ИНТЕГРАЦИОННАЯ ДИНАМИКА ПСИХОЛОГИЧЕСКОЙ НАУКИ

Abstract

The observed increase in the number of psychological research entails both the expansion and deepening of psychological knowledge, and the escalation of the theoretical and methodological problems of its systematization and practical application. The widely discussed problems of the theoretical foundations and methodology of psychological research, in generalized formulations, are reduced to a statement of the growing fragmentation and searching the foundations of the integration prospects for psychology. At the same time, there are problems that have not yet been given due attention, one of such problems is the conceptualization of the integration and fragmentation dynamics in psychological knowledge. In the proposed conceptualization, the dynamics of the psychological knowledge development occurs in the original studies of the expansion, deployment, narrowing, folding of its structure. From these methodological positions, psychological research is categorized into deepening, fragmenting and integrating. According to the results of the methodological analysis, the ratio of the integration and fragmentation processes types is 1: 3. That is, even in the case of putting forward and starting an integration project in psychology, the coexistence of integrative and fragmented processes is inevitable, with the latter prevailing. If the psychological knowledge integration is carried out by descriptive methodological tools, then the array of fragmented studies will not shrink, and the current ratio of integration and fragmentation studies is unlikely to change. In this scenario, new research will continue with heterogeneous methodological tools, and since systematizing research remains not a priority, the carried out integration of psychological knowledge in terms of its volume will decrease relative to the total volume of studies. A dynamic balancing the integration and fragmentation processes is seen as an acceptable state of psychological knowledge. However, even for achieving it, it is necessary to reach positive integration dynamics at the first stage. The dynamic balance of integration and fragmentation processes can be established at various levels of their correlation – determining a sufficient level will be one of the most pressing issues in the case of implementing an integration project in psychology.