Science for Education Today, 2026, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 190–210
© Churikov I. Y., Kagan E. S., Kargina A. E., Morozova I. S., 2026
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Features of the interrelation between cognitive and motivational processes in students with different levels of nervous system lability and balance

Churikov I. Y. 1 (Kemerovo, Russia, Russian Federation), Kagan E. S. 1 (Kemerovo, Russian Federation), Kargina A. E. 1 (Kemerovo, Russian Federation), Morozova I. S. 1 (Kemerovo, Russian Federation)
1 Kemerovo State University
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Abstract: 

Introduction. The article addresses the problem of specifying the nature of the interrelation between cognitive and motivational processes in students, taking into account the properties of nervous processes, due to the insufficient understanding of how these neurodynamic characteristics mediate the relationship between cognitive functions and academic motivation. The aim of the article is to identify the features of the interrelations between cognitive and motivational indicators in groups of students with different levels of nervous system lability and balance.
Materials and Methods. The methodological basis of the study is the typological approach (I. P. Pavlov), further developed in the works of V. D. Nebylitsyn, which considers the properties of the nervous system as determinants of individual differences, and the individual-metric approach. The research employed theoretical methods (analysis, synthesis, generalization, and systematization of scholarly publications) and empirical methods (testing). Data processing was carried out using methods of mathematical statistics. The study involved 243 students of Kemerovo State University. The participants were divided into six groups according to the type of nervous system and the balance of nervous processes; in each group, an analysis of the relationships between cognitive and motivational variables was performed.
Results. Significant relationships were identified between cognitive and motivational processes in groups with different types of nervous organization. Students with an inert type of nervous system showed high performance in verbal and computational functions, associated with dominant external motivation and increased fatigability. Individuals with a labile type demonstrated pronounced verbal activity and a decrease in spatial abilities under cognitive load. It has been substantiated that the balance of nervous processes ensures the productivity of cognitive processes, taking into account the salience of subjectively significant motives, thereby determining the effectiveness of material acquisition and promoting the formation of optimal adaptive strategies in learning activities.
Conclusions. The results of the study revealed the specific features of the interrelationships between cognitive and motivational indicators determined by the typological characteristics of the nervous system.
The findings substantiate the expediency of a differentiated approach to instruction that takes into account the neurodynamic features of students in order to optimize their learning activities.

Keywords: 

Neurodynamic characteristics; Cognitive processes; Motives; Inert type of the nervous system; Lability of the nervous system; Balance of nervous processes; Learning activities.

For citation:
Churikov I. Y., Kagan E. S., Kargina A. E., Morozova I. S. Features of the interrelation between cognitive and motivational processes in students with different levels of nervous system lability and balance. Science for Education Today, 2026, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 190–210. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15293/2658-6762.2603.09
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Date of the publication 30.03.2026