935
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Relevance of the research problem
It is appropriate to focus on a seafarer’s personality
and mentality in the context of maritime leadership.
The Manila Amendments to the International
Convention on Standards of Training, Certification
and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW Convention)
has provided for seafarers’ leadership training and its
implementation in the teamwork of the ship’s crew
since 2010 [4]. Maritime leadership naturally begins
with self-leadership, which depends on the kind of
marine self-concept, including self-esteem, a future
seafarer has [7]. It is relevant to explore what his/her
marine self-concept is and how it is changing,
particularly with regard to the quality of life of the
seafarer [6]. It is purposeful to analyze the
psychological internalization of the marine self-
concept of future seafarers as a value on a cognitive,
emotional, and behavioral level. The psychological
internalization of values consists of three levels:
− Cognitive level – understanding of the essence and
importance of values;
− Emotional level – emotional experiences and value
aspirations;
− Behavioral level – practical activities [1].
The stages of the psychological internalization of
marine self-concept are as follows: before maritime
studies, during maritime studies, and at the time of
professional practice on board. The seafarers’ careers
Psychological Internalization of Marine Self-Concept
D
uring Studies and on Board
S. Lileikis
Lithuanian Maritime Academy, Klaipeda, Lithuania
ABSTRACT: A seafarer’s personality is based on three distinct stages in the psychological development of
his/her marine self-concept, including self-esteem, i.e., before his/her maritime studies, during maritime studies,
and at the time of professional practice on board. In order to be able to work safely on board, a seafarer should
be a leader with the necessary marine self-concept, the formation of which is a didactic mission of the MET
institutions. The psychological internalization of the marine self-concept of future seafarers, as a value, is
analyzed in the pilot study on a cognitive, emotional, and behavioral level with regard to the stages mentioned.
Before studying seafaring young people perceive the sea in the direction of recreation and spiritual knowledge.
The self-esteem of those who do not raise questions of self-knowledge is not strong. During their studies,
maritime students seek professional meaning for themselves in respect of the sea. Their academic feelings are
positive, their activities are more mature, and their self-esteem improves. The marine self-concept of the future
seafarers during their professional practice on board is dynamic, as they get to know themselves and their
suitability for work, try out things and achieve their own professional goals. They feel contentment, pride, and
self-worth, as well as safety-related aspirations. Their activities become more appropriate and reliable, and their
self-esteem is improved.
http://www.transnav.eu
the
International Journal
on Marine Navigation
a
nd Safety of Sea Transportation
Volume 17
Number 4
December 2023
DOI: 10.12716/1001.17.04.
20
936
at sea depend greatly on the development of their
motivations and aspirations [2]. It is important for the
MET institutions, including maritime academies, to
study them in order to make appropriate didactic
decisions on the development of the marine self-
concept of the future generation of new seafarers. The
education of a seafarer, the maturity of his/her
personality, and his/her professional experience make
the most significant contribution to ensuring the
principle of safety first on board [5, 8, 9].
1.2 Methods and organization of the research
The main research methods are as follows:
− Questionnaire survey of future seafarers using
open-ended questions about their marine self-
concept according to the levels of psychological
internalization on the basis of their self-reflection
and free associations;
− Simplified phenomenological content analysis of
data on the psychological internalization of the
marine self-concept of future seafarers,
distinguishing the manifest categories;
− Interpretation of the data.
The experience of the research participants is freely
described from a point of view of a phenomenological
strategy without getting involved in theoretical or
social constructs. The aim is to reveal the individual
meaning of human phenomena and to find what is
common and individual in the answers of the
respondents, as well as to see the essential structure of
the phenomenon. The emphasis on the research
participant’s self-esteem allows for describing the
essential meanings, connections, and contexts [3].
The study was performed in a homogeneous
group:
− 50 future seafarers in the third year of full-time
studies of Marine Navigation at the Lithuanian
Maritime Academy were invited to fill in a
questionnaire;
− 25 persons were identified who would like to
answer the questionnaire consisting of 18 open-
ended questions that require a lot of effort from the
respondents (by voluntarily taking part in the
survey, the maritime students showed that they
fully realized themselves in their career choice and
promoted the development of their individual
marine self-concept);
− 9 respondents answered the questionnaire clearly
carelessly and did not fulfill the requirement to
answer all the questions;
− 16 future seafarers persistently answered all the
questions of the questionnaire.
The validity of a non-representative pilot study
can be considered sufficient and it is justified by the
following basic principles:
− Adherence to ethical standards of the study;
− Practical experience of the maritime students as
future seafarers;
− Their free consent to participate in the survey;
− The fact that no obvious signs of a careless
response were found (some answers would fit
different questions but they represent a minority of
answers and did not affect the validity of the pilot
study which only aimed at identifying general
trends).
2 RESEARCH RESULTS
2.1 Future seafarers’ marine self-concept before their
maritime studies
The study examined the development of the marine
self-concept of future seafarers before their maritime
studies based on their perception of the sea in a
broader sense. The answers of the future seafarers on
how they perceived the essence and importance of the
sea are given in Table 1.
Table 1. Perception of the essence and importance of the sea
before maritime studies
________________________________________________
No ESSENCE OF THE SEA
________________________________________________
1 Something distant, mysterious
2–3 The unknown world
4 Lots of water, whales, fishermen
5 A source of money, an adventure
6 Adventures, other countries
7 Entertainment
8 Swimming pool
9–10 Bathing place
11 Protection
12 The sea as a gift of nature
13 The muse of all artists
14 The sea is a great force, work at sea is hard
15–16 The perception has been the same
________________________________________________
No IMPORTANCE OF THE SEA
________________________________________________
1 Become a navigator
2 Acquire a useful profession
3 Find out where I will be working
4–5 Understand if this is my career path
6 Go to sea like my father and grandfather
7 Learn about marine life
8 Understand what I want and can do
9 Get to know and choose a purpose in life
10 Get to know the maritime traditions and my prospects
11 Get to know myself
12 Get to know the sea better
13 Have a common understanding, observe changes in
the sea
14 Get rid of social problems
15 Take unusual activities
16 Awaken passion for the sea
________________________________________________
From a point of view of the perception of the
essence of the sea before maritime studies, the
tendencies towards free, creative, and carefree
curiosity and unrestricted self-expression were
identified. Hodegetically significant distinctiveness
could be the idea that work at sea is hard. In general,
before their maritime studies, the future seafarers
perceived the sea more in the context of recreation
and spiritual knowledge, on the cognitive level of
psychological internalization of the marine self-
concept in terms of perception of the essence of the
sea. From a point of view of the perception of the
importance of the sea before maritime studies, the
moments of knowledge as self-examination and
maritime career dominate. These are the semantic
accents of young people’s self-creation, showing that
they are trying to give meaning to their lives in
relation to the sea. The future seafarers have
formulated quite mature answers. The prejudices
towards the sea expressed by the respondents are
aimed at professional self-realization on the cognitive
level of psychological internalization of the marine
self-concept in terms of perception of the importance
of the sea.
937
The answers of the future seafarers about their
emotional experiences and aspirations towards the
sea before maritime studies are given in Table 2.
Table 2. Emotional experiences and aspirations towards the
sea before maritime studies
________________________________________________
No EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES
________________________________________________
1 It was more romantic
2 It was good, nothing special
3 I enjoyed the sunsets and warm water
4 I felt just fine
5 I just admired the sea
6 The sea was stunning because of its beauty
7 I felt light not knowing that work at sea is hard
8 I really wanted to study and go to sea
9 I felt like I had to move forward in my life
10 I felt a desire to try myself out
11–13 I perceived the sea only as water
14 I knew the element but did not experience it
15 I was afraid the sea could pull me down
16 My feelings towards the sea does not change
________________________________________________
No ASPIRATIONS
________________________________________________
1–3 Job and high salary
4–5 Entertainment
6–7 The greatness of the sea attracted me to know it better
8–10 The mystery of the sea fascinated me
11–12 The underwater world attracted me
13 Get to know the sea and other countries
14 Understand what the sea is really like
15 Learn how to live at sea
16 The sea is always interesting
________________________________________________
Positive feelings of the future seafarers about their
desires and cognitive motives prevail in their relation
to the sea before maritime studies. The categories that
show their dynamogenic feelings forcing them to
know, discover, and try in youth express
hodegetically significant distinctiveness. The strength
of ideals of a young individual is usually proportional
to the strength of the personality-activating feelings
that arise from them. In general, the emotional
experiences towards the sea expressed by the future
seafarers are natural for young people and acceptable
when evaluating their emotional level in the
psychological internalization of the marine self-
concept before maritime studies.
Cognitive and professional career aspirations are
dominant in the table. The entertainment category,
which refers to the recreational character of the
marine self-concept, represents hodegetically
significant distinctiveness. In general, the future
seafarers are mostly characterized by cognitive
aspirations towards the sea on the said emotional
level of the psychological internalization of the marine
self-concept before maritime studies.
The answers about the behavior and self-esteem of
the future seafarers towards the sea before their
maritime studies are given in Table 3.
Table 3. Behavior and self-esteem towards the sea before
maritime studies
________________________________________________
No BEHAVIOR
________________________________________________
1 Treating the sea with respect
2–3 Disrespectful treatment of the sea
4 I did not love the sea, it was a bit scary
5 I was afraid of the sea
6–7 I behaved less wisely
8 I had nothing to do with the sea
9 Neutral
10 I swam in the sea only as in water
11 I was only near the sea, not at sea
12 I was more interested in the sea
13 I put a lot of effort into learning about maritime life
14–16 I do not know
________________________________________________
No SELF-ESTEEM
________________________________________________
1 I knew I could become a captain and be proud of that
2–3 I thought that the sea can change my values
4–5 I thought that the sea strengthens human self-esteem
6 I thought that a person is on board a ship and feels good
7–8 I did not believe that the sea could develop my self-
esteem
9 Self-esteem becomes lower because the seafarer feels
lonely
10 Hard work rarely develops self-esteem
11–16 I did not think about that
________________________________________________
The negative categories predominate in the
answers on behavior towards the sea of the future
seafarers before maritime studies. The recreational
category could represent hodegetically significant
distinctiveness in their behavior, which shows a
valuable initial stage of a young person’s adaptive
relationship with the sea in his/her life. In general, it
can be said that before maritime studies, the
psychological internalization of the marine self-
concept of the future seafarers on the behavioral level
is characterized by little knowledge of the sea, a poor
relationship with it and, consequently, a naturally
insignificant activity not only towards the sea but also
towards the possible career as a seafarer.
The clear categories of ignorance in the table show
that before maritime studies the future seafarers were
not interested in self-esteem towards the sea. Some of
them express a positive attitude towards the
development of self-esteem in the above-mentioned
relation. Negativity, which shows that the respondent
has not resolved the issue about the relationship
between hard work and self-esteem, could represent
hodegetically significant distinctiveness considering
self-esteem. From a point of view of empirical ethics, a
person becomes worthless if he/she feels bad. But
from a point of view of transcendental ethics, the
concepts of pleasure and joy are distinguished and
they help understand that the feeling of self-worth is
not lost pursuing a noble purpose but feeling bad
about some imperfections. For example, a meaningful
professional activity or helping a loved one may cause
some unpleasant physical difficulties but they are
imbued with the joy the person feels as a result of
his/her meaningful behavior.
These issues are to be studied in the training of
future seafarers in the MET institutions, especially in
higher education, allowing them to develop their key
competencies regulated by the Bologna Process. In
general, it can be said that before maritime studies
their self-esteem towards the sea is not strong in the
psychological internalization of their marine self-
938
concept because they have not yet studied in a study
program or on their own and did not raise questions
on self-knowledge relating to the possibility of
perceiving their self-esteem.
2.2 Marine self-concept of future seafarers during
maritime studies
When examining the marine self-concept of maritime
students during their maritime studies, the question
was how their perception of the sea has changed. The
answers of the future seafarers on the essence and
importance of the sea are given in table 4.
Table 4. Perception of the essence and importance of the sea
during the maritime studies
________________________________________________
No ESSENCE OF THE SEA
________________________________________________
1 I began to realize the benefits of the sea for people
2–3 I realized that the sea is not only water but also life
4 I realized that I did not know the sea yet
5–8 The sea has become clearer
9 The sea helped me find myself
10 The sea has become my workplace
11 I realized that the sea means hard work
12 I learned the features of the sea
13 The sea has become a means of developing thinking
14–16 In theoretical studies, the concept of the sea has not
changed
________________________________________________
No IMPORTANCE OF THE SEA
________________________________________________
1–4 Find out what I connect my life with
5–7 Get to know the future profession
8 Get more involved in maritime studies
9 Realize if the sea is for me
10 Learn to guess the behavior of the sea
11 Get to know the benefits of the sea
12 Realize that working on board is hard
13 Use knowledge for individual purposes
14–16 It is pointless to study, only practice gives knowledge
________________________________________________
From a point of view of perceiving the essence of
the sea during maritime studies, the positive moments
indicating that the sea is gradually being discovered
as the environment of the chosen profession prevail.
A negative category that underestimates the
significance of theoretical studies could express
hodegetically significant distinctiveness. However,
the understanding of the essence of the sea on the
cognitive and especially psychoanalytic level is likely
to change somewhat in the process of theoretical
cognition. In general, it can be said that most future
seafarers start to mentally search for themselves more
intensively from a professional point of view during
their maritime studies on the cognitive level in the
psychological internalization of the marine self-
concept in terms of perception of the essence of the
sea.
From a point of view of the perception of the
importance of the sea during maritime studies, the
positive and purposeful professional meaning of
oneself dominates on the cognitive level in the
psychological internalization of marine self-concept.
The semantic accents of negativity showing that
young people fail to integrate theory into practice
could express hodegetically significant
distinctiveness. Traditionally, theoretical lectures
require a lot of mental effort to comprehend, imagine,
and give meaning to the theories being studied,
which, of course, must be applicable.
The answers of the future seafarers about their
emotional experiences and aspirations towards the
sea during their maritime studies are given in Table 5.
Table 5. Emotional experiences and aspirations towards the
sea during maritime studies
________________________________________________
No EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES
________________________________________________
1 Increased desire to know the unknown
2–4 I really wanted to see the world
5 I enjoyed the choice of maritime studies
6–7 I felt more and more like a seafarer
8 Stable feeling
9 I started to feel valued
10 More clarity and more postive feeling
11 I felt like I had taken a step towards seafaring
12 It is still a long way to know the sea
13 I find the studies impressive
14 I felt a greater desire to learn
15 It is very difficult to study
16 I am disappointed with my studies
________________________________________________
No ASPIRATIONS
________________________________________________
1–2 Find out whether being on board is exactly like we are
taught
3 Work at sea
4–5 Learn specialty subjects for work
6 Read books about the sea and seafarers
7–9 Gain new knowledge
10 Take an interest in everything
11 Understand the physical properties, power,
unpredictability of the sea
12 Learn how to survive at sea
13 Learn how to read the signs of the sea
14 Investigate the extent of the danger
15 Manage the ship in severe weather conditions
16 Use marine resources for the good of humanity
________________________________________________
Positive emotional experiences of the future
seafarers relating to the development of positive
feelings and higher professional self-esteem prevail
towards the sea during their maritime studies.
Negative moments express bad feelings and
hodegetically significant distinctiveness, which is
associated with confusion in life and problems of self-
esteem, such as learned helplessness that needs to be
addressed psychologically. The personal feelings of
the majority of the future seafarers during their
maritime studies are positive in terms of their
psychological internalization of the marine self-
concept on the emotional level.
The aspirations inherent in maritime studies and
relevant for work on board dominate. Doubts felt by
the future seafarers that their presence on board may
differ from what they are taught can express
hodegetically significant distinctiveness, highlighting
the value of empirical aspirations and ignoring the
practical benefits of a broader approach and higher
education as universal creativity, e.g. being creative in
non-standard situations that are most often identified
in shipping. In general, during their maritime studies,
the future seafarers tend to have cognitive aspirations
for various seafaring-related things. It is appropriate
to note that the value of cognition perceived and
gaining meaning in youth can become an internal
stimulus for practical behavior (Aramavičiūtė, 2005).
The answers on behavior and self-esteem towards
the sea of the future seafarers during their maritime
studies are given in Table 6.
939
Table 6. Behavior and self-esteem towards the sea during
maritime studies
________________________________________________
No BEHAVIOR
________________________________________________
1 At work, I am more afraid of the sea
2–3 Maritime behavior begins at sea and not at studies
4–5 I began to respect the sea’s influence on me
6 I respect more and fear less
7–8 I am acting more mature
9–11 I am acting more responsibly and understandingly
12 I engage in more valuable activities
13 I treat the sea more carefully
14 I started to think before I act
15 I do activities with joy
16 I am acting more firmly, although I still know little
________________________________________________
No SELF-ESTEEM
________________________________________________
1 My self-esteem has improved
2–5 Acquired nowledge increases self-esteem
6 I am proud because I am gaining a profession
7 My worldview is getting broader
8 A person understands what he/she is worth
9 A person pursues his/her goals
10 I become more disciplined and responsible
11 I am more aware of the sea’s characteristics
12 I am developing practicality
13 I become more stable in value
14 It depends on the person
15 You do not know the sea well while studying
16 I feel small in this world where the natural element
can interrupt everything at any time
________________________________________________
The future seafarers’ behavior towards the sea,
which is characterized by positive changes,
predominates. Hodegetically significant
distinctiveness of the maritime students’ behavior
during their maritime studies expresses an emphasis
on practical work, which demonstrates a more
instrumental status of maritime studies in their
professional careers compared to their decisive
professional practice on board. In general, the
psychological internalization of the future seafarers’
marine self-concept on the behavioral level is
characterized by their more mature activities.
The positive categories, which indicate that the
self-esteem of the future seafarers towards the sea
increased during their maritime studies, dominate.
Relativity that the maritime students can perceive and
experience their self-esteem towards the sea
differently could express hodegetically significant
distinctiveness. In general, the self-esteem of the
majority of the future seafarers towards the sea is
improving.
2.3 Marine self-concept of future seafarers on board
When examining the change of the marine self-
concept of the future seafarers during their
professional practice on board, the question was how
their perception of the sea changed. Their answers
about the essence and importance of the sea are given
in table 7.
Table 7. Perception of the essence and importance of the sea
on board
________________________________________________
No ESSENCE OF THE SEA
________________________________________________
1 The sea reveals human weaknesses and fears
2 The storm shows human inferiority, promotes healthy
fear and respect
3 The sea becomes a tool for thinking about one’s life
4–5 It becomes the seafarer’s home
6 Its secrets started to attract me more
7 It is the most amazing thing in my life
8 It becomes like a friend, a companion
9 It gets boring at sea
10 Routine, slow-moving time, same faces
11–12 Validation of theoretical knowledge
13 The concept of the sea does not change
14–15 True knowledge of the sea is gained
16 Hopes and dreams are substituted with real
possibilities
________________________________________________
No IMPORTANCE OF THE SEA
________________________________________________
1 It is important to experience the sea personally
2–3 Understand if I can work at sea or not
4 Reveal oneself as an individual
5 Learn to become a good seafarer
6–7 Broaden one’s professional horizons
8 Study both the nature and yourself
9 Knowing one’s goals and ways to achieve them
10 Experience impressions and get to know people
11 Make friends with the sea
12 Seize the opportunity in life to be on board
13 Get to know the meaning of one’s work at sea
14 Achieve a goal that one has been striving for a long
time
15–16 Understand the difference between working at sea
and relaxing by the sea
________________________________________________
From a point of view of perceiving the essence of
the sea during their professional practice on board,
positive moments prevail, which suggest that the sea
is a tool that helps future seafarers to get to know
themselves and gain insights into their suitability for
work at sea. Realistic changes in their maritime self-
concept and monotony, which can help young people
test themselves by experiencing the job directly and
perceiving themselves in their maritime career choice,
could express hodegetically significant
distinctiveness. In general, it can be said that during
their professional practice on board, the majority of
the maritime students develop their professional self-
concept more intensively on the cognitive level of
their psychological internalization of the marine self-
concept in terms of perception of the essence of the
sea.
From a point of view of perceiving the importance
of the sea during their professional practice on board,
the categories of the meaningful marine self-concept
of the future seafarers clearly dominate. All the
answers basically point to the importance of the
developmet of a future seafarer as an individual who
can perceive, get to know, try himself/herself out, and
achieve his/her professional goals. On the cognitive
level of their psychological internalization of the
marine self-concept in terms of perception of the
importance of the sea, the attitude towards the sea,
which is expressed by all the future seafarers, has the
potential to meet their significant personal and
professional expectations.
940
The answers of the future seafarers on their
emotional experiences and aspirations towards the
sea are given in Table 8.
Table 8. Emotional experiences and aspirations towards the
sea on board
________________________________________________
No EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES
________________________________________________
1 Happy to have been at sea
2 I was amazed at the variety of colors, the size and
power of the sea
3 I feel a desire to develop skills
4 I feel what I want and how I want to achieve it
5 I am proud of what I have achieved
6 I feel like I have done a great job
7 I feel better at sea than on land
8 I feel like I can broaden my horizons
9 First new, then familiar and finally boring
10 At first, it was scary, strange, but I got used to it a little
11 New feelings are emerging, especially during a storm
12 Sometimes I feel better, sometimes worse
13 Inspiration, charm, various emotions
14 I experienced a lot of emotions
15 Indescribable feelings
16 Disappointment, very hard work
________________________________________________
No ASPIRATIONS
________________________________________________
1–2 See distant countries
3–4 Get to know one’s profession
5 Get to know the depths of the sea
6 Learn to predict the sea
7 Understand the peculiarities of marine lifestyle
8 Find out other people’s views of the sea
9 Get to know the charts and navigation devices better
10–11 Understand floods and storms
12 Nothing bad might happen to those at sea
13 Get along with the sea
14 Have a normal relationship with the ship’s crew
15 Learn a lot of interesting things in life
16 Become stronger and more experienced every day
________________________________________________
The positive feelings of the future seafarers
towards the sea relating to their experiences of
contentment, pride, and self-worth prevail during
their professional practice on board. Hodegetically
significant distinctiveness could be the diversity of the
feelings of the maritime students. Their experience of
different feelings is anthropologically naturally
connected with the different sea conditions and the
corresponding personal attitude towards them. In
general, the feeling of the majority of the future
seafarers towards the sea during their professional
practice on board is positive, inseparable from various
experiences and the ability to promote the
individual’s professional self-development in terms of
psychological internalization of the marine self-
concept on the emotional level.
In terms of the aspirational categories, the striving
for professional knowledge dominates. In all the
answers, the aspirations are positive and relate to the
progress of the future seafarer’s personality.
Hodegetically significant distinctiveness could be the
aspiration to become stronger and more experienced
every day. The categories related to safety have a
practical value when future seafarers strive for
success, order, and coexistence with the natural,
technological, and social environment of the ship. In
general, during their professional practice, their
cognitive needs and developmental desires relating to
safety are most common. The answers of the future
seafarers about their behavior and self-esteem on
board towards the sea are given in Table 9.
Table 9. Behavior and self-esteem towards the sea on board
________________________________________________
No BEHAVIOR
________________________________________________
1–5 I started to respect the sea more
6–7 I can no longer imagine my life without the sea
8 I started to respect seafarers
9 I take the sea seriously, which is very useful to me
10 I bacame more cautious
11 I started to consider the sea more than just
entertainment
12 I started to take everything more seriously
13 Next time, I will work harder on board
14 I behave more calmly
15 I began to look realistically at my profession as my
future
16 Behavior never changes
________________________________________________
No SELF-ESTEEM
________________________________________________
1–2 I began to appreciate not only others but also myself
3–4 Thanks to new skills, I am now more self-confident
5 I realized my desires and new choices
6 I finally understand what I want and expect from
myself
7 My point of view towards life and its essence changed
8 I saw I had already achieved something
9 I feel stronger and started to see the purpose in life
10 Being at sea has become my value
11 I do a valuable job without which logistics would not
exist
12 I realized that difficulties always need to be overcome
13 Everything in life improves self-esteem
14 I realized that I am just a small drop in the ocean
15 It is hard to say
16 I do not know
________________________________________________
The positively changing behavior of the future
seafarers towards the sea dominates during their
professional experience on board. Hodegetically
significant distinctiveness could be a denial of the
change in the behavior of the maritime students,
apparently without befriending their profession. In
general, it can be said that the psychological
internalization of the marine self-concept of the future
seafarers at the behavioral level is characterized by
more appropriate, more seriouse, and more reliable
activities.
The table is dominated by positive categories,
which indicates the improvement of the future
seafarers’ self-esteem towards the sea during their
professional practice. Ignoring, which demonstrates
that the respondents found it difficult to understand
the changes in their self-esteem or maybe were
unresponsive for other reasons, could express
hodegetically significant distinctiveness. In general,
during their professional practice on board, the self-
esteem of the majority of the future seafarers towards
the sea is improving and, in many cases, everyone
feels more valuable as an individual.
3 CONCLUSIONS
The pilot study of psychological internalization of the
marine self-concept of the future seafarers has shown
that before studying seafaring young people perceive
the sea in the direction of recreation and spiritual
knowledge. The self-esteem of those who do not raise
questions of self-knowledge is not strong. During
their studies, maritime students seek professional
meaning for themselves in respect of the sea. Their
941
academic feelings are positive, their activities are
more mature, and their self-esteem improves.
The marine self-concept of the future seafarers
during their professional practice on board is
dynamic, as they get to know themselves and their
suitability for work, try out things and achieve their
own professional goals. They feel contentment, pride,
and self-worth, as well as safety-related aspirations.
Their activities become more appropriate and reliable,
and their self-esteem is improved.
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Motivations and Aspirations. In: Gekara, V.O., Sampson,
H. (eds.) The World of the Seafarer. Qualitative
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