METHODOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES OF POSTNONCLASSICAL PSYCHOLOGY

Abstract

The transformation of psychological science at postnonclassical stage of its development demands theoretical and methodological reflection of the conceptual grounds of psychology. In this article, we have attempted to outline themost significant principles regarded to postnonclassicalpsychology such as 1) structural- genetic principle; 2) principle of subject (personal agency); 3) principle of orientation on cultural context; 4) principle of ontological constructivism; 5) principle of integration.Structural-genetic principlegrounds the view on psychological phenomenon as the unique and integral formation,which is able to self-organization and self- development. This principle emphasizes the necessity to consider a) structural peculiarities of such phenomenon (level of inner differentiation and integration of its components, dynamics of functional coordination between them); b) ordering influences of system-creating factor on it; c) diachronic aspects of its functioning (determination, mechanisms, stages, synergy effects etc.).The principle of subject (personal agency) focuses on the content and dynamic (motivational and value, cognitive, regulative and reflexive etc.) aspects of person’s interaction with the world.The principle of orientation on cultural contextprinciple proposes to interpret mental phenomena as the modus of culture, taking into consideration the interconnection between generative worlds of culture and subjective worlds of the human.The principle of ontological constructivism points out the constructive (mediated by constructs, narrative structures etc.) nature ofthe cognition. It indicates that personal mental constructions are to be ideal models (hypertext representations of the world which provide interpretative and adaptive functions) based on conventional assumptions about the reality.The principle of integration reveals the possibility ofa) inter-paradigmdialogue and inter-disciplinary synthesis, content interaction between different psychological theories; b) complex applying of different research strategies and methods; c) combination of the fundamental theoretical achievements with the practical technologies.