Soviet Psychology and its View of American Behaviorism

Abstract

This paper discusses how Soviet psychologists view American Behaviorism, especially as represented by Watson and Skinner. Soviet psychology is described by representing a uniform ideological and theoretical position. While this is not true of American Behaviorism, Soviet psychologists tend to view it as representing a theoretically uniform position. Both psychological schools evolved as reaction to introspection and an “idealistic” orientation in psychology. Soviet psychology became “idealistic” by expressing the need to create “a new man” and by becoming involved in the class struggle. Soviet psychology, as a Marxist science, takes the position that all phenomena are explainable, including consciousness, motives, and “purpose.”