Value and Life Meaning Aspects of the Moral Component of Spiritual Capacities: The Relationship in Russian Students Sample

The article is devoted to the axiological (value-meaning) sphere of Russian students. The author analyzes the definitions and concepts of values and meanings of life in domestic and foreign psychology, pointing out that many researchers note a close relationship between these constructs. The value-meaning aspects of the personality are considered in the context of the study of spiritual capacities, i.e., their moral component. Among the subcomponents of the moral component of spiritual capacities, three blocks are identified: (1) motivational-axiological - value-meaning (spiritual and moral qualities, striving for meaning); (2) affective-motivational - selfless love (spiritual altruistic orientation, empathy); and (3) cognitive-affective - conscience. This work is focused on the motivational-axiological block. The purpose of the study is to identify whether the value-meaning sphere, considered as part of the moral component of spiritual capacities, is balanced in modern student youth, which implies the consistency of the functioning of the spiritual and moral qualities (reflecting an orientation towards higher values), and the aspiration for meaning. The research objectives are to reveal the connections between the spiritual and moral qualities and the components of the value-meaning sphere (life-meaning orientations, value “Spiritual satisfaction”) among students; to establish the level of manifestation of these qualities in the studied sample; and to determine the differences in all the considered indicators between the male and female respondents. The sample was made up of 196 students (males = 73%; females = 27%; М = 19.76; SD = 1.556). The following inventories were used: The Spiritual Personality Inventory (SPI) by A. Husain, M. Anas (adapted by G.V. Ozhiganova); The Life Meaning Orientation Test (LMOT) by D.A. Leontiev; the scale of “Spiritual satisfaction” of the Axiological Orientation of a Personality 4.5 (AOP4.5) test by A.V. Kaptsov. The results of the study confirmed the hypothesis: on the sample of students, a significant positive relationship was established between the spiritual and moral qualities, reflecting the orientation of a person towards higher values, with aspirations for meaning and spiritual satisfaction. Gender differences were revealed only on the scale of “Spiritual satisfaction” - it was higher in girls. In the student sample, an average level of manifestation of spiritual and moral qualities was established.