Features of self-attitude in university students involved and not involved in sports in relation to self-perception of physical and aesthetic modalities of self-image

The paper (a) examines psychological features of self-attitude in students involved and not involved in sports; (b) analyzes features of self-perception in students involved in gender-specific and gender-non-specific sports by means of categories of self-image, physical self, and aesthetic self; (c) proves that bodily perception of self-image influences self-attitude in students while studying at university. Studying students' self-attitude in early youth is of interest because it is the period of active interpersonal interaction, finding of their own place in the world, entering the system of social reproduction, forming socio-moral evaluations, social adaptation through sports activities. The theoretical section describes the main concepts of self-attitude in domestic and foreign psychology, as well as features of the development of self-attitude in students. The analysis emphasizes the influence of (a) bodily perception on self-attitude in students involved in gender-specific and gender-non-specific sports, as well as (b) sports specialization on ego-identity of the person. The empirical study revealed (a) the main principles of self-attitude in university students involved and not involved in sports in relation to self-perception of physical and aesthetic modalities of self-image; (b) associations among personal qualities, gender identity, social adaptiveness, and modality of self-concept. The findings of the statistical analysis confirmed the credibility of the studies and conclusions. The final section concludes with a summary. The results are of direct practical relevance. The methodological tools of the study included the following: (a) S. Bem Gender Identity Questionnaire; (b) M. Kuhn and T. McPartland Twenty Statements Test; (c) S. R. Pantileev technique for studying self-attitude “MIS”; (d) K. Rogers and R. Diamond technique for studying socio-psychological adaptation “SPA” (in modification of A. K. Osnitskii); (e) T. Leary Interpersonal Diagnosis (in modification of L. N. Sobchik); (f) E. V. Kolomiychenko questionnaire “Your relation to sports” for students involved in sports; (g) and “Physical Self” and “Aesthetic Self” questionnaires. The participants comprised 109 (60 girls and 49 young men) students of sciences and humanities faculties of Southern Federal University aged 18–22 years, involved and not involved in sports.