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Elena V. Tsukanova - Candidate of Psychological Sciences, professor of the department of Methodology of Law and Legal Communication of the Law Institute of the Russian University of Transport

Abstract. The current paper has analyzed a stress as a destructive psycho-emotional condition experienced by people in extreme life situations. There have been considered the essential characteristics, features, factors and mechanisms of a stress, as well as its behavioral, activity, psychophysiological, cognitive and emotional manifestations. Special attention has been paid to the analysis of a stress as a risk factor in the professional activities of transport operators. There have been considered the specific stress factors experienced by operators in the most stressful driving situations on river and sea, underwater, air, space, rail. The information presented in the current paper can be used in the process of diagnosing and estimating the functional condition of driving staff for the professional selection of the transport personnel, while quickly resolving the issue of access to work on a vehicle in special and extreme situations. Taking into account the extreme importance of occupational stress as a factor that reduces the efficiency and safety of vehicle driving and provokes accidents, there have been formulated the urgent issues to develop psychological support for transportation safety.

Keywords: extreme situation; stress; eustress; distress; stress factor; manifestations of stress; stress resistance; behavior; activity; ‘human-machine’ system; risk; transportation safety/security.

References:

1. Vodop'yanova, N. Ye. Psikhodiagnostika stressa [Psychodiagnosis of stress]. — Sankt-Peterburg : Piter, 2009.
2. Igumnov, S. A. Stress i stress-zavisimyye zabolevaniya [Stress and stress-dependent diseases] / S. A. Igumnov, V. A. Zhebentyayev. — Sankt-Peterburg : Rech', 2011.