Constitutional Psychology as a Field of Scientific Knowledge and Cultural Phenomenon ²⁵¹

The article focuses on the formation of a new scientific branch – constitutional psychology. Тwo articulated forms of constitutional psychology are justified: first, as a field of scientific knowledge that contains its own subject, objectives and research methods; second, as a cultural phenomenon which is observed at the level of the individual psychology and personality. The importance to distinguish these two capacities of constitutional psychology is underlined; their mismatch, mutual transitions and ontological unity is noted. The authors highlight the place of constitutional psychology as a theoretical construct in the general system of psychological knowledge, and, in particular, in the field of legal psychology. The attributes of Russian constitutional psychology as a cultural phenomenon expressed in the mind of a particular person are considered. The formation of constitutional psychology will contribute to a deeper understanding of problematiques on the edge of psychology and law fields, will facilitate extensive empirical research aimed at studying a wide spectrum of psychological phenomenology, which reflects actual constitutional-legal relations in personal mind. The results of this work will serve as a basis for meeting objectives of the national constitutional-legal development.

Keywords: psychology, law, constitution, branches of psychological knowledge, legal psychology, constitutional psychology.

Column: Methodological Problems of Legal Psychology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/psylaw.2019090209