Articles

In article the basic results received by E.N. Sokolov in experiences on studying of mechanisms of memory are presented. E.N. Sokolov has developed a system of experiments helped to refine the analysis of the mechanisms of memory. As experimental model of memory the habituation was used and as research methods various objective indicators of work of a brain — from EEG to intracellular potentials of single neuronswere applied. The experiments gave the possibility to formulate the concept of nervous model of stimuli and synaptic potentiation as a basis for remembering the properties of an effective signal. This article gives a brief overview of these works.

The aim of experimental study is testing of the possibility and efficiency of conservation understanding formation in preschool children through the formation of their logical operations of classification and seriation. New training methods of classification and seriation were developed. They are based on the mastery of the actions belonging to the composition and structure of the data logic operations. Parallel formation of logical operations of classification and seriation using these new techniques allowed the subject not only to master these logic operations in a full, but also let the children overcome nonconservation phenomena. The possibility of formation of some concrete-operational structures of intelligence (understanding of the conservation principle) through other specific-operational structures of intelligence (the composition and structure of logical operations of classification and seriation) was proved for the first time.

The preconditions of Individual Style of Activity (ISA) problem formation as well as it’s history of study in psychology of this country are examined. Essential characteristics of ISA conception (suggested by E.A. Klimov) and the peculiarities of different approaches to the study of the phenomenon in 1950—2000 are emphasized. Promising directions for future research are determined.

The article analyzes the psychological and socio-demographic factors that affect the understanding and experience of the terrorist threat. In empirical studies, held at the 698 residents of Saransk and Smolensk, shows: 1) women and young subjects, the indexes of experience a terrorist threat is higher than men and adults, and 2) predictors of the overall index are experiencing personal anxiety, machiavellianism and the ability to control the situation and 3) understanding the terrorist threat, disturbing the subjects focused on the emotional and irrational aspects of the attacks, and 4) Machiavellian people understand the attacks as universal manipulative ways to solve problems, achieve goals, 5) subjects with high ability to control behavior stress of planning the attacks and targeted actions of people involved in them.

In the experiment 9 and 12 year old participants took part in an induced conflict of interests, organized as a cooperative-competitive game. The significant age differences in styles of dyadic interactions in an induced conflict of interests were found. Results indicated that a style of interaction with partners and total outcome of the game were partly predicted by a level of social intelligence and a child’s ability to manipulate others’ behavior. 

In this study, through an integrated psycho-physiological approach, it is shown that the complex dynamics of the power spectrum of the EEG reflects subjective differences in emotional reactions to stimuli. In the perception of emotionally positive slides found increased relative EEG power in the range of 6-8 Hz in frontal derivations, as well as the suppression of the activity of 8-12 Hz in the occipital and parietal leads. Resulting data can become the basis for the creation of a fundamentally new method of objective diagnostics of emotional responses, which will be in demand both in medicine and applied fields of psychophysiology and in fundamental studies of emotional reactions.

In this article the history of the formation of military-psychological knowledge, in Russia, is analyzed. The basic stages of development of military-psychological theory and practice are explored. The characteristics of the object and purpose of military psychology is explained. Military psychology’s place in the system of science is shown. Proof is given of the general and special problems of military psychology.

Some actual problems and new research approaches in modern psychophysiology are discussed. The materials of the last XIII World Congress of Psychophysiology (Istanbul, Turkey, August 28 — September 2, 2006) are used as the basic issue. The analysis of concrete reports at the congress is accomplished by a common discussion concerning both psychophysiology itself and intricate relations between psychology and natural sciences as a whole.

The results of a research of the obverse asymmetry influence on the perception of a number of personal characteristics of man including rationality and irrationality in cognition are described in the article. It has been shown that in perception of vertically divided (along the nose line) face pictures the psychological characteristics perceived by each half of the face is partially different. However, the rationality or irrationality in cognition is perceived by any half of the face — right or left — equally well.

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 second phase of a longitude study of influence of some psychological characteristics on professional preparation of psychologists is described in the article. young psychologists in their third year were studied. It is demonstrated that emotional stability, motivation to learning, communication skills, which influenced progress of students in their first year, are important factors of professional preparation two years later. Descriptions of some subjects are presented as examples.

The work presented is devoted to the contribution of E.N. Sokolov and the members of his scientific school into understanding of the neuronal mechanisms of memory formation, in developing of ideas on pacemaker activity participation into neuronal plasticity, to formation of the command neuron conception into behavior and cognitive processes. The contribution of the Sokolov’s collaborators and his followers into developing him “conceptual reflex arc” was emphasized in the review presented.

The basic theories of emotional intelligence and two alternative approaches to its assessment are considered in this article. The advantage of the ability model (J.D. Mayer, P. Salovey, D.r. Caruso) before mixed models (D. goleman and r. Bar-On) and also the advantage of performance-based measures as a method of emotional intelligence assessment in comparison to self-report measures are proved. The critical analysis of MSCEiT tasks from the point of view of its consistency with the emotional intelligence concept, with the ability model and with the theory of emotions is carried out. The conclusion is made about that it is possible to reduce the model structure to three abilities — recognition of emotions, understanding of the reasons of emotions, management of emotions. The directions of test improvement are discussed: developing tasks basing on a certain range of emotions and cognitive theory of emotions, as well as changing the tasks presentation form to video situations.

The Author discusses the subject, main problems, the social status of psychology of labour, engineering psychology and ergonomics, a parity of these directions of the Russian science in the second half of the ХХ—the beginning of the XXIst century.