Mental regulation of students' psychological states

. The problem of regulation of mental activity is one of the fundamental problems of psychology and is a topical subject of study both in theoretical and practical terms. In the theoretical concepts of self-regulation the role of the “I” phenomenon, its contribution to changing the subject’s states, is the least studied. In this regard, the article aims at studying the role of the "I" system in the regulation of mental states. The organization of the study is based on a system-functional approach to the self-regulation of human mental states. The research procedure included measuring the regulatory properties of students, methods of regulation, characteristics of the "I" system, mental states in the conditions of lectures, seminars and exams. The results of the study showed that the most significant components of the "I" system in the structure of the regulatory profile of students are indicators of self-assessment of personal qualities, self-confidence and the cognitive component of self-attitude. We found that the level of effectiveness of self-regulation decreases with an increase in the complexity and significance of the learning situation. The highest indicators of the effectiveness of regulation are in the conditions of lectures, whereas in the conditions of exams they have a minimum value. Thus, we have shown the key role of the "I" system in the mental regulation of mental states. It is revealed through the organization of interactions with regulatory properties, the effectiveness of self-regulation, the choice of ways to regulate states in various situations of life.


Introduction
The problem of regulation of mental activity is one of the fundamental problems of general and applied psychology.Recently, the focus of research has shifted to the study of mental mechanisms of self-regulation.Thanks to participation in the regulation of consciousness, a person chooses ways to change his state on his own and correlates them with the peculiarities of the life situation.Thus, he flexibly adapts his own behavior and activities to various circumstances of his life.Therefore, knowledge of the psychological mechanisms of selfregulation is of a great practical importance.By implementing technologies of mental regulation of states, we gain an access to the management of human activity, as well as the key to improving the quality of his life.
Modern psychology has accumulated a lot of theoretical and empirical material on various approaches to the regulation of emotions and mental states (Burganova et al., 2020).However, works that reveal the role of consciousness in regulatory processes are not enough.In particular, there is little data on the influence of reflection, meaning, and the "I" system on the regulation of human states.The lack of knowledge of this problem is obvious.Therefore, the study of the relationship of the "I" system with the structures of consciousness in the regulatory process has an undoubted novelty.

Purpose and objectives of the study
Taking into account, on the one hand, the urgency of the problem of mental states' regulation, on the other hand, the insufficient knowledge of the role of the components of consciousness in regulatory processes, the aim of this study is to investigate the role of the "I" system in the regulation of mental states.Our assumption is that the components of the "I" system determine the regulatory profile of students and affect the effectiveness of self-regulation of students' mental states.

Literature review
In modern psychology, ideas about self-regulation processes are often associated with executive functions, which are understood as cognitive processes that regulate, control and manage other mental processes, and are the main basis of the ability to self-control (Khotinets et al., 2022).
For example, Zelazo et al. (2018) offer a three-level model of executive functions integrating various levels of self-regulation from nervous processes to behavior.It introduces the concepts of cognitive complexity and control, which reflect the overall development of consciousness.The result of development is the formation of a reflexive consciousness that provides control of thoughts and actions.Cognitive processes are also of key importance in the cognitive-motivational concept of coping with stress (Berjot & Gillet, 2011).According to this approach, the ability of a person to cope with difficult situations is determined by the processes of cognitive assessment.
At the end of the XX century the theory of control over action (Bauman et al., 2005), a model of regulation of behavior and emotional states (Puustinen & Pulkkinen, 2001) were developed.In these works, it was attempted to consider cognitive self-control taking into account the characteristics of temperament, unconscious aspects of regulation and various socio-psychological factors.The most complete model of emotion regulation covering a wide range of regulatory strategies is the Gross (2015) procedural model.
Among the concepts of self-regulation, the least studied are the mental mechanisms of states' self-regulation.The most productive theoretical basis for considering the interaction of consciousness structures in the process of mental regulation is the concept of mental experience (Prokhorov, 2020).According to this model, the organization of the regulatory process is a system of relationships between mental states, characteristics of consciousness ("I" system, reflection, semantic structures) and external factors (situations, lifestyle, social environment).The interaction of the components is represented by regulatory actions and feedback.Regulation based on the psychological properties of the individual (temperament, character, abilities, etc.).The key role in mental regulation is played by the "I" system, which organizes the involvement of consciousness structures in the regulatory process, influences the choice of regulatory actions.
The phenomenon of "I" remains in the focus of attention of many researchers.The authors recognize the multidimensionality of the "I" system, emphasize the necessity of an integrative approach to its study (Wehrle & Fasbender, 2019).The most common is the idea of the structure of the "I" system, which includes three main components: cognitive (the totality of an individual's ideas about himself and the process of self-cognition), affective (emotionalvalue attitude to himself) and regulatory (Drozdikova-Zaripova, 2018).Thus, in modern approaches researchers emphasize the regulatory function of the "I" system.Being the epicenter of consciousness, the "I" system provides internal self-organization and selfregulation of mental activity, acts as a determinant of behavior (Tesser et al., 2000).
In recent years a significant number of studies of the "I system" and related phenomena have been carried out.Dozens of forms of "Self" have been found: Self-esteem, self-respect, self-affirmation, self-control, Self-verification, Self-discrepancies, identity, etc.This is a very short and incomplete list of a huge variety of "I" forms discovered by psychologists (Jankowski et al., 2021).However, a single area of "I" research did not arise; rather, on the contrary, there was an aggregation of many different areas related to the "I" phenomenon.The most interesting research is concentrated in the field of medicine.Thus, it has been shown the role of the "I system" in integral counseling (Cook-Greuter, 2007), in the treatment of depression (Strauman & Eddington, 2017), in self-organization strategies in psychotherapy (Rosa-Gonçalves et al., 2018).
In general, the role of the "I system" in the mental regulation of states has been poorly studied.We have not been able to find works that reveal the contribution of the components of the "I system" to the change of the subject's states, their role and significance in the process of mental regulation.This proves the relevance of this study.

Methodology
The study is based on a structural-functional approach to self-regulation of the mental states of a person (Prokhorov, 2020).According to this model, the epicenter of self-regulation is the mental (subjective) experience of a person, in which the "I" system is the leading structure.In the mental experience, the integration of the components of consciousness is carried out, aimed at achieving the goal -the regulation of the mental state of the individual.
In accordance with the purpose of the study, we formed a sample consisting of 132 students of Kazan Federal University; the average age is 20.6 years.Three forms of learning activity (lecture, seminar, and exam) represented the main situations of the study.These forms of student activity have different content, different degrees of involvement in the process, and have different levels of tension and significance for students.In each of the considered forms of education, we recorded the typical mental states of students.
The main study consisted of two phases.At the first stage, on the one hand, the components of the "I" system were measured, on the other hand, regulatory properties, methods of regulation, coping strategies of students.The task of the stage is to reveal the regulatory profile of students, as well as the role of the components of the "I" system in the structure of regulatory properties.At the next stage, we established the contribution of the regulatory properties of students to the indicator of the effectiveness of self-regulation of mental states in three different situations of educational activity (lecture, seminar, and exam).
In the study, we used standardized methods well known in Russian psychology.Indicators of mental states, self-attitude, effectiveness of self-regulation, self-control of emotions and behavior, ability to self-government, as well as ways of coping behavior were measured.
We used the methods of mathematical statistics: correlation analysis (Pearson), factor analysis (principal component analysis, Varimax rotation).Data processing was performed in the SPSS Statistics 22.0.

Results
The first stage of empirical research is connected with the study of the relationship of the "I system" components with the peculiarities of self-regulation of students' mental states.In order to identify the individual regulatory profile of respondents, the following aspects were investigated.
The ability to self-management is a purposeful change of a person's own forms of activity (communication, behavior, activity and experiences).This general ability includes the following particular regulatory properties: contradiction analysis, forecasting, goal-setting, planning, quality assessment criteria, decision-making, self-control, correction.
The style of self-regulation is the individual characteristics of self-regulation typical for a person, which is manifested in various types of his activity.It includes scales of regulation processes (planning, modeling, programming, evaluation of results) and regulatory-personal properties (flexibility, independence).
Coping strategies are ways to overcome negative life circumstances.The most significant strategies are confrontation, distancing, self-control, search for social support, taking responsibility, avoidance, problem solving planning, positive reassessment.
Social self-control is the skills and abilities of a person to establish a correspondence between their own activity and social norms.This construct includes scales of emotional selfcontrol, self-control in activity and social self-control.
We understand the methods of self-regulation as strategies of a person, to which he appeals to regulate negative states.The main methods of regulation are passive rest; actualization of positive images; self-suggestion; active discharge; reflection; switching attention; communication.
In order to identify the structure of the regulatory profile and reduce the number of indicators, a factor analysis was carried out.Using the method of principal components with Varimax rotation we identified seven factors characterizing regulatory strategies and personality abilities, their total contribution was 62% of the variance.The first factor explaining 24% of the variance includes characteristics of self-regulation, which we interpret as cognitive strategies of self-regulation.The factor includes the following indicators: analysis of contradictions, forecasting, goal-setting, planning, decision-making, self-control, correction, modeling, programming, evaluation of results; as well as methods of self-regulation (autosuggestion and reflection), coping behavior strategies (problem-solving planning and positive reassessment).
The second factor (13% of the total variance) included indicators of self-control focused on social norms and requirements.
The third factor (9% variance) combined constructive behavioral methods of selfregulation of states (actualization of positive images and memories, active discharge, switching, communication).
The fourth factor (7% variance) included behavioral strategies related to confrontation, distancing and avoidance.
The fifth factor (5% variance) includes the indicator "independence", which characterizes the autonomy of a person in the organization of his own activity.
The sixth factor (4% variance) combined indicators of passive behavioral strategies of self-regulation (passive discharge and search for social support).
At the positive pole of the seventh factor there is the indicator "flexibility", which assesses the ability to rebuild the system of self-regulation in connection with changes in external and internal conditions.At the negative pole of the factor there is the indicator "passive rest".
As a result of the correlation analysis we have revealed the connections between the components of the "I system" and the selected self-regulation factors.The most significant correlations with indicators of self-esteem and self-attitude are the first factor, which includes cognitive strategies of self-regulation (Table 1).A positive attitude to oneself and a high level of self-esteem positively correlates with a developed ability to self-regulation at all its stages (analysis of contradictions, forecasting, goal setting, planning, quality assessment criterion, decision-making, self-control, correction).Internal conflict and self-blame are negatively related to the cognitive aspect of self-regulation.The factor of social self-control positively correlates with the indicator of openness and the level of self-esteem.
A high level of attitude to oneself and self-esteem directly correlates with the predominance of constructive coping strategies: problem-solving planning and positive reassessment, as well as with such methods of self-regulation as reflection, autosuggestion.
The leading components in the structure of the relationships between the indicators of the "I system" and the characteristics of self-regulation of students are the elements of the "I system": self-assessment of personal qualities, an integral indicator of the global attitude to oneself and its cognitive component, self-confidence.Indicators of the general level of selfregulation, as well as regulatory properties (analysis of contradictions and decision-making) have a similar status.Thus, it can be concluded that the components of the "I system" are integrative in the structure of relationships with the characteristics of the regulatory profile of students.The most significant components of the "I system" in the structure of the regulatory profile of students are indicators of self-assessment of personal qualities, self-confidence and the cognitive component of the global attitude to oneself.
At the second stage we investigated the role of the components of the "I system" in the effectiveness of students' self-regulation in the course of educational activities.
Studies have shown that the level of effectiveness of self-regulation decreases with increasing complexity and importance of the educational situation.The highest performance indicators were revealed in the lecture conditions, and in the exam conditions they reach the minimum value.
The components of the "I system" have significant correlations with the effectiveness of self-regulation in various educational situations (Table 2).For indicators of positive attitude strategies and self-esteem correlations have a direct orientation.Inverse correlations were found between the effectiveness of self-regulation and indicators of the strategy of selfdeprecation (self-blame and internal conflict).
The strength of the correlations decreases as the intensity of the learning activity increases in the lecture/seminar/exam range.However, for most indicators of self-attitude and selfesteem the correlation with the effectiveness of regulation remains significant.
The obtained results indicate the significant role of the components of the "I system" in the self-regulation of students' mental states.This applies to both the components of the global attitude to oneself and the components of self-attitude (self-esteem, auto sympathy and self-deprecation).A positive attitude towards oneself and high self-esteem contribute to increasing the overall effectiveness of self-regulation of students' states.It should also be noted that in the case of internal conflict and self-blame we could observe the opposite effect on the effectiveness of self-regulation in all forms of educational activity.Thus, high indicators of the secondary self-deprecation factor predictably reduce the effectiveness of managing students' states.

Discussions
In modern concepts of self-regulation the main "support" is the psychological qualities of the individual, whereas the vector of the regulation process is behavior.The specificity of selfregulation of mental states is associated with the functional blocks of control and correction of those characteristics of the state that determine its quality (modality, duration, polarity and intensity).In theoretical constructions researchers pay little attention to the mental component of regulation.Thus, the question of the contribution of the consciousness structures to the regulation of states remains open.
In our research we develop the concept of mental regulation of psychological states.The latter is a structure of interrelations between the characteristics of consciousness (representations, reflection, semantic structures, and subjective experience).The mental regulatory system performs a control function in relation to the states of the individual, its activity is mediated both by external (situations, culture, lifestyle, gender and age characteristics, time factors, etc.) and internal (temperament, character, abilities, etc.) factors.
It includes regulatory actions and feedback.The "I" system, in our opinion, is the central link (crown center) of the mental regulatory system.It performs a regulatory function, ensuring the inclusion of various mental structures in the self-regulation of states, determines the choice of regulatory actions.In accordance with these ideas, we have described some patterns related to the role of the "I" system in the regulation of states, and studied the interrelations of the "I" system with the regulatory properties of the individual.
We have shown only one aspect concerning the role of the "I" system in ensuring the inclusion of these structures in the regulatory process and the effectiveness of self-regulation in everyday and stressful situations of students' educational activities.Another aspect, obviously, is connected with the study of the interaction of the "I" system and individual mental structures in the process of regulation.
In addition, for a more detailed understanding of the problem it is necessary to explore the interrelations of individual substructures of the "I" system (I-physical, I-real, I-ideal, Iprofessional, I-actual, I-future, I-social, I-cognitive, I-emotional, etc.) with mental states arising in the course of activity.The subsequent generalization and integration of the results will show a more holistic picture of the interrelations between the "I" system and selfregulation of mental states.

Conclusion
We have established the specifics of the relationship between the indicators of the "I" system with the characteristics of the regulatory profile of the individual: by the methods and strategies of self-regulation, the level of self-control and self-management.It is established that the indicators of the "I" system (self-attitude and self-esteem) are the leading components in the structure of correlations with the indicator of the effectiveness of self-regulation of states in ordinary and stressful situations of students' learning activities.
Students with a positive attitude towards themselves have a greater ability to selfregulation, including all its stages (forecasting, goal setting, modeling, etc.).They use cognitive coping strategies such as problem-solving planning, positive reassessment, reflection, and autosuggestion.Such students choose constructive behavioral methods of selfregulation more often and show greater flexibility in choosing regulatory methods.The effectiveness of self-regulation in everyday and stressful situations of the educational process is higher among students with a high level of self-attitude and self-esteem.
With an increasing tension of the situation due to the experience of non-equilibrium states by the subject, the strength and intensity of the correlations between the indicators of the "I" system and the characteristics of the regulatory process decreases, which is connected with a change in the intensity of mental states and insufficient effectiveness of self-regulation means.

Table 1 .
Correlations between the components of the "I system" and the factors of the regulatory profile of students * Note 1: Factor 1: cognitive regulation processes.Factor2: social self-control.Factor 3: constructive behavioral methods of regulation; Factor 4: destructive behavioral methods of regulation.Factor 5: independence.Factor 6: passive methods of regulation.Factor 7: flexibility -passivity.Note 2:* p ≤ 0.05; ** p ≤ 0.01.

Table 2 .
Correlations between the level of self-regulation effectiveness in various educational situations and components of the "I system"