The Bulletin of National Defence University of Ukraine

  • Received 14.08.2025,
  • Revised 07.12.2025,
  • Accepted 27.01.2026
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Vol. 21, No. 1, 2026
  • dominant decision-making styles; professional aspirations; values; cognitive determinants of choice; self-regulation
  • https://doi.org/10.33099/2617-6858-26-21-1-107-114
  • Pages 107-114

The relevance of this study is determined by the need to examine the psychological mechanisms of decision-making by military personnel under combat stress, since cognitive, emotional, and motivational factors directly determine the effectiveness of the performance of combat duties. The aim of the study was to establish correlations between the decision-making styles of military personnel and their professional motivation. The research methods were based on the comprehensive application of standardised psychodiagnostic techniques and statistical procedures, in particular the Melbourne decision-making questionnaire for assessing decision-making styles (vigilance, hypervigilance, avoidance, procrastination), V. Osodlo methodology for studying professional motivation on the scales of professional aspirations and professional interests and values, as well as Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient for analysing the relationships between ordinal scale variables. The study was conducted on a sample of 50 male military personnel aged 26 to 48 in controlled conditions of a military unit, in compliance with ethical principles and confidentiality. The results showed that the dominant decision-making style was vigilance (42% of respondents), characterised by the ability to analyse alternatives, predict consequences and make responsible decisions. Hypervigilance was observed in 26% of military personnel and manifested itself in increased anxiety and impulsivity, while avoidance and procrastination were less common (18% and 14%, respectively), indicating the presence of unproductive behavioural strategies in stressful conditions. Analysis of professional motivation showed high levels of ambition and conscious interest in most participants (48-56%), which correlated with an adaptive vigilant decision-making style. Significant inverse correlations were observed between avoidance and procrastination styles and professional motivation indicators, indicating the influence of motivational insufficiency on the formation of maladaptive choice strategies. The practical value of the study lies in the possibility of using its results to develop psychological training programmes and workshops aimed at forming adaptive decision-making styles, developing professional motivation and increasing the stress resistance of military personnel, which will contribute to the growth of efficiency and safety in the performance of service duties

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