Review: Psychological separation is viewed as a determinant of the development of goal-setting at student age. The subject of this research is the correlation between the characteristics of psychological separation (emotional, functional, attitude, conflict) and goal-setting (value semantic – values-goals, values-means, life-meaning orientations) and operational (system of self-regulation of voluntary activity) levels of young people from single-parent families. Sampling involved 49 students (18 males and 31 females). The following questionnaire-based surveys were used in the course of this research: “Psychological Separation Inventory (PSI)” by J. Hoffman, “Adaptation” by V. P. Dzukaeva and T. Y. Sadovnikova, “Value Orientations” method by M. Rokeach, “Life-Meaning Orientations” test by D. A. Leontyev, “Style of Self-Regulation of Behavior” by V. I. Mirosanova. The author determined valid differences between psychological separation from parents, value-semantic and operational characteristics of goal-setting among young people from single-parent families. The statistically significant correlations of the indicated characteristics are highlighted. The impact of psychological separation from parents upon values-goals and values-means, life strategies and individual characteristics of self-regulation of the activity of young people from single-parent families in the process of setting and achieving the goals, are analyzed in the context of logic of the functional approach of V .K. Shabelnikov. The novelty of this research consists in clarification of the role of psychological separation from parents in development of value-semantic and operational characteristics of goal-setting at student age.

Keywords: emotional separation, value-semantic level of goal setting, operational level of goal setting, goal setting, incomplete family, student age, psychological separation, functional separation, attitudinal separation, conflict separation

Review: 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.

Keywords: unconscious thinking, methodology of psychology, psychoanalysis, foreign psychology, paradigm, constructivism, unconscious, theory of psychology, joint activity, art

Review: The subject of this research is the individual psychological characteristics for learning teamwork skills. The relevance of the selected topic is defined by solving the tasks of teaching team interaction skills in the process of professional training of specialists, as well by insufficient empirical data on psychological mechanisms of pedagogical influence upon the effectiveness of tram-building process. The goal consists in comparing individual traits of the students and nature of their relationships, which determine the type of team interaction. For achieving the set goal and verification of the advanced hypothesis, the author surveyed teams of students (N=11) based on quasi-experimental plan. Along with the comparative design and correlation design, the author also applied the following psychodiagnostic methods: Eysenck's Personality Inventory (EPI), questionnaire for emotional intelligence by D. V. Lusin, “lifestyle index” method (adapted by L. I. Wasserman and others), characterological questionnaire by G. Shmishek, self-esteem model by A. Budassi; as well as statistical methods: Kruskal-Wallis criterion, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Based on the acquired results, the author empirically describes the types of team: “introverted”, “restless-intellectual”, “inconsistent”, “narcissistic”, and “aggressive-manipulative”. Comparability of the types of teams with characteristics of “dark triad-tetrad” is determined. The novelty of this work consists in the empirical substantiation of differential approach towards teaching teamwork skills, as well as in outlining the two key trends in pedagogical work with the students. The first is aimed at overcoming social insecurity by means of intellectual self-affirmation. The second implies the students’ desire to exercise control over emotions and the object of relations. The proposed recommendations for work with each type of team can be implemented in pedagogical practice of the higher school.

Keywords: psychological defenses, emotional intelligence, excitability, anxiety, field dependence-field independence, extraversion - introversion, team work, dark triad, social uncertainty, control of emotions

Review: The subject of this research is the conceptualization of political education in educational science. Political education functions as a privileged point of intersection of various political discourses. It is claimed that different versions of political education comply with different ontological and epistemological assumptions, normative approaches towards democracy, and concepts of correlation between education, humanistic knowledge, and politics. It is noted that in majority of historical and philosophical concepts of democracy, there is a tacit link between politics and education. Recommendations for educational practice contain the definition of pedagogy within the framework of the theory of political education, as well as specific pedagogical methodologies with consideration of humanistic knowledge. The author describes the versions of political education that emerged as a result of analysis of the material. The corresponding political discourse and its philosophical principles, educational consequences for politics and practice, as well as debates and criticism, are viewed for each version. Thus, the elitarian version of political education and political pedagogy is associated with the elitarian democratic discourse. The supporters of liberal political education need education for political, epistemological, and moral reasons. Political equality can be guaranteed only in the society of informed and rational citizens; therefore, democracy requires the universalization of education. Neoliberals, in turn, recommend substituting public education with practice of competitive market, while debating pedagogues understand the education of democratic civic consciousness as cultivation of skills and values for the public discussion.

Keywords: concept of pedagogy, humanitarian knowledge, curriculum, educational policy, state policy, political education, politics, political pedagogy, liberalism, elitism

Review: This research is dedicated to the problem of correlation between perception of other people by a subject and phenomenon of the “image of the world”. This topic is relevant for scholars of humanities in different countries in conditions of aggravation of various macrosocial conflicts. A theoretical study is conducted on correlations between the phenomena of “image of the world”, “worldview”, “model of the world”,  and approaches of the Russian psychology towards them. The author explores the results of empirical study of the “image of the world”, reflected in drawings, through the prism of metaphorical representations of a mature person on “congenial people” and “dissonant people”. The goal consists on carrying out a comparative analysis of peculiarities of the “image of the world” among persons differing in metaphorical representations on “congenial people” and “dissonant people”. The subject of this research is the metaphors of "congenial person” and “dissonant person”, the basic principles of a person and types of the “image of the world” depicted in drawings and verbal characteristics. The scientific novelty lies in the development of additional parameters for the analysis of the “image of the world” of a person, reflected in drawings. This article is first to determine correlations between different types of metaphors of “congenial person” and “dissonant person” as communication partners, and parameters of the “image of the world” of a person depicted in drawings. The conclusion is made that attribution of positive metaphorical socio-psychological characteristics to “congenial people” and “dissonant people” is associated with positive assessment of the objects of surrounding world. Stereotypization of images of other people as communication partners correlates with such of the “image of the world” in consciousness of a subject. The research results indicate that perceptions of “congenial people” and “dissonant people” by the subject affect their “image of the world”. The presented materials can be used in socio-psychological counseling for elaboration of the programs of correcting the system of relations of the subject to themselves and other people.

Keywords: world assumptions, foes, friends, metaphors, world image, world picture, world model, representations, concepts, categories

Review: This article reviews the results of research dedicated to personality characteristics of women struggling with psychogenic infertility (on different levels of organization of individuality: physical, affective and behavioral). It is assumed that all levels of organization of individuality are interrelated, which allows observing a holistic picture of personality of women involved in the study. The goal consists in examination of personality traits of women with reproductive disorders on physical, personal and social levels of the organization of individuality. The subject of this research is the psychological peculiarities, coping strategies, and psychological defenses of women with reproductive disorders on different levels of organization of individuality. The following methods were applied: empirical, such as testing and quantitative methods (charting); statistical, such as correlation analysis; qualitative methods, such as generalization, systematization, comparison. The scientific novelty lies in studying personality traits of women with reproductive disorders on different levels of the organization of individuality. The conclusion is made that women struggling with psychogenic infertility (comparing to women with no such disorder) are characterized with the following personality traits on different levels of the organization of individuality: 1) on the physical level – distorted perception and dissatisfaction with their body; 2) on the personal (affective) level – high anxiety, both reactive and personal; alexithymia; rigidity; inclination to depressive disorders; 3) on the social (behavioral) level –  facing difficult life situations, women with reproductive disorders are not able to take responsibility, and often resort to such defense mechanisms as denial, avoidance, regression and projection.

Keywords: physical, defence mechanisms, aggression, personality characteristics, alexithimia, depression, anxiety, sterility, maternity, reproductive function

Review: This article discusses two fundamental; topics ‒ the nature of mental trauma and the story of recovery of Edith Eva Eger, reflected in the book “The Choice”. However, in interpretation and comprehension of book material, the author leans on his original “theory of mental realities”. Within the framework of this theory, the characteristics is given to mental trauma and ways to overcome it. The two key methods are highlighted: re-experiences and mimicry of the events of the realities lived through by a person. The author believes that it would help better understanding of the twists and turns of the fate of Edith Eva Eger described in the book. The following methodology was applied in the course of this work: articulation of the problems, comparative and situational analysis, construction of concepts, analysis and interpretation of texts. As a result, the author was able to demonstrate applicability of the theory of mental realities, introduce the concept of mental trauma, determine the two main ways of recovery (re-experiences that suggest direct reproduction of that underlies the trauma, and mimicry of these facts with the current reality), as well as theoretically comprehend the by Edith Eva Eger “The Choice”.

Keywords: problems, healing, help, worries, fear, consciousness, psyche, trauma, prison, meaning