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ACCELERATED SOCIAL-ECONOMICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE
SOCIALIST SOCIETY AND TRENDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
A. M. Matiushkin
The state of psychological theory and
applicability of knowledge it has acquired are analyzed in the light of the
general task set recently before the Soviet science by the Communist Party — to
contribute in an active and responsible way to qualitative transformation of
all aspects of the Soviet society, particularly through development and
stimulation of the human factor in all spheres of activity and at every stage
of man's creative life. It is stated that further and deeper integration of psychological
data obtained in complex, interdisciplinary studies is needed in order to reach
understanding of fundamental regularities and mechanisms of man's psychological
functioning. Soviet psychologists must take on ever more complicated real-life
and wide-scale scientific and applied problems to achieve the socially required
goals.
THE PROBLEM OF AUTOMATION OF TEACHING
A. Ya. Saveliev
General methodology of automated teaching
with all its advantages and limitations is discussed. Some potential means of
increasing the efficiency of the process are suggested. An accent is made on
specific contributions on the part of psychologists, physiologists, and
designing engineers.
CREATIVE THINKING IN PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY OF TEACHERS
Yu. N. Kouliutkin
Peculiarities of teachers' creative
thinking are determined by the nature and content of practical tasks they are
to deal with in the process of professional-pedagogical activity. Some aspects
of making pedagogical decisions by teachers are presented therefore; the system
of categories which constitute a framework for the thinking process underlying
those decisions is described.
PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING AS A METHOD: ESSENCE AND MEANING
Yu. Z. Gilboukh
An attempt is made to reveal the essence
of the method of testing through analysis of three groups of features: 1)
necessary in relation to the method though not specific to it; 2) necessary and
specific but only in relation to particular types of testing procedures
(type-constituting); 3) necessary and specific to the method as a whole. The
last group includes two features: a) presence in the structure of every testing
procedure of a specially elaborated mathematical-statistical apparatus for
procession of corresponding data and for estimation of the quality of the test
itself, b) wide, repeated application of every procedure. The analysis has
shown that testing is one of the best developed and productive methods in the
psychology's arsenal possessing besides that a high potential for further development.
DEVELOPMENT OF LOGICAL OPERATIONS IN 6-YEARS-OLD
CHILDREN
Ye. V. Filippova
Experimental study of preparedness of
children for school has revealed that a specific organization of relations
between a child and an adult (when initially shared operations first get
transformed into operations under assumed circumstances and then into
individually performed operations) can be an efficient means of promotion of
thinking in children.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SPECIFICITY OF MASTERING MATHEMATICS BY
6-7-YEARS-OLD CHILDREN
Nguen Ke Khao
Some results of an experimental
psychological-pedagogical study of the way 6-years-old children learn
mathematics are presented. Six-years-olds (first-form pupils) studying in an
experimental Viet-Nam school have been found to be capable of efficiently
mastering the mathematical concepts included into a programme
based on certain fundamental notions of contemporary mathematics.
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A conclusion is made that a larger share of
theoretical knowledge should be integrated into the primary school programme on mathematics.
DEVELOPMENT OF SPATIAL THINKING STRUCTURES
I. Ya. Kaplunovich
Spatial thinking has been experimentally
studied with the view to establish its principal operational characteristics
and functional structures. Some important individual differences in
actualization of spatial images in the process of mathematical activity, as
well as corresponding difficulties and errors in performance are described.
Hierarchical models of thought substructures responsible for generation of
specific spatial operations are suggested; the substructures are arranged by
the degree of psychological difficulties in mastering them.
VALUE ORIENTATIONS IN THE PERIOD OF TRANSITION TO
JUNIOR SCHOOL AGE AND TO ADOLESCENCE
V. D. Saiko
The study has been based on a typological
and a genetic experimental paradigms; some projective
procedures have also been used. Dynamics of value orientations as a determining
element in development of an active social position and appearance of social
maturity in junior school age and in adolescence has been established and is
described in some detail. This age period occupies a specific place in the
process of development of personality in general and of self-comprehension in
particular.
A VOCATIONAL-ORIENTATIONAL CHART ON GENERAL AND
VOCATIONAL SCHOOL GRADUATES
A. S. Egorov, B. I. Shakh
A brief review of existent charts used in
vocational orientation is concluded with a description of a comprehensive chart
worked out by the authors which maintains all useful features from earlier ones
while is free of their shortcomings. Some comments and recommendations as to
how the chart should be used in practice are also provided.
EFFECT OF A TEACHER'S
A. I. Kagalniak, L. P. Melnik
An attempt is made to describe the role of
a teacher's temperament in teaching and in educational work, to show how
different typological peculiarities of the nervous system create unequal
opportunities for the work in class. Adaptation of a teacher's temperament to
his pedagogical activities must be realized through individualization of
requirements, conditions and methods of his work. School authorities and
supervisors are to be made responsible for this,
however teachers themselves must also take into account peculiarities of their
temperament and bring forth an individual pedagogical style. Consideration of
teachers' temperament is an important resource for improvement of the education
and instruction in school, and for making good use of a teacher's potential.
COMPARATIVE ESTIMATION OF A «GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY»
COURSE BY STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTORS OF PEDAGOGICAL INSTITUTES
A. I. Lounkov
Definitions and drawings accompanying
texts are important elements of a process of learning. Experimental study of
their variety, role and functions in perception of instructional material can
contribute to better understanding of the very process of work with instructional
texts, and to more efficient generation of them. One such study is reported.
PERSONALITY TYPES AND TRAITS (THEIR MEANING AND ROLE IN
PREDICTION OF RESULTS OF CLINICAL TREATMENT OF CHRONIC ALCOHOLICS
L. T. Yampolsky
The problem of construction of non-linear
prognostic models is dealt with. A method of by-piece approximation is
suggested as a means of increasing the reliability of predictions. In this case
the procedure of making a prediction consists of two stages: first subjects are
divided by types, then a particular prognostic
equation is composed for each type. A complex function is therefore represented
by a composition of "simple" functions (e. g. linear functions or
constant functions) each corresponding to a particular sub-sample. Efficiency
of the approach is illustrated by exemplary instances of prediction of outcomes
of clinical treatment of chronic alcoholics on the basis of their personality
characteristics.
SELF-ESTIMATION OF AN ADOLESCENT AS A FUNCTION OF
ATTITUDE OF HIS PARENTS TO HIM
E. T. Sokolova,
Results of an experimental study of
correlation between self-estimation (self-attitude) of junior adolescents and
real or expected attitude of their parents to them are reported. Different
variants of adolescent self-estimation have been analyzed, reflecting in their
total the dynamics of divergence
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of the developing self-attitude from parental attitudes and estimations.
Some so-called unfavourable variants leading to
intrapersonal conflicts I are described together with recommendations as to how
corresponding parental dispositions can be corrected or prevented.
PROCESSES OF UNDERSTANDING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF
THINKING
L. L. Gurova
Relations between knowledge and
understanding, and functions of the latter in development of thinking and in
mediation of cognition and of purposeful activities are considered.
Understanding is defined as subjective disclosing of the meaning of a knowledge: finding for the latter of a particular
functional place in man's consciousness and in the general system of activity
orientation. Proceeding from the analysis of notions of communicated
(comprehended) meaning and personal meaning a conclusion is made about their
real unity in the structure of personality. As a consequence processes of understanding
regarded as processes of development of meaning personify interaction between
cognition and activity: they make effective the acquired knowledge and at the
same time transform thinking.
Yu. A. GAGARIN AND COSMIC PSYCHOLOGY
V. I. Lebedev
Until the first flight of a man into the
outer space the fundamental question to be answered was whether a man is
capable of adequate perception of time and space under drastically new
conditions. In connection with the 25-th anniversary of man's first flight into
the space the author tells about psychological selection and training of the
first cosmonauts. Some reminiscences about Yu. A.
Gagarin and his personality, about the first day of the cosmic era, as well as
his own observations and self-observations during the flight are provided.
Gagarin's personal scientific contribution to cosmic psychology is also discussed.
HABITS AND SKILLS: UNSETTLED ISSUES
Yu. P. Ilyin
The notion of «skill» is used in
psychological literature in two contexts: first — in relation to an ability to
perform a certain purposeful activity, second — in relation to an ability to
perform particular acts, operations. In the latter, operational, context
«skill» and «habit» are identical notions denoting possessions of a certain
means to perform an act, an operation. A skill is characterized by the quality
of performance and by the method of control. In the process of mastering a
skill there appear wider possibilities to control its performance and to
perform it automatically. Automation of acts is not a necessary feature of
skills (habits). The principal feature of a skill is the quality of performance
of particular acts.
DIAGNOSIS OF MENTAL DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOLCHILDREN ON
THE BASIS OF QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF TEST RESULTS
Ye. M. Borisova, G. P. Loginova
The study performed by the authors has
made it clear that analysis of test results must not be limited to quantitative
calculation of scores; it has to be complemented by qualitative analysis of
difficulties and errors, and of their causes in relation to particular items
and tasks. Conclusions made concern both specific aspects of the problem
(related to the diagnostic potential of a given test) and more general ones
(related to principles of qualitative analysis in psychological testing).
USE OF SENSORIAL-PERCEPTUAL FEATURES OF
NOISE-PRODUCING OBJECTS IN TEACHING HYDROACOUSTICIANS
K. V. Bardin, V.
It has been recently shown in studies by Bardin and his colleagues that sensory space of even such
signals which are traditionally regarded in psychophysics as simple is in fact
multidimensional. Sensations produced by tonal stimuli physically differing
only in amplitude turn to produce an effect on several sensory axes. Therefore
when it becomes difficult for an observer to distinguish tones by volume only,
he may learn to do it with the help of other sensory parameters. An attempt is
reported to extend the principles established in laboratory on simple acoustic
tones to a sphere of complex, evidently multi-dimensional signals (sounds with
which hydroacousticians have to deal).
MANIFESTATION OF NEUROTICISM IN HANDWRITING
D. P. Baram
Variability of the amplitude of manual
movements in handwriting has been studied in junior youth subjects with low and
high level of neuroticism. The variability is found to be significantly higher
in «neurotic» subjects as compared with «stable» ones, which proves the
hypothesis of correlation between the level of neuroticism and the swing of
graphical movements.