Milestones of Professor G.S. Nikiforov's life and his scientific school: from the reliability of professional activity to the psychology of health

This article is devoted to important stages and key events in the scientific and creative career of Herman Sergeevich Nikiforov, Professor, Doctor of Psychological Sciences, an outstanding representative of the St. Petersburg School of Labor Psychology, Engineering Psychology and Ergonomics, which was formed in Leningrad/St. Petersburg State University.
Professor Nikiforov was engaged in research in three main areas: the psychology of self-control, the psychology of reliability and the psychology of health. In each of these fields, he has made significant contributions to science. Initially, his attention was focused on the problem of human operator reliability. His research group trained civil aviation pilots on simulators, and also applied an individual approach to the professional education of Navy specialists. These studies have achieved important results in understanding the problem of reliability in the professional field. In the course of his research, Nikiforov became a true innovator in the field of psychology, creating the theory of self-control, the most important mechanism that ensures reliability in the professional field. His work was inspired by the rich traditions of the St. Petersburg Scientific School and the legacy of prominent Russian scientists such as V.M. Bekhterev and S.S. Korsakov. For the first time in modern psychology, Nikiforov proposed a comprehensive concept of psychological health support that covers all stages of human life. Until 2024, he headed the Department of Psychological Support of Professional Activity at St. Petersburg State University and continues to lecture and conduct scientific research at the Department of Labor Psychology and Organizational Psychology.

This article is devoted to important stages and key events in the scientific and creative career of Herman Sergeevich Nikiforov, Professor, Doctor of Psychological Sciences, an outstanding representative of the St. Petersburg School of Labor Psychology, Engineering Psychology and Ergonomics, which was formed in Leningrad/St. Petersburg State University.

Gerontology: textbook (2007). G. S. Nikiforov (ed.). St. Petersburg. (In Russian)

Health Diagnostics. Psychological Workshop (2007). G. S. Nikiforov (ed.). St. Petersburg. (In Russian)

Isaev, A. A., Nikiforov, G. S., Rodionova, E. A. (2019). Psychology of occupational health: A review of concepts. Uchenye zapiski Sankt-Peterburgskogo gosudarstvennogo instituta psikhologii i sotsial’noi raboty, 32 (2), 114–122. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S. (1973). Some aspects of self-control. Vestnik Leningradskogo universiteta, 1 (5), 95–100. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S. (1975). System analysis of the problem of human operator reliability. Vestnik of Leningrad University. Series: Economics. Philosophy. Law, 4 (23), 134–135. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S. (1977). Self-control as a mechanism of human operator reliability. Leningrad, 1977. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S. (1978). Psychological foundations of self-control (in human-machine systems), Dr. Sci. Thesis. Leningrad. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S. (1985а). Theoretical issues of self-control. Psikhologicheskii zhurnal, 6 (5), 19–24. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S. (1985b). Correlation of concepts of self-government, self-regulation and self-control. Vestnik of Leningrad University, 27, 49–55. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S. (1989а). Human self-control. Leningrad, Leningrad University Press. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S. (1989b). Psychological support of professional activity. In: Yu. N. Golubev (ed.). Rabota s kadrami — nauchnoe obespechenie. Leningrad, Leningrad University Press. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S. (1995). Reliability of personality. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Series 6, 4 (27), 72–81. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S. (1996). Reliability of professional activity. St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg University Press. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S., Augustova, L. I. (1997). Self-management and mental health. Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo universiteta. Series 6, 3, 116–125. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S., Augustova, L. I. (2000). Mental aging. Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo universiteta. Series 6, 3 (22), 86–97. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S. (2002). Psychology of health. St. Petersburg, Rech’ Publ. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S. (2006a). The history of the formation of health psychology: The Eastern tradition. Vestnik psikhoterapii, 16, 59–72. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S. (2006b). The problem of occupational health. In: Psikhologiia professional’nogo zdorov’ia:

uchebnoe posobie, G. S. Nikiforov (ed.) (pp. 9–39). St. Petersburg, Rech’ Publ. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S. (2009). At the origins of health psychology. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Series 12. Psychology. Sociology. Pedagogics, 4, 211–221. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S. (2012). Psychology of health in Russia: Formation and current state. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Series 16: Psychology. Pedagogics, 1, 38–47. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S. (2015). Eastern tradition and Western psychology of health. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Seriesr. 16: Psychology. Pedagogics, 1, 7–17. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S. (2019). Psychology of health: The Eastern tradition: textbook. St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg University Press. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S. (2020). Psychology of self-control. St. Petersburg, Skifiia Publ. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S. (2024). Psychology of health: the history of its formation. St. Petersburg, Skifiia Publ. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S., Augustova, L. I. (2010). Psychology of occupational health. In: Psychological support of professional activity: theory and practice, G. S. Nikiforov (ed.). St. Petersburg, 354–366. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S., Augustova, L. I. (2013). Concepts of human health criteria. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Series 16: Psychology. Pedagogics, 4, 4–13. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S., Dudchenko, Z. F. (2019). Psychology of health in Russia: at the origins. St. Petersburg, Skifiia Publ. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S., Shingaev, S. M. (2013). Formation of the concept of psychological support of professional activity. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Series 16: Psychology. Pedagogics, 16 (3), 15–24. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S., Shingaev, S. M. (2015). Psychology of occupational health as an actual scientific direction. Psikhologicheskii zhurnal, 36 (2), 44–54. (In Russian)

Nikiforov, G. S., Shingaev, S. M., Vodopyanova, N. E. (2020). Psychology of professional health of a supervisor: theory, methodology, practice: a textbook. St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg University Press. (In Russian)

Positive psychology of management: monograph (2017). G. S. Nikiforov (ed.). Moscow, Prospekt Publ. (In Russian)

Practicum on health psychology (2005). G. S. Nikiforov (ed.). St. Petersburg, Piter Publ. (In Russian)

Psychological support of professional activity: theory and practice (2010). G. S. Nikiforov (ed.). St. Petersburg, Rech Publ. (In Russian)

Psychology of health. School age: textbook (2008). G. S. Nikiforov (ed.). St. Petersburg. (In Russian)

Psychology of preschool children’s health: textbook (2010). G. S. Nikiforov (ed.). St. Petersburg. (In Russian)

Psychology of management. Psychological practice (2010). G. S. Nikiforov (ed.). St. Petersburg. (In Russian)

Psychology of management: textbook (2004). 2nd ed., add. and rev., G. S. Nikiforov (ed.). St. Petersburg. (In Russian)

Psychology of professional health: textbook (2006). G. S. Nikiforov (ed.) (pp. 9–39). St. Petersburg, Rech’ Publ. (In Russian)

Shingaev, S. M., Vodopyanova, N. E., Hoffman, O. O. (2020). Reliability, professionalism, vital energy: To the anniversary of Herman Sergeevich Nikiforov. Organizatsionnaia psikhologiia, 10 (1), 8–13. (In Russian)

Shingaev, S. M., Nikiforov, G. S. (2017). The professional health of the head: Monograph. St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg Academy of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education named after K. D. Ushinsky Press. (In Russian)

Voishcheva, N. (2020). German Sergeevich Nikiforov is 80 years old. Meditsinskaia psikhologiia v Rossii, 12 (1), 2. (In Russian)