SURVEY REPORT: REPORT ON PSYCHOLOGY IN THE USSR/SOCIETIES/RESEARCH/TEACHING/APPLICATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00246A026500310001-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 30, 2014
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: July 20, 1962
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains information affecting the Notional Defense of the United States within the m--s, Title
18, U.S.C. Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
COUNTRY USSR
REPORT
50X1-HUM
SUBJECT Survey?Report: -Report on Psychology DATE DISTR.
in the USSR/Societies/Research/Teaching/
Application NO. PAGES
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE &
DATE ACC
REFERENCES
17 Apr 64
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THIS is UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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'a "Report on Psychology in the 50X1-HUM
USSR," prepared by the noted Soviet psychologist, Professor Alexsandr
Romanovich Luria and dated 20 Jul 62. The author is an active member
of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences, BMWs and Director of the Insti..
tate of Defectology under that some academy.
In this four-pace report, which is presented in English, Professor Luria
describes Soviet psychology under the following four main categories:
8.? The Soviet Psychological Society - the membership, various
branches and areas of professional activity are described.
b. Research on Psychology in the USSR . the roles of the re-
search academies and ministries and the universities and
pedagogical institutes are illustrated.
c. Teaching in Psychology the curriculums in the three major
university Departments of Psychology are presented and general
details about advanced study are presented.
d. Practical Work of Psychologists in the USSR - the most
portant areas in which Soviet psychologists are working are
listed and their particular projects are noted in each case.
This survey report on Soviet psychology is UNCLASSIFIED.]
-end.-
GROUP 1
Excluded from automatic
downgrading and
declassification
50X1-HUM
50X1-HUM
ISTATE
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STAT
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July 20, 1962
Report on Psychology in U.S.S.R. by Prof. A. R. Luria (Moscow)
Soviet Psychological Society
Psychologists in USSR are incorporated in the Soviet. Psychological
Society which is an association of all scholars of scientific psychology working
in different fields of psychological science (general and physiological psy-
chology, pedagogical psychology, industrial psychology, medical psychology, etc.).
The most part of members of the S.P.S. are trained psychologists with special
degrees.
The amount of members of S.P.S. is about 1,100.
The Society has about 20 branches; the biggest ones are: Moscow Psycho-
logical Society (about 300 members), Leningrad P.S. (about 250 members),
Ukrainian P.S. (about 220 members), Georgian, Armenian, Azerbaidjan, Bielo-
russian, Ouzbek P.S., and others.
The most important branches of S.P.S. have sections such as: section of
pedagogical psychology, industrial psychology, medical psychology, psychology
of sports, etc.
S.P.S. holds its general assemblies (congresses) every 2 years with an
extensive program covering all fields of psychological science and with about
1,000 participants. Every branch has its own regional conferences, partly limited
to special problems of psychology. Transcaucasian conferences of Georgian,
Armenian, Azerbaydjan P.S. are held every 2 years; Ukrainian conferences--every
year. There were special conferences on such topics as "Psychology of Personality,
"Psychology of Labour," "Problems of Engineering Psychology," etc.
Scholars in Higher Nervous Activity & Conditional Reflexes are working in
the frames of Soviet Physiol. ical Societ ; a considerable number of scientists
;
are engaged in i s et wor ng n ? erent Research Institutes and Labora-
tories of Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, Rostov, Tbilissi, etc.
Special Conferences on Higher Nervous Activity are held every year in
Leningrad mostly in the Pavlov memorial days; about 600-1,000 participants take
part in these conferences.
Scholars in Pedagogical Psychology are associated with Soviet Pedagogical
Society which has branches in different parts of the country. A special Section
22:522ng (Education of handicapped children) is a part of this society.
Conferenceon Defectology are held every 2 years with about 800-1,000
participants (teachers, psychologists and psychiatrists) with papers in Psychology
and education of Deaf, Blind, Mentally retarded children as well as Children with
Hard of Hearing, Speech Disorders, etc.
A part of Soviet psychologists are associated with Soviet Society of Neur-
ologists and_ayslaiatrists, with branches in a series of cities and its owls
Conferences.
Soviet Psychologists publish their papers in "Questions of Psychology"
(journal of S.P.S.), in "Proceedings of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences," as
well as in "Soviet Pedagogics," "Question of Philosophy," "Journal of Higher
Nervous Activity," "Journal of Neuropathology & Psychiatry," etc. A series of
special journals mostly on Education are published in different Republicta of the
USSR in their own Languages (Ukrainian, Bieloruseian, GeorgIJAn, AzTaY:r1latt
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Report on Psychology in USSR (Continued) A.R. Luria
Ouzbek, etc.). The most part of books in Psychology is published by the Academy
of Pedagogical Sciences Publishing House; a part of books in Psychology is pub-
lished by Pedagogical and Medical Publishing Houses as well in the Academy of
Sciences of USSR Publishing house.
Symposia in special fields of Psychology and Education is published in a
special series "Izvestia of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences"; more than
120 volumes of this series were published during the last 15 years.
Research in Psychology in USSR
Two systems are responsible for Research in Psychological Science in USSR:
the System of Academies of Sciences or Ministeries with special Research Insti-
tutes (research only) and the system of Universities and Pedagogical Institutes
(teaching and research).
The most important research work in psychology is associated with the
Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of the Russian Federation. This Academy has a
series of Research Institutes in Education, and two Institutes especially working
in the field of Psychology. (Institute of Psychology and Institute of Defect-
ology).
Institute of Ps cholo (Moscow) with a staff of about 100 full time
Research associates has Laboratories in Physiological Psychology, Individual
Differences, Perception, Thinking as well as in Pedagogical Psychology, Indus-
trial Psychology, etc.
Institute of Defectology (Moscow) with a staff of about 60 full time
Researcn associates-- as sections for Studies in Education of the Deaf, Blind,
Feeble-minded children, Children with Hard of Hearing and Speech Disorders,
Section on Clinical and Physiological Study of abnormal children, Laboratories
in Psychology of Deaf and Feeble-minded children, etc. and with a series of
experimental schools.
The Academy of Sciences of USSR has a Psychological Section in the
Institute or rnilbsopny.
The Academy of Medical Sciences--several Psychological Laboratories in t;.1.?
Researcn Institutes ?I veurolOgy, rsychiatry and Neuro-Surgery.
In Ukraine an Institute of Psychologyis working under the Ministery of
Education (Kiev). In Georgia - and Institute of Psychology (Tbilissi) under
the Georgian Academy of Sciences. There are special Psychological Research
Laboratories in Armenian Republic (Erevan), Azerbaidjan Republic (Bakou) etc.
In the Moscow University, Leningrad University, Universities of Odessa
etc. and in e gog ca schools of Moscow (Lenin-Pedagogical Institute),
of Leningrad (Herzen-Pedagogical Institute, etc.) there are several Research
Laboratories in Psychology.
The review of all fields of Psychology in USSR and of the most important
achievements in Psychology is published in two volumes "Psychological science
in USSR" (Academy of Pedagogical Sciences Press, vol. I - 1959, vol. II - 1960).
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caE_:t_ar2.3.oinUSSR (Cont.) A.R. Luria
Teaching in Psychology
There are Chairs in Psychology (Partly--Psychology and Pedagogics) in all
Universities and Pedagogical Schools of the country with courses in psychology
and education.
A special training of Psychological Research workers is provided by
Departments in some most important Universities.
The most im,ortant Departments of Psychology are Departments of Psychology
of Moscow, Leningrad, and Tbillissi Universities.
The curriculum of the Departments of Psychology (5-5-1./2 years training)
includes general courses (Social sciences, Philosophy of Dialectic Materialism,
Sociology, Linguistics, Logics and Biology, Anatomy, Physiology, Mathematics,
etc.), as well as special courses in General Psychology, Experimental Psychology,
History of Psychology and Contemporary Psychology, Child psychology, Clinical
Psychology, Pedagogical Psychology, etc. There are as well special courses in
different problems proposed by professors of the Department.
From the 5th-6th semester every student can choose one of the special
fields of Psychology (General & Physiological Pedagogical, Medical, Industrial
Psychology) for his further work and is associated with special Laboratories.
Beginning with the 4th semester students have to write every year a special
work firstlya theoretical review, then a result of a special experimental
work); during the last year the most part of the time is given for the diploma.
work. The diploma is defended in special assemblies of the Department. The
thesis is equal to MA.
A part of students continue their training in Psychology as post-graduatec
(aspirants) in Universities or Research Institutes. The training is limited
by 3 years. Every aspirant is associated with a special Laboratory and during
these 3 years has to write a dissertation (thesis) for the degree of candidate
of science tequal to PhD).
A limited number of scholars in Psychology can write a special disserta-
tation fcr the degree of Doctor of Science (equal to DSc or doctorat es lettres);
only a limited number of the most important works can be presented for this
purpose.
A restricted number of Leading Psychologists can be elected as Fellows
or Corresponding Members of the Academy of Pedagogical Science of the Russian
Federation.
Practical Work of Psychologists in USSR
An important part of psychologists in USSR are engaged in teaching psy-
chology in Universities, Pedagogical Institutes, Pedagogical Technics, etc. A
large group of psychologists are working as Research Associates in special
Institutions and Laboratories.
Another part of psychologists is active in different practical fields of
Psychology working in special Laboratories and centers under tne ministery
of Education, Ministery of Health, Ministery of Social Welfare, etc. or in some
industrial enterprises.
Industrial psychologists are active in special laboratories (industry,
railroad, etc.). The most important part of their work is concerned with prob-
lems of organization of work, adaptation of mechanioms to perception, profes-
sional training and consultation, etc.
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Report on Psychology in USSR (Cont.) A. R. Luria
Pedagogical psychologists are working in consulting centers, some school
laboratories, etc. and are active in problems of selecting the proper methods of
teaching, experimental school work, selection. of children for special schools,
consultation of problem children, etc.
Medical psychologists are working in several Neurological, Psychiatric,
and Neurosurgical Hospitals and Clinics. They are active in problems of
diagnostics and of rehabilitation of functions and in adaptation of injured
to life and work.
In USSR practical work of psychologists is, as a rule, organized as a
part of a team work: in industrial laboratories psychologists are working
with physiMiists and engineers, in pedagogical centers--with teachers,
defectologists and psychiatrists, in medical psychology--with neurologists,
psychiatrists, neuro-surgeons and speech therapists. Every practical conclusion
is made as a result of such a team work.
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