Abstract: The article presents results of the empirical social-psychological research. 83 Russian second- and third-year elementary school students of Smolensk (47 girls and 36 boys) aged from 7 to 9 participated in the research. The subject of the research is the contents and emotional predictors of elementary school students' preceptions of their and others' ethnic groups. Ethnic groups they represented included Russian, Belorussian and Ukrainian. Emotional predictors included affective components of ethnic identity of elementary school students as well as their level of satisfaction with different sides of their own life. Empirical data were collected through survey (interviewing) of elementary school students. Each respondent was interviewed individually. The authors of the article analyze data obtained using the modified method of studing racial and ethnic attitudes offered by Doyle and Aboud (adapted by N. Sheskina for Russian elementary school students), modified method of diagnosing the level of social frustration by L. Wasserman and analyzing responses of children to the questions aimed at defining the affective component of their ethnic identity. These data were processed by using Statistica 7.0 program, methods of descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U-test, Fisher's angular transformation (φ*-criterion), regression analysis (Forward stepwise method). As a result of the empirical research, the majority of elementary school students demonstrate a positive ethnic affective identification and differentiation and tendency to be more positive about their own ethnic group compared to others. The author registered a high subjective importance of ethnicity for elementary school students disregarding their positive or negative affective attitude towards members of their ethnic group. The authors discover that the emotional predictor of how elementary school students preceive their or others' ethnic groups is their subjective sense of well-being in the spheres related to a child's school life and his or her success. The factor that is especially important in the formation of a positive attitude to their and others' ethnic groups is the level of satisfaction of elementary school students with the relations they have with their classmates. The results of the research underline the important role of the elementary school age in the process of ethnic identity formation and draw our attention to targets of ethnic intolerance prevention and correction of children's ethnic perceptions. The results also prove a close connection between child's subjective sense of well-benig and his or her attitude towards their and others' ethnic groups. 

Abstract: The present article contains the results of the empirical social and psychological survey. The object of the research was the youth as actors of social knowledge. The research involved 314 young people living in the Smolensk Region (157 men and 157 women). The subject of the research is the social representations of youth about patriotism. The theoretical basis of the research included works of Russian and foreign psychologists who studied social and personal representations (Serge Moscovici, Ivana Markova, Jean-Claude Abric, Tatiana Emelianova, Ksenia Abulkhanova and others). The methodological basis of the research involved the interdisciplinary, system and activity approaches as they are described in the Russian academic literature on psychology. The research methods included: analysis, synthesis, generalization, survey, descriptive statistics methods, content analysis and Fisher's angular transformation (φ* criteria). As a result of the research, the author has defined features of social representations about patriotism, patriotism manifestations and functions as demonstrated by young people living in the Smolensk Region. Very few respondents have demonstrated the xenophobic component of their representations about patriotism, however, very few respondents have associated manifestations and functions of patriotism with effective inter-ethic communication and tolerance. Consequently, the vector of representations about patriotism is rather indefinite for young people. The results of the research prove the importance of further social and psychological researches on the matter and can be used in the process of preparing programs and educational activities aimed at developing the feeling of patriotism of young people. 

Abstract: This article presents the results of an empirical psychological research conducted on 314 residents of the Smolensk region (including youth), who regard themselves as of Russian descent and state that they have no experience of participation in extremist organizations. The subject of this research is the social perception of the youth on extremism. The theoretical basis for this research consisted in the works of Russian and foreign psychologists that are aimed at studying the social and personal perceptions. The results of the conducted empirical research reveal the peculiarities of the social perceptions of young people of the Smolensk region on extremism, its manifestations and functions, as well as the attitude of the youth towards the extremist activity in the country. The acquired data confirms the relevance and importance of conducting further socio-psychological research concerning this issue. The results can be used to develop programs and specific educational events in order to prevent extremism among youth.