SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING IN ADOLESCENCE

Introduction. Social changes in Ukrainian society lead to the revision of each person's life principles and values, and the need to educate a new active, purposeful younger generation that can make decisions and participate independently and actively in civic life.Many social problems in society, a family, or an individual can be explained by analyzing the possibilities of mutual understanding in interpersonal communication, because, being an integral attribute of human life, interpersonal communication plays an important role in all spheres of life. Scientists note the socio-psychological mechanisms of mutual understanding and neurophysiological mechanisms of social perception and empathy. Purpose. The goal of our research was the theoretical and experimental study of social and psychological mechanisms of mutual understanding in adolescence based on the relevance of the mentioned problem. Methods. The methods of theoretical and empirical research and the statistical method of processing research results were applied. Results. It was established during the research that the education of teenagers in secondary educational establishments is mostly aimed at the cognitive development of students, but not at their social development. The generalization of psych diagnostic research results was carried out separately in groups of boys and girls. The obtained data made it possible to divide the groups of subjects according to three indicators: low level of reflection, medium level, and high level of reflection.Originality. Psychological studies prove that an individual prepares to enter the adult world exactly during the adolescence period, experiencing many contradictions and facing many difficulties. Successful development and emergence of interpersonal communication are possible under the condition of mutual understanding between its participants. It has been established that education in general secondary education institutions is mainly aimed at the cognitive development of students, not at the development of their personality and social development. It is proposed to use practical training in psychological skills and empathy training for the formation of socio- psychological mechanisms of mutual understanding. Conclusion. Mechanisms of mutual understanding in adolescence are not sufficiently developed. However, purposeful organization of interaction in the communicative space of students in the adolescent period using elements of psychological training contributes to the development of their empathy and reflection.