In this paper we give the main trends and prospects of development of neuroscience, dealing with the problems of cerebral dysfunction, thinking, memory, perception and information processing. The issues of research of plastic capacity of adult brain, the problems of individual consciousness, decoding of the mechanisms of thinking, new possibilities for cross-cultural researches are considered. .The exciting interdisciplinary researches in the field of stress, distress and various mental and psychosomatic disorders caused by them are emphasized The conclusion is made that psychology cannot develop without close interaction with neuroscience.

Interview with A.I.Podolsky (Professor of Psychology, Head of Developmental Psychology Department of Moscow State Lomonosov University), dedicated to the anniversary of P.Y.Galperin.

Interview with A.G. Asmolov (Professor of Psychology, Head of Personality Psychology Department of Moscow State Lomonosov University), devoted to the 110th anniversary of the birth of P.Y.Galperin

The work of the outstanding scientist P.Y. Galperin as a methodologist of psychological science is analyzed. The methodological principles he developed are presented in a systematic way, their role in building general psychological conception created by him is disclosed, their importance for the production and study of psychological problems in the modern scientific situation is shown.

Report of P.Y. Galperin “The problem of ontogenesis of the human psyche” Peter Yakovlevich Galperin’s report at the seminar in methodological issues, directed by A.N. Leontiev on March 24, 1976

The paper considers motivation and values of natural geography students. Data on motivation and values of students’ future career and their dynamics from 1st to 5th course is described.

The study of motivation and value orientation of students of chemistry, biology and geography was carried out in the Dniester Moldavian Republic at the Department of Natural Geography of the Dniester Shevchenko State University. The study allowed the development of a psychological support program for the professional development of students at all grade levels in higher school.

The author analyses motivation for choosing a future career and for studying in higher school and their interrelations with valuable students’ orientations are examined. It has significant value during organization of the psychological support actions which are directed to students’ psychological support. The study of value orientations and life spheres revealed that for young people in the early professional development, the most important parts of life are the professional sphere, material well-being and self-development. By the end of training value orientations of students correspond to the social economic relations that are dominant in society: spiritual values that are important at the beginning of training and the values of self-development are replaced by social ones.

The study allows the development of a psychological support program for the professional development of students at all grade levels in high school, which is aimed at supplying them with information, developing motivation and value orientation on the future professional activity and promotes self-awareness in the career they have chosen.

The aim of the study is to identify the qualitative features in the development of speech and expressive activity in children with various kinds of visual design. The notion of visual design in psychology lacks operational application. It is associated with such mental functions as planning, goal setting, unconsciousness and voluntary regulation.

The following research objectives were identified: to conceptualise the notion of visual design for children in pre-school age, to identify the main stages of its development and to determine the characteristics of graphic activity development at each stage. The study of fine arts activity involves analysis of narration which accompanies image drawing.

The paper identifies the stages of image plot development in preschool children: the image plot is not an interim plan, template plot, holistic plot. The periods of image plot will complement the existing classification (O. Dyachenko, Y. Poluyanov). The quality of drawing is dependent on the image plot, the ability to produce images of perception, the level of sign-symbolic substitution depends on image plot. The image plot is significantly correlates with the level of sign-symbolic substitution when a child composes his/her own story. To analyze children’s activity is necessary to consider the process of creating a drawing, which is accompanied by narration. In the paper the specific features of drawing a picture by children with different levels of image plot are described. Speech activity indicators in children with different levels of image plot are revealed.

The impact of 3 personality traits (according to K. Leonhard’s typology, ostentation, hyperactivity and dysthymia) on intonation parameters (mean ∆F0 , tone span, speech rate, duration of speech and mean duration of syllable) was investigated. Intonation is considered by the authors as a formal dynamic aspect of speech that the individual uses in solving diverse communicative tasks. The authors suggested that the intonation as a means of communication will be most in demand in that person, who has a lot of social contacts, which is common for individuals with such personality traits as ostentation and hyperactivity. At the same time, individuals who possess opposite personality traits such as dysthymia will use intonation in a special way, because of inherent shyness, pessimism, and eventually asociality.

The sample records were produced by 30 male and female participants. 60 recordings of natural monologue on proposed topics were obtained in situations of presence and absence of conversation partner. For the manifestation of each feature there should be certain conditions, which speech activity implements. It turned out that ostentation affects speech rate, hyperactivity affects tone span, dysthymia affects speech rate and duration of speech. The joint effects of these personality traits were also ellicited. Most explicitly, these effects appeared to reveal in certain conditions. For ostentation that was the presence of conversation partner, while for dysthymia – its absence. Sufficient condition for hyperactivity is a speech task.

This work is devoted to the study of coping strategies in patients after blood stroke and traumatic brain injury. The disease is considered as a critical situation in a person’s life that requires the mobilisation of personal resources and coping. It is hypothesized that the coping strategies will vary depending on the etiology of the disease and the patient’s experience. On the basis of specific nosology data, the stages of the rehabilitation process (from 0.5 years to 1 year, 1 year to 3 years, and from 3 to 14 years) were identified. The study involved 78 patients under rehabilitation (primary or repeated rehabilitation) at the Center for Speech Pathology and Neurorehabilitation. The study identified coping styles in patients with different stages of the disease: in the first period, dysfunctional coping strategies prevail in all patients; in the second period, problem-focused strategies prevail in patients after traumatic brain injury; and dysfunctional coping strategies prevail in patients after blood stroke. In the third period, emotion-focused coping strategies predominate in all patients. Significant differences in coping strategies were obtained, depending on the length of the disease and the differences in trends between the groups of patients, with the etiology of the disease considered.

The results of this research will allow to build the typology of coping behaviour, reasoning goals, objectives and methods of psychological care to patients undergoing rehabilitation after blood stroke and traumatic brain injury.

The author of the paper raises the issue concerning the need for a more profound theoretical and methodological foundations of health psychology as a new developing area of psychological knowledge, with special emphasis on the research potential of the cultural activity paradigm. The model of psychological research of health, based on the general psychological ideas of L.S.Vygotsky, A.N.Leontiev, S.L.Rubinstein, P.Y.Galperin and others, is proposed.

Human health as a higher mental function is the base of the model. Levels of regulating the individual’s interaction with the outer world are marked out. The formation of a coherent and consistent system of functioning of the levels is considered as a basis of general and psychological health of a person. According to the author the basic mental disorders of a man are connected with the change of the initial conditions of mental regulation (which were developed in the process of biological evolution) and subsequent change of the role of psyche in the conditions of social life. The author suggests a hypothesis of the connection between psychosomatic disorders and the mechanism dysfunction of mental image-based regulation of behavior. The existence of a close connection between physical and social health of a man is stated. The notion of “social physiology” is introduced.

At the beginning of the article the authors outlines a range of problems that practising psychologists are faced when they conclude contracts of psychological and psychiatric assistance, because they are not mentioned in the current Russian Legislation. The parties raise questions relating to the definition of the essential terms and conditions of the contract, the quality of the assistance provided, and legal liability.

The article provides a description of contracts for the provision of psychological support and psychiatric assistance from the standpoint of civil law: legal entities, subject, features of performance, liabilities of the parties in the contract are specified.

The sources which regulate psychological support and psychiatric assistance are identified, the Code of Ethics for psychologists among the sources regulating this activity is reviewed, the relationship between the Code of Ethics and the Federal Law is carried out.

The psychologist’s right (executor under the contract) to refuse to sign the contract or its execution is justified, the procedure and the legal consequences of such refusal is defined. The requirements of psychological (psychotherapeutic) support proved by laws and regulations and ethical standards are shown.

The authors examine the problems of legal regulation of relations, which practicing psychologists are frequently faced with in providing psychological and psychiatric assistance, including the use of modern telecommunications technology.

The requirements for psychological and psychotherapeutic services are often a matter of judgement. Due to the absence of clear (verified or measured) criteria, their quality is mainly determined by the correspondence of actual information stipulated in the contract.

This paper considers the issues of copyright protection of intellectual property, produced and consumed in the area of psychology as psychological diagnostics. Getting to the consideration of copyright in psychodiagnostics, the author finds it necessary to focus on the very concept of copyright and its forms, and then, based on this knowledge, to turn to the analysis of the intellectual activity used in psychodiagnostics.

Considerable attention is given to the review and analysis of the concept of copyright as a case of intellectual property created in the psycho-diagnostics, and also classification of copyright objects and the order of their consumption in scientific, educational and law enforcement researchers and psychologists. Much attention is paid to the legal protection of works produced by foreign scientists and official development psychologists. Basic copyright and compliance mechanisms for the consumption of tests, questionnaires, techniques, computer programs, etc. are described. Cases of free use of works made for hire in psychological diagnostics are provided. A difficult problem of protecting creative art is analyzed. From this position, various aspects of the concept are considered. Depending on the fact whether the newly created work is based on products that existed before, it is possible to distinguish an original, derivative, or compiled product. The original is a work within which every form element is created by a particular author or authors without borrowed elements.

The article discusses the problems of cyborgization and disability as a consequence of technological extensions of human. Cyborgization is the process of combining man and machine, which is accompanied by substitution of natural body functions and human mind. Technological media have become integral human prostheses, and their loss leads to disability of a human and poses a threat to his\her identity. Understanding the impact of technology on a human being a representative of the information community is supposed to begin with rejecting an approach based on their neutral attitude to a person. There are three main trends in modern technology.

The first one is the complete denial of the latter and is deemed as completely hostile to a person (neo-luddism), the second one is based on the maximum convergence of human and machine intelligence (transhumanism), and the third one is the intermediate position which dwells upon “peaceful” coexistence of human and technology, and development of mechanisms to adapt to the technological reality of the information society.

The author wonders whether M. Heidegger’s idea that technology has become a European man’s destiny and challenge of being can help us find the possibility to avoid fatal scenarios of developing relationship of extremely technologically extended human and extremely humanised machines. Finding an answer to another question whether it is possible to make a person happy with the merging of technologies is the key to understanding further development of technological extension of humans.

There can be only one conclusion: remaining an enigma for its incomprehensible nature or a dream of percieving it and submission of technological advances, the technology and a human being always remain separated.

The basic domains of qualitative social psychological research, namely social representations, social identity, attitudes, values and ideology, collective memory, the psychology of the environment are considered. Based on the fact that the range of problems of modern social psychology is largely determined by the so-called “social cognition paradigm” the author puts forward an idea about the psychology of social cognition, i.e. everyday consciousness, its functions, values, specific features of studying. The relation between theory and method in psychological research in the context of cognitive, linguistic and historical “turn” in the history of social psychology is discussed. The definition of qualitative research in the paradigm of social cognition is given.The theory of social representations by S. Moscovici is analysed. The cases of qualitative research carried out in the paradigm of this theory, as well as studies of social identity, attitudes, values and ideology, are reviewed. A theory of discourse is outlined and the author’s own method of discourse analysis is worked out. The author also dwells on the subject of innovation in social psychology. New directions of qualitative research development related to spatial and temporal aspects of social cognition are set, that is the way of “vital” environment and the collective (social) memory.

To sum up, the conducted theoretical and methodological analysis of the subject areas of qualitative research in psychology allows us to consider the relationship of subject and method. Thus, the definition of the subject of qualitative research is the starting point of the discussion of methodological problems.

The paper comprehensively describes the issue of the relationship between social cognition and social problems.

A brief excursion into the history of social study in social psychology in this country and abroad is reviewed. The methodology of the psychology of social cognition can be used both for explaining the individual elements of the emerging problems, and for the understanding of the whole process. The essence of ideas by Wundt, K. Levin, A. Teshfel, P.A. Sorokin, V.M. Bekhterev, L.S. Vygotsky and other related problems of social psychology are presented. Current prospects of social cognition in the study of social problems are outlined. The emergence of a new specific industry of social psychology, identified as the psychology of social cognition, is mentioned. Its challenges and opportunities, the development of methods for the study of social problems in today’s theory of social representations by S. Moscovici are presented.

Relevance of social study today is shown. The author notes that a strong need to address significant (global) problems in the society always arises in a period of radical change, social transformations, and from this point of view, the period of reform in Russia is a situation that cries out for the need to study the existing social problems.

 In his report, the author examines the science of psychology with an unusual perspective – as the science of variability, which generates variable concepts. He puts emphasis on the first underestimated works carried out on a par with the problems highlighted by Bernstein Severtsev, Leontiev, Rubinstein, Blonsky, Vernadsky, Bergson, Berg and others. The article highlights the main challenges of the historical and evolutionary approach of social constructivism: a selection considering the class of purposeful activity as a universal form of life existence, the allocation of the communicative discourse categories of activity, which is interpreted as the basis for the existence of biological, social and psychological systems. The concept of activity as a process of generating diversity at various levels of the system is disclosed. The works of such scholars as Gurevich, Batkin, Gergen, etc. that help to see how the evolutionary significance of diversity are mentioned. The higher one rises through evolution, the more divergent model programs of his/her behaviour are, and there appears a set of variable programs. The author shows that through the activity approach many phenomenological issues of culture are perceived, the development of cultural activity paradigm leads to the fact that psychology goes beyond the scope of a separate science, and serves as a unique paradigm of the future. Since the A.N. Leontiev veiwed psychology as a kind of workshop to support diversity, where the psychologist is as an expert in designing new worlds. The author concludes that the research of activities by which the development of diversity in this world of uncertainty is meant is incredibly important.

The subject of this paper is to discuss the possibility of the applying modern philosophical concepts which allow to distinguish between types of scientific rationality (classical, nonclassical and postnonclassical), to elicit the theoretical and methodological principles of the functioning and development of clinical psychology. The work reveals that the basic provisions of Vygotsky’s cultural historical theory.

The methodology of Vygotsky-Luria syndrome approach commenced postnonclassical model of scientific rationality with postnonclassical vision and psychological research method, as well as with postnonclassical thinking of researchers. It was objectified, that the works of Vygotsky and Luria articulated general methodological requirements for organized study of the human psyche, which generally correspond to the requirements put forward by modern science as necessary to deal with complex self-developing systems. Certain argument have been found to prove that according to Vygotsky-Luria syndrome approach, psychological syndromes are described as dynamic structures that acquire the qualities of self-control, selforganization, self-determination and adaptive appropriateness, which give reason to consider them as open self-developing systems.

The article written by the son and grandson of Russian psychologist A.N. Leontiev reflects not only his great and varied scientific and organizational services to the domestic psychological science, but also paints a vivid picture of Alexei Leontiev as a person.

In contrast to the previous quite formal biographical articles about this great scientist, this paper lively and vividly describes what actually was the life and work of A. Leontiev. His biography details allow to imagine the situation in this country, in the time when he had to study, work and create.

Talking about personal traits of Alexey Leontiev, the authors point out that the scholar never engaged himself in delegating powers or acting according to the boss’s instructions. He constantly sought from the authorities healthy decisions for psychology. His authority in power was so great that he was able to do almost everything that he sought to do. A.N. Leontiev did not take any important decision without having a council with the people around him. In his collaboration with Lev Vygotsky, almost all decisions were taken together.

The authors openly, with gentle humor are writing of the early years of the future professor, about an uneasy scientific career, a creative, educational and administrative activity in later years. Their story gives an idea of Alexei Leontiev, and as a brilliant scientist, and as a highly respectable, vulnerable, very emotional person, and a very nice man.

The article comprehensively analyzes the specifics of scientific relations between the two leading Russian psychologists A.N. Leontiev and L.S. Vygotsky. It is shown how initial relationship between the teacher (L.Vygotsky) and an attentive disciple (A. Leontiev) was replaced disengagement, search and defense of their own views. The author demonstrates the dynamics of psychological ideas of these two scientists. He highlights different approaches to the problem of activity and identity, which made them part in a certain period of time.Considerable attention is paid to the scientific work of A. Leontiev, who lived and created in the socialist times of ideological pressure. It is shown how in spite of this adverse factor Alexei Leontiev, the founder of the activity theory, where moral principles are out of place where a person becomes its “product”, managed to come to the need for a special study of personality, his/her moral value sphere. Referring to specific works of A. Leontiev, the author shows the evolution of A. Leontiev ideas as “leader of the Marxist psychology” in the internal context of his scientific research, which has led to the fact that he erased the fundamental differences with L. Vygotsky on the problem of experiences and activities.

The author suggests that in his last years A.N. Leontiev’s views were close to the “late” L. Vygotsky’s viewpoint, taking the side of his Master, an older friend, and at the same time, as it is a usual thing in the academic life, the main opponent. This proves the fact that two years before his death in 1977, A.N. Leontiev actually agreed with Vygotsky on the problem of experiences and activities.

In his report, the author examines the science of psychology with an unusual perspective – as the science of variability, which generates variable concepts. He puts emphasis on the first underestimated works carried out on a par with the problems highlighted by Bernstein Severtsev, Leontiev, Rubinstein, Blonsky, Vernadsky, Bergson, Berg and others. The article highlights the main challenges of the historical and evolutionary approach of social constructivism: a selection considering the class of purposeful activity as a universal form of life existence, the allocation of the communicative discourse categories of activity, which is interpreted as the basis for the existence of biological, social and psychological systems. The concept of activity as a process of generating diversity at various levels of the system is disclosed. The works of such scholars as Gurevich, Batkin, Gergen, etc. that help to see how the evolutionary significance of diversity are mentioned. The higher one rises through evolution, the more divergent model programs of his/her behaviour are, and there appears a set of variable programs. The author shows that through the activity approach many phenomenological issues of culture are perceived, the development of cultural activity paradigm leads to the fact that psychology goes beyond the scope of a separate science, and serves as a unique paradigm of the future. Since the A.N. Leontiev veiwed psychology as a kind of workshop to support diversity, where the psychologist is as an expert in designing new worlds. The author concludes that the research of activities by which the development of diversity in this world of uncertainty is meant is incredibly important.