The system of the personality values and senses acts as a psychological characteristic of a mature personality and may be characterized as one of the core personal formations due to which a person expresses the comprehensive attitude to the surrounding reality and determines motivation of his behavior. Being an element of the structure of a personality, the set of values determines the subjective position of a person by selection of one or another activity; affect the direction of his behavior. The set of values assimilated by an individual during the socialization process is ‘translated’ by the society this is why investigation of the system of personality values appears to be an especially topical issue in the situation of the modern social changes when certain ‘fuzziness’ of the social value structure is observed, many values appear to be destroyed, discrepancies between the ideals stated by the society and values arise [7, 8, 9].

The system of values represents the core of a personality that determines the life activity of a person in whole. The system of values affects the choice, enable meeting norms and standards in the situation of choosing. The system of values is stable dominants of consciousness and behavior that are determined by values of a personality. On the basis of the system of values formed selection of the sphere of professional activity is performed [1, 7].

In order to design the own life strategy one shall analyze the life values and set specific goals determining the person’s path of life. Today in the Russian society reappraisal of values takes place which is determined by the political and economic situation in the country. Young people are especially susceptible to such changes as during this age period the fundamentals of the life strategy are being laid down that are closely related to the choice of the own future [3, 4, 5].

In our study we considered the peculiar features of the sphere of personality values and senses at the junior age which was the objective of the study. The students of the 1^st and 2d courses of the correspondence department of the Department of Psychology and Pedagogics of the Voronezh Pedagogical University made the population of the study. 50 students took participation in the study the average age of which made 22,4 years.

Investigation of the sphere of personality values and senses of young people was performed on the basis of the test of life-purpose orientations by D.А. Leontyev [5] and motivational induction procedure of Nuttin adapted by N.N. Tolstykh [10].

We start analyzing the results of the study with reviewing data obtained on the basis of the test of life-purpose orientations by D.А. Leontyev [6]. The Table 1 presents the quantitative measures of rating the level of the life-purpose orientations across the youth sampling.

Table 1

Results of the study of the life-purpose orientations of young males

The study of the life-purpose orientations showed that most of youth are characterized by determination, satisfaction with their life position. Minor number of those tested do not have any particular goals in their lives, are not satisfied with their life and do not consider it to be interesting. The test subjects perceive life events in a realistic way realizing that changes in the life take place not only due to their activity but are also guided by external circumstances which is evidenced by prevalence of mean values within all scales of life-purpose orientations. High figures were observed in respect of the Locus of control – Life – only which is consistent with the self-image of young males as strong personalities enjoying sufficient freedom of choice to design their life according to their plans and beliefs.

Further, according to the objectives of our study the content of the life-purpose orientations of the youth was investigated on the basis of the motivational induction procedure of Nuttin adapted by N.N. Tolstykh [10].

We have selected the following categories from the list of indices suggested by Nuttin for content analysis in the category of activity:

1) life-purpose orientations related to the macro-social values:

– self-development,

– business (education, profession),

– motivation related to macro-social values (religion, science, cognition),

– building a family,

2) life-purpose orientations related to the needs satisfaction:

– motivation related to disposal of tangible assets,

– rest and entertainment,

– nonsense or non-classifiable objects.

– motivation related to needs satisfaction,

– refusal of activity (suicide, death, the answer ‘I don’t want’ or ‘I won’t answer).

Let’s consider the extent of life-purpose orientations of young males related to macro-social values.

The results are presented in the Table 2

Table 2

Indices of extent of the life-purpose orientations of young males related

to macro-social values

By performance of the qualitative analysis based on the results of study of life-purpose orientations related to macro-social values we have specified the following. With regard to the obtained figures for young males it may be noted that macro-social values in them are rather significantly pronounced, in particular, the most pronounced are such values as building a family and self-development.

In other words, preference of such values as self-development, business (education, profession), motivation related to macro-social values (religion, science, cognition) and building a family are expressed in young males nearly equally with some prevalence of such values as self-development and building a family.

Let’s consider the extent of life-purpose orientations of young males related to needs satisfaction. The results are presented in the Table 3.

Table 3

Indices of extent of the life-purpose orientations of young males related

to needs satisfaction

By performance of the qualitative analysis based on the results of study of life-purpose orientations related to needs satisfaction we have specified the following. As can be seen from the Table 3, the indices of needs satisfaction are pronounced in young males less than macro-social values. Certain prevalence of motivation related to possession of tangible assets over the rest of values has been identified. The rarest categories observed in young males are refusal of activity and nonsense objects.

Thus it may be noted that on the basis of investigation of the content-related aspect of life-purpose orientations it was found out that the values related to macro-social values prevail in young males. Material values prevail among the life-purpose orientations of young males. Orientation towards founding a family and self-development prevails among the life-purpose orientations related to macro-social values.

The study of the life-purpose orientations showed that they are pronounced to an average extent. Mean figures indicate that the test subjects perceive life events in a realistic way realizing that changes in the life take place not only due to their activity but are also guided by external circumstances.

High figures were observed in respect of the Locus of control – Life – only which is consistent with the self-image of young males as strong personalities enjoying sufficient freedom of choice to design their life according to their plans and beliefs.

Thus, in the conclusion we’d like to note that young males seek self-development, treat choice of the life purposes consciously, count themselves able to design their life according to their plans and beliefs.