SOCIAL CONGRUENCE OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS AS A FACTOR IN ADAPTATION TO A NEW SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

The article presents the results of a theoretical and empirical study of social congruence as a psychological factor in the adaptation of internally displaced persons to a new social environment. The relevance of the study is determined by the need for an in-depth analysis of the psychological mechanisms of personal integration under conditions of forced social change, accompanied by identity transformation, disruption of social ties, and increased psycho-emotional tension. Social congruence is considered as an integrative personal characteristic reflecting the consistency of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral manifestations with the norms and expectations of the social environment. The study involved 230 internally displaced persons, differentiated by the level of socio-psychological adaptation into three groups: low, medium, and high levels of adaptation. The empirical analysis was conducted using a modified questionnaire of socio-psychological adaptation. The results indicate that the adaptation process is nonlinear and characterized by multidirectional dynamics of psychological indicators. The most balanced adaptation profile was found in the group with a medium level of adaptation, characterized by an optimal combination of self-acceptance, internality, and emotional comfort. It is shown that a high level of adaptation is not identical to maximum social openness and is associated with the formation of selective and differentiated interaction with the social environment. The findings demonstrate the absence of a direct relationship between the level of social congruence and the effectiveness of adaptation. It has been established that social congruence acquires different functional forms depending on the level of adaptation: declarative, balanced, and selectively autonomous. It is substantiated that effective adaptation is determined not only by the level of social congruence but also by its interaction with other personal resources.

The results refine theoretical understanding of the role of social congruence in the structure of the adaptation process and can be applied in psychological support for internally displaced persons.