Self-efficacy instead of anxiety

28.09.2018.

Sense of security felt by individuals and society is at the centre of the new research development project carried out in cooperation of four faculties of ELTE – the Bárczi Gusztáv Faculty of Special Education, the Faculty of Education and Psychology, the Faculty of Social Sciences, as well as the Faulty of Primary and Pre-School Education.

The feeling of social security is at the same time a capacity which helps individuals and the community recognize challenges in everyday life as well as emergencies at various levels of society, and handle them in a competent way. The existence of such a sense of security fundamentally determines the mental health of citizens and communities, which renders this issue of major social importance.

Researchers participating in the project will examine questions related to the feeling of security at different levels of society. They will explore, among other things, what people regard as the components of the sense of security, whether they trust in the education system, and believe that schools are able to handle emerging crisis situations and provide adequate support to those students who need help. At the other end of life course, it is also investigated whether elderly care is available, and how the aging of society affects the social security perceived by people.

The results of the exploratory research will contribute to a better understanding of the most diverse social emergencies,

the exploration of the cognitive components of security from school bullying to domestic abuse. At the same time, they will help children overcome anxiety and prepare teachers and school psychologists for crisis management. As an outcome of the project, specialists intend to develop a variety of aiding tools and assist their introduction in Hungary in order to ensure that old age is not a burden for people concerned and their families and wider environment, but rather should represent new opportunities.

Every faculty of ELTE, and in the case of the Faculty of Education and Psychology (Pedagógiai és Pszichológiai Kar, PPK) each institute and department involved in the research represents an independent pillar of study, a sub-project headed by renowned experts of the (sub)fields in question: Mária Hercz (Faulty of Primary and Pre-School Education), Adrienn Újhelyi (Institute of Psychology, PPK), Csaba Kucsera (Faculty of Social Sciences), Katalin N. Kollár (Institute of Psychology, PPK), Nguyen Luu Lan Ahn (Centre of Intercultural Psychology and Pedagogy, PPK), Gabriella Papp (Bárczi Gusztáv Faculty of Special Education), and Mariann Ziss (Institute of Psychology, PPK). The professional leaders and coordinators of the project are Katalin Felvinczi associate professor (Institute of Psychology, PPK) and Zoltán Rónay associate professor (Institute of Education, PPK).

The project titled Self-efficacy Instead of Anxiety – Understanding the components of the sense of security; intervention tool and program development for institutions and actors involved in different segments of social security will be carried out between 1 October 2018 and 30 September 30 2021 using a total of HUF 245 million, out of which more than HUF 242 million will be covered from funding.