Definitions of the structure of psychological developmental periods: explanatory and descriptive potential in application to old age

1592

Abstract

The paper analyses different Russian theoretical approaches describing the structure of psychological develop¬mental periods (ages) by L. S. Vygotsky, A. N. Leontiev, D. B. Elkonin, and a scheme based on the concept of «devel¬opmental task» proposed by R. Havighurst. The strong and weak points of these approaches are analysed. The criteria of a universal scheme for all ages are formulated (exhaustiveness, consistency, methodological novelty). The authors conclude that no such scheme has been created to date and propose an original scheme of age structure, constructed in accordance with the proposed principles. The components of the age structure include developmental situation (the reasons for abandoning its social characteristic are discussed in detail), developmental tasks (the idea to develop an hierarchy of those tasks is proposed), leading activity, and new formations associated with each age period. Also con¬sidered is the place of the subject that develops within the proposed scheme. The scheme is applied to a specific devel¬opmental period of old age. Three different life paths in old age (involution, adaptation, and development) are differ¬entiated based on relationship between the subject and the different elements of the psychological age period struc¬ture. Based on the example provided by these three paths, the psychological aging dynamics is analysed.

General Information

Keywords: psychological age, age structure, leading activity, developmental situation, new formation, developmental tasks, age dynamics, old age, developmental paths in old age.

Journal rubric: Developmental Psychology

Article type: scientific article

For citation: Belorusets A.S., Frolov Y.I. Definitions of the structure of psychological developmental periods: explanatory and descriptive potential in application to old age . Kul'turno-istoricheskaya psikhologiya = Cultural-Historical Psychology, 2011. Vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 50–60. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

References

  1. Avdienko G. Yu. Ponyatie obrazovatel'noi sredy kak fak­tora, opredelyayushego psihicheskoe razvitie obuchaemogo // Sovremennye problemy psihologii razvitiya i obrazovaniya cheloveka. SPb., 2010.
  2. Borozdina L. V., Molchanova O. N. Osobennosti sa­moocenki v pozdnem vozraste // Liders A. G., Krasnova O. V. Psihologiya starosti i stareniya: Hrestomatiya. M., 2003.
  3. Vygotskii L. S. Lekcii po pedologii. Izhevsk, 2001.
  4. Vygotskii L. S. Problema vozrasta. Sobranie sochinenii: V 6 t. T. 4. M., 1984.
  5. Leont'ev A. N. Uchenie o srede v pedologicheskih rabo­tah L.S. Vygotskogo (kriticheskoe issledovanie) // Voprosy psihologii. 1998. № 1.
  6. Leont'ev A. N. Deyatel'nost'. Soznanie. Lichnost'. M., 1975.
  7. Leont'ev A. N. K teorii razvitiya psihiki rebenka // Problemy razvitiya psihiki. M., 1959.
  8. Liders A. G. Krizis pozhilogo vozrasta: gipoteza o ego psi­hologicheskom soderzhani // Psihologiya zrelosti i stareniya. 2000. № 2.
  9. Podol'skii A. I. Interiorizaciya kak sredstvo operaciona­lizacii ponyatiya «zadacha razvitiya» // Processy psihichesko­go razvitiya: v poiskah novyh podhodov / Pod red. A. I. Po­dol'skogo, Ya. ter Laaka, P. Heimansa. M., 1994.
  10. Remshmidt H. Podrostkovyi i yunosheskii vozrast. Problemy stanovleniya lichnosti. M., 1994.
  11. Slobodchikov V. I., Cukerman G. A. Integral'naya peri­odizaciya obshego psihicheskogo razvitiya // Voprosy psi­hologii. 1996. № 5.
  12. Frolov Yu. I., Tishenko E. N. Reshenie konkretnyh prob­lem s pomosh'yu «social'nogo protezirovaniya» // Li­ders A. G., Krasnova O. V. Psihologiya starosti i stareniya: Hrestomatiya. M., 2003.
  13. Heimans P. G. Konceptualizaciya i operacionalizaciya zadach razvitiya // Processy psihicheskogo razvitiya: v poiskah novyh podhodov / Pod red. A. I. Podol'skogo, Ya. ter Laaka, P. Heimansa. M., 1994.
  14. Homskaya E. D. Neiropsihologiya: 4-e izd. SPb., 2005.
  15. El'konin D. B. K voprosu o periodizacii razvitiya v detskom vozraste // Izbrannye psihologicheskie trudy. M., 1989.
  16. Goleman D. Erikson, in his own old age, expands his view of life. The New York Times. 1988. June 14.
  17. Havigherst R. J. Developmental Tasks and Education, 3rd ed. N. Y., 1972.

Information About the Authors

Arseny S. Belorusets, Ph.D. Student, Center of Fundamental and Counseling Personology, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1326-4315, e-mail: arsenny@mail.ru

Yuriy I. Frolov, PhD in Psychology, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, GBOU VPO «International University of Nature, Society and Man "Dubna"», Moscow, Russia, e-mail: frolov.ui@gmail.com

Metrics

Views

Total: 3392
Previous month: 43
Current month: 29

Downloads

Total: 1592
Previous month: 18
Current month: 7