The article features a new technique of work motivation diagnostics based on the new developed concept of motivational task. A motivational task is a tool for selfappraisal in the field of motivational objects allowing further reconstruction of motivational space. The conditions of the motivational task resolution have been implemented in the diagnostic procedure “Motivational Map”. The diagnostics procedure consists in multiple visual appraisal forms of 16 motivational objects (J.Nuttin) within a dimensional graphic space determined by 6 evaluation scales. To indicate the geometric patterns that reflect the relationship between motivational objects the term subjective motivation space is used, based on the definition of subjective psychological space in modern models of multidimensional scaling. Conditions of motivational tasks are as follows: ranking of motivational objects, determining the subjective centre of motivational space, multiple comparative evaluation of motivational objects, successive refinement of estimates of motivational objects, adjusting the motivational space with due account of placing high priority motivational object. Approbation of new assessment technique was conducted using a sample of 206 financial experts and included two series which had the test and the retest stages. These results were compared with the scores received using the results of standard questionnaires. The construct validity of the methodology was assessed by means of the regression analysis. The scales used in the standard methodologies of work motivation assessment served as the independent variables, while the parameters registered by the developed methodology served as the dependent variables. In the course of validity analysis, 32 highly important regression models were established. The results of psychometric verification of validity and reliability are presented in this paper.

In this paper we develop the criteria for evaluating scientific and academic publications and such qualification works, as diplomas, master theses and Ph. D. theses carried out using qualitative methods. The criteria are the result of a research seminar on qualitative methods held by A.N. Krichevets and O.T. Melnikova at the Department of Psychology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia. The detailed steps are described and corresponding standards of planning research, preparing the target and theoretical sample, collecting and analyzing quality data, interpreting and presenting results are shown. Particular attention is given to such criteria as transparency of result interpretation, result analysis documentation, validity, availability of author’s reflexive position in the text and availability of respondents’ judgements and opinions. In addition, we show the necessity of choosing methods for analyzing the results (e.g. thematic analysis, grounded theory method, hermeneutic or descriptive phenomenology, narrative and discourse analysis), how they conform to the goals and objectives of the research, and also the adequacy of studying a particular subject area.

We discuss the key validation strategies included into the research process (validation by respondents, analysis of deviant cases, triangulation, etc.), ethical principles and sampling, communicating with respondents, working with their personal data. Developing “quality standards” is an important factor in establishing a qualitative research in the Russian national science of psychology.

The most discussed validity criteria of qualitative research, namely realistic, constructionist, critical, aesthetical and radical ones are analysed in this paper. Modern research does not only introduce specific concepts of validity, but it also strives to conceptually replace this criterion by another.

In the realistic system the validity is discussed from the point of view of the interpretative argumentation. The constructionist criteria assume refusal of classical validity criteria, new criteria, i.e. “trustworthiness” and “authenticity”, are introduced. The critical criteria emphasize social value and usefulness, a critical component of the research, its inclusiveness in the context of social and cultural changes.

Aesthetical criteria equate quality of the analysis and the expressiveness, polyphony of the collected data, the representation of the various subjective positions in the study. The radical system, following the logics of radical constructionism and methodological anarchism, refuses a definite standard of quality research. Summing up, we conclude that the so-called “subjective” view of the researcher is not an artifact of the analysis, but its key epistemological tool. The issue of validity is the problem of critical reflexivity of the researchers and positions of their respondents. In conclusion, we suggest the original validity criteria of qualitative research in psychology based on the theoretical analysis of various criteria and practical experience.

The general principle of these original criteria is a relation of criteria and various levels (or stages) of qualitative research: research design, data collection and analysis, and data interpretation.

Conducted in recent years Russian population studies of the Internet use by children show that the rapid skills development in children and adolescents is associated with a lack of awareness of the risks and dangers of the digital world, and also the possibilities of coping with them. The paper offers psychological models of digital competence in children and adults including four components: knowledge, skills, motivation, responsibility, as well as types of digital competence, i.e. media competence, communicative competence, technical competence, and consumer competence.

The paper performs the results of the development and methods validation of screening diagnosis index of digital competence according to population-based study on a representative sample of Russian 12-17 year-olders (N = 1203) and parents of adolescents in this age group (N = 1209) conducted by the Foundation for Internet Development and the Department of Psychology, Moscow Lomonosov State University, Moscow, Russia with Google support. Reliability-consistency scales of the knowledge skills and responsibility was sufficient (0.72-0.90) with inhomogeneity of motivation scale. The confirmatory factor analysis proved the compliance of the 4-component index model to the empirical data.

To verify the validity of the criteria we used the four tests assessing the respondents’ knowledge and skills in the areas of content, communication, technosphere and consumption sphere. The overall level of digital competence was for parents, 31 per cent from of the highest possible level, and for adolescents, the level was 34 per cent, with particular decline in motivation (20 per cent and 20 per cent respectively), which indicates the necessaity for motivating and informing educational programs in this area.

The paper discusses the effect of Information Technologies entering into the everyday life of a human, which is associated with the erosion of the identity boundaries. In respect of such technologies phenomenon, which is important for the structure and dynamics of identity, is revealed: the interpenetration of the two control systems. On the one hand, technology provides people with new means of control over the world, but at the same time we becomes controlled by the same technological expansion. Getting equipped with certain vital facilities, technologically advanced people become deprived of their privacy, so technology turns out to be the means of total control. Benefits that provide technological expansion have the reverse side. Extended opportunities to access information results in increasing the availability of an Internet user, a smart phone owner or a bank cardholder. Any private information in the network can be accessed by a third party without the user’s consent.

Personal deprivatization results in increased levels of anxiety, emergence of feelings of being controlled and feelings of insecurity. The agenda includes the issue of ethical and psychological repercussions of electronic monitoring, digitizing, and chipping via wearable implants. The paper discusses the risk of changing human living through invisible, widespread and standard technologies of control. It is shown in the paper that personal space violation is not always a result of the activities of the state, but is rather the result of misunderstanding the specifics of Information Technologies, as well as ways of using than by a human.

Realizing that technology is a not neutral issue with respect to the user is the basis for complying with ordinary ‘information hygiene’ and preventing violations of the identity boundaries.

Russian culture is a high-context one, where a large amount of connotations are included in the process of informational exchange. This phenomenon is reflected in the special importance of nonverbal behaviour, mostly facial expressions. At the same time, the absence of smiling in Russian nonverbal communication is emphasized in numerous cultural studies and common sense.

The article makes an attempt to show that the high-context XIX century Russian culture could be described through the importance of a smile in communication. In order to prove this hypothesis, a content analysis of the novel «Anna Karenina» by Leo Tolstoy was carried out. Results of the research demonstrated that Tolstoy used the smile quite widely as one of the elements of nonverbal behavior of Russians (more than 550 words with a root «smile» were detected; it was also shown that more than 80 different characters (of different importance and class) do smile in the novel). Additionally, to describe smiles The Great Russian writer employed a rich range of linguistic tools, often expressing several emotions at once. The main function of the smile for Tolstoy is communion (obschenie ) since the interaction between the characters is not just seen as an informational exchange, but rather an opportunity to reflect feelings. Smiles accompany the speech, and at the same time they are an independent part of communication. They coincide with the most significant events in the characters lives – birth, wedding and even death.

It is suggested that the lack of a smile, and even the negative attitude of modern Russians toward smiles, is not a traditional feature of Russian culture, but rather Soviet and Post-Soviet ones. The social changes of the XX century resulted in some transformations of the rules of nonverbal expression of emotions – during the years of the Soviet power people stopped smiling and the habit of smiling was gradually lost. The article expresses the hope for the return of a smile to the Russian culture.

Intensification of cross-cultural interactions naturally actualizes the insight into optimal social distance perceptions, prospective entering into an intercultural professional group. Social expectations and stereotypes of cross-cultural compatibility, emotional preferences and behaviour choice are largely shaped in tertiary education environment. The study of social distance parameters in the course of cross-cultural communication among student groups from several higher education institutions demonstrated dominant positive attitude towards intercultural friendship. Similar to this was students’ assessment of prospects for working in a multinational team with different labour ethics, attitudes and values. However, emotional preferences in cases involving multicultural situations in a group are not that positive, while the examination of social distance shortening through intermarriage showed a tendency towards negative multicultural tolerance. A possibility to develop multicultural competence while receiving tertiary education is closely connected with acceptance of “others” and the nature of reacting in the communication process. The analysis of cross-cultural preferences among students from several Russian cities indicates the potential of interlocutory forms for group compatibility interpretation. It also shows prospects for multicultural understanding conditioning and mutual acceptance of semantically loaded social perceptions and in-group privileges determination. Development of cross-cultural cognitive system, which includes post non-classic discourse, subjective experience of interaction in multicultural environment, provides the opportunity to choose communication and behaviour strategies. Elaboration of linguistic determinism theories substantiates the link between the language and the world outlook, the world-image and linguistic peculiarities of perceiving it, comprising significance of national culture in one’s world view. The overcoming social and communicative barriers, the realization of objective need for intercultural dialogue will create conditions to optimize acceptance of the “Other” concept, to rationalize sociocultural peculiarities, and the level of their accessibility, to perfect the algorithms of cross-cultural interactions.

The paper discusses changes introduced in the new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) published by the American Psychiatric Association in May 2013. The DSM-5 was subjected to a flood of criticism already at the time of its preparation. The authors examine the reasons for revising the previous edition of DSM and provide examples of structural and diagnostic changes introduced in the DSM-5. Special attention is paid to those innovations, which have initiated controversy and debate in the professional community. The paper gives consideration to criticism of the changes in the DSM-5 and urges to the development of a new methodological approach to mental health.

The paper researches the possibilities and limitations of coping behaviour in children and adolescents on the Internet and the assistance of significant adults (parental mediation) in the context of the new social situation of development mediated by modern information and communication technologies, in particular, by the Internet. The study based on the EUKidsOnline II project was conducted in 11 regions of 7 federal districts of Russia (1025 “parent-child” pairs).

According to the research results the most common risks include dealing with negative sexual content, fraud and identity theft, meetings with online friends. Features of experiences and coping with risks online depend on the adolescent dominating activity on the web: those focused on their studies are less exposed to the risks mentioned, whereas their feelings are deeper and more enduring, they more frequently seek solutions using passive strategies. Those who fall into “content consumers” category are most exposed to the risk of coming across sexual content on the web as actively use various Internet resources including search engines. They experience fewer negative emotions, more frequently they actively seek to solve the problem almost without offline support.

The opportunity of parental mediation at the present moment is rather insignificant: a strategy of prohibitions associated with reduction of collision risks especially for research of teenagers; while the strategy of positive reinforcement and explanation is used effectively with adolescents doing various things on the Internet, it can be associated with a more realistic risk assessment and child using active coping strategies and social support. According to the data received the Internet could be considered as a complex psychological “instrument” that is internalizing by the child in his/her development. This internalization process determines his/her activities and self-regulation including his/her aptitude to coping with difficult life situations.

Virtual reality technology is used nowadays in various areas of science, and psychology, in particular. Successful work with virtual reality systems requires that a sense of presence emerges in the user, i.e. the subjective experience of the reality of being located in the artificially created environment and interacting with it. The lack of this experience or its insufficiency result in the interaction possibilities a virtual environment being unexploited. As a psychological phenomenon the sense of presence is caused by various psychological factors besides technological factors. In this paper, the reference literature review shows that the sense of presence is conditioned by demographic, cognitive, personality, and motivational variables. In particular, the sense of presence is dependent on differences in cognitive abilities and personal features, although in the last case the evidence is contradictory. The paper highlights a special role of cognitive control, i.e. metacognitive processes that are responsible for adjusting cognition to the context of the current task, thus emerging the sense of presence. The usage of expertise of psychological factors of the sense of presence in the development of virtual environments allowing effective user interaction is considered. The usage of psychological factors of the sense of presence as criteria for selecting users to operate in virtual environments is discussed. The directed research of various psychological factors that affect the sense of presence will not only support the development of general psychological theory of the sense of presence but also will allow to create effective solutions for fundamental and applied problems using virtual reality technology.

The soul concept has been forbidden to use in the academic psychological literature for over a hundred years. It was replaced (suppressed) by the concept of “psyche”, “consciousness”, “self-esteem”, etc. The paper raises the issue of the need to reconsider the concept of human soul as the fundamental basis of human mental activity. We emphasize the multidimensional concept of soul, a number of traditional fields of theoretical and applied psychology the directly being attributed to it, for example, the study of thinking, memory, perception, sensations, emotions, etc. We discovered that among the accepted meanings of the soul (more than ten listed in the paper) only one is known to fall out of the academic and psychological requirements, namely understanding the soul in terms of “spiritual part of human beings”. The fundamental conclusion consists in the fact that the soul properly never escaped the issues of academic psychology. On the contrary, it has been in the focus of scholars. In order to differentiate between the competence of psychology and theology we propose a distinction between “inner” and “outer” psychic manifestations. Within such a divide, the “outer” side will face the entire material world almost directly and entirely meet the requirements of the subject matter of science, whereas the “inner” side is connected with psychology through the reality, habitually referred to as spirituality, which in addition to theological interpretations can be deemed in terms of moral and philosophical value sphere and intelligible reason of human existence.

This approach allowed us to consider the issue of “spiritual” and “personal” relations, to establish relationships between personality psychology and the religious and secular approaches. It is shown that without taking into account the methodological correlation with these approaches the psychological category is reduced to simply identifying personal individual features, and motivational and volitional performance.

Dear colleagues, here is the regular issue of the “National Psychological Journal”.

The year of 2013 was a landmark in many ways not only for scholars of psychology, but also for the Russian science in general.

This paper discusses diverse theoretical approaches to the study of adolescent personal autonomy, including psychoanalytic approach (A. Freud, M. Mahler, P. Blos), attachment theory (J. Bowlby, Ainsworth, M. P. Crittenden), self-determination theory (E. Deci and R. Ryan), activity approach (A.N. Leontiev, D.A. Leontiev) and developmental approach (El’konin, T.V. Dragunova, L.I. Bozhovich, G.A. Zuckerman, G.V. Burmenskaya). Analysis of the adolescent personal autonomy has demonstrated the diversity of theoretical approaches and empirical research to explain the phenomenology, mechanisms and conditions of developing the complex personality constructs. The study of modern foreign and Russian research has allowed to analyze the main ways of separating from parents and the role of social context in shaping adolescent autonomy.

The paper describes the structure of adolescent personal autonomy construct. During its operationalization, the necessity of including the moral autonomy as part of the value autonomy in the four-tier personal autonomy is emphasized. The significance of parent-child relationship for developing adolescent personal autonomy is outlined. On the one hand, autonomy is represented as a characteristic of the relationship, i.e. social background, and on the other hand, it is the I-image used by a teenager as pattern in relationships with adults and peers. The paper highlights the benefits of the developmental approach in the research of the personal autonomy and presents how to use the concept of social situation development. The developmental approach that considers the social situation of development as a hierarchy of social contexts that determine the vector and development of the key age-dependent features, opens the opportunity of studying the orienting activity in the system of social and interpersonal relations in the development of personal autonomy.

The influence of long-term cognitive load on the individual condition (HEM Questionnaire) and also electrophysiological parameters (individual alpha rhythm (IAR), the spectral characteristics of the electroencephalogram (EEG), fatigue index (IS)). Cognitive or mental load was simulated by a series of continuous solutions of various cognitive tasks assigned that were aimed mainly on working memory and attention within the time limit of 2.5 hours. Before and after the test we were making records of background EEG and the participants were completing HEM questionnaires.

Analysis of the results of research conducted by the statistical comparison of the data obtained before and after exercise. The results show that long-term cognitive load significantly tells on the subjective sphere and the activity of the participant. On the electrophysiological level, the load results in a decrease of individual alpha rhythm frequency, a vast increase in the fatigue index, and also the increase of average power of theta, alpha and beta rhythms. Thus, the cognitive load is reflected in the significant shift of brain activity dynamics manifested as quite dynamic parameters of the alpha and beta rhythms power, this being in a more stable performance, such as individual alpha rhythm and the fatigue index. Summing up, a significant mental work leads to a significant increase in the power of slow-wave activity in the brain and the deterioration of the subjective well-being. On the one hand, the results of the research correspond with the literature data and, on the other hand, the results are integrating the data of various studies and consequently provide a more comprehensive view of the process of mental fatigue in terms of the dynamics of the brain.

The paper analyses the condition and the basic directions of military psychologists in the American armed forces. It gives an account of specific features, problems, basic fields of activity, general structure of military psychologists’ vocational training. Issues of military psychological community functioning as component of the American psychological association are discussed.

The paper shows that the direction and content of the military psychologists is determined by the peculiarities of the domestic and foreign policy of the American leadership, problems solved by the US armed forces at a particular stage of its historical development, the specific features of the psychological problems that are observes in the Army, the Air Force and the Navy at the today level of the psychological science and practice. The main problems that are the targets of the military psychologists (post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide, drug addiction, war crimes, and relations in military units) are revealed.

The subject field of the American military psychology, and its main objectives are analyzed. The consistency in determining the main points of the practical application of military psychology is given special attention to.

The main areas of activity of military psychologists are analyzed. The specific tasks solved by military psychologists of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Marine Corps are shown. The direction and methods of clinical psychologists, experts in information operations support of military troops, psychologists in teaching (psychological training of troops) and educational areas are shown. Staff positions and organisations where psychologists works in the interests of the military administration are reviewed. The paper provides an overview of the measures taken by the military leadership of the United States that claim to improve the system of psychological work in the armed forces at the turn of the 20th-21st centuries. The main structure of professional training for the psychologists who are working on solving defense problems are analyzed. A comparative analysis of remuneration system for military psychologists is given.

The issues of military-psychological community functioning as an integral part of the American Psychological Association are discussed. A review of periodicals, literature and events held by the section of military psychology of American Psychological Association ( APA) are provided.

In this paper, the motivation is deemed as a particular activity of living beings to provide mental support of individuals for generating activity (as the solution of generating activity problem). In the process of motivation, triggered by actualized needs or requirements of the society, the person accepts the need of conduct, chooses one of the offered activities to fulfill, selects the object of his/her behaviour, which is correspondent with the subject of need in a particular situation, finds a way of conduct to create the supraliminal motivation to work. This activity can be carried out randomly or involuntarily, with multiple operations or being reduced to automaticity (motivational habit being a skill).

Solution of the motivation problem is provided by either solution found in the evolution of species (congenital method) or by solutions found in ontogeny (motivational skills), or is being looked for “here-and-now”.

In humans, the process of motivation is correspondent with the higher mental functions, the former being constructed as a system and implemented deliberately and voluntarily. The motivation system denotes collaboration of all mental processes (emotional-volitional, and cognitive), which provides motivation to action by means of internal and external operations.

When referring motivation to action, the subject of the activity shall take into account the objects or subjects of desire that are meaningful for him/her in terms of needs, their degree of attractiveness in this particular situation, knowing the subject terms of his/her field of action, anticipating changes, having tools at disposal for further action, skills, their emotional and functional condition, and other factors. Motive is understood as a particular object or a desirewhich is meaningful for a subject in terms of necessity in this particular situation. The subject of need is the general term for anything that can meet the need.

The article analyzes the concepts of «unity» and «element» of psychological systems used by Vygotsky. Five signs of «units» and «elements» of the system has been described. These signs are logically symmetrical because their wording transformed into each other by denying or replacing certain words reversed. Some concepts of the theory of psychological systems considered and some differences between the concepts of «unit», «minimal unit» and «cell» of psychological system were described.

Psychological systems are defined as a holistic, sensible and active processes and/or outcomes of human interaction with the world. Examples of such systems are «the system of psychological functions» (according to Vygotsky), as well as purposeful human actions and operations (the interaction with the world at the level of objects and means). The concept of «component» of the psychological system is defined as any «something» that is in some sense belongs to human interaction with the world or is included in this interaction The component belonging to the system is called its element, but a component included in the operation and development of the system is called a part of it. The mathematical justification of these definitions is given. Identified and discussed the substantial (independently existing ) components of psychological systems and their components attribute ( properties and relations ). The relationship between bipolar theoretical constructs «part - element « and «substantial - attributive» component systems are described.

In this paper, we discuss the past, present and future of cultural activity approach as a methodology due to applying for the integration of humanities and natural sciences, psychotechnical and theoretical knowledge.

An attempt was taken to perceive another crisis of cultural activity psychology. The meaning of the historical crisis of cultural activity psychology is reflected in the future prospects of its development bridging the gap between classical and contemporary approaches. Reflection of the crisis of cultural activity psychology allows to allocate the following axioms: the need for dialogue with different variants of cultural activity movement in modern psychology; need for reflection of myths and dangers of canonizing certain thinkers; presumption of decency professionals, true school of Leo Vygotsky and understanding their motivation in the development of his ideas.

In addition to the axioms required for conducting an appropriate dialogue with the researchers of L.S. Vygotsky, there are risks that restrict the understanding and development of his space: the risk of the science-policy isolation, sectarian risk, risk of jubilee historicism, risk of reducing monism to monotheism. These axioms and risks are deemed as cognitive aspects of the situation, which are important for further development of the research program of cultural activity psychology.

Discussing cultural activity psychology as a methodology and a special intellectual movement allows to emphasize a number of meta-features of cultural activity psychology as ideology. On the level of particular scientific methodology it is possible to consider the relationship of cultural activity psychology with other sciences, in which the category of “activity” is the key one. Summing up, the communication referred to cultural activity approach to the social and cultural practices, which expressed methodological bases of social constructivism.

Specific features of temporal perspective and value-semantic orientations (including consistency of relevant values and their availability) in high-school students depending on the type of dominant motivation was studied.

For all students, it is shown that time perspective of their aspirations and desires differs by depth, length and positive orientation to the future, but these representations are qualitative specifics depending on the type of dominant motivation. For the group of students with achievement motivation and learning and cognitive motivation, values of educational activity are well coordinated and are seen as a means of realizing long-term goals for adulthood.

For the group of students with affiliation motivation, prestige and competition, values of learning are often accompanied by internal conflicts and vacuums. In high school students with the prevailing cognitive motivation the near future is associated with the values of freedom, self-confidence, self-improvment, overcoming obstacles, friends.

Their aspirations in the distant future are related to self-development, self-improvement with achieving success and confidence. Students with competitive motivation are characterized by a large number of targets in the distant future, without reference to a specific time and implementation, i.e. their school-life motivation decreases.

Aspirations of students with self-reinforcing learning motivation in the near future are most often focused on studies, but they are associated with a desire to achieve quite definite exam results.

To their mind, distant future is associated with overcoming obstacles and status and competitive values. Students with affiliation motivation associate their distant future with career, and also with status and competitive values of «authority», «to be better than others». Their motivation associated with the present and the immediate future period of school life also decreases.