Review, analytical studies

Background. Neuropsychology and neuroscience solve a number of general issues concerning the relationship between brain and psyche, the principles of the structural and functional brain organization, the cerebral basis of mental processes, patterns of damage and recovery of complex behavioral systems. Neuroscientific basis for higher brain function recovery allows us to explain the regularities of neuroplasticity. The neuropsychological basis makes it possible to build an adequate programme of neuropsychological rehabilitation, taking into account not only psychological but also biological patterns. Thus, it is necessary to strengthen the integration of neuroscientific and neuropsychological points of views in this domain.

Objective. The study aims to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of modular theory and the theory of system and dynamic localization of functions in solving the question of structural and functional brain organization and their reflection in approaches to neuropsychological rehabilitation.

Methods. Comparative analysis and the method of generalization were applied.

Results. Modular theory and the theory of system and dynamic localization of functions have a number of common key points. 1. The principle of the system (distributed) organization of higher cortical functions. 2. Horizontal-vertical structure of higher brain functions. 3. Сortical function is the constellation of factors/modules. 4 Functional unit (factor/module) is a structural element of different brain systems. 5. Damage of a functional unit leads to a selective damage of a certain group of cognitive processes. Theories differ in understanding the content of a functional unit of a brain, which leads to differing understandings of the typology in the ways to recovery. The study considers the role of subcortical structures in providing behavioral automatisms. The paper shows the importance of the intact conduction pathways in making rehabilitation prognosis.

Conclusion. The study reveals limitations of the concept of factor in explaining the variability and dissociative picture of a neuropsychological symptom. The content of factor as well as its structural elements are to be revised and described. Certain statements of the theory of system and dynamic localization of functions have to be modified in order to reflect the regularities of neuroplasticity in the methodology of neuropsychological rehabilitation.

Background. Against the background of increased attention to the category of generation in social psychology, the methodological possibility of studying generations and intergenerational differences is analyzed. The existing limitations of this kind of research are suggested and classified; methods for leveling these limitations are proposed.

Objective is to propose and test an empirically correct scheme for the study of generations in social psychology.

Sample. The material on which this scheme was tested was obtained in the course of an Internet survey (951 people).

Methods. The survey included a modified author’s Lifeline methodology to explore perceptions of cultural life scenarios. The method of analysis of the results involved the study of the possibility to apply APC (age-period-cohort) analysis to socio-psychological studies of intergenerational differences.

Results. A scheme for the study of intergenerational differences has been proposed and substantiated, including, in particular, the use of theoretical meta-analyses, the methodology of APC analysis and the study of complex attitudes of the cultural life script (CLS).

Conclusions. The conclusion is made on the need to abandon studies of traditional generations and the need to move to smaller units of analysis — quasi-generations in line with socio-psychological methodology.

Relevance. The proliferation of various destructions in the interaction between students (bulling, cyber bulling) demands to increase of their social and psychological adaptability. So, it is important to create a psychodiagnostic toolkit for identification of students at risk for exposure to violence for further psychological preventive work. 

Objective. To develop a technique for assessing the individualized risks of the socio-cultural safety of the adolescent educational environment.

Methods. The theoretical development and psychometric verification of the author's technique “Adolescence Socio-Cultural Safety Index”.  The study involved 3375 students (53% of girls, 47% of boys, 13-16 years old) from municipal schools of the Republic of Tatarstan. 

Results. A priori and a posteriori models of the questionnaire were reconciled using structural equation modeling. The proposed model corresponds to the initial data on the main indicators of the consent indices (CMIN=4,272; df=1; p=0.39; GFI=0,999; CFI=0,995; RMSEA=0,033; Pclose=0,759). The article describes the psychometric characteristics of the technique: reliability, validity, discriminatory power. Convergent validityof the technique is assessed using the methods: Propensity for deviant behavior (A. Orel), Methods of assessing the collective psychological atmosphere (F. Fiedler), Questionnaire on aggressiveness by Bass-Dark, Test questionnaire of self-organization of activities by E. Mandrikova, Cultural Congruence Questionnaire (L. Bayanova).  The statistical limits of norms are revealed. The possibility of using the technique in further research is evaluated.

Conclusion. The technique “Adolescence Socio-Cultural Safety Index” possesses the necessary psychometric characteristics that allow the use of the questionnaire to identify the risks of the student's educational environment. 

Relevance. The studies of psychological well-being are of particular relevance considering a rapidly changing world, requiring a rapid adaptation to changes as well as the constant search for ways to account your needs within unstable environment. Psychologists around the world pay a lot of attention to the psychological well-being of different social groups in recent decades. They analyze how social hierarchy provides different possibilities and influence on well-being of people.  There for LGBTQA community, who have experience of discrimination in the heteronormative society, is one of most important group for studying today.  

Objective. To review the studies on the relationship of psychological well-being, according to the eudemonistic approach, and various socio-psychological characteristics of the LGBTQIA community.

Methods. We overview and analyze the research of psychological well-being and its determinants among non-heteronormative people.

Results. The observed research show non-heteronormative people have a low level of psychological well-being. The following determinants of these results was identified: hidden discrimination, social and interpersonal barriers, stressful situations, internalized homophobia, support for gender norms, avoidance of interpersonal relations, fear of entering into intimate relations. Positive factors of psychological well-being are: social support, sexual satisfaction, openness, acceptance of one’s sexual identity, predominance of positive emotions, optimism. A combination of hedonistic and eudemonic approaches is possible direction for further development of such studies. 

Conclusion. Researches of non-heteronormative people’s well-being can reduce discrimination of them in the modern Russia that will contribute to increasing psychological culture in the society.

Relevance. Mindfulness practices are used today in many different fields, including medicine and education. They have shown their effectiveness in reducing depression, anxiety, improving psychological well-being. The introduction of mindfulness practices in the educational system opens up new opportunities for the development of educational, personal, communication skills, contributing to the improvement of self-regulation, formation of compassionate attitude to oneself and other people, the opportunity to learn from their experience and cope with academic and personal problems and conflicts.

Objective. The article presents the cases of application of mindfulness practices in the prevention of suicidal behavior in adolescents.

Method. Review of foreign literature. 

Results. The article presents modern developments of application of mindfulness practices in primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of suicidal and self-injurious behavior in adolescents. The key components of mindfulness practices that can become protective factors in cases of risk of anti-vital behavior are considered. Studies of effectiveness of mindfulness programs in different groups of the adolescent population are presented. The paper also presents the most common practices of mindfulness, which are included in the program of prevention of suicidal behavior or used independently in the framework of primary prevention.

Conclusion. Mindfulness practices have proven themselves at all levels of suicide prevention. However, randomized controlled trials are needed to better understand their effectiveness.

Relevance.The effectiveness of the method of the gradual formation of intellectual actions, which was developed by P.Y. Galperin and his followers, has been repeatedly proved in research. However, several questions remain open, and their solution is very likely to facilitate an active implementation of the ideas of this scientific school in pedagogical practice at large. Among such questions is the issue of the mechanisms of ‘teaching the actions with specified properties’.

Objective. 1) to analyse the results of the forming experiments in order to reveal the occurrences of change during the acquisition of the original structural organization of an action, 2) to provide a detailed rationale for the necessity to examine the role of the activity organization component in teaching intellectual actions with specified properties.

Method. The analysis on the proposition of the system approach that the object’s observed property is to be viewed as a result of the interactionamong the system elements. 

Results. Three types of organizational changes have been observed in the course of acquisition by the student: 1) the restructuring of the action; 2) the restructuring of the relations in the set of interrelated actions; 3) the change of the original co-organization of the acting subjects.The hypotheses are made:1) about the existence of a functional link among the types of the action organization changes that have been identified; 2) about the existence of a prototypical organizational form that predetermines the way in which an acquirable intellectual action is structured.

Conclusion. The examination of the new research hypotheses will contribute to further understanding of the formation of the actions with specified properties.

Relevance.Knowledge of the laws of emotion dynamics has not only theoretical, but also practical meaning: this knowledge is necessary to provide psychological assistance in solving the problem of maintaining relationships, to develop of emotional intelligence and regulation of emotions, to diagnose disorder of the emotion dynamics that underlies a number of affective disorders (such as depression).

Objective.Consideration of large (in terms of the number of experiments, subjects and factors studied) studies of Verduyn's group at the University of Leuven (Belgium) and Maastricht University (Netherlands). This group studied the duration of subjective experience of emotions of different types.

Methods. Review and analysis of modern Western studies of the duration of emotions and its determinants, their results and methods.

Results.The integration of data on the absolute and relative duration of emotions of certain types, as well as the contribution of such factors as the emotional intensity, the flow pattern, cognitive assessments, emotion regulation strategies, the social sharing, the cognitive processing of information about the emotional event  has been done. The possibilities and limitations of the main methods of studying the emotion dynamics are revealed.

Conclusions. It is necessary to continue the research of the emotion dynamics of on the material of other age, professional, cultural groups. Also, a perspective direction is the study of the dynamics of other components (not just a subjective experience) of emotion.

Relevance. On the course of the history human development is attended by and is determined by development of sing and symbolic systems, cultural codes of different languages. Modern civilization dictates the necessity of active intercultural exchange.

Objective. Analyzing the problem of exploring the development of symbolic function being achieved as unity of affective (emotional, “personally experienced”) and cognitive (intellectual, “subjective and knowledgeable”).

Methods. Theoretical analysis of cultural typology presented by B.S. Bibler; structural and content analysis of the world image as a generalized construction of the social realm representativity in the human mind; objective and analytical approach to studying artifacts as social interaction mediated results.

Results. We substantiated the symbolic function as an individual mechanism implemented in culturally determined representation systems necessary for the emergence of interaction between individuals and for learning social implications. Studying the symbolic function presupposes analyzing those cultures where sign and symbolic means are created. Sign and symbolic means as cultural codes mediate human development and, at the same time, determine it. Signs and their systems being used in practical activity record achievements of human experience and allow creation of “cultural artifacts”.

Conclusions. The image of the world is represented in the culture, and cultural types indicate different images of the world in people belonging to those cultures. The structure of artifacts implements the function of the world image: representation of the structure, its logical links, and a set of tools for mediation in their symbolic role as well as the possible form of experiencing. Symbolic function is actively developed while learning. The content of polycultureeducation is focused learning of sign and symbolic systems’ principles creation and functioning. Instruments of activity themselves are considered as primary artifacts, and secondary artifacts are the rules of primary artifacts use.

Relevance.The growth of mental health disorders, psychological problems in modern society among different categories of the population, including representatives of different cultures and faiths and the lack of cultural development of specific approaches to understanding mental health and psychological well-being raise the problem of cultural conditionality of representations of mental health and psychological well-being in a number of important interdisciplinary problems, of high scientific and practical importance in such multinational and multicultural countries as Russia.

Objective.To examine the relationship between cultural context and mental health and psychological well-being.

Methods.Review and analysis of current research in the field of cultural conditioning of various aspects of mental health and psychological well-being.

The purpose of the review is to explore the transformation of ideas about the relationship of various parameters of self-esteem with subjective well-being, the productivity of educational activity and the success of a professional career. Iinitially, the level of self-esteem (high or low) was considered as the most important parameter. The studies show that people with a high level of self-esteem have more positive self-attitude, their subjective well-being is higher, they are less prone to depression and anxiety disorders, and they show more positive expectations about future achievements and relationships with other people. They are more persistent when meeting failures. On the other hand, the level of self-esteem does affect the productivity neither of the activity nor the quality of the relationship. In addition, high self-esteem is often a heterogeneous category, which includes not only the acceptance of one's ppositive qualities but also narcissistic and defensive components. The contradictory role of self-esteem level has prompted researchers to address other parameters of self-esteem: stability or instability and the contingencies of self-esteem. These parameters are closely related; they affect the subjective well-being and quality of activity and allow shedding lightt on the role of self-esteem in the mental life of a person. The analysis led to the conclusion that the identification and delineation of healthy and neurotic contingencies of self-esteem is a promising area for further research, which can help in the formation of healthy self-esteem in children and adolescents.

Development and state of the art of psychological studies related to the Internet mediation are analyzed. Current tendencies and prospects of such studies are thoroughly discussed. Among these studies such parameters as distribution, reputational leveling and anonymity need to be specially mentioned. Dispersion or distant collaboration between almost or totally unfamiliar people is related to attempts to state an empirical quotient C, or collective intelligence for small groups. Such quotient is believed to be relatively disconnected to the individual IQs of the group participants. While such attempts lack theoretical base, they are characteristic for applied psychological studies. For bloggers, networkers or videogame players reputational leveling means extension of their reputations, namely the level gained in a videogame, or credibility in the communities of users of multiple Web services. Reputational leveling may be the result of real achievements or of well-organized self-presentations. In the cyberspace there is only partial anonymity, as it is seen in the field of cybersecurity and struggle against cybercrime. A recent tendency is to mark network activity of networkers, namely their “likes” or “dislikes”. After these marks are collected, numerous Big Data methods help correlate particular samples of these marks with both socio-demographical and psychological characteristics of the users. Once this is done, targeted advertisements can be sent out. This methodology is said to be exploited recently during important election campaigns. Among the possible means of confronting such influences we should mention a phenomenon of alternative identities. Networkers were earlier found to develop and support alternative identities which partly differ from the networkers’ real-life personalities. Although alternative identities are often supported independently of the aims connected with obstruction to sending out the targeted advertisements, this phenomenon may decrease the effectiveness of any impact related to the social networks.

In this paper the author considers the state arising when a man perceives and remembers the information presented during night sleep (this educational method is called hypnopedia). On the basis of the analysis of hypnopedical researches' results it is proved, that a student forms the new kind of sleep — hypnopedical sleep (it appears on stages 1 and 2 of slow-wave sleep): this kind of sleep has new functions (perceptual and mnestic), new time borders (the appropriate conditioned reflexes of falling asleep and awakening on certain time and on presentation of the information are produced) and transformed neurophysiological basis (an alpha-rhythm appears). Hypnopedical sleep as altered state of consciousness can be considered as analogue of the higher mental function because of it has social origin, are voluntary (it is formed not spontaneously, but intensionaly and directedly) and are mediated by such psycholgical tools as preliminary created readiness to perceive and memorize the information. 

Mental practice of motor skills is one of the most common tools in sport psychology. Manipulations of imagery perspective are believed to be the potential mean to enhance the effectiveness of mental practice. Despite the lack of the established theory it has been widely assumed that the internal imagery is more beneficial. However the literature examination has shown the advantage of external imagery at the initial stage of complex motor skill learning as well as for practicing technical elements in which spatial collocation of body parts is crucial. Methodological issues of earlier studies have been summarized and the conclusion that recommendations to use exclusively internal imagery are invalid has been drawn. Important directions for future research on imagery perspective in sport psychology have been proposed.

Based on the psychological analysis of Christian Hesychasm texts the paper educes specific for these religious practice types of altered states of consciousness (states of grace and states of prelest), psychic changes and emergence of appropriate phenomena. The paper explores the possibilities of cultural-activity approach using in revealing the influence of cultural and social factors that determines altered states of consciousness (including specific for religious practice states) and the possibilities of studying this effect mechanisms. Mystical religious state is considered as functional organ of ascetic’s religious activity which provides its goals and tasks implementation. The paper proves that religious world view as well as goals of religious practice and appropriate techniques of mystical religious states induction determines the characteristics and phenomenology of these states.

The article presents an overview of current research aimed at exploring the development of the executive functions of preschool children. The results of numerous studies indicate that executive functions influence different components of the academic success of children. In this regard, the question of the relationship between education and degree of development of the regulatory functions is of particular relevance. The article presents examples of individual and group approaches to the formation of executive functions in preschool age. It is shown that using a variety of strategies to work with preschool children possibly significant development of executive functions in the kindergarten. Special attention is paid to computerized programs of development of arbitrariness. Significant relationships between the quality of preschool education and the development of the executive functions were not found. Cultural characteristics have a much greater influence on the formation of arbitrariness.

The aim of the article is to give a brief overview of cognitive studies in computer games psychology. The researches of psychological specifics of computer gamers have become very important recently due to a great popularity of computer games among children, teenagers and adults all over the world. Numerous studies are made that show significant differences between cognitive characteristics of computer gamers and non-gamers. There are possible negative consequences (such as long-term memory decline) as well as positive ones. Computers games are shown to enhance attention, spatial cognition and cognitive control of computer gamers and participants of specially organized computer games sessions. Cognitive function can possibly be trained in computer games. Computer games experience affects processes of thinking, decision making as well as multitasking and task-switching capability. Studies of connection between cognitive styles and computer games are also reviewed.

The aim of the article is to give a brief overview of cognitive studies in computer games psychology. The researches of psychological specifics of computer gamers have become very important recently due to a great popularity of computer games among children, teenagers and adults all over the world. Numerous studies are made that show significant differences between cognitive characteristics of computer gamers and non-gamers. There are possible negative consequences (such as long-term memory decline) as well as positive ones. Computers games are shown to enhance attention, spatial cognition and cognitive control of computer gamers and participants of specially organized computer games sessions. Cognitive function can possibly be trained in computer games.Computer games experience affects processes of thinking, decision making as well as multitasking and task-switching capability. Studies of connection between cognitive styles and computer games are also reviewed.

The paper analyzes opportunities and limitations of stage models in health psychology (trans-theoretical model, precaution adoption process model) comparing to traditional continuum models and actively developing self-regulation models. Theoretical basis for stage models (orientation to practical problems, analysis of behavior dynamics and associated processes, descriptive approach, understanding of the model effectiveness as an accuracy of classification and description of the transitions between stages) and problematic spheres (discrete/continuous process of change, descriptive/explanatory nature of the basic constructs). Heuristic nature of stages models is proved in solving the original problem of behavior description while their vulnerability to criticism is demonstrated because of the implicit transition to the problem of his explanation.

The paper presents an overview of research aimed at understanding of the executive functions in childhood. The article shows that in studies focused on the role of the adult, and in the studies that pay attention to the interaction between peers and the impact of these processes on executive functions, it is clearly shown that executive functions are investigated in the line of the logic of cultural-historical theory (Vygotsky, Luria, Leontiev, Zaporozhets). It is shown that the importance of social interaction postulated by Vygotsky was experimentally justified in modern research. In these studies age dynamics in the formation of executive functions and the specific role of the adult in different stages of development are described. The communicative aspect of the interaction is emphasized, but role of an adult role as a carrier of cultural resources is not considered.

The article cites the work of justifying the legality of the search dependencies between morphometric indicators of MT and indicators of functional asymmetry of the brain. In the experimental studies aimed at the investigation of these dependencies, with mixed results. Studies on the eff ect of the male hormone on the size of MT are analyzed in the fi rst section. In the second section of the article discusses the work of trying to fi nd regularities between the size of MT and the degree of functional asymmetries. Th e results of these studies are interesting in the discussion about the function (braking and/or exciting) MT and its infl uence on the formation of anatomical and functional asymmetries. Of particular interest are the works of the third section, as they assumptions of dependence of the size of MT from the coincidence of speech and manual asymmetries.