The World Of Modern Psychology.Baturin Nikolay Alekseevich

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

With a feeling of deep respect, I present to the attention of dear readers an exclusive interview with an expert in the field of psychodiagnostics - a Russian psychologist, Doctor of Psychology, Academician of the International Academy of Psychology, Professor, Head of the Department of Psychological Diagnostics and Consulting of the Faculty of Psychology of South Ural State University - Nikolai Alekseevich Baturin.

How long have you been active in the field of psychodiagnostics? How did you start?

I started my career in psychodiagnostics in the 60s of the last century, so I can confidently say that there are a lot of “aging” methods in psychodiagnostics in Russia. Until now, many Russian psychologists, not knowing the history of psychodiagnostic techniques, still use techniques that were developed in various countries in the 40-50s of the last century and adapted in the USSR, for example, the first form of the Veksler test, the first versions of 16PF, CPI and others. … They deeply regret do not understand and do not even suspect that the measuring instruments in psychodiagnostics should be improved, revised, readapted. Many dissertations, including doctoral dissertations, are still based on the use of these long-outdated methods. And this is despite the fact that over the years, modern methods have been created in Russia that have been tested for validity and reliability. At one time, my colleagues and I, together with a group of psychologists from Leningradskrgo (now St. Petersburg) University, developed a whole group of techniques. For example - UIT HRC (universal intellectual test St. Petersburg - Chelyabinsk), PIT HRC (adolescent intellectual test HRC), KIT HRC (compact intellectual test HRC) for diagnostics of the level and structure of intelligence. At the same time, an approach was proposed to measure not only the level of intelligence in schoolchildren, but also to calculate the level of intelligence gain in one year in order to avoid linking individual indicators to their comparison with the average statistical indicators in large samples. These indicators, in our opinion, are more interesting during the development of intelligence. Since it is more important to know the dynamics of changes and identify social factors that influence this process, so that appropriate corrective actions can be taken in a timely manner in relation to a particular student. This research took over 20 years. In addition, I have developed about 12 techniques in fundamentally different areas of psychological diagnostics. Today my methods are widely used in Russia.

What can you say about the state of psychodiagnostics today?

Like any science, psychodiagnostics must have research methods. If this is not the case, it is no longer science. It is even more necessary to understand the nature of the psychic phenomena themselves, to understand what the human psyche is. Unfortunately, modern psychologists have not really come close to understanding the nature of the psyche. In my opinion, modern psychology is still only an attempt to study very, very complex phenomena. I believe that psychology, and along with it psychodiagnostics, is currently experiencing a global crisis. This creates conditions for false psychodiagnostics and pseudopsychology. It is for this reason, in my opinion, that so many false psychologists are currently divorced. This is a very important topic and it is good that you gradually reveal it in your articles.

And when, in your opinion, will psychology flourish?

As a fairly experienced psychologist, I believe that this will happen no earlier than in 50-100 years. So far, the results of studies that are being carried out in America, Europe and Russia are rather disappointing. And primarily because of problems in understanding the essence of mental phenomena as such. And already connected with this are the problems of measuring these phenomena. That's why before the scientific measurements mental phenomena are still very far away. While dominates grade and self-esteem, and this is far from a measurement. Obviously, any assessment cannot give a direct result for the measured object. The assessment gives only what is commensurate with the average statistical severity of the phenomenon under study. Therefore, almost all psychodiagnostic techniques today are also based on average statistical indicators. For this, a large sample is taken, a study is carried out using a certain technique and the mean values and standard deviations are calculated. In fact, this only allows us to assess the severity of a mental phenomenon in a particular person in comparison with the average statistical indicators of a group of people. As I already said, it turns out that today we do not yet have a measurement, there is only an estimate. Accordingly, conclusions about the characteristics of mental phenomena are either derived from comparison with the average, or on the basis of introspective observations and subjective assessment of the severity of certain mental phenomena, too subjective. However, these are all extremes. This approach removes us from determining the true level of a mental phenomenon. This is how false measurements, false diagnostics and, as a result, pseudo-treatment are obtained. It is no coincidence that experienced practicing psychologists actually refuse to use psychodiagnostic methods, relying in clinical diagnostics on their intuition and comparison with previous cases. And as a result, they are forced to find themselves on the same level with the doctors of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Over the past 20 years, what tendency do you think we can talk about in the field of psychodiagnostics - progress or regression?

Psychodiagnostics is now stagnant. Psychodiagnostics froze at about the level at which it was in the 70s of the last century. Fundamentally nothing new is being developed. Firms-publishers of psychodiagnostic techniques release, as it were, new techniques with new names, which are either analogs of well-known ones, or their remakes. All this is due to the fact that psychology itself cannot offer anything new in understanding the nature of mental phenomena. Only when this happens will psychodiagnostics be able to develop a fundamentally new approach to measuring mental phenomena. But first, I will repeat it for the tenth time, it is necessary to understand the nature of these phenomena. So far, modern psychologists for this, in the literal sense of the word, simply do not have enough brains to understand the "product" of the work of this very brain.

In what directions do you carry out your scientific activity today and why did you choose these particular directions?

Due to the fact that I am very disappointed in the possibilities of psychodiagnostics, I stopped developing any new methods. I believe that the new techniques will have the same disadvantages that I already understand. And to come up with something fundamentally new is still beyond the power of either me or other psychologists. A colossal step is required in front of all science. I am sure about that.

Now I popularize our old methods, but at the same time, unlike most psychodiagnostic developers, I speak openly and honestly about the existing problems both in psychology and in psychodiagnostics. My task today is to explain to people the problems that psychologists have when using classical psychodiagnostic techniques. I try to open their eyes to the imperfection of modern methods. As I already said, in fact, all new methods in psychodiagnostics are variations on the same topic, both in approaches and in understanding.

Nikolai Alekseevich, I hope you paid attention to the conventional name of my project - "Psychology and Psychology". When we say "psychology" - it is rather a publicistic name for the direction of false psychology. How can you characterize the trend of false psychology today - in the CIS countries, in Europe, the USA?

The most important reason for the presence of pseudo-psychology and pseudo-diagnostics, in my opinion, is the inability to understand the true nature of mental phenomena at the present level of development of psychology and science in general.

And in conclusion, please tell us about your nearest scientific plans - possible conferences, books, sensations that you are preparing for the scientific community. Now I am developing a new model (concept) of ideas about human personality. It is called “Structural-hierarchical model of personality”. My concept is based on the works of the Russian-American psychologist (he worked at Leningrad State University, and then moved to live and work in America) - Lev Markovich Vekker. I hope that I will be able to complete all this and bring it into an understandable and digestible form. On the basis of this theory, I give lectures as part of the course "Psychology of Personality". I also plan to write a book about this.

In turn, I want to express my gratitude Nikolay Alekseevich for a rich conversation and quite sincere and therefore largely unpopular answers in the modern psychological community. More than one interview is planned with Nikolai Alekseevich. So to be continued …