Kharlamenkova N.E. Psychology of Personality: from Theory to Scientific Evidence. M.: Publishing House “Institute of Psychology RAS”, 2023
Abstract
Abstract
The article presents a review of the monograph by N.E. Kharlamenkova “Psychology of personality: from theory to scientific data”. The monograph emphasizes that despite the intensive development of personality psychology, the emergence of new approaches, the accumulation of a huge amount of empirical data, there is an acute shortage of research devoted to the generalization of the knowledge gained. Through the prism of history, principles of psychology and modern research, the philosophical and methodological foundations of personality psychology are analyzed in detail. The question is raised about the relationship between general personality psychology and differential psychology. The author summarizes and defines the main directions of personality research, poses the problem of the need to study the peculiarities and criteria of personality development, the relationship between chronological and subjective time, the study of personality resources that could determine resistance to stressful situations, and adaptability.
Discussion
The monograph “Psychology of personality: from theory to scientific data” is dedicated to the most relevant problem of modern psychology i.e. methodological aspects of personality research and their refraction in specific scientific facts obtained in empirical studies. The main significance of the monograph is determined by the fact that the field of personality psychology research is being intensively developed, more and more new approaches appear, a considerable amount of empirical data has been accumulated, yet there is an urgent shortage of studies devoted to the generalization of the obtained knowledge. At the same time, it is difficult to overestimate the importance of personality psychology in other areas of modern psychology and in practice.
The author points out that the main problems of the field of research include the problem of personality structure, the problem of personality development and its determination, the problem of motivation, personality’s attitude to oneself, the issues of mental norm and pathology. The monograph thoroughly analyzes the philosophical and methodological foundations of personality psychology and examines them through the prism of history and the current state of the problem. The author analyzes the problem of personality, on the principles developed in Russian psychology: the principle of determinism, the principle of development, the principle of mediation, the principle of the actively acting subject, and proves their effectiveness. When considering the methodology of the approach to the personality study, the author pays special attention to the methods that allow to derive knowledge about an individual subject, such as, for example, the method of triads, case study. This is particularly important, given that researchers do not often turn to these methods of studying personality. However, according to N.E. Kharlamenkova, these techniques break the oversimplified view of personality, and they may be considered as a possible way out in contrast to factor models, that consider personality through the prism of a limited set of factors and do not consider the diversity of its manifestations.
The monograph presents a broad overview of personality research conducted at the Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences; there is a chapter dedicated to it. What is very valuable in this analysis is that it demonstrates the continuity of ideas and scientists. These works were practically built based on scientific principles developed by S.L. Rubinstein and supplemented by A.V. Brushlinsky. For example, the concept of dynamic functional structure of personality that was formulated by K.K. Platonov was further developed in the works of V.M. Rusalov. As N.E. Kharlamenkova rightly points out, the dynamic approach is presented in the works of L.I. Antsyferova in its most complete form. L.I. Antsyferova was one of the pioneers in Russia to raise questions about coping mechanisms, about mechanisms of development regulation, she determined the direction and began the study of gerontogenesis, always highlighting the role of personality activity in the aging process. K.A. Abulkhanova-Slavskaya’s ideas about the personal regulation of lifetime, about the personality as a subject who constructs his or her life, proved to be extremely productive. Scientists of the Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, who develop the research of personality psychology, follow humanistic ideas; they focus on the issues of moral and moral development, conscience, psychology of optimism and happiness. These are problems that are in demand in modern society.
The monograph addresses the issue of the correlation between general personality psychology and differential psychology, which remains of great importance since W. Stern’s first work at the beginning of the twentieth century and is still controversial today. One may agree with the author of the monograph that the study of personality requires the consideration of both general and individual, what is possible under the condition of the unity of personality and differential-psychological approaches. Stern wrote that the differential psychology mission is to study the interrelationships between the manifestations of different levels. The analysis of the empirical research results of young scientists of the Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which confirm the theoretical part of the monograph, as well as the methodology and method of personality research, is a significant part of the monograph.
As a conclusion, N.E. Kharlamenkova summarizes and defines the main directions of personality research, raises the problems of the necessity to study the characteristics and indicators of personality development, the correlation of chronological and subjective time, the study of personality resources that could determine resilience to stressful situations, adaptability. As priority task the problem of identifying the structure of personality and mechanisms of interaction of elements of the structure, as well as the possibilities and mechanisms of integration of personality and society, social support of personality and possibilities of acceptance of support by personality is identified.
The monograph is the fundamental scientific work, that analyzes the existing knowledge about personality and the principles of its study. The monograph meets all the requirements to scientific research, and its data significantly supplement the knowledge of personality psychology.
Conclusions
Acknowledgment:
The author expresses her appreciation to the editor’s assistant N.E. Volkova for preparing the manuscript for publication.
CRediT author statement:
The author has read and approved the final version and bear responsibility for all aspects of the manuscript.
References
Kharlamenkova, N.E. (2023). Psychology of personality: from methodology to scientific fact. Moscow: Publishing house “Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences” [Kharlamenkova N.Ye. Psikhologiya lichnosti: ot metodologii k nauchnomu faktu. Moskva: Izd-vo «Institut psikhologii RAN», 2023].
Comments (0)
The article presents a review of the monograph by N.E. Kharlamenkova “Psychology of personality: from theory to scientific data”. The monograph emphasizes that despite the intensive development of personality psychology, the emergence of new approaches, the accumulation of a huge amount of empirical data, there is an acute shortage of research devoted to the generalization of the knowledge gained. Through the prism of history, principles of psychology and modern research, the philosophical and methodological foundations of personality psychology are analyzed in detail. The question is raised about the relationship between general personality psychology and differential psychology. The author summarizes and defines the main directions of personality research, poses the problem of the need to study the peculiarities and criteria of personality development, the relationship between chronological and subjective time, the study of personality resources that could determine resistance to stressful situations, and adaptability.
The monograph “Psychology of personality: from theory to scientific data” is dedicated to the most relevant problem of modern psychology i.e. methodological aspects of personality research and their refraction in specific scientific facts obtained in empirical studies. The main significance of the monograph is determined by the fact that the field of personality psychology research is being intensively developed, more and more new approaches appear, a considerable amount of empirical data has been accumulated, yet there is an urgent shortage of studies devoted to the generalization of the obtained knowledge. At the same time, it is difficult to overestimate the importance of personality psychology in other areas of modern psychology and in practice.
The author points out that the main problems of the field of research include the problem of personality structure, the problem of personality development and its determination, the problem of motivation, personality’s attitude to oneself, the issues of mental norm and pathology. The monograph thoroughly analyzes the philosophical and methodological foundations of personality psychology and examines them through the prism of history and the current state of the problem. The author analyzes the problem of personality, on the principles developed in Russian psychology: the principle of determinism, the principle of development, the principle of mediation, the principle of the actively acting subject, and proves their effectiveness. When considering the methodology of the approach to the personality study, the author pays special attention to the methods that allow to derive knowledge about an individual subject, such as, for example, the method of triads, case study. This is particularly important, given that researchers do not often turn to these methods of studying personality. However, according to N.E. Kharlamenkova, these techniques break the oversimplified view of personality, and they may be considered as a possible way out in contrast to factor models, that consider personality through the prism of a limited set of factors and do not consider the diversity of its manifestations.
The monograph presents a broad overview of personality research conducted at the Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences; there is a chapter dedicated to it. What is very valuable in this analysis is that it demonstrates the continuity of ideas and scientists. These works were practically built based on scientific principles developed by S.L. Rubinstein and supplemented by A.V. Brushlinsky. For example, the concept of dynamic functional structure of personality that was formulated by K.K. Platonov was further developed in the works of V.M. Rusalov. As N.E. Kharlamenkova rightly points out, the dynamic approach is presented in the works of L.I. Antsyferova in its most complete form. L.I. Antsyferova was one of the pioneers in Russia to raise questions about coping mechanisms, about mechanisms of development regulation, she determined the direction and began the study of gerontogenesis, always highlighting the role of personality activity in the aging process. K.A. Abulkhanova-Slavskaya’s ideas about the personal regulation of lifetime, about the personality as a subject who constructs his or her life, proved to be extremely productive. Scientists of the Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, who develop the research of personality psychology, follow humanistic ideas; they focus on the issues of moral and moral development, conscience, psychology of optimism and happiness. These are problems that are in demand in modern society.
The monograph addresses the issue of the correlation between general personality psychology and differential psychology, which remains of great importance since W. Stern’s first work at the beginning of the twentieth century and is still controversial today. One may agree with the author of the monograph that the study of personality requires the consideration of both general and individual, what is possible under the condition of the unity of personality and differential-psychological approaches. Stern wrote that the differential psychology mission is to study the interrelationships between the manifestations of different levels. The analysis of the empirical research results of young scientists of the Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which confirm the theoretical part of the monograph, as well as the methodology and method of personality research, is a significant part of the monograph.
As a conclusion, N.E. Kharlamenkova summarizes and defines the main directions of personality research, raises the problems of the necessity to study the characteristics and indicators of personality development, the correlation of chronological and subjective time, the study of personality resources that could determine resilience to stressful situations, adaptability. As priority task the problem of identifying the structure of personality and mechanisms of interaction of elements of the structure, as well as the possibilities and mechanisms of integration of personality and society, social support of personality and possibilities of acceptance of support by personality is identified.
The monograph is the fundamental scientific work, that analyzes the existing knowledge about personality and the principles of its study. The monograph meets all the requirements to scientific research, and its data significantly supplement the knowledge of personality psychology.
Acknowledgment:
The author expresses her appreciation to the editor’s assistant N.E. Volkova for preparing the manuscript for publication.
CRediT author statement:
The author has read and approved the final version and bear responsibility for all aspects of the manuscript.
Kharlamenkova, N.E. (2023). Psychology of personality: from methodology to scientific fact. Moscow: Publishing house “Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences” [Kharlamenkova N.Ye. Psikhologiya lichnosti: ot metodologii k nauchnomu faktu. Moskva: Izd-vo «Institut psikhologii RAN», 2023].