Concerning the History of Comparative Psychology in Russia

112

Abstract

Psychology in the USSR was developing in relative isolation from international science. A substantial amount of research done by Soviet psychologists has remained unknown to the international scientific community, this especially concerns work performed since the 1930s. Scientists who worked during the first decades of Soviet rule had received their education in the pre-Soviet period. They knew foreign languages, and, for the most part, studied and completed internships in Europe, particularly in Germany. New generations that grew up under Soviet rule, in accordance with the Iron Curtain policy, were denied the opportunity to participate in international discourse. The development of Russian psychology in the war and post-war period led to the formation of a specific conceptual system, which is still a serious obstacle to the integration of the achievements of Russian science, since it requires not only language translation, but also hermeneutics. Nevertheless, there were original developments, mainly in the area of fundamental research connected with biological sciences, which still can contribute to international psychology. Such is the case with comparative psychology. This article dwells upon the history of research in comparative psychology in Russia; it expounds upon the specific character of the approach rooted in Russian science, and highlights the life and works of a number of prominent representatives of the Soviet school in comparative psychology (Ladygina-Kots, Fabri, Tikh) as well as research in the field executed by Pavlov.

General Information

Keywords: historical development of comparative psychology, evolutionary psychology, anthropogenesis, human phylogenesis and ontogenesis, Activity Theory, psychology in Russia

Journal rubric: Review and Analytical Articles

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu16.2020.105

For citation: Mironenko I.A., Rafikova V.A. Concerning the History of Comparative Psychology in Russia. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Psychology, 2020. Vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 61–72. DOI: 10.21638/spbu16.2020.105.

References

  1. Sechenov I.M. Psychological Studies. St. Petersburg, Sushchinskii Publ., 1873. (In Russian)
  2. Sechenov I.M. Who Must Investigate the Problems of Psychology, and How. St. Petersburg, Sushchinskii Publ., 1873. (In Russian)
  3. Sechenov I.M. Elements of Thought. Vestnik Evropy, 1878, no. 4. (In Russian)
  4. Bekhterev V.M. The Objective Psychology. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1907. (In Russian)
  5. Vagner V. Biological foundations of comparative psychology. In 2 volumes. St. Petersburg, Volf Publ., 1910–1913. (In Russian)
  6. Vagner V. Psychic genesis and development. In 9 volumes. St. Petersburg, Volf Publ., from 1924 to 1929. (In Russian)
  7. Ladygina-Kots N. Infant Chimpanzee and Human Child: A Classic Comparative Study of Ape Emotions and Intelligence. Oxford University Press, 2002. (In Russian)
  8. Kellog W.N., Kellog L.A. The ape and the child. New York, McGraw-Hill, 1933.
  9. Hayes К., Hayes C. The intellectual development of home-raised chimpanzee. Proc. Am. Phil. Soc. , vol. 95, 1951, pp. 105–109.
  10. Todes D. Ivan Pavlov: A Russian Life in Science. Oxford University Press, 2014.
  11. Kohler W. The Mentality of Apes. New York, Harcourt Brace, 1925.
  12. Kohler W. Geshtalt Psychology. H.Liveright, Psychology, 1929.
  13. Firsov A. Annals of the History of the Koltushi Apery. The oppressed Science, St. Petersburg, Nauka Publ., 1994, pp. 200–208. (In Russian)
  14. Fabri K. Basics of animal psychology. Moscow, MSU Publ., 1976. (In Russian)
  15. Leontyev A.N. Problems of Psychic Development. Moscow, Mysl’ Publ., 1965. (In Russian)
  16. Tikh N. Early ontogeny of behavior of primates: comparative psychological research. Leningrad, LGU Publ., 1966. (In Russian)
  17. Tikh N. Pre-history of the Society. Leningrad, LGU Publ., 1970. (In Russian)
  18. Vygotsky L. S., Luria A. Essays on the history of behavior (ape, primitive, child) . Moscow, Leningrad, GIZ Publ., 1930. (In Russian)
  19. Kohler W. Research and Theory on Human Development. The Journal of Genetic Psychology Research and Theory on Human Development, 1991, vol. 152, pp. 470–486. Available at: https://doi.org/10.108 0/00221325.1991.9914708. (accessed: 15.10.2019). (In Russian)
  20. Leontiev A.N. Problems of the development of mind. Moscow, Progress Publ., 1981. (In Russian)
  21. Mironenko I.A. The past, the present and the future of Russian comparative psychology. Metodologia i istoria psikhologii, 2009, vol. 4 (2), pp. 45–59. (In Russian)
  22. Mironenko I.A. Russian Psychology in the Context of the International Science (in Russian). St. Petersburg, Nestor-Istoriia Publ., 2015. (In Russian)
  23. Mironenko I.A, Zhuravlev A.L. The Biosocial Problem in the Context of Global Psychological Science: Concerning the “Universal” Human Psychology. Psikhologicheskii Zhurnal, 2019, vol. 40 (6), pp. 112– 123. (In Russian)
  24. Ladygina-Kots N. Research on Chimpanzees’ Cognitive Abilities. Moscow, Gosizdat Publ., 1923. (In Russian)
  25. Ladygina-Kots N. Infant Chimpanzee and Human Child: their instincts, emotions, play, habits and expressive movements. Moscow, Darwin Museum Publ., 1935. (In Russian)
  26. Ladygina-Kots N. Constructive and Instrumental Activity of Anthropoid Apes. Moscow, Academy of Sciences Publ., 1959. (In Russian)
  27. Novoselova S.L. Nadezhda Nikolaevna Ladygina-Kots — the pride of Russian science. Personality Development, 2001, no. 3–4, pp. 76–107. (In Russian)
  28. Todes D. Darwin without Malthus: The Struggle for Existence in Russian Evolutionary Thought. Oxford University Press, 1989.
  29. Vygotsky L. S. Preface. W. Kohler. Research on Intelligence of Apes. Moscow, Acad. Com. Ped. Publ., 1930, pp. 1–29. (In Russian)
  30. Vygotsky L. S. Psychotechnics and pedology. Psihotehnika i psihofiziologiâ truda, 1931, vol. 2–3, pp. 173–184. (In Russian)

Information About the Authors

Irina A. Mironenko, Doctor of Psychology, St. Petersburg State University, St.Petersburg, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6234-6918, e-mail: mironenko.irina1@gmail.com

Veronika A. Rafikova, Postgraduate Student in Psychology, St. Petersburg State University, St.Petersburg, Russia, e-mail: veronikarafikova1996@gmail.com

Metrics

Views

Total: 464
Previous month: 18
Current month: 7

Downloads

Total: 112
Previous month: 2
Current month: 4