From the author: An excerpt from a graduate work on a topic that is interesting to me personally - shyness and its experience by students. The topic of my bachelor's thesis was the study of shyness and the correlation of this phenomenon with the phenomena of defensiveness and learned helplessness. The study itself was preceded by a review of the literature on the research topic, and based on the results of this review, I was able to come to the conclusion that the manifestations or experiences of shyness, defensiveness and learned helplessness have both similarities and differences. However, based on the qualities that may be inherent in people experiencing these phenomena, it can be said that their behavior in situations may be similar and perceived by outside observers as similar. Accordingly, the situations in which such people find themselves may also be perceived as similar. To test the hypothesis about similar perceptions of the occurrence of the phenomena of shyness, defensiveness and learned helplessness, a study was conducted. The research material consisted of clear examples of realistic situations that represent the phenomena being studied. Based on the results of the study, conclusions were drawn about the peculiarities of perception of the studied phenomena by a certain age group of students of psychological universities. 2.1 Characteristics of the sample The study involved students of psychological universities, students in the faculties of psychological counseling, social psychology, legal psychology, and clinical psychology. In total, 20 respondents aged 18-26 years took part in the study; the respondents are studying in 1-4 years of bachelor's, specialist's, and master's degrees. All respondents showed interest in the study and offered their help. Among the respondents, there were 9 men and 11 women. 2.2 Research methods and techniques This study used the semi-structured interview method. Respondents were asked to watch 3 video fragments in sequence and answer questions after watching each of them. After watching three video fragments and answering questions, respondents were asked general questions aimed at summarizing the information received from the respondents’ viewing of three video fragments. Instructions: “Hello! I am conducting research on the problems of interpersonal interaction, my task is to find out the characteristics of certain situations, how people who find themselves in them react to them. Thank you for your desire to participate in the work. I suggest you watch three videos in succession, showing different situations from the lives of different people, and answer the questions after each of them and after watching all of them. This will take approximately 1-2 hours, you can take breaks between views. I will also provide writing utensils and paper on which you can record, if you wish, all the moments of the video fragments that are important from your point of view.” The video fragments represented situations in which the characters (the heroes of the video fragments) experienced the phenomena of shyness, defensiveness and learned helplessness. A detailed description of the situations shown to respondents can be found in the appendices (Appendix 3). In our opinion, situations are examples of life situations during which the phenomena we study can manifest themselves. Here are several reasons why we considered the situations in the video fragments suitable for research: Video fragment No. 1, representing the phenomenon of shyness, contains a situation from the everyday life of an ordinary, undistinguished schoolchild. Specifically, the first day at a new school, which involves meeting new people, encountering new challenges and difficulties. The main character reveals traits that, based on the literature reviewed, are characteristic of a shy person - the desire to be like everyone else, the desire for recognition, low confidence in one’s own abilities and the fear of disgracing oneself. These, as well as other features of the protagonist, influence his coping with the situation, oninteraction with other people - classmates and teachers. Video fragment No. 2, representing the phenomenon of defensiveness, contains a situation that can arise for any men and women - a date. The heroes of the video fragment, who know little about each other and have little experience in romantic relationships, are trying to achieve their goals, while not showing their weaknesses to their partner and flaunting their advantages, real and not real. The main characters reveal traits inherent in closed, timid, vulnerable, indecisive people who tend to avoid problems and “close themselves off.” These traits of the characters influence their interaction with each other, with other people, as well as with elements of the cafe environment in which the date takes place. Video fragment No. 3, representing the phenomenon of learned helplessness, contains situations that occur during one day for the average resident small town. The hero leads a solitary life, has few friends, but willingly helps other people and goes to meet them. The situations occur at the hero’s workplace, in a crowded place and at home, a “safe zone” for the hero. According to the place where the hero is, his behavior in situations of interpersonal interaction changes. The main character reveals traits inherent in helpless, powerless people who are characterized by depression, passivity, and humility. These characteristics of the hero influence the interaction with other people in different situations throughout the entire video fragment. The materials for the study were selected based on data obtained from research by various authors, from several works of foreign and domestic researchers. By correlating the features of the phenomena we were studying that they identified, a rough plan of a possible situation was drawn up that could represent the phenomenon being studied. After this, a search was carried out on the works of domestic and foreign film directors, as a result of which works were selected, in different parts of which situations were presented that we considered close to the situation plan for each phenomenon. The next step was to prepare material for presenting edited parts of the films - video fragments - to respondents. After which an interview plan was drawn up and research work began. 2.3 Procedure and course of the study The experiment was carried out in a bright, well-ventilated room. The necessary conditions were created for the respondent, and factors that could interfere with the research were removed. The study was conducted in person, using equipment (list in the appendix). The experiment is divided into 4 parts, each part was mandatory for the respondent to complete and lasts, depending on the respondent’s answers, from 25-35 minutes (10-15 minutes for part 4).1 part: presentation of video fragment No. 1 to the respondent, the respondent watches it from beginning to end, during viewing the respondent can record any significant moments of the video fragment for him, his thoughts, experiences, emotions. After the respondent has completed watching the video fragment, the experimenter clarifies his readiness to answer questions about watching the video fragment; answers are required for all questions. Answers to questions have no time limit and continue depending on the respondent’s answers; when answering questions, the respondent can use the notes made. After all the questions have been answered, the respondent is asked to take a break, or if the respondent does not need a break, he is asked to move on to the second part of the study. Part 2: presentation of video fragment No. 2 to the respondent, the respondent watches it from beginning to end, in While watching, the respondent can record any moments of the video fragment that are significant to him, his thoughts, experiences, and emotions. After the respondent has completed watching the video fragment, the experimenter clarifies his readiness to answer questions about watching the video fragment; answers are required for all questions. The questions don't have answerstime limits and continue depending on the respondent's answers, the respondent can use the notes made when answering questions. After all the questions have been answered, the respondent is asked to take a break, or if the respondent does not need a break, he is asked to move on to the third part of the study. Part 3: presentation of video fragment No. 3 to the respondent, the respondent watches it from beginning to end, in While watching, the respondent can record any moments of the video fragment that are significant to him, his thoughts, experiences, and emotions. After the respondent has completed watching the video fragment, the experimenter clarifies his readiness to answer questions about watching the video fragment; answers are required for all questions. Answers to questions have no time limit and continue depending on the respondent’s answers; when answering questions, the respondent can use the notes made. After all questions have been answered, the respondent is asked to take a break, or if the respondent does not need a break, he is asked to proceed to the fourth part of the study. Part 4: after watching the video clips and answering all the questions in parts 1-3, the respondent is asked answer questions covering viewing of all videos. Answers to questions are not limited in time; answers are required for all questions; when answering questions, the respondent can use the notes made. After all the questions have been answered, the respondent is asked to give feedback on the completion of the study. After completing all parts of the study, the interviews received from the respondents are transcribed, the results are analyzed, and the results of the study are summed up. 2.4 Description of the results Based on the results of the study, data were obtained from 20 respondents, the data was deciphered, analyzed, conclusions were drawn up, which are presented in paragraph 2.5 and in the conclusion. During the study, respondents sequentially watched three video fragments; after viewing each of them, respondents answered questions. After watching the video clips and answering questions (going through parts 1-3 of the study), respondents answered questions in part 4 of the study; after completing all parts of the study, feedback was received from respondents containing critical assessments of the procedure, the content of the study, as well as feedback on the research topic . The following quotes from respondents can be found in Appendix 2, which contains interviews with respondents. Data obtained from interviews with respondents suggests that the video clips were perceived ambiguously by respondents. Each video, the situation it illustrates, the characters in this situation, their ways of interacting with each other and the environment, were rated as realistic by the majority of respondents. However, there are differences in assessments of the realism of different video fragments and the situations occurring in them. Videos numbered 1 and 3 were considered the most realistic; respondents most often considered video number 2 “unlikely”, the situations in it were “hyperbolic”, and often described the characters in the video as “good actors.” The video clips evoked mixed emotions and feelings among respondents about the video clips numbers 1 and 3 and the characters and situations shown in it, respondents most often experienced fear, sympathy, shame, and sadness. For video fragment number 2, respondents felt regret, shame, joy; the situations and characters in the video fragment seemed funny, clumsy, and unlucky to them. Based on the results of the transcript of the interview, it became known that the majority of respondents of both sexes empathized and felt sympathy for the heroes of the situations that occurred in the videos. Accordingly, fewer did not empathize with the heroes, often this was argued by the fact that the heroes are “unreal”, the situation and the actions of the heroes are “hyperbolic”. When giving advice to the heroes how to overcome their difficulties and change their behavior, the majority of male and female respondents rely on experience . Most often thisexperience from the school and early student life of acquaintances, friends, and close people of the respondents. In addition to their own experience, respondents often cite their own experience of situations similar to those from the videos. Most respondents, when asked how the situation in which the heroes of the video fragments found themselves could affect the lives of the heroes, the majority of respondents answered that there is certainly value. However, respondents emphasized the need for some analysis of experience, reflection on it by the heroes; if the experience is not analyzed, then the behavior of the heroes in similar situations will not change. Also, respondents noted that the situations do not occur in Russia, but in another country. Moreover, the situations and behavior of the characters were not assessed as “characteristic” for the country in which the video takes place, which may indicate that the situations are perceived by respondents as realistic for Russian reality. The majority of respondents, noting the age of the characters in the videos, said that age can be an obstacle to changing the behavior of heroes, which may indicate that the younger the hero of the video who finds himself in a situation, the more chances he has to draw the necessary conclusions based on the results of the situation and change his behavior. If we talk about changing the behavior of heroes in situations, then the majority of respondents who recognized the possibility of such changes in the heroes of the videos say that changes are possible only with the assistance of other people who will be close to the heroes of the videos - friends, relatives, loved ones. On the contrary, a minority of respondents admitted that heroes are capable of independently restructuring their behavior in order to more successfully overcome similar situations in the future. Brief results of the study, as well as data obtained during the study, are presented in Table 1. “+” indicates the attitude of the majority of respondents to the proposed criterion, “-” indicates the attitude of a minority of respondents to the proposed criterion. The table also shows examples of statements by respondents according to the selected evaluation criterion. Table No. 1: results of the study Criterion Video fragment 1 (shyness) Video fragment 2 (defensiveness) Video fragment 3 (V. helplessness) Sympathy for the heroes + (“I sympathize with this guy, it’s not easy for him; he’s in a false situation situation, I sympathize”) - (“no, guys, it’s your own fault; well, they’re just funny, I don’t understand them”) - (“no, I have no sympathy for this person”) Focus on experience when giving advice + (“I have I had a similar case; an acquaintance told me about such a person”) + (“well, this is a common situation, I remember, and I had a similar one; it’s just like my uncle and aunt”) + (“yes, they told me about such a person ; looks like my school friend”) The value of experience is recognized + (“this situation will be useful to him, if he is not forgotten of course; if he draws conclusions, it will certainly be useful”) - (“they will most likely forget everything, like a bad dream; not the most pleasant memory, they they will try to forget it”) - (“with difficulty, but he can change if he does not forget the lessons of life; he will remain like this forever”) Connection of the situation with the hero’s age + (“a young guy, if he tries, everything will be fine for him; he still has a lot of time to change”) + (“adults, but they behave this way; yes, they are unlikely will they change, they are no longer schoolchildren”) + (“he’s been like this for a long time, I’m not sure that he can overcome himself; he’s such an age, too much will not change”) Possibility of behavior change + (“yes, he’ll succeed, for sure; he can change”) - and + (50/50)(“well, they’ll probably change something; they’ll have to try hard, but it’s unlikely”) - (“he won’t change, for sure; most likely not he can change") The hero can change himself + (“if he can understand everything himself, then he will do everything right; he has everything, all that remains is to use the resources”) - (“they definitely need help, they themselves don’t know what they are doing ; someone help them!”) - (“he needs to be surrounded with warmth, he won’t get out on his own; he needs to be rescued from this swamp, the guy is stuck”) The hero needs support.»)