The Influence of Students’ Psychological Characteristics on the Results of Learning Chess

Abstract

Purpose. The article aims to reveal the influence of individual psychological characteristics of schoolchildren who studied chess subject on the results of chess test. Method and sampling. The method of free drawing, «My chess lesson», was used, and the method of assessing chess knowledge and skills was also applied using the developed chess test. Based on the school chess curriculum, the test was compiled by a team of experienced specialists in the field of chess education, psychologists, sociologists and professional chess players. The materials of an empirical study on a sample of schoolchildren from all regions of the Republic of Armenia (N=383) are presented. Results and conclusions. Comparing the review of previous studies and empirical data, authors talk about the conditionality of chess skills by individual psychological characteristics of children, such as introversion, intuition, intelligence, reflexivity, etc. Psychological resources and the gender of schoolchildren also determine the development of chess skills. The results emphasize the need to consider individual psychological characteristics both in the preparation of the program and in teaching chess as a general subject at school.