1, 12-28.
  23. Sortheix, F.M., & Lönnqvist, J.-E. (2014). Personal value priorities and life satisfaction in Europe: The moderating role of socioeconomic development. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 45(2), 282-299. doi: 10.1177/0022022113504621.
  24. Suprun, I.O. (2024). The relationship between emotional intelligence and academic performance of university students during the period of full-scale war in Ukraine. (Doctoral thesis, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine).
  25. Vecchione, M., & Schwartz, S.H. (2022). Personal values and academic achievement. British Journal of Psychology, 113(3), 630-652. doi: 10.1111/bjop.12555.
  26. Vecchione, M., Alessandri, G., Roccas, S., & Caprara, G.V. (2019). A look into the relationship between personality traits and basic values: A longitudinal investigation. Journal of Personality, 87(2), 413-427. doi: 10.1111/jopy.12399.
  27. WMA Declaration of Helsinki. (n.d.). Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Participants. Retrieved from https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-helsinki/.