Vygotskiy. [Structural psychology]

Abstract:
Structural psychology tries to comprehend psychology as science of natural things that follow the general laws of nature. And this is its main significance in history field of psychological crisis. The Wertheimer, Koffka, Levin?s contribution to the development of the concept of structural psychology is considered here in details. Experiments on monkeys confirming the structural nature of behavior are given. It is emphasized, that structural psychology leads to a radical revision of the psychological theory of education and child development, to the significance of structure in the matter of education and upbringing, and to a revision of understanding of the role of memory or memorization. This is a general and universal methodological principle, from point of view of which all psychology should be reviewed and rebuilt. Just as structural psychology refuses to see the sum of elementary primary experiences in the psychic process, so it refuses to see a simple sum or mechanical connection of reflexes in behavior. Studying the conditions under which a holistic structure arises, the patterns and trends that govern this whole, becomes the main task of structural psychology. The harmfulness of considering the structures of processes in isolation from their social factor in human psychology is emphasized.