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Psychological Foundations of Personality Development in Cadet Pilots’ Sports and Health Activities

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The training of aviation professionals requires not only a high level of technical knowledge but also the development of psychological resilience, self-regulation, and the capacity for active personality development. The purpose of the study is to determine the impact of a programme integrating sports, health-promoting, and psychological interventions on the personality development and professional competencies of future pilots. The study involved 116 cadets aged 17–22 years, divided into an experimental group (58 participants) and a control group (58 participants). In the experimental group, a personality development algorithm was implemented, which included individual coaching, self-regulation training, and the pedagogical strategy “Challenge and Support” within the sports and health-promoting module. The data indicated positive trends in key psychological mechanisms in the group exposed to the formative intervention. In the experimental group, self-control increased by 28.3% (from 61.2±3.1 to 78.5±2.9 points, p<0.001), reflecting enhanced volitional regulation and the ability to maintain discipline under stressful conditions. The planning indicator, as a marker of executive functions, increased by 21.5% (to 18.1±0.7 points, p<0.001), demonstrating the development of autonomy in decision-making and effective action monitoring. Verbal creativity increased by 18.9% (to 57.9±2.1 points, p<0.01), and mastery-oriented motivational focus rose by 15.4%, forming prerequisites for the creative construction of the self and adaptive behaviour. Multiple regression analysis indicated that self-control (β=0.45, p<0.001) and planning (β=0.32, p<0.01) were the most significant independent predictors of effective personality development, with the model accounting for 61% of the variance in the integral indicator. The practical value of the study lies in demonstrating the effectiveness of integrating psychological and pedagogical tools into sports and health-promoting activities for the systematic development of volitional control, executive functions, and creativity in cadet pilots.

Source: North American journal of psychology

DOI: 10.65696/001c.169298

Authors: Mykola Piven, Oksana Zakharova, Olena Lopatiuk, Mykola Oleksyn, Ihor Mykhailichenko

Institution: Ukrainian State Flight Academy

Language: English

Topic: Sport Psychology and Performance

Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Quality education

Open Access status: hybrid

OpenAlex ID: W7204889403