North American “Understanding” of History of Psychology in the Soviet Union

Abstract

Western, in particular North American, understanding of Soviet psychology has been very limited - by the language barrier, by isolation due to political conflicts, and even by differing views on what the discipline of psychology should encompass. This article proposes a periodization of the development of Soviet psychology, as perceived in the West, and compares it to a sequence of historical landmarks that are important to Russian-language writers on Soviet psychology. A description of the translations of Soviet psychological writings into English and a review of commentary by selected North American observers of Soviet psychology illustrate some of the limitations. This historiographical exploration may indicate ways of coming to better mutual understanding through history of psychology.