UNCONSCIOUS DETERMINANTS OF CAREER CHOICE: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF HEREDITARY AND ARCHETYPAL FACTORS

Abstract

The article presents the results of an empirical study aimed at identifying unconscious factors that influence career choice, professional development, and self-realization of the individual within the framework of the depth-psychological approach. The problem of professional self-determination is considered as a complex, multi-level formation, in which conscious cognitive-evaluative processes, emotional-motivational tendencies, and deep unconscious determinants rooted in hereditary drives and archetypal structures interact. Career choice appears not only as the result of conscious rational planning or social influence, but also as a manifestation of internal psychic dynamics that determine an individual style of self-realization, value orientations, and life strategy. The analysis is based on an integrative understanding of the unconscious as a source of latent drives, affective tendencies, and symbolic forms of self-expression manifested in professional behavior. The use of a set of psychodiagnostic techniques – the Szondi Test, Luscher Color Test, Keirsey Typology Questionnaire, “Accent 2-90” method, and “Interest Map” – made it possible to combine qualitative and quantitative analysis and to identify systemic correlations between indicators of hereditary drives, emotional states, typological traits, and professional orientations. A distinctive feature of the research is the synthesis of classical depth-psychological concepts and modern psychodiagnostic approaches, which made it possible to reveal professional self-determination as a manifestation of the individual’s unconscious potential.

The results showed that unconscious drives, emotional attitudes, and archetypal structures form the deep motivational basis of professional identity. They determine the direction of personal development, the nature of a person’s interaction with the professional environment, and the awareness of the meaning of their own activity. It was established that the unconscious level of the psyche largely determines the attractiveness of particular fields of activity, while archetypal motives are reflected in the individual’s value orientations and professional scenarios.

The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of applying its findings in career counseling, psychodiagnostic practice, psychological support of professional formation, and self-awareness development programs. The obtained results can be used to optimize the processes of career choice, to promote internal consistency, and to deepen the understanding of one’s vocation.