Vadim Petrovsky: “Berne Himself Left Injunctions Against Empirical Research to His Successors, and It’s Time for Us to Circumvent These Injunctions”

Abstract

Interview with Vadim Arturovich Petrovsky, Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Professor, Corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Education, psychologist in the modality of transactional analysis, about the synthesis of psychological practice and scientific research in the field of psychology in general and transactional analysis in particular. In this interview, issues such as the willingness of practicing psychologists of the transactional analysis modality to conduct their own research and scientific experiments are raised, the difficulties of modern psychological science, the connection and interpenetration of the practice and theory of transactional analysis are discussed. The interview also talks about the objective limitations of transactional analysis as a scientific method and the subjective characteristics of practicing psychologists in terms of writing scientific articles and conducting research. The conversation between the editor-in-chief of the journal “Transactional Analysis in Russia” and Vadim Petrovsky touched upon unexplored topics and areas of development of TA and its concepts as objects of scientific research for the psychological community not only in Russia, but also in the world. Which fields (Counseling, Psychotherapy, Education, TA in Organisations) and concepts of Transactional Analysis are most ready today to bridge the gap from practice to theory and vice versa?