Psychological Foundations for Shaping Patriotism among Students from the Perspective of Contemporary Psychology

Abstract

This study examines the contemporary psychological foundations for shaping patriotism among university students. Its purpose is to identify effective mechanisms that strengthen the patriotic motivations of young people in higher-education settings, drawing on the latest theoretical approaches and applied technologies in psychology. The research object comprised 18- to 24-year-old students enrolled in universities and institutes, while the research subject focused on their individual socio-psychological characteristics and patriotism-related motives.

A mixed-method design was employed: quantitative tools (psychological diagnostic tests) were combined with qualitative methods (semi-structured interviews, focus-group discussions) and an experimental training program. Findings indicate that students with higher self-awareness, well-developed metacognitive skills, and strong socio-emotional competencies score significantly higher on patriotism measures (p < .01). In addition, short-term psycho-pedagogical interventions grounded in interest-based tasks and social-identification components raised patriotism indices by 15–18 percent. On the basis of these results, a psychological training module and a package of recommendations-both suitable for integration into higher-education curricula-were developed. The module is designed to nurture national pride, civic responsibility, and an active social stance in students.