Abstract: Nowadays Russian society is experiencing changes in attitudes towards various social phenomena and processes, among which the attitude towards economic inequality takes a special place. The consideration of the social-psychological aspects of the attitude to economic inequality in the scientific literature is insufficiently reflected. The study of the peculiarities of attitudes towards inequality will make it possible to clarify public attitudes and attitudes necessary for further social and economic reforms. In addition, traditional research methods do not always reflect representative characteristics of the population's attitude to various social problems, so there is a need to develop a more relevant method (economic-psychological experiment) to identify personal aspects of respondents' economic behavior. The aim was to study the features of the Russian population’s attitude to economic inequality in society by the economic-psychological experiment and substantiating this method as promising for studying attitudes towards social and economic phenomena. Focus groups, which included group interviews and discussions on problems of inequality; a survey aimed at examining attitudes towards inequality and behavior in relation to charity; an economic and psychological experiment (quasi-experiment), in the framework of which situations were simulated for respondents to make economic decisions (choosing a society for a hypothetical grandson). Russian respondents equally want to live both in a risk unequal society, to get higher incomes, and in a society with fixed average incomes. Most Russians are not ready to give up part of their income in order to help those who live worse. The attitude to inequality (the preference of equal and unequal societies) among Russian respondents does not change in any simulated economic conditions. The results obtained using the economic-psychological experiment represent original aspects of respondents' attitudes towards economic inequality in comparison with survey and testing methods.

Abstract: The article deals with the problem of pedagogical talent as a promising area of ​​research in modern foreign pedagogical psychology. It is noted that at present a teacher is recognized as one of the key subjects of the educational process, and the requirements for him include the formation of those views, personality traits, competencies and patterns of behavior with which he would successfully function in changing conditions and solve pedagogical problems of a new type. It is shown that in the Russian psychological-pedagogical literature the problems of pedagogical talent are not sufficiently represented, so there is a need to refer to the results of foreign studies. The goal is to present and analyze foreign psychological approaches to the study of pedagogical talent. Foreign studies on the problem of pedagogical talent are divided into the following: the definition, characteristics and role of pedagogical talent in pedagogical activity; identification of pedagogical talent and its features; technologies of management and development of pedagogical talent. Based on the theoretical analysis of the works, conclusions are drawn about the insufficient conceptual understanding of the phenomenon of pedagogical talent, the definition of pedagogical talent through other personal and professional characteristics of the teacher, the dominance of the competence-based approach in studying this problem, the reliance of researchers on approaches from the field of organizational psychology and labor psychology. The importance of studying modern foreign research for setting topical theoretical and applied problems in the field of educational psychology is substantiated.

Abstract: This article discusses the problematic of pedagogical competencies. The author underlines a current demand for studying the key pedagogical competencies due to the transformation of education system and requirements imposed on the pedagogues. The domestic psychological traditions of studying pedagogical competencies are well-known (B. M. Teplov, F. N. Gonobolin, V. A. Krutetsky, N. V. Kuzmina, A. K. Markova, L. M. Mitina, etc.), but currently the Russian and foreign scientific approaches, as well as educational systems converge and its successful implementation requires universal pedagogical activity, skills, and competencies. The focus of foreign research include consideration of the main requirements to a pedagogue and basic pedagogical competencies, with emphasis on such qualities and competencies that pertain not to implementation of pedagogical activity, but rather maintenance and stimulation of effectiveness of the process and performance. Such competencies include pedagogical creativity, reflection, and metacognitive skills. The author also covers the question of the development of own skills by the pedagogue. The conclusion is made that the modern pedagogical reality not substantive competencies and skills, but rather systemic that would control and manage the pedagogical process itself.

Abstract: This article touches upon one of the peculiarities of modern psychology – a shift away from the natural scientific paradigm and transition towards constructivist methodology. Constructivism in psychology is characterized by relativity of truth, prevalence of subjective over objective, conditionality of cognition of characteristics of a subject, activity of an individual in cognition and being, construction of own reality by an individual. The author addresses the problem of studying the unconscious and suggest applying the constructivist paradigm in the research. It is substantiated that constructivism is one of the most effective approaches towards studying the unconscious, as peculiarities of the unconscious comply with the provisions of constructivism: a crucial role on the unsconsious is played by fantasies, affinities and emotional processes; structure of the unconscious is inexact and cannot be reduced to specific elements; the unconscious is flexible and develops in accordance with its own logic. Analysis is conducted on foreign studies on the unconscious that are based on constructivism. The scientific novelty consists in substantiation of application of the constructivist approach in psychology towards examining the unconscious, as well as in carrying out an analytical review of modern foreign research dedicated to the problem of the unconscious, leaning on the provisions of constructivism. The author concludes on the prevalent trends in foreign constructivist psychology of the unconscious: the focus on irrational, non-objectivist theories in explaining the unsconsious; a desire to make psychoanalysis a general psychological theory; acknowledgement of the unsconsious side of mental activity as the leading, as it is capable of more effective information processing; the unsconsious mechanisms of communication and joint activity play a significant role in establishing an in-depth personal dialogue. Psychological practice assigns a leading role to the unconscious; moreover, this aspect becomes central in social and ethnological research. Based on the theoretical overview of foreign studies, the effectiveness of application of constructivism in psychology is underlined.

Abstract: The authors refer to the history of prerevolutionary psychology in Russia. The national prerevolutionary philosophical psychology is viewed as a special discipline of psychological science at the turn of the XIX – XX centuries. The article underlines the existence of problem of terminological designation, as well as substantive understanding of psychological ideas of this direction in history of Russian psychology. The authors define philosophical psychology as a broad independent discipline within the national psychological science of the late XIX – early XX centuries, in the context of which develop the ideas of substantiality of soul, irreducible only to the matter and manifesting in various aspects (spiritual, emotional, material, physiological), possessing the qualities of free will and self-comprehension. This theoretical research sets a goal to determine and analyze the concept of Russian philosophical psychology at the turn of the XIX – XX centuries. Leaning on the ideas of S. S. Gogotsky, V. A. Snegirev, S. N. Trubetskoy, S. L. Frank, G. I. Chelpanov, G. G. Shpet and P. D. Yurkevich, the authors highlight the key provisions of the national prerevolutionary philosophical psychology as an integral approach towards studying human soul: 1) it views soul as a substance, a special dimension of being that cannot be reduced only to the content of consciousness, processes, functions or particular emotional phenomena; 2) it explains the “vitality” of soul, its living flow and constant transformation; 3) it differentiates emotional phenomena from physical, and describes their special characteristics; 4) it defines awareness and rationality as the leading qualities of emotional phenomena; 5) it considers human personality and human “Self” as subject of soul; 6) it is a comprehensive study of soul that includes examination of its different sides (spiritual dimension, emotional dimension (consciousness), physiological responses); it determines self-observation (introspection) as the leading psychological method. The conducted research underlines the relevance of referring to the heritage of philosophical psychology for the history and methodology of psychology, as well as solution of the current scientific, spiritual and practical problems of psychology.

Abstract: This article discusses a new and promising directions in modern psychotherapy – the animal-assisted therapy. The authors note wide prevalence of application of animal-assisted therapy in the Russian literature; however, all of such work mostly contain brief conclusions and results of implementation of separate approach within the framework of animal-assisted therapy, without critical understanding and determination of advantages and restrictions, rather than a list of the areas of application of animal-assisted therapy and specific methodological approaches aimed at solution of particular tasks. This necessitates conducting methodological and methodical analysis of animal-assisted therapy. The authors set a goal to explore some of the main trends and areas of the use of animal-assisted therapy, highlighting specific methods and techniques of correction and development of the particular mental processes and personality structures. The research methods include the theoretical analysis, generalization and systematization of views and results of the experiments on animal-assisted therapy and the impact of animals on human health, carried out by the Russian and foreign scholars. Within the framework of this study, the authors determine the current main tends of animal-assisted therapy: development and correction of speech (structuring verbal sequence, comparison, reading and literacy), communication skills (shared attention, social pragmatic skills), occupational therapy and life skills, mental health and emotional wellbeing. The authors underlines the importance for continuation of theoretical and methodological analysis of capabilities and limitations of the animal-assisted therapy.

Abstract: The authors of the article discuss a new approach to psychotherapy, animal-assisited therapy. They outline challenges and minuses of animal-assisted therapy as these are described by Russian and foreign psychological literature, these including confusion with definitions, unproved efficiency of the method, unclear and unstructured methodological basis. The authors of the article make an attempt to fill in the aforesaid gaps. The aim of this research is to describe the psychotherapeutic method of animal-assisted therapy (definition, objectives, scope and contraindications), demonstrate potentials of the method as well as risks for Russian psychotherapy and to substantiate conductino principles and requirements. The research methods include theoretical analysis, modelling, generalisation and systematization of views and results of Russian and foreign experiments and experience in animal-assisted therapy. The results of the theoretical analysis are the following: the authors define key characteristics, conduction principles and ways to reduce associated risks as well as contraindications for this type of therapy. They also analyze drawbacks and benefits of using different kinds of animals in the course of animal-assisted therapy as well as the main rules for selection of an animal participating in the therapy. 

Abstract: The article considers the problem of formation of the Russian psychology in the XIXth - early XXth centuries. The authors analyze approaches of Russian researchers in the history of psychology to studying the structure of psychology in Russia during the aforesaid period. The authors note that there is no common terminological field and understanding of the content of areas in the psychological science. The traditional classification which distinguishes an experimental, empirical and religious-philosophical psychology is insensitive to those scientists and their concepts who worked in several directions or held certain views in the declared positions, but in their works used other ideas. The authors propose their own classification of directions of psychology in Russia in the XIXth - early XXth century based on the dominant method for obtaining psychological knowledge (speculation, introspection, experiment and measurement): speculative psychology, introspective psychology and experimental psychology. The authors examine only speculative and introspective psychology because there is the greatest uncertainty and ambiguity related to these directions, their representatives, concepts, and methods (speculation and introspection). The methods of historical and psychological research include structural-analytical method and method of analysis of the framework of categories and concepts. This theoretical study is methodological, approaches of representatives of speculative and introspective psychology are analyzed by the authors in terms of the subject and method of psychology. The authors have developed their own classification of directions of Russian psychology in the XIXthe – early XXth century offering a new basis, the method of obtaining psychological knowledge (speculation, introspection, experiment). In each direction the authors have defined two vectors corresponding to a particular conception of the nature of the subject of psychology: substantial psychology (soul as an independent substance) and functional psychology (psyche as a function of the brain and nervous system). The final classification is as follows: 1) speculative substantial psychology and speculative functional psychology; 2) introspective substantial psychology and introspective functional psychology; 3) experimental substantial psychology and experimental functional psychology.

Abstract: The article considers the statistical studies of Petr Petrovich Kashchenko (1859 – 1920), a well-known psychiatrist and public person, in the field of psychiatry. The research subject is the statistical report of one of the first census of people with mental diseases in Russia. The author considers the peculiarities of this statistical study of mental diseases, points at the difficulties faced and the mistakes made, and analyzes the obtained results. The author notes the significant influence of land statistics in the late 19th century on the science and the society. The study is based on the principle of unity of logic and history in science. The author applies the categorical and conceptual analysis, problemological analysis and historiographic analysis. The scientific novelty of the work consists in the consideration of the results of the statistical study of mental diseases spreading among rural population of Nizhny Novgorod province in the late 19th century, and in the specification of the data, acquired by P.P. Kashchenko (compared with the previously published works in this field). The author demonstrates the quantity of mentally deranged people according to their diseases; the percentage ratio of particular diseases in the total number of diseases, the percentage ratio of deranged men and women. The author emphasizes the contribution of Kashchenko to the development of psychiatry in the late 19th century. 

Abstract: The present article is devoted to the organizational issues of the activity of pre-school educational establishments. The author of the article examines such organizational aspects as the management and corporate culture at pre-school establishments. It is submitted that today when school education is being transferred from the municipal to the market organization, it is becoming very important to use new organizational resources and opportunities that are created as a result of changes in the educational and economic orientations of pre-school establishments. Berezina also emphasizes the need to treat a pre-school establishment as an organization with a mission, values, management, corporate culture, human resources management and competitive ability. The research methods include theoretical analysis of scientific literature and theoretical modeling of the performance of a pre-school establishment as an organization. The research methodology involves the concept of the market structure of a pre-school establishment (according to G. Ksendzova). The novelty of the research is caused by the fact that the author proves a pre-school establishment to be a modern organization. In her research Berezina also demonstrates that a pre-school establishment is a competitive entity. However, it is still a problem to understand and use opportunities of such phenomena as the corporate culture, values and management that are quite new in the sphere of pre-school education. According to the author, at the present time pre-school establishments are in a position to adopt new functioning strategies.  

Abstract: The research subject of the present article is the historical and psychological review of one of numerous aspects of activities conducted by Soviet psychologists of the 1920-1930s to prevent transport accidents. The increasing number of cars and growing traffic in the USSR caused road accidents which was described with talent by Soviet authors (Ilf and Petrov, Mayakovsky, etc.) and witnesses of those events. Special attention is paid to the researchers who made a great contribution to that important topic such as I. N. Dyakov, B. I. Severniy, A. I. Kolodniy, K. K. Platonova, et. In her article Stoyukhina has applied the following research methods: the historical method allowing to trace bak the history of the studied reality, bibliography method that helped to systematize information and biographical method aimed at discovering the personality aspect of the history of psychology. The novelty of the research is caused by the fact that for the first time in the academic literature the author describes the grounds for safety traffic psychoogy based on the history of Soviet psychology and reminds us of important researches by Soviet psychologists on transport accident prevention. This creates more opportunities for historical-psychological, social-psychological and scientific research.