Research into the Abilities of a Team Leader in the History of Soviet Psychology

Abstract

A review of the work carried out within the social psychology of science concludes that the problem of research team leaders’ ability is underdeveloped. The paper substantiates the possibilities, presents and discusses the results of historical and psychological content analysis of the testimonies about the personality and scientific work of the leading organizers of the Soviet psychological science. On the material of memoirs of students and colleagues of G.I. Chelpanov, V.M. Bekhterev, L.S. Vygotsky, S.L. Rubinstein and B.G. Ananyev types of abilities of research team leaders’ are identified. The model including five kinds of abilities making two blocks related, firstly, to generation of new scientific knowledge (mental and creative abilities), and, secondly, to organization of research team’s socially valuable activity (pedagogical, organizational, moral and ethical abilities) is offered. Evidence has been obtained to support the leading role of the creative abilities of Soviet psychologists' leaders in their implementation of the research and organizational blocks of role behavior in the research team. The testimonies of students and colleagues have revealed that considerable attention is paid to pedagogical and moral-ethical abilities of the leading organizers of domestic psychological science. Soviet psychologists gained in their scientific leaders a moral ideal that inspired, guided and united them on the basis of values of social and personal responsibility of the scientist to the team.