The article is devoted to the problem of increasing of scientific standards and applied value of dissertations in pedagogics and psychology. Significant growth of quantity of dissertations in psychological and padagogical specialities is mentioned, and the reasons for the growth are pointed out. The indications of decreasing of dissertations’ scientific standards are listed with supporting factual data and typical examples. Some prompt actions undertaking for increasing the scientific standards and applied value of dissertations in pedagogics and psychology are described.

The article presents the analysis of work of dissertation councils at the MSU Department of Psychology. Quantitative indexes of defend thesises in psychology and pedagogic are adduced for 2001–2007 years. It was made an attempt to assume the quality of defended thesises in psychological and pedagogical science, as the priority was set the task to increase heir level, in particular, due to high requirements to publications in scientific edition «Moscow University Bulletin (Vestnik). Seria 14. Psychology».

In the article experimental investigations, performed in virtual reality (VR) systems, are considered. Perspective modifications of research paradigm in cognitive, orga4 nizational, social, clinical psychology are described. The possibility of application of VR technology in educational psychology, psychotherapy and psychological rehabilitation are discussed.

Two approaches to teaching the ability to learn in the Russian psychological and pedagogical sciences are analyzed in the article. The first one means we teach the ability to learn directly and the second focuses on developing this ability by changing the content and forms of learning. We come to the conclusion about the connection between these approaches with understanding the specifics of learning.

Complex interdisciplinary study of mechanisms of readiness for speech and move4 ments in stuttering used neuropsychological (A.R. Luria battery), biomechanical (a study of nonverbal movements such as the gait) and psychophysiological (brain localization of potential of readiness for speech) methods. Connection between defects of the sequential organization of speech, gait and performance in neuropsy4 chological tests on reciprocal coordination and dynamic praxis was revealed. Defects of readiness for speech are connected with pathological excitation of limbic system and pathological deactivation of brainstem, left frontal cortex, left basal nuclei and right temporal cortex, as well as with additional activation of the right frontal cortex. These data prove the systemic nature of speech defects in stuttering and the unity of brain mechanisms of verbal and motor readiness in human mental functioning.

The question of the investigation of functions of prefrontal cortex is put in the article. The author supposes that this zone of the brain is responsible for several different psychological components. He suggests a special method of investigation of some of the components. The method consists in combined use of principle of dissociation and the analysis of psychological processes’ disorders in the view of their stages of realization. As a result of the research there were defined some psychological components which were responsible for programming, regulation and control of different stages of thinking. Several neuropsychological syndromes of the disturbances of programming, regulation and control of thinking were marked out. The syndromes represented interconnected combinations of the disorders of the components.

The paper presents analysis of meditation as a form of achievement of altered state of consciousness by concentration of attention and «calming of mind». Buddhist psychopractices and contemporary psychotherapy are compared in the frame of work with imagination. The authors analyze Buddhist Tantric meditation on images of spiritual creatures, which allows the transformation of personal traits in probationer. It is argued that under the conditions of meditation the process of change of categorization takes place, right up to complete stoppage of categorization in nirvana.

The individual characteristics of time perception by sportswomen of synchronized swimming from Russian youthful team were studied at this work. Sportswomen are greatly varied in accuracy and stability of reproduction long (2–5 sec) and estimation short (less than 250 ms) time intervals, which filled with different contents – ticks of metronome, persistent sound, pressuring the button and etc. The improvement of individual characteristics of time perception by specials methods is one of the psychological resources to increase sports achievements of the team

The article is devoted to the review of feacheres of a process of social categorization,its object and functions. The specific of use of this process in main theories of psychology of social cognition is under the consideration.

XVI International Christmas educational readings.

The International scientific-practical conference «Communication psychology: Humanity training» dedicated to the 70th anniversary of L.A. Petrovskaya (1937—2006)

All-Russian conference with international participation «Tradition and Perspectives of zoopsychology development in Russia» in comemoration of N.N. Ladygina-Kots (1889—1963)

To the 60th anniversary of Viktor Fedorovich Petrenko.

To the 70th anniversary of Inna Andreevna Volodarskaya.

To the memory of Evgeniy Nikolaevich Sokolov (1920—2008).