Influence of the structure of educational and professional motivation on the level of aspirations of psychology students of higher educational institutions

Substantiation of the research objectives: The current situation on the labor market imposes new requirements on university graduates, who at the time of graduation from higher educational institutions must have competencies that ensure their competitiveness. Some inconsistency between professional and educational standards gives rise to a contradiction that modern young professionals are forced to solve when entering an independent working life. These risks can be significantly reduced if, during the period of study, students form a harmonious hierarchy of motives in the structure of professional motivation, a realistic level of aspirations and a professionally determined life position. All this determines the purpose of the study: to reveal the features of the hierarchy of motives in the structure of educational and professional motivation of graduates-psychologists of higher educational institutions and the level of their aspirations for future activities. Research methods: method of theoretical analysis and systematization of scientific ideas; ascertaining experiment; methodology for determining the level of personality aspirations (V. K. Gerbachevsky); method of mathematical statistics - Student's t-test. Research results. The study made it possible to establish that the group of leading and accompanying motives of educational and professional activity of psychology students includes: a cognitive motive, a motive for the regularity of the intended results, a motive for self-esteem of personal potential, a motive for self-mobilization. The average level of formation of personality aspirations in future activities was revealed. A correlation relationship has been established between the level of students' aspirations and the leading motives: the cognitive motive and the motive of the regularity of the intended results. Key findings and their significance. In the course of the study, the features in the structure of the hierarchy of educational and professional motivation of psychology students were revealed, the level of their aspirations was determined. This is consistent with the specifics of psychological and pedagogical activity, since it reflects the personal meaning and determines the life-meaning orientations of this activity for future psychologists in the field of education. The data of the conducted study can be useful in the implementation of effective psychological and pedagogical support of students receiving a profession of a humanistic orientation.