Psychological aspects of army hand-to-hand combat training in the context of modern military education

Abstract

Modern conditions of military conflicts place increased demands on the psychological preparedness of military personnel, in particular, on the skills of conducting hand-to-hand combat in extreme situations. The present study is aimed at identifying key psychological aspects that affect the effectiveness of army hand-tohand combat (ARB) training in the military education system. The methodological basis of the study included an integrated approach using psychodiagnostic techniques, structured observation and quasi-experimental procedures. The empirical basis was based on data obtained during a longitudinal study of 237 cadets of military universities of the Russian Federation in the period 2020-2023. The results of the study revealed a statistically significant correlation between the level of stress tolerance and the effectiveness of ARB techniques in simulated stressful situations (r=0.78, p<0.001). The differentiation of psychological profiles of students has been established, affecting the rate of ARB skills formation (F=12.37, p<0.01). The effectiveness of integrated psychological and pedagogical techniques combining psychoemotional regulation and technical and tactical training, increasing the effectiveness of training by 32.4% compared with traditional approaches, has been revealed. A multi-level system of psychological support for ARB training has been developed and tested, which makes it possible to reduce psycho-emotional barriers during the development of techniques by 27.8%. The results obtained make a significant contribution to improving the methodology of military education and open up prospects for optimizing psychological training programs for military personnel.