4. Fourth difference consists in methods of obtaining knowledge in the fields of everyday and scientific psychology. In life, the need to coordinate one’s actions with the actions of another, to understand not only the words, but also the context of the statement, to “read” in the behavior and appearance of another person’s intentions and moods, prompts a person to single out and fix the multifaceted manifestations of inner life, in other words, to observe others. But in everyday psychology we are forced to confine ourselves observations and reflections. In scientific psychology, these methods are supplemented experiment .
The essence of the experimental method is that the researcher does not wait for a confluence of circumstances, as a result of which the phenomenon of interest arises, but causes this phenomenon himself, creating the appropriate conditions. Then he purposefully varies these conditions in order to reveal the patterns that this phenomenon obeys. With the introduction of the experimental method into psychology (the opening of the first experimental laboratory at the end of the last century), psychology took shape as an independent science.
5. Fifth difference:
along with this, the advantage in scientific psychology lies in the fact that it has at its disposal extensive, diverse and sometimes unique factual material, inaccessible in its entirety to any bearer of everyday psychology. This material is accumulated and comprehended, including in special branches of psychological science, such as developmental psychology, pedagogical psychology, patho- and neuropsychology, labor and engineering psychology, social psychology, zoopsychology, etc. In these areas, dealing with different stages and levels of psychological development of animals and humans, with mental defects, with unusual working conditions - conditions of stress, information overload or vice versa, monotony and information hunger, etc., the psychologist not only expands the range of his research tasks, but also faces new unexpected events. After all, consideration of the work of any mechanism in the conditions of development, breakdown or functional overload from different angles highlights its structure and organization.
4. Academic and practical psychology
Academic psychology- this is a system of theories, methods and research recognized by the majority of the scientific community and approved as a standard by the expert community of the state academy or other scientific specialized industry parent organization.
Academic psychology first- fundamental science, science not for the sake of practical applications, but for the sake of pure science. As a fundamental science, academic psychology:
- is primarily engaged in research, the study of certain patterns (patterns of development and functioning psyche, patterns of human interaction, etc.),
- creates a methodological basis for other areas of psychology ( experimental, applied, practical) and related sciences: pedagogy, valeology, ethology, acmeology and others.
To a lesser extent, but academic science is also engaged in applied research that translates scientific achievements into practice.
Academic psychology is published in special journals, authoritative references, the possibility of defending dissertations and other status points are important in it.
Academic psychology is not necessarily a strictly scientific psychology, at least in addition to the natural sciences, the humanitarian approach is also widely represented in it.
Due to its tendency to be fundamental, academic science is opposed to applied, practical psychology. Academic psychology is characterized by a broad cultural outlook, a deep methodological analysis, and a vision of trends. On the other hand, it is characterized by detachment from practice and unwillingness to respond to the requests of ordinary people.
The tasks of practical assistance, practical training or development go beyond the scope of academic psychology. They are engaged in pedagogy and practical psychology.
Academic psychology is a system of theories, methods and research recognized by the majority of the scientific community and approved as a standard by the expert community of a state academy or other scientific specialized industry parent organization.
Practical psychology - a psychology focused on practice and focused on working with the population: engaged in educational work, providing the population with psychological services and psychological goods: books, consultations and trainings. From this point of view, practical psychology is education, enlightenment, the service sector plus business.
Grounds for opposition
Practical psychology is sometimes opposed to theoretical or research psychology, but the fact is that practical psychology does not consist of one practice, it has its own theory and its own research.
Academic psychology usually tends to be fundamental, to science for the sake of science, and then its natural pole is practical, applied psychology.
Comparative advantages and disadvantages
Academic psychology is characterized by a broad cultural outlook, a deep methodological analysis, and a vision of trends. On the other hand, it is characterized by detachment from practice and unwillingness to respond to the requests of ordinary people.
The tasks of practical assistance, practical training or development go beyond the scope of academic psychology. They are engaged in pedagogy and practical psychology. Practical psychology helps people in difficult life situations, enlightens, teaches, educates, corrects and develops.
As for the minuses, then, in comparison with academic, practical psychology is usually more superficial, fragmentary ("cut on the knee"), filled with esotericism and mysticism, sometimes harmful.
Practical psychology - psychology practice-oriented and community-oriented: engaged in educational work, providing the population with psychological services and psychological goods: books, consultations and trainings.
From this point of view, practical psychology is education, enlightenment, the service sector plus business.
Psychologists working in the field of practical psychology - practical psychologists.
Types of practical psychology
Psychology, especially practical psychology, is always in shades. Sometimes it's more pedagogy, sometimes it's more of a philosophy of life, sometimes it's more of a consultation or more of a psychotherapy, sometimes psychology comes to us in esoteric garb, sometimes it's almost an open business: "buy - sell!", sometimes it's just entertainment for bored...
The structure of practical psychology
The structure of practical psychology includes:
- its main paradigms - natural science and humanitarian (behavioral and phenomenological),
- one or another orientation - ethical or applied,
- direction associated with a certain vision of human nature - psychoanalytic, psychodynamic, religious, transpersonal,
- areas of activity - psychotherapy, psychodiagnostics, psychocorrection, education, training, development
the main approaches-brands, subdivided into currents and schools - the behavioral approach, the humanistic approach, the gestalt approach, the NLP approach, the synton approach.
5.
The current state of psychology
At present, there is a rapid development of psychological science, due to the variety of theoretical and practical problems that confront it. The main task of psychology is the teaching of the laws of mental activity in its development. Over the past decades, the front of psychological research has expanded significantly, new scientific directions and disciplines have appeared. The conceptual apparatus of psychological science has changed, new hypotheses and concepts are continuously emerging, and psychology is enriched with new empirical data. B.F. Lomov, in his book “Methodological and Theoretical Problems of Psychology”, characterizing the current state of science, notes that at present “there is a sharp increase in the need for further (and deeper) development of the methodological problems of psychological science and its general theory.”
The field of phenomena studied by psychology is enormous. It covers the processes, states and properties of a person, which have varying degrees of complexity - from the elementary distinction of individual features of an object that affects the senses, to the struggle of personality motives. Some of these phenomena have already been studied quite well, while the description of others is reduced to a simple recording of observations. Many believe, and this should be especially noted, that a generalized and abstract description of the phenomena under study and their connections is already a theory. However, the theoretical work is not exhausted by this, it also includes the comparison and integration of accumulated knowledge, their systematization, and much more. Its ultimate goal is to reveal the essence of the phenomena being studied. In this regard, methodological problems arise. If a theoretical study is based on a fuzzy methodological (philosophical) position, then there is a danger of substituting theoretical knowledge for empirical knowledge.
In the cognition of the essence of mental phenomena, the most important role belongs to the categories of dialectical materialism. B.F. Lomov in the already mentioned book singled out the basic categories of psychological science, showed their systemic interconnection, the universality of each of them and, at the same time, their irreducibility to each other. He singled out the following basic categories of psychology: the category of reflection, the category of activity, the category of personality, the category of communication, as well as concepts that can be equated to categories in terms of the level of universality - these are the concepts of "social" and "biological". Revealing the objective connections of social and natural properties of a person, the correlation of biological and social determinants in his development is one of the most difficult tasks of science.
As is well known, in previous decades psychology was predominantly a theoretical (ideological) discipline. At present, her role in public life has changed significantly. It is increasingly becoming an area of special professional practice in the education system, industry, public administration, medicine, culture, sports, etc. The inclusion of psychological science in the solution of practical problems significantly changes the conditions for the development of its theory. Tasks, the solution of which requires psychological competence, arise in one form or another in all spheres of society, determined by the growing role of the so-called human factor. The "human factor" is understood as a wide range of socio-psychological, psychological and psycho-physiological properties that people possess and which are manifested in one way or another in their specific activities.
The study of almost the entire system of mental phenomena - from elementary sensations to the mental properties of a person - aimed at revealing the objective laws to which they obey, is of paramount importance for creating a scientific base, solving a social problem, and improving the organization of training and education.
Society's awareness of the role of applied problems solved by psychological science led to the idea of creating an extensive psychological service in the organs of public education. At present, such a service is at the stage of its design and development and is intended to become a link between science and the practical application of its results.
6. Basic paradigm
In general psychology, there are three most important paradigms:
- natural science,
- humanitarian
- practical.
The basis for such a division is the initial image, on which the psychological paradigm is guided in the organization of its structure.
Natural science paradigm
The natural-science system involves the theoretical systematization of objective knowledge about the world. It is characterized by two attitudes that make it related to classical natural science: the value of objective knowledge (knowledge of objective laws) and the value of novelty (a constant increase in objective knowledge about the world as a result of research). Way of building knowledge: hypothesis, confirmed by experiment. The criterion is the reproducibility of the results, that is, the identification of common dependencies and laws. The main activity of a scientist is research, where a person is considered as an object, therefore, it is impossible to study him as a subject, his human essence, spiritual essence and individuality. Behaviorism is an attempt to explain man in terms of the natural science paradigm.
Short description
Psychology as a science has a long period of formation and a relatively short history. Even in ancient Greece, the first attempts to explain mental phenomena arose. These ideas considered the psyche, the soul as an indispensable attribute of nature: animals, natural phenomena have a soul, which acts as a source of movement and development. The soul exists independently of the physical body and can influence the fate of a person, his health, success. This view of the nature of the psyche is called animism (from Latin anima - soul, spirit).
THE CURRENT TOPIC
Mazilov Vladimir Alexandrovich
Doctor of Psychology, Professor Yaroslavl State Pedagogical University named after I.I. K.D. Ushinsky
PRACTICAL AND ACADEMIC PSYCHOLOGY: PROSPECTS FOR FURTHER COOPERATION
The article is devoted to the discussion of the question of the relationship between academic psychology and practical psychology. It is argued that the disagreements between them are normal and natural: these are two different types of activities, they have different goals and objectives, "missions", different methodology.
There is no paradigm confrontation between academic and practical psychology: it is a disguised "classical" rivalry between the natural science and hermeneutic paradigms. It is argued that an effective resolution of the confrontation between paradigms is possible by revising the subject of psychology. The interpretation of the subject of psychology as the inner world of a person is proposed.
Key words: academic psychology, practical psychology, paradigms, natural science paradigm, hermeneutic (humanitarian) paradigm.
In recent decades, there has been an intensive and steady growth of the psychotherapeutic movement in our country. Various psychotherapeutic practices have become a leading part of the world of practical psychology. In this article, we will consider the relationship that has been developing recently between practice-oriented psychology and traditional academic psychology, by which we mean theoretical-experimental scientific psychology.
Before we start discussing issues related to the relationship between academic and practice-oriented psychology, we believe it is necessary to make a few remarks.
First. It seems to us that there is nothing extraordinary in the fact that there is a gap (divergence, schism, dissociation) between academic (theoretical-experimental, research) psychology, on the one hand, and practical psychology, on the other. In our opinion, this is natural, since these are two different types of activities, they have different goals and objectives, "missions", different methodology. Recall, by the way, that the traditional approach defines methodology as a system of "principles and methods of organizing and constructing theoretical and practical activities, as well as the doctrine of this system." This definition is reproduced in a number of modern psychological dictionaries in relation to the methodology of psychology. It follows from this that there must be a methodology of theoretical (academic) psychology and a methodology of practice-oriented psychology. This is completely normal. No need to dramatize, this is the same natural state as the crisis of psychology.
Second. It seems to us that practical psychology is also "scientific", only in a different standard. We will try to discuss this difficult issue below.
Third. Many who write and talk about psychological practice do so as if they knew nothing about it at all. This, at least, is not entirely true, because there are serious studies. Psychological practice - like any practice - has its own theory, and if it is not the concepts of academic science that act as such, then there must be reasons for this. Therefore, in some respects, academic knowledge does not satisfy the specific requirements for the basis of practice. As it was shown in due time, various mythologies can act as such a basis for practices. Again, nothing terrible happens, it is worth trying to understand why this happens and why academic knowledge does not satisfy “practical” needs.
The assertion that there are significant differences between academic psychology and practice-oriented psychology is by no means new. If desired, the origins of this opposition can be seen in the fact that psychology, according to Max Dessoir, has different roots. It is possible, following M.S. Rogovin, to see these origins in the tragic mismatch of the three components of psychology. Indeed, it seems that pre-scientific, philosophical and scientific psychology, as components of modern psychology as a whole, have their own tasks, methods, functions, the specifics of which are absolutely necessary to take into account. For the normal development of psychology as a whole, the interaction of these three components is necessary: together they make up the "space of meanings" that make it possible to represent "mental reality" not partially, but in full.
In 1996, a well-known article by F.E. Vasilyuk, from which the modern countdown of the analysis of this problem is usually calculated. In this bright article, we recall, it was argued that there is
© Mazilov V.A., 2015
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schism between academic and practical psychology. It seems to us that one should not forget that O.K. Tikhomirov was the first in the recent history of Russian psychology to pose the problem of the relationship between academic and practical psychology, and he considered it as a problem of world psychological science. “The ratio of theoretical, or academic, psychology and practical psychology. The two areas are torn apart in the structure of world psychological science. This gap is institutionalized. There are two international associations. One is called the Association for Scientific Psychology, the other the Association for Applied Psychology. They gather in different cities, with different composition (sometimes it may overlap). As a result, the practical work of psychologists is built without relying on theories developed in academic psychology. Accordingly, academic psychology insufficiently analyzes and assimilates the experience of practical psychology. It is impossible not to notice that the relationship between academic and practice-oriented psychology is being discussed very widely in the periodical press today, the problem is still acutely relevant today. At the same time, researchers very often, unfortunately, do not remember that the problem in the recent history of psychology was brought up for discussion by O.K. Tikhomirov back in 1992.
The title of this article, which received a very wide response, is "The Methodological Meaning of the Psychological Schism." Schizis - the splitting of psychology - is interpreted by F.E. Vasilyuk as a characteristic of its current state in our country: “Unfortunately, we have to diagnose not a crisis, but a schism of our psychology, its splitting. Psychological practice and psychological science live a parallel life as two subpersonalities of a dissociated personality...” . F.E. Vasilyuk emphasizes that “the most dangerous thing that preserves the whole situation and first of all needs to be corrected is that neither researchers nor practitioners themselves see the scientific, theoretical, methodological significance of practice. Meanwhile, for psychology there is nothing more theoretical than good practice.
The main idea of the above article is that "psychotechnical research is the most relevant and healing for our psychology, that their significance does not at all boil down to the development of effective methods and techniques for influencing human consciousness, but primarily consists in the development of a general psychological methodology" .
In a recent study by A.L. Zhuravlev and D.V. Ushakov under the significant title "Theoretical-Experimental and Practical
psychology: two different paradigms? the question is raised whether these two psychologies do not represent two different paradigms. The conclusion of the researchers is that "academic and practical psychology each work according to its own standards, and in this sense their characterization as different paradigms is justified" . The authors make an important remark, according to which the application of T. Kuhn's views to psychology requires their clarification and modification. “The point is rather that T. Kuhn's concepts are not subtle enough to characterize the situation in psychology. It should be noted that this is hardly related to the specifics of psychology. In particular, P. Feyerabend criticized T. Kuhn for underestimating the fact of the parallel existence of research traditions...” .
It seems to us that it is not necessary to talk about the opposition of academic and practical psychology as a paradigm confrontation, because there is no competition between them, since each occupies its own niche. If this or that kind of practical psychology does not have its own theory, then most likely some mythology will take its place, but it is very unlikely that it will turn out to be any scientific concept. Because they have different missions. And they are different in structure.
And if we talk about the paradigm confrontation, then it will be with a high degree of probability another confrontation between the natural science paradigm (which in this case acts through some kind of theory from “academic” psychology) and the hermeneutic one (which stands behind some kind of practice-oriented psychology).
Thus, it seems to us that the conflict - if it exists - lies in the plane of confrontation between the paradigms of scientific psychology. Indeed, both natural science and hermeneutical psychology are scientific - but according to different standards of scientificity.
However, enough has already been written about this.
Practical psychology is currently, as one might suppose, in a state of formalization into an independent discipline. By definition, V.N. Druzhinin, practical psychology remains partly an art today, partly based on applied psychology as a system of knowledge and evidence-based methods for solving practical problems. In general, this statement is true even today, although many years have passed: practical psychology is extremely heterogeneous and, undoubtedly, includes the named components. But, as can be assumed, practical psychology is currently being formed as a special direction within psychological science. With the extreme inhomogeneity of practical psycho-
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Practical and academic psychology: prospects for further cooperation
chology (elements of academic psychology, “supplemented” with examples “from life”, and applied psychology as such, and various kinds of non-scientific concepts based on esoteric teachings, mysticism, astrology, etc., and the so-called “ pop-psychology" - psychology for the mass reader, etc.), however, today we can already talk about the formation of a paradigm of actual practical psychology as a branch of psychological science that has specific goals and objectives, methods, methods of explanation, etc. .
It seems promising to give a sketch of this paradigm. So what is practical psychology today? First, it is a discipline that is defined not through the subject, but through the object. In practical terms, it is always more important to give a general (holistic) characterization of the personality. In medicine, law, pedagogy, art, etc. it is much more important to determine who is in front of you than to follow the historically established (and therefore inevitably historically limited) canons of scientificity. It is pertinent to note that the “standard” that has been formed and taken shape in the field of natural sciences is usually taken as such. In accordance with such a standard, a “cell” is singled out, from which the sought-for “whole” must “line up”. Let us recall that even W. Dilthey at the end of the 19th century warned that such a strategy in the field of psychology was unpromising. Therefore, practical psychology proceeds not from the subject, but from the object. The object is fundamentally intact. It seems to us that some clarification is needed here. Let's try to give them. Traditionally, the subject of scientific academic psychology is either the psyche or behavior (depending on which scientific school the interviewed psychologist-researcher belongs to). It's at the declaration level. Really subject to study are either the phenomena of behavior (available to external observation), or the phenomena of self-consciousness (which are fixed with the help of self-observation). Based on this real subject, a hypothetical construction is built - for example, the subject of science. As a rule, this is the result of the mental activity of the cognizer, i.e., something that has a mediated character (for example, the same psyche). From this elementary subject, the entire wealth of phenomena belonging to the sphere of a given science must be derived - a cumulative subject. It is important to emphasize that a real aggregate object is obtained as a result of “constructive” (in the sense of V. Dilthey) activity. Thus, in this case, the path of science: from "units" to "whole". In practical psychology, the path is fundamentally the opposite. This is achieved due to the fact that not an object, but an object is taken as the initial one. Volume
ect is fundamentally holistic. The schemes used by a practical psychologist are focused not on the subject, but on the object. (Note that, in accordance with the principles of practical psychology, oriented towards the subject-subject approach, the integral object to which schemes are applied is represented by the subject).
The object (in practical psychology) is the personality. It should be specially emphasized that the understanding of personality in practical psychology differs significantly from the interpretation of personality in academic psychology (one can point out at least ten fundamental differences). As a practice-oriented field of knowledge, it proceeds from the idea of a holistic object, not trying to "build" it from the supposed (and, of course, hypothetical) "units", but trying to cover it entirely. A specific method follows from this: it can be defined as humanistic, involving a dialogue between the researcher and the researched (since the latter is the bearer of consciousness), and ignoring this circumstance is at least short-sighted. Integrity and typology can be called the initial principles of practical psychology (as opposed to the "elementarism" and "constructivism" of scientific psychology, which were recorded by W. Dilthey). As an ideal of scientificity, practical psychology has a description and prediction (of the behavior of the individual), and not an explanation. He sees as a means not the construction of scientific models, but the development of typologies (numerous, for various reasons), the classification and description of individual cases.
It is hardly worth emphasizing that the ultimate goal of practical psychology is to reach psychotechnics and psychotechnologies, since practical psychology studies its own object in order to change it in one way or another (we note in brackets that the goal of academic psychology is to discover common laws and “fit” the subject of study into the overall picture of the world). Naturally, the concept of the “final product” also differs: in academic psychology, this is the construction of a possibly more convincing scientific model in which the general “laws of life” of a scientific subject have been embodied; in practical psychology, this is “only” a description or typology that suggests one or other qualification of the "individual" case.
We believe that effective interaction between practical and scientific psychology will become possible thanks to the methodology, and the methodology is communicative. This requires a theoretical development of the problem of the subject of psychology. In our opinion, it is necessary to create a theoretical model of the subject of psychology.
Pedagogy. Psychology. Social work. Juvenology. Sociokinetics #2
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It is about developing a new understanding of the subject of psychology. Both the researcher in the field of psychophysics and the researcher in the field of transpersonal psychology obviously represent one science - psychology. Now one gets the impression that these are representatives of completely different sciences, because. they are all different. Therefore, the understanding of the subject of psychology should be such that there is a place in it for both one and the other. Only such an understanding will make it possible to combine the achievements of psychologists from different schools and directions. Without such an understanding, it is impossible to generalize the vast arrays of knowledge accumulated in psychology. This is a very difficult task. Incidentally, it is common to Russian and world psychology (despite all the differences in approaches to the study of the psyche). Correlating and ordering the existing material on the basis of a new understanding will allow psychology to become a fundamental science.
In solving this problem, two aspects, or rather, two stages of its solution, can be distinguished. The first stage is a formal description of the subject (what functions it should perform, what criteria it must meet). This work has largely been done. The second stage is the content content of the concept "subject of psychology". Work is already underway in this direction as well. What exactly will this new item be called? It seems that the most successful is the term "inner world of man". An attempt has been made to present the inner world of a person as the subject of psychology, since it is precisely this that allows, in our opinion, to carry out meaningful content, accommodating the entire psychic reality in full. Many methodological problems of psychology are generated by the main unresolved - the development of a new understanding of the subject. Confrontation of paradigms, differences between natural science and humanistic orientations in psychology, etc. - these most important problems are largely the consequences of the unresolved fundamental issue of psychology. The problem of the subject is indeed, to paraphrase the classic, the fundamental question of all psychology, especially of modern psychology.
A textbook for future psychologists has been prepared. In preparing this textbook, a new understanding of the subject of psychology as the inner world of a person was used. This textbook discusses the concept of "the inner world of a person", shows that the inner world reflects the existence of a person and is formed in the processes of life. Developing in activities and deeds, it is characterized by functionality and efficiency. All mental processes in the inner world proceed simultaneously on two levels: conscious and unconscious. The inner world, on the one hand, is one with the outer world, on the other -
independent of him. The inner world, generated as a functional reflection of the outer world, is an integral ideal world. This is a living world, as it is generated by human needs and permeated with experiences.
The inner world, as a substantial entity, is characterized by stability, acts as an abiding entity and its manifestations, as a being, the cause of which is in itself, existing as the cause of itself. From the position of the inner world, the problems that psychology studies are well explained.
Bibliographic list
1. Vasilyuk F.E. Methodological meaning of psychological schism // Questions of Psychology. -1996. - No. 6. - S. 25-40.
2. Dessoir M. Essay on the history of psychology. -SPb.: Knigoizd. O. Bogdanova, 1912. - 218 p.
3. Zhuravlev A.L., Ushakov D.V. Theoretical-experimental and practical psychology: two different paradigms? // Paradigms in psychology. Scientific analysis. - M.: Institute of Psychology RAS, 2012. - S. 158-177.
4. Mazilov V.A. Paradigms in psychology: from history to the present // Paradigms in psychology. Scientific analysis. - M.: Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2012. - P. 57-94.
5. Mazilov V.A. On the subject of psychology // Methodology and history of psychology. - 2006. - Vol. 1. - Issue. 1. - S. 55-72.
6. Mazilov V.A. Actual methodological problems of modern psychology // Yaroslavl Pedagogical Bulletin. - 2013. - T. 2. - No. 2. -S. 149-155.
7. Mazilov V.A. Methodology of modern psychology: actual problems // Siberian psychological journal. - 2013. - No. 50. - S. 8-16.
8. Mazilov V.A. Perspectives of paradigm synthesis in modern psychology // Yaroslavl Pedagogical Bulletin. - 2013. - No. 3. - V. 2: Psychological and pedagogical sciences. - S. 186-194.
9. Mazilov V.A. Theory and method in psychology. - Yaroslavl: MAPN, 1998. - 356 p.
10. Rogovin M.S. Introduction to psychology. - M.: Higher school, 1969. - 384 p.
11. Spirkin A.G., Yudin E.G., Yaroshevsky M.G. Methodology // Philosophical Encyclopedic Dictionary. - M., 1989. - S. 359-360.
12. Modern psychology: Reference guide. - M.: Infra-M, 1999. - 683 p.
13. Tikhomirov O.K. Concepts and principles of general psychology. - M.: MGU, 1992. - 92 p.
14. Shadrikov V.D. The world of man's inner life. - M.: Logos, 2006. - 392 p.
15. Shadrikov V.D., Mazilov V.A. General Psychology: A Textbook for Academic Undergraduate Studies. - M.: Yurayt, 2015. - 411 p.
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Introduction
In the 20th century, psychology entered the period of creating the scientific foundations for the development of its most important problems. At present, psychology has its own special subject of study, its own specific tasks, its own special research methods; it has a network of psychological institutions (institutes, laboratories, educational institutions that train psychologists), journals and specialized book publishers. International psychological congresses are systematically convened, psychologists unite in scientific associations and societies. The importance of psychology as one of the most important sciences of man is now universally recognized. The purpose of this work: to compare the relationship between academic and practical psychology and to consider the specifics of the training of psychologists.
Psychology as a science
At present, psychology is a very branched system of sciences. It highlights many industries that are relatively independently developing areas of scientific research. Bearing in mind this fact, as well as the fact that at present the system of psychological sciences continues to develop actively (every 4-5 years a new direction appears), it would be more correct to speak not about one science of psychology, but about a complex of developing psychological sciences.
They, in turn, can be divided into fundamental and applied, general and special. The fundamental, or basic, branches of the psychological sciences are of general importance for understanding and explaining the psychology and behavior of people, regardless of who they are and what specific activities they engage in. These areas are designed to provide knowledge that is equally necessary for everyone who is interested in the psychology and behavior of people. Due to this universality, this knowledge is sometimes combined with the term "general psychology".
Applied are the branches of science, the achievements of which are used in practice. General branches pose and solve problems that are equally important for the development of all scientific areas without exception, and special ones highlight questions of particular interest for the knowledge of one or more groups of phenomena. Let's consider some fundamental and applied, general and special branches of psychology related to education.
General psychology (Fig. 1) studies the individual, highlighting cognitive processes and personality in him. Cognitive processes cover sensations, perception, attention, memory, imagination, thinking and speech. With the help of these processes, a person receives and processes information about the world, they also participate in the formation and transformation of knowledge. Personality contains properties that determine the deeds and actions of a person. These are emotions, abilities, dispositions, attitudes, motivation, temperament, character and will.
Special branches of psychology (Fig. 2), closely related to the theory and practice of teaching and raising children, include genetic psychology, psychophysiology, differential psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, educational psychology, medical psychology, pathopsychology, legal psychology, psychodiagnostics and psychotherapy. Genetic psychology studies the hereditary mechanisms of the psyche and behavior, their dependence on the genotype. Differential psychology reveals and describes the individual differences of people, their prerequisites and the process of formation. In developmental psychology, these differences are represented by age. This branch of psychology also studies the changes that occur during the transition from one age to another.
Rice. one.
Rice. 2.
Genetic, differential and developmental psychology taken together are the scientific basis for understanding the laws of a child's mental development. Social psychology studies human relationships, phenomena that arise in the process of communication and interaction of people with each other in various groups, in particular in the family, school, in student and pedagogical groups. Such knowledge is necessary for the psychologically correct organization of education.
Educational psychology combines all the information related to training and education. Particular attention is paid to the justification and development of methods for teaching and educating people of different ages.
The next three branches of psychology - medical and pathopsychology, as well as psychotherapy - deal with deviations from the norm in the psyche and human behavior. The task of these branches of psychological science is to explain the causes of possible mental disorders and to substantiate methods for their prevention and treatment. Such knowledge is necessary where the teacher deals with the so-called difficult, including pedagogically neglected, children or people in need of psychological help. Legal psychology considers a person's assimilation of legal norms and rules of behavior and is also needed for education. Psychodiagnostics poses and solves the problems of psychological assessment of the level of development of children and their differentiation.
The study of the psychological sciences begins with general psychology, since without a sufficiently deep knowledge of the basic concepts introduced in the course of general psychology, it will be impossible to understand the material contained in the special sections of the course.
The main problems that academic psychology deals with.
1. The study of qualitative (structural) features of mental processes as reflections of objective reality. “Psychology, as the study of the reflection of reality, as the subjective world, in a certain way contained in general formulas, is, of course, a necessary thing. Thanks to psychology, I can imagine the complexity of this subjective state” (IP Pavlov).
2. Analysis of the formation and development of mental phenomena in connection with the conditioning of the psyche by the objective conditions of human life and activity.
3. The study of the physiological mechanisms underlying mental processes, since without knowledge of the mechanisms of higher nervous activity it is impossible either to correctly understand the essence of mental processes or to master the practical means of their formation and development.
2. Relationship between scientific and practical psychology
Psychology is, first of all, a branch of scientific knowledge, but at the same time it is also a field of professional activity of psychologists.
As a branch of science, psychology is often called academic or theoretical psychology (from the French academisme - a theoretical direction in science), as a field of professional activity, psychology is called practical psychology (from the Greek praktikos - active, active).
The main areas of activity of a professional psychologist are both academic psychology and practical psychology (Fig. 3).
Rice. 3.
Academic, or theoretical, psychology is a field of psychology focused on obtaining new knowledge about the laws and patterns of development of the psyche. Academic psychology is engaged in the search and theoretical systematization of objective knowledge about the mental activity and behavior of humans and animals, creates a scientific description and explanation of the facts and phenomena of the psyche. Theoretical psychology as a branch of scientific knowledge is a fairly young science, although it has ancient philosophical roots. Psychology took shape as an independent field of scientific knowledge only at the end of the 19th century; its recognition is associated not only with the appearance of the first evidence-based psychological theories, but also with the success of experimental research. In 1879, the German psychologist and philosopher Wilhelm Wundt opened the first psychological laboratory at the University of Leipzig. The experimental psychology laboratory of W. Wundt was then transformed into an institute, which for many years was the most important center of scientific psychology. In the short period of its existence, psychological science has come a long way and has accumulated considerable scientific content.
An important role in this process was played by the development of scientific methods of psychological research. The first specifically psychological method in the history of psychology was the method of introspection (from the Latin intrФspectвre - to look inside), which was a study by a psychologist of his own mental experience, the content of his own consciousness through internal observation. At the present stage of its development, psychology has a large number of objective methods that largely determine the content and directions of psychological research. Among the main psychological methods, the most important are such methods as observation, experiment, survey methods, the study of activity products, and psychodiagnostic methods.
Psychological observation? this is a purposeful study of mental phenomena based on direct perception of human actions, forms of his behavior and activities, various external manifestations in natural situations. The observation method allows to collect a lot of interesting facts for the researcher, a large amount of information, to get a general idea of the phenomenon under study. For some groups of subjects, observation is the most desirable research method (study of infants, people with altered states of consciousness).
The experiment is the main, leading method of psychology, which is the collection of factual material in specially organized conditions, the regulated study of mental phenomena, forms of behavior and activity. The advantage of the experiment as a method of psychological research is the possibility of repeated repetition of the phenomenon under study.
Questioning methods in psychology include conversation, questioning, interview, questionnaire. In all methods of this group, the psychologist reveals the necessary information by asking specially selected questions. The question should be clear to the subject, so it should be short enough, not contain special terms, be internally consistent.
The method of analyzing the products of activity (praximetric method, archival method) is based on the study of various material results of human activity (composition, drawing, manufactured object). The use of the analysis of activity products is based on the fact that they manifest the attitude of a person to the activity itself, reflect the level of development of his abilities, assimilation of knowledge, skills and abilities.
Observation, experiment, survey methods and analysis of activity products are the so-called research methods that do not require strict regulation of the procedure for conducting and processing the results. Psychodiagnostic methods (tests, projective methods, personality questionnaires), on the contrary, are based on a strict limitation of the research procedure, processing and interpretation of the results, and undergo mandatory standardization on large samples of subjects.
Tests are probably the most famous psychological methods, they include tests of intelligence and tests of ability and achievement. The most famous modern intelligence tests are D. Wexler's intelligence scales, R. Amthauer's intelligence structure test, J. Raven's progressive matrices, G. Eysenck's intelligence tests, and J. Gilford and E. Torrance's creativity diagnostic tests.
Personality questionnaires, as well as non-standardized survey methods, consist of questions or statements for which the subject selects an option from several proposed answers. Among psychologists, such professional personality questionnaires as the R. Cattell Personality Questionnaire (16 PF), the Minnesota Multifactorial Personality Questionnaire (MMPI), the C. Spielberger Reactive and Personal Anxiety Questionnaire, the F. Schmishek Personal Accentuation Questionnaire, the Eysenck Questionnaires (EPQ and EPI ) and others. psychologist educational training
Projective methods are aimed at identifying individual features of the reflection of reality, a system of subjective meanings and meanings in the perception of the world by a person. Among the projective methods, the most famous are the G. Rorschach test, which requires the subject to structure indefinite stimulus material, giving it a subjective meaning; Thematic apperceptive test (TAT), based on the interpretation of the depicted situation; the test "House-tree-man" by J. Book, the "Draw a man" test by K. Mahover, which use the analysis of the drawing made by the subject and others.
Currently, computer versions of classical psychodiagnostic methods are becoming more widespread. The advantage of their computer application is fast processing and presentation of results, accessible and simple means of statistical analysis, as well as long-term storage of data in any form convenient for the researcher.
Psychological methods provide many areas of psychological research, contribute to the accumulation of versatile results, the generalization of which forms the basis for identifying psychological patterns.
In addition, the relatively recent branches of psychological science, the number of which is constantly growing, are becoming increasingly important. They stand out from traditional areas of research, acquiring their own subject and content.
The number of branches of psychological science is constantly growing, as psychology accumulates and systematizes all new data, approaches the solution of traditional problems of studying the human psyche in a new way. Broad needs for psychological knowledge give rise to new interdisciplinary areas (psycholinguistics, ethnopsychology, psychopharmacology, space psychology, psychology of computerization, and others).
Practical psychology is aimed at applying the knowledge gained in theoretical psychology in practice, in working with people. Therefore, it is sometimes called applied psychology. Not all the knowledge gained in theoretical studies can be used in the field of practical psychology, therefore its sections do not correspond to branches of theoretical psychology. The main areas of practical psychology are psychological counseling, psychological correction, psychotherapy, psychological diagnostics and psychological education.
Psychological diagnostics as a type of activity of a psychologist is the study of individual psychological and individual psychophysiological characteristics of a person, the identification of various qualities, psychological and psychophysiological characteristics, personality traits and properties using special methods and techniques. Psychodiagnostics serves as the initial link in any psychological work with people, since on its basis correction programs, counseling directions, and psychological education activities are developed. A.F. Anufriev and S.N. Kostromin believe that psychodiagnostics determines the success of other activities of a practical psychologist. It is also noted that psychodiagnostics is largely based on the experience and intuition of a practical psychologist.
The psychodiagnostic activity of a practical psychologist implies a significant responsibility of the psychologist for compliance with the requirements for the research procedure, processing and interpretation of the results. Mastering one or another psychodiagnostic technique means not only gaining experience in working with it, but also mastering a certain psychological theory on which the development of the technique is based.
Psychological counseling is a direction of work of a psychologist to provide psychological assistance in the process of specially organized interaction (conversation) in conditions of close emotional and personal contact with a person, establishing trusting relationships. Psychological counseling is aimed at resolving a specific psychological problem, psychological difficulties associated with communication, interpersonal relationships, with the peculiarities of life situations and age stages of personality development. The main goal of counseling is to help a person understand the causes of difficulties, to support the individual's independent search for adequate ways out of a difficult or critical situation.
Psychological counseling covers various areas and can be pedagogical, organizational, career guidance. Counseling can be individual and group, full-time and part-time.
Psychological correction is a direction of a psychologist's activity to eliminate and prevent deviations in the cognitive and personal sphere, and work to develop a person's abilities and capabilities. The psychologist also reveals the sources and causes of deviations. In psychocorrection, much attention is paid to various aspects of the psychological impact on the personality, often with the help of special techniques and techniques (from the English technique - technique (performance), mastery) used by a psychologist in individual or group work with people.
Psychological education is the dissemination of scientific psychological knowledge among the general population. As a rule, psychological education involves knowledge that is interesting and necessary for almost all people about the patterns of age-related development of the individual, about the features of communication between people in different groups (in the family, work teams, informal associations), about the upbringing and education of children. Psychological education is carried out in the form of various forms of psychological and pedagogical work with people. Such forms can be popular lectures and conversations, open seminars, thematic lessons for schoolchildren, speeches at teachers' councils and methodological associations of teachers, at parent meetings at school, reports and messages in other organizations, thematic exhibitions of psychological literature, the release of wall newspapers, the organization of circles, clubs. and lecturers, and others.
As a branch of science, students study theoretical psychology as a system of academic disciplines. The features of practical psychology as a sphere of activity of a psychologist become clear in all details only after graduation from an educational institution, with the beginning of independent professional activity, although psychology students get acquainted with its individual elements in the course of theoretical training and educational practices.
According to E.A. Klimov, between academic and practical psychology "there is a useful (from the point of view of the prospects for the development of science in general and psychological education in particular) contradiction between theory and practice", which gives rise to a close relationship and interdependence between them (Fig. 4).
Rice. four.
Describing the relationship between theoretical and practical psychology, F.E. Vasilyuk notes that in the midst of psychological practice, there is a vital need for psychological theory, and psychological practice, in turn, can become the cornerstone of psychology as a science.
Psychologists-professionals work in different areas of the national economy, in various workplaces. Therefore, the functions performed by them and the content of their professional activities are not the same, the specifics of the work of a psychologist is determined by the type of professional specialization.
The classification of psychological professions can be carried out on various grounds: in relation to the main areas of activity of a psychologist (academic and practical psychology) and in relation to existing branches of psychology.
1. Psychological professions in relation to academic and practical psychology. In accordance with the allocation of academic and practical psychology as the areas of activity of a psychologist, a professional psychologist can work mainly in one of these areas. In the field of academic psychology, a psychologist can be a research theorist, a researcher. Theoretical psychologists are engaged in scientific research, they work in research institutes, laboratories as researchers. In our country, there are two state research institutes engaged in psychological research: the Psychological Institute of the Russian Academy of Education and the Institute of Psychology of the Academy of Sciences of the Russian Federation. Psychological research laboratories are being opened not only in psychological research institutes, but also in related fields. In addition, a significant number of such laboratories operate in higher education institutions, which, in addition to teaching students, as already mentioned, are engaged in research activities.
In the field of practical psychology, a psychologist works directly with people, using special psychological knowledge and methods, techniques, and techniques. Practical psychologists are school psychologists, family counseling psychologists, counseling psychologists in psychological assistance centers and other organizations. Currently, psychologists are in great demand - specialists in the field of training work engaged in behavioral trainings (“trainers” for conducting sales trainings, trainings for staff development, etc.).
Recently, practical psychologists with higher psychological education are increasingly invited to work related to personnel management, selection, interviewing candidates for positions, a comprehensive assessment of personnel at all levels, for psychological support of organizational personnel. In this case, psychologists work together with HR managers, personnel departments. In addition, practical psychologists in organizations are engaged in psychological support for the activities of employees, creating a favorable psychological climate, implementing training programs for employees, assisting in the process of new employees entering the established team of the organization, and developing recommendations for administrative workers on personnel management.
There is no impenetrable boundary between the theoretical and practical spheres of the psychologist's activity. Often, modern psychologists, engaged in theoretical research, simultaneously conduct practical work in any institution or organization, work as consultants, school psychologists, and conduct trainings. Practical psychologists, in turn, having accumulated interesting and significant results in their work, summarize them in the form of theoretical scientific works, which can be dissertations, scientific articles and books, speeches at scientific conferences and seminars.
An intermediate position between theoretical psychologists and practical psychologists is occupied by a teacher psychologist. A psychology teacher, on the one hand, works with people, but the subject of his activity is the transfer of theoretical knowledge to students. In this regard, in his work, the teacher of psychology performs pedagogical functions, is engaged in pedagogical activities. As a teacher, a psychologist can work in higher, secondary special and vocational educational institutions, in the curricula of which there are any psychological disciplines. For example, in pedagogical universities in all faculties involved in teacher training, students study general, social, developmental and pedagogical psychology. In addition to the above disciplines, upon receiving the specialty 030800 - "Fine Arts", students listen to such courses as "Fundamentals of Family Psychology and Family Counseling" and "Psychology of Personality". On the specialty 061500 - "Marketing" the course "Sociology and Psychology of Management" is read. Thus, the development of a future profession in many areas of training requires the study of psychological disciplines, for the reading of which psychologists are needed? psychology teachers.
Recently, psychology has been introduced as a subject in secondary schools. In our country, psychology was a school subject from the beginning of the 19th century (1804) to the beginning of the 19th century (1917), then from 1947 until almost the end of the fifties of the 20th century. Now this tradition is being renewed, but psychology has not yet entered the curricula of the general education school. It can be assumed that in the near future a psychology teacher will appear in schools who will teach the corresponding academic subject. Abroad, psychology is also taught in high schools. For example, schools in the UK are actively introducing educational subjects that have a psychological content (a course on self-awareness for adolescents and other disciplines).
The next basis for the classification of psychological professions is their division depending on which psychological science the content of the professional activity of a psychologist is mainly associated with.
Academic psychology- this is a system of theories, methods and research recognized by the majority of the scientific community and approved as a standard by the expert community of the state academy or other scientific specialized industry parent organization. Academic psychology is published in special Vakov journals, authoritative references, the possibility of defending dissertations and other status points are important in it. Non-academic psychology - not accepted into the academic environment or not striving to get there.
Fundamental science is science for the sake of science. It is part of a research and development activity without specific commercial or other practical purposes. applied Science- this is a science aimed at obtaining a specific scientific result that can actually or potentially be used to meet private or public needs.
Theoretical psychology studies psychological laws and, at best, develops practical general recommendations for applied specialists. Practical psychology- psychology, aimed at practice and focused on working with the population: engaged in educational work, providing the population with psychological services and psychological goods: books, consultations and trainings.
Psychological assistance can be household and professional.
Professional psychological help it turns out only by specially trained professional psychologists or professional psychotherapists, psychiatrists, if they have undergone special psychological training. Professionally competent conduct of a conversation implies high-quality listening, the ability to pause, ask questions and answer questions from another person, and master the skills of sincere empathy for another. Be sure to need knowledge of the psychology of personality, communication, small groups, including families, as well as patterns and ways of mutual influence of people on each other. A professional psychologist is obliged to follow the principles of providing psychological assistance, which ensure the protection of the rights of people who turn to him for psychological assistance and, consequently, the high efficiency of the specialist. The meaning of professional psychological assistance is not limited to temporary relief of the client’s condition, but involves helping a person in his own assessment of difficult life circumstances and in independently choosing a strategy for solving his psychological difficulties, in expanding his psychological capabilities by increasing self-esteem and self-acceptance, increasing respect and acceptance by him. other people. If the client is psychologically ready, then the psychologist can identify with him the origin of his psychological problems; will help to make sure of the inadequacy of the neurotic methods of interaction used by him with others; will help to acquire the skills of truly human, non-manipulative communication, which will allow the client to build really healthy relationships with his "I" and with other people in the future. Working with a psychologist can help the client use their own psychological resources more effectively.
