2012. vol. 9. No. 4

The varieties, mechanisms, and patterns of a life- meaning crisis in personality development are discussed in thise article. The crisis is understood as solving by through the personality special life- meaning tasks and the negotiation of subsequent contradictions. The main idea of the paper is that a crisis may be determined from within by the functional properties of individual life meaning. One of these properties is feasibility, understood as the availability of the resources needed for practical realization of a specific life meaning. Specific attention is given to the notion of operational resources, an individual set of specific activities that form the integral life- activity structure and which are used by the person as operational means for life- meaning realization. The main hypothesis of the empirical study is that the feasibility acts as a functionally important property of life meaning, which is determined by the adequacy of its content to the operational and technical possibilities of individual life activity. 357 people took part in the study. The sample was formed with the variabilitvariablesy of gender, age, educational status, professional affiliation, marital and parental status, and level of income. The data was collected with the following scales: the author’s Scale of Life Meaning Crisis, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, purpose the Purpose in Llife scale from the Ryff’s Scales of Psychological Well-Being, as well asand the test Meaning-Metric Analysis of Life Activity test (a modified version of the author’s test Sources of Life Meaning test). The acquired data is presented in frequency tables, correlation analysis, multiple regression and mediation analysis. The results of the empirical study support the hypothesis that unrealistic life meaning, the content of which does not agree with the personality activity repertoire, provokes a life life-meaning crisis.

The This paper presents a detailed overview of the development and present situation within positive psychology, a trend that has recently emerged in psychology. The appearance of this trend was determined by the post-war skew in the psychological knowledge: the quantity of studies in negative emotions was significantly prevailed overgreater than those studies of positive ones. The author demarcates the stages in development of this trend and discusses its problems, challenges, and topics presently under debate, differentiates positive and humanistic psychology, and considers the three-level model of positive life by M. Seligman. Particular attention is given to debunking some of the myths that surround positive psychology. The author shows the dynamics of the way positive human functioning has been conceptualized, gradually moving from the superficial to the profound, from one-sided to integral and dialectic ways. One of the main challenges of this movement is seen as forming a metapsychological perspective on the basis of synthesis of positive and negative aspects of human experience and functioning. Positive psychology is viewed as a proving ground for new approaches in general psychology that correspond to the tasks and challenges of the new century. The article reproduces the pPoints of view of various researchers about major breakthroughs in, and the limitations of, positive psychology are reproduced. In conclusion, the author notes that this trend did not and does not long seek to oppose the rest of psychology and all the morenor to devalue it, was never aimed intended to range positive phenomena against negative ones, and never craved to “sell happiness”. On the contrary, positive psychology aims to consolidate various fields of psychology, continues continuing to move from the surface to the depths, trying to remain just a science.

In this paper tThe author analyzes the methodology of coaching seen as a method of practical developmental practical domain and as a profession. It emerged as an independent instrument of help in the development and realization of human potential, and today coaching is viewed as a self-sufficient, fully formed discipline and profession. Meanwhile, there is a range of methodological and theoretical issues that remain open as they don’t find understandingremain unresolved in the numerous works on the topic and in training programs. These issues became are the focus of consideration in the presentis paper. Among the issues discussed are the general state of things in coaching, its foundations, sources, and interventions, as well as its associations with psychology, psychotherapy, and contemporary research. The notion is substantiated that coaching has to be considered as a form of psychological practice because the objects of work in coaching work are primarily psychological characteristics (motivation, goals, emotions, images, subjective time, psychological resources, achievements, limiting attitudes, talents, strengths, planning, development, education, optimal functioning, strategies of life, choice, decision-making, obligations, action, self-regulation, relationships in organization, management tasks, effectiveness in officiating, dedication, well-being, and leadership). Interpretations are given to some popular notions and models of coaching, and key flaws in the basis of its methodology are providedsuggested, such as: grounds in the outdated psychological models and theories, ; selective use of the modern ideas, ; appellation to pseudopsychological notions, ; use of concepts about the brain as an explanatory model for behavior; and dynamics of changes in the a person. As an alternative, a range of original, deep and explanatory theories and models are given, created in the framework of the psychology of motivation, the psychology of personality, and the psychology of behavior. The value of the idea of evidence-based practices and research on effectiveness of coaching interventions is shown. The phenomenon of hope rising as an effect of coaching -sessions is discussed. The cCentral place is given to the analysis and development of one basic approach, the positive psychology coaching. Its specific aspects and thematic areas referred to within the coach-client work activity are presented, including positivity, flow, strengths and virtues, time perspective, pleasure, intrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy.

The This paper presents the results of the development and validation of a Russian-language version of the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Short Form), which allows measurement and comparison of satisfaction and life quality in the spheres of health, emotions, leisure activities, and social life. The procedure of elaboration and approbation of the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Short Form) took several stages. The translation and preparation of the questionnaire in the Russian language were done carried out by the specialists in the domain of positive psychology. After that, the data collection took place for the evaluation of psychometric properties of the questionnaire. Then the calculations of descriptive statistics were done and, internal consistency of the items was measured, as well as test-retest reliability (based on the results of the second testing of the subsample) and the structure of the scales (on the basis of correlative and confirmatory factor analysis). On At the fourth stage the relationships between social-demographical characteristics (gender, age, education) and quality of life were explored. The last stage was the estimation of the questionnaire’s convergent validity of the questionnaire. The relationships of the questionnaire’s scales with the other tests of well-being and satisfaction with lifve (level of happiness, depression), as well as with the psychological factors of subjective well-being (hardiness and dispositional optimism), were found outrevealed. Four studies were conducted in samples of employed adults and students of different professions (overall N=440), indicating sufficient internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha from .86 to .92), retest reliability (coefficients of correlation for different scales are .44 – .69), and convergent validity of the questionnaire. The factorial structure of the questionnaire was consistent with the theoretical model. The quality of life enjoyment and satisfaction across the four life spheres showed pronounced associations with subjective happiness and life satisfaction, as well as other psychological well-being factors, such as hardiness and dispositional optimism.

The paper presents the development of a Russian language questionnaire “Scale of Positive and Negative Affectivity” (SPANA) based on the English-language PANAS measure. The cross-cultural equivalence of the short 20-item version of the questionnaire was tested by means of multi-group confirmatory factor analysis using data from an English-language (N=450) and a Russian-language (N=475) sample. Measurement unit equivalence of the two instruments was established, although full score equivalence was not fully supported by the data. The new SPANA instrument shows high reliability and predictable associations with other subjective well-being indicators. Cultural and gender differences in positive and negative score are presented and discussed. The latent structure of an extended 57-item pool of Russian-language emotional descriptors is presented, resulting in a set of scales similar to PANAS-X available for research use.

This paper looks into the association between fundamental and applied research in clinical psychology, showing their interdependence and mutual determination. The development of projective methodology in practical and experimental psychology is reviewed. It is shown that advancement and reflection of projective methodology evolves in cycles. Projective methods are viewed as a crucially new level of psychological analysis and understanding of personality, as well as its development. The author points out at the specifics of usage of projective methods with children, when not only the procedure itself changes, but the received data as well. The iIntroduction of special reflection is suggested, which would fixate a stimulus situation, including the one that is created by the research itself. Based on the author’s own experience of research with children, a the possibility of transition to a new level of projective work is discussed. At this stage, which marks the beginning of a new cycle, it becomes possible to transcend the existing projective methodology, retaining its advantages and reaching new possibilities for objectivation and analysis of the inner dialogues in self-awareness. With such an approach the results of the study can be put into practice, which implies real help for the subject. The author shows that the sharp contradiction between the research and the psychotechnic action is absolutely groundless. The bond between scientific psychology and psychotherapy becomes more obvious and conscious today. With such an approach to projective research, wide possibilities of variation of conditions of receiving projective material is are implied. For a broader picture of the received data, special dialogical methods of analysis are needed.

At the present moment studies that search for effective practical methods of development of subjectivity in personality are come coming to the fore. Actualization of subjectivity in personality in the process of giving psychological help intensifies it multiply, creating a grounds for long-term and self-maintained changes. The author An attempts at to applying a phenomenological approach to the problem of genesis of the subject (agent) within individual life is made by the author. Based on a synthesis of theoretical and practical psychology, the value of the “I can” experience is demonstrated: this experience becomes a point of amplification of personal subjectivity. Numerous experiences – “I can” – become the basis for actions, orienting personality in the field of real possibilities, which he or shea person has in the given circumstances, and which strengthen and channel one’s their will. The mMotivating nature of these experiences is displayed in the logic of transition from “I can” to “I want”. The eEffectiveness of the phenomenological model of personality development of personality as a subject is secured by the special role of feelings in individual life and is verified by psychotherapeutic practice. A theoretical model of subject-generating experiences of “I can” is presented, explaining their significance, novelty, authenticity, and the extent to which specific possibilities are integrated into self-image. A fractal structure is described of the space in which personality is realized as a life agent shaped by culture, communication, activity, and personal attitude to oneself. As fFurther steps in research in this area are given: analysis of specific psychotherapeutic methods of a subject’s development of subject and integration of this knowledge in personality psychology; profound reflection of contemporary methods of subject construal, ; specification of destructive models of subjectivity and creation of adequate methods of psychological support; and the description and systematization of phenomenology of subjectivity deficits.

This paper is based On the basis ofon the author’s understanding of abilities, according to which abilities are unfolded revealed in three dimensions as the abilities of an individual, of a subject of activity (agent) and of personality, and the development of abilities occurs in these dimensions as well. The aAbilities of a human as an individual reflect his or her natural (biological) essence. The aAbilities of a subject of activity develop on the basis of individual abilities by means of acquisition of intellectual operations. The aAbilities of personality are viewed as the abilities of a subject of activity under moral control. Defined by personal abilities and meanings they become spiritual abilities. Thise article sets puts forward the results of the study of reflective mechanisms in the process of development of abilities through intellectual operation acquisition. 138 students of the middle school № 507 took part in the study. The test of developed by A.B. Karpov (2003) was used for the diagnostics of the level of reflexivity development. Students of experimental grades and control grades took part in the study. In eExperimental grades students had classes on the acquisition of intellectual operations. In For control grades there were no special classes. Study was undertaken in the 4^th, 6^th and 10^th grades. The results of the study showed that the level of development of reflexivity in the 6^th and 10^th grades is no higher than in the 4^th grades students. The goal-oriented teaching of intellectual operations led to a statistically significant advance in reflexivity in the 6^th and 10^th grade students. A cComparison of students’ IQs and reflexivity showed interdependence. A cComparison of the reflexivity index and the reflection of different intellectual operations showed statistically significant correlation.