Lomonosov Psychology Journal
ISSN 0137-0936
eISSN 2309-9852
En Ru
ISSN 0137-0936
eISSN 2309-9852

Methodological Foundations of the Psychology of Theatrical Activity

Background. The article reveals acting as an activity, the definition of the method of "psychophysical actions" in the context of mastering the acting role as a process of development of higher mental functions of actors.

Objective. This article attempts to offer a psychological interpretation of the technologies of acting presented in the works of K.S. Stanislavsky, as well as his followers V.O. Toporkov, M.A. Chekhov, E.B. Vakhtangov, V.E. Meyerhold, M.O. Knebel, etc. from the point of view of L.S. Vygotsky's cultural-historical approach, A.N. Leontiev's theory of activity, psychological theories of communication and personality.

Methods. The authors of the article analyze stage communication and personality development during the development of the role from the point of view of the basics of social psychology and personality psychology, and also reveal scientifically based psychological interpretations of the acting profession as a conscious continuous activity aimed at achieving the credibility and organic existence of an actor on stage.

Results. The results of the theoretical analysis allow us to identify the mediation of theatrical activity by psychological patterns and technologies of analysis of the proposed circumstances of the role in the profession of the artist.

Conclusion. As a conclusion, a reasoned position is given on the need for scientific study of acting using the methodology of psychological science in order to develop the most effective method for the development of the acting profession as a process of formation of higher mental functions and the choice of adequate psychophysical actions in the proposed circumstances of the role.


References

Anohin, P.K. (1975). Essays on the Physiology of Functional Systems. M.: Medicina. (In Russ.).

Arp-Dunham, J.R. (2017). The cognitive Stanislavski in the rehearsal hall. Stanislavski Studies, 5 (1), 67–74.

Bakhtin, M.M. (1994). Problems of Dostoevsky’s Work. Kiev. (In Russ.).

Benedetti, J. (2008). Stanislavski and the Actor. London: Methuen Drama.

Bernhardt, B.C., Singer, T. (2012). The Neural Basis of Empathy. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 35 (1), 1–23.

Bodalev, A.A. (1983). Personality and communication: Selected works. M.: Pedagogika. (In Russ.).

Bozhovich, L.I. (1995). Problems of personality formation. M.: Mosk. psikh. sots. institut. (In Russ.).

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1989). Ecological systems theory. Annals of Child Development, 6, 187–249.

Bruner, J. (1987). Life as narrative. Social Research, 54 (2), 11–32.

Chekhov, M.A. (2018). On the actor’s technique. M.: AST. (In Russ.).

Chuprikova, N.I. (2022). Psyche and mental processes. System of concepts of general psychology. M.: Litres. (In Russ.).

Connolly, R., Ralley, R. (2007). The Laws of Normal Organic Life or Stanislavski Explained: Towards a scientific account of the subconscious. Stanislavski’s system Studies in Theatre and Performance, 3 (27), 237–259.

Evangelatou, A. (2020). Konstantin Stanislavski and Michael Chekhov: tracing the two practitioners’ “lures” for emotional activation. Stanislavski Studies, 9 (1), 21–39. doi: 10.1080/20567790.2020.1772550

Fray, O. (2005). Detection of Lies and Deception. SPb.: Praim-Evroznak. (In Russ.).

Hetzler, E. (2019). Emotion memory: “A dangerous reputation”. Stanislavski Studies, 8 (1), 87–96. doi: 10.1080/09603123.2019.1708619

Karabanova, O.A. (2007). The concept of “social situation of development” in modern psychology. Metodologiya i istoriya psihologii. Napravleniya i shkoly v psikhologii (Methodology and History of Psychology. Trends and Schools in Psychology), 2 (4), 40–56. (In Russ.).

Karabanova, O.A. (2014). Social situation of development as overcoming the dichotomy “personality — environment”. Psihologicheskie issledovaniya (Psychological Research), 7 (36), 10–21. (Retrieved from http://psystudy.ru) (review date: 04.08.2022). (In Russ.).

Knebel’, M.O. (2021). On the effective analysis of the play and role. M.: Planeta muzyki. (In Russ.).

Leont’ev, A.A. (1997). Psychology of communication. M.: Smysl. (In Russ.).

Leont’ev, A.N. (1977). Activity. Consciousness. Personality (2nd ed.). M.: Politizdat. (In Russ.).

Leont’ev, D.A. (2016). The concept of Motive in A.N. Leontiev and the problem of the quality of motivation. Vestnik Moskovskogo Universsiteta. Seriya 14. Psihologiya (Moscow University Psychology Bulletin), 2, 3–18. (In Russ.).

McAdams, D.P. (2011). Narrative identity. In Schwartz, S.J., Luyckx, K., Vignoles, V.L. (Eds.), Handbook of Identity Theory and Research (pp. 99–115). NY: Springer.

Meyerhold, V.E. (1968). Articles, letters, speeches, conversations (1917–1939). (2nd ed.). M.: Iskusstvo. (In Russ.).

Natadze, R.G. (1972). Imagination as a Factor of Behavior. Tbilisi: Metsniereba. (In Russ.).

Nurkova, V.V. (2005). The Role of Autobiographical Memory in the Structure of Personality Identity. Ezhegodnik rossijskogo psihologicheskogo obshchestva. Special’nyj vypusk (Yearbook of Russian Psychological Society. Special issue), 1, 25–27. (In Russ.).

Omel’yanenko, M.V. (2011). The concept of art in the reports of L.A. Orbeli on the second signal system. Vestnik SPbGUKI (Bulletin of Saint Petersburg State University of Culture), 2, 146–154. (In Russ.).

Orbeli, L.A. (1964). Problems of higher nervous activity and its development. M.; L.: Izd-vo “Nauk”. (In Russ.).

Pavlov, I.P. (1951). Complete collected works (3rd ed.). M.; L.: Izd-vo AN SSSR. (In Russ.).

Polanco, F., Bonfiglio, D.B.V. (2016). Stanislavski’s objectives, given circumstances and magic “if” through the lens of optimal experience. Stanislavski Studies, 4 (2), 205–216.

Rubinshtein, S.L. (2008). Fundamentals of general psychology. SPb.: Piter. (In Russ.).

Simonov, P.V. (1981). The Emotional Brain. M.: Nauka. (In Russ.).

Sobkin, V.S. (2015). Comments on Lev Vygotsky’s Theatrical Reviews. M.: Institut sotsiologii obrazovaniya RAO. (In Russ.).

Solov’eva, O.V. (2021). Feedback as a mechanism of personality subjectivity increase in communication and joint activity. In S.V. Sarychev (Eds.), Social psychology of personality and group in transforming Russia: Materials of All-Russian scientific and practical online conference (Kursk, December 16–17, 2021), (pp. 102–104). Kursk: Universitetskaya kniga. (In Russ.).

Solov’eva, O.V. (2014). In the space of communication A.U. Kharash. Zhurnal prakticheskogo psikhologa (Journal of practical psychologist), 1, 65–67. (In Russ.).

Stanislavsky, K.S. (1989). Collected works (2nd ed.). The Work of the actor over himself. Part 1: The work on myself in the creative process of experience: The diary of a student. M.: Iskusstvo. (In Russ.).

Stanislavsky, K.S. (1957). Collected works (4th ed.). The Actor’s work on the role. M.: Iskusstvo. (In Russ.).

Squire, L.R., Knowlton, B., Muse, G. (1993). The structure and organization of memory. Annual Review Psychology, 44, 453–495.

Takahashi, H., Shibuya, T., Kato, M., Sassa, T., Koeda, M., Yahata, N., Suhara, T., Okubo, Y. (2008). Enhanced Activation in the Extrastriate Body Area by Goal-directed Actions. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 62, 214–219.

Toporkov, V.O. (1954). About actor’s technique. M.: Iskusstvo. (In Russ.).

Toporkov, V.O. (1964). The method of creative practice of K.S. Stanislavsky. М. (In Russ.).

Tovstonogov, G.A. (1984). The Mirror of the stage. In Yu.S. Rybakov (Eds.), About the director’s profession (1st ed.). M.: Iskusstvo. (In Russ.).

Tulving, E. (1972). Episodic and semantic memory. In E. Tulving, W. Donaldson (Eds.), Organization of Memory (pp. 381–402). New York: Academic Press.

Vygotsky, L.S. (2016). History of development of higher mental functions. M.: Yurait. (In Russ.).

Vygotsky, L.S. (2005). Psychology of human development. M.: Izd-vo Smysl; Eksmo. (In Russ.).

Whyman, R. (2018). Stanislavski: Contexts and Influences. The Great European Stage Directors, 1, 1–29.

Zhukov, Y.M., Khrenov, D.V. (1999). Methodological analysis of research on insincerity. Mir psikhologii (World of psychology), 3, 219–231. (In Russ.).

Recieved: 09/02/2022

Accepted: 11/15/2022

Published: 12/31/2022

Keywords: cultural-historical approach; higher mental functions; development of higher mental functions; method of psychophysical actions; psychology of the acting profession

Available online since: 31.12.2022

Issue 4, 2022