The concepts of ethnic identity and ethnicity are compared to each other; the main approaches of research on ethnicity are analysed. The restrictions of the primor- dialistic approach are discussed. The psychological analysis of the constructivist model of ethnicity as well as of its criteria is proposed in here. The analysis of the ethnological theories allows concluding that the unilateral vision of ethnic identity nature is illegiti- mate and ethnic identity should be studied as result of the cognitive-emotional process of self-determination of individual towards the ethnic groups in the social space — as result of belonging to the ethnic community experience.

The concept «personal life space» is introduced and a justification is provided. Theoretical origins, relations with the concept «image of the world» are discussed and a structure model of the concept is developed. The results of an empirical study of representation of personal life space in the world images in adolescents and young adults are presented.

The paper discusses the possibilities of symbol application to the learning of function concept in primary school. Author differentiates symbol and sign mediation. . Symbolic mediation is divided into productive (which assists transfer to sign mediation) and unproductive. Three groups of children were learning concept of function according to three programs: traditional, based on sign mediation; experimental, based on productive symbolic mediation; experimental, based on unproductive symbolic . mediation. Experiment showed that symbolic mediation could be a productive way of learning concept of function if core relationships in image content of symbol that can bring to sign mediation are defined.

The experimental research is directed on verifying of possibility and efficiency of formation of logic operations (classification, ranking) and understanding of a principle of conservation through formation of the decentration ability at children by the method developed by authors. Following positions are substantiated and confirmed. Formation of the decentration ability at children of the senior preschool age in the course of specially organized training influences on change of degree of intensity of an egocentrism and raises the decentration ability, influences on change of logic operations (classification, ranking) formation and understanding of a principle of conservation (length, quantity of substance and water volume) level. All changes after the formation are nonrandom.

The article presents the results of the investigation of active and passive vocabulary of emotions at schoolchildren (normal and schizophrenic ones). It has been shown that children suffering from schizophrenia are less differentiated in vocabulary of emotions and are more likely than healthy children recognize emotional stimuli as unemotional than the normal ones are doing this.

Neuropsychological testing in 7—10 children with learning and behavioral dif- ficulties is described. All children were school studying and visiting Center for children intellectual development. Several syndromes of higher cortical functions violations are sorted out.

The article describes verification of a test diagnostics method that focuses on understanding of human biology, specifically the procedure and the results of verification. The study includes testing of 168 high school students and validation of the test by 55 experts. The results of the study indicate that the test can be recommended to diagnose how well high school students understand human biology. The difference in experts’ opinion regarding interpretation of the test questions has been analyzed.

In the article are given the contents and the origins of terms «new religious movement», «brainwashing» and «mind control». There are also described the stages by which mind control is taken place in groups which aim is manipulating human brain (according to E. Schein and R.J. Lifton).

To the 85th anniversary of Galina Mikhailovna Andreeva.

To the 75th anniversary of Antonina Nikolayevna Zhdan