Ontology of psychics

O.V. Lavrova

The definitions of principal categories of psychology (ideal, psychics, consciousness, unconsciousness) are analyzed and existing on basic categorical level of scientific knowledge methodological controversies are outlined. It is proposed to bring psychics as such into united ontological frame of reference placing any psychological phenomenon into coordinates of conscious and unconscious. To do so it is necessary to define clearly uncontroversial semantic space of such categories as “psychics”, “consciousness”, “unconsciousness” and to work out a new ontological language for the description of such an unity. It is shown that ontological understanding of consciousness being an aspect of subject’s existence connected to existence-in-the-world presupposes the interrelationship of realization to subject’s principal existional psychic manifestations. Unconsciousness is ontologically described as subjectless presence of psychics inaccessible to conscious observation by its carrier but accessible to outside observation (by another subject).

Key words: ideal, psychics, consciousness, unconsciousness.

 

The levels of qualitative investigation data analysis

O.T. Melnikova, D.A. Khoroshilov

The problems of qualitative investigation data analysis are discussed from the point of view of its level structure. Three levels of such analysis are considered: the level of initial material, the level of description and the level of interpretation. All of them are discussed in the context of data specificity, processing strategy and objectivity of analysis.

Key words: qualitative analysis, qualitative investigation, levels of analysis, strategy of analysis, data specificity, objectivity of analysis.

 

The profiles of early non-verbal communication in children suffering Williams’ syndrome and autism

G.A. Perminova, Yu.A. Burdukova, T.A. Stroganova

The investigation was aimed at the description of specificity of early communication with an adult and especially triad interaction in preschoolers suffering Williams’ syndrome and autism. It was supposed that the initiation of triad interaction in such children must be lower than in typically developing children. The system of early communication in children with psycho-motor development corresponding to 14–30 months of age was investigated by Early Social Communication Scale. The data obtained show the similarity in profiles of early non-verbal communication in children suffering Williams’ syndrome and autism as concerning initiation of interaction as well as total disruption of communicative behavior in children with autism and irregularity of communication profile in children suffering Williams’ syndrome. These results confirm the notion that the breach of initiation of joint attention in early age cannot serve as differential diagnostic characteristic of autism.

Key words: joint attention, Williams’ syndrome, autism.

 

The interrelation of anthropometric features and self-appraisal in schoolchildren

K.S. Stupina

The interrelation of self-appraisal and perception of one’s looks with anthropometric features in 6–15-years olds was investigated. In early age general self-appraisal was higher in boys of all the constitutional types; for teenagers it was vice versa. One’s looks appraisal was the highest in junior schoolchildren and became lower with age, especially in girls.

Key words: self-appraisal in children and adolescents, one’s looks appraisal, anthropometric features.

 

Development of a value attitude to students in future primary school teachers

S.V. Pazukhina

The article presents findings of a study aimed at development of a value attitude to students in future primary school teachers, analyzing regularities and stages of the process. The author identifies types of attitudes of future teachers to their students: formal, emotionally positive, cognitive, value, and describes psychological conditions in which development of a value attitude is the most effective.

Key words: value attitude, psychological conditions, development of a value attitude to students in future primary school teachers.

 

Psychological and pedagogical problems of creating a new school in conditions of a child’s development and the developmental situation

D.I. Feldstein

The author discusses the problem of the state of contemporary childhood and its prospects in the light of existing data on qualitative psychological, psychophysiological and personality changes in the child which have taken place in a situation of a dramatic transformation of the economic and social situation in society. The author identifies factors determining this state, describes what the changes consist in (lowering of cognitive development, energy, social and communicative competence, deficit of will, emotional disorders, etc.). The author also touches upon the problem of shifting of age boundaries of childhood caused by the process of retardation (the two critical developmental periods have shifted to later ages in contemporary children). The author analyzes possible solutions to the problems and in this connection – challenges facing scientists of the Russian Academy of Education.

Key words: childhood, new school, developmental situation, Russian Academy of Education.

 

Psychological and pedagogical training of teachers for the new school

V.V. Rubtsov

The article discusses problems of modernizing pedagogical education according to the standard for higher professional education “Psychological and pedagogical education – 050400”, describing a nation-wide educational initiative “Our new school”. The author explains the notion of the new school, emphasizing that the new school must accept accelerated development as its goal.

Key words: new school, modernizing pedagogical education, the state standard for general (primary) education, baccalaureate

 

Affectivity as the structural foundation of anthropological spaces: philosophy, psychology, psychiatry

A.V. Lyzlov, O.F. Seravina, O.B. Kovalevskaya

The article analyzes affect and affectivity as subjects common to philosophy, psychology, psychiatry, coming to the conclusion that there are three qualitatively different anthropological spaces whose structural foundation is affectivity and it is necessary to define psychological criteria for their differentiation. The authors’ definition of the word ‘affect’ broadens the contemporary interpretation of affect and affectivity and supports understanding of affect as a modus of existence.

Key words: affect, affectivity, nuclear affect, mood, modus, existential word.

 

Approaches, sets and prospects of researching Machiavellianism

A.D. Larina

The author analyzes the notion of machiavellianism from the angle of the social psychological approach (as a factor of immoralization, a leadership quality), the clinical psychological approach (as a criterion of successful social adjustment and an individual characteristic causing personality disfunctions) and the evolutional approach (as an evolutionally stable strategy). The author comes to the conclusion that treatment of machiavellianism as a defence mechanism is the key to understanding it.

Key words: machiavellism, machiavellianistic intellect, psychological defence mechanisms, dark triad, leadership.

 

Techniques for regulating emotions

Yu.V. Sayenko

The author suggests a classification of methods of emotional regulation on the basis of the criteria of satisfaction / non-satisfaction of a need, solution / absence of a solution of a problem, emotional responding / not responding. The article also describes known techniques for emotional regulation which could be classified as emotional responding, emotional transformation and emotional suppression. The article contains a description of the cognitive technique “Five columns” modified by the author.

Key words: emotional regulation, coping, methods and techniques for regulating emotions, emotional responding, emotional transformation, emotional suppression.

 

Effectiveness of counseling and therapy on the Internet: stages and lines of research

V.Yu. Menovshchikov

The author looks at problems of empirical research of counseling and therapy on the Internet, discussing stages and lines of research and supplying examples from studies of distance counseling and therapy in other countries.

Key words: e-therapy, cyber-therapy, on-line counseling, effectiveness, stages of research.

 

Regarding the isolationism of Soviet psychology: International conferences in the 1920–1930s

A. Yasnitsky

The study presents the results of preliminary investigation of international contacts of Soviet psychology and allied sciences in the interwar period. The author analyses the patterns of Soviet psychologists’ participation in international scientific conferences and reveals considerable international activity of Soviet psychologists from the end of 1920s onwards, during the decade of the 1930s. This finding questions the conclusion of selfisolation of Soviet science in the 1930s supported by a series of works on the history of science, and calls for an in-depth investigation of the materials of scientific publications, correspondence, private trips, international collaborative research projects, etc. in the 1930s in order to clarify the history of the development of isolationism of Soviet science exemplified by the psychoneurological scientific disciplines. In conclusion, the author points out the coexistence of the opposite tendencies of the “interspecies struggle” and competition among the allied psychoneurological disciplines and, on the other hand, individual scientists’ strategic maneuvering between different disciplines in search of the freedom of academic work and productive careers in science.

Key words: international contacts, isolationism, self-isolation in science, scientific conferences, psychological congresses, psychotechnics congresses, psychotechnics (industrial and applied psychology), psychohygiene (mental hygiene), international trips, international science, Russian national science.

 

Modeling a life course with the help of causometrics, multidimensional scaling, cluster analysis

V.A. Klimchuk

The article discusses the problem of modeling a person’s life course with the help of causometrics, multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis, supplying a brief review of the notion «life course», history of its research, spheres of its use. On the example of a specific patient the author lists arguments in favour of including methods of multidimensional scaling in the causometric procedure.

Key words: life course, causometrics, multidimensional scaling, cluster analysis

 

The procrastination phenomenon: problems and prospects for research

Ya.I. Varvaricheva

The paper contains a short review of the history of researching the phenomenon of procrastination (putting off intended actions until later), an explanation of the status of the phenomenon in the context of cultural historical analysis. Psychological analysis of procrastination includes studying situational, individual, personality and biological factors capable of affecting manifestations of the phenomenon. The author reviews studies of correlation of the above factors and procrastination, identifying principal problems and prospects for researching the phenomenon, and offers recommendations as to how to overcome procrastination.

Key words: procrastination, cultural historical analysis, perfectionism.