Kharkov State University

Psychology department information.

The psychology department of Kharkov State University has been founded in 1963. It's founder and first director was P.I. Zinchenko, a member of Kharkov psychology school.

In 1922 in Kharkov The Ukrainian Scientific-Research Psychoneurological Institute was found, and in 1926 on the foundation of psychiatric clinic The Ukrainian Institute Of Clinic Psychiatry And Social Psychohygiene. In 1932 they all were collated in a single institution - The All-Ukraine psychoneurological Academy, where the sector of a psychology was a member. This sector consisted of common, genetic and clinic departments. To manage this sector Leont'ev A.N. was invited. P.Ya. Galperin was working in department of genetic psychology.

When in 1935 Kiev becomes the capitol of Ukraine, the psychoneurological academy quitted to be the main base of experimental researches of Kharkov psychology school, but they continued in Ukrainian Scientific-Research Institute, in Kharkov Pedagogical Institute, where the head of Psychology Dept. was A.V.Zaporozhets and in Kharkov Institute Of Foreign Languages where P.I. Zinchenko worked.

After the World War II scientific interests divided, almost every researcher developed his own direction in psychology: A.N. Leont'ev - the theory of action, A.V. Zaporozhets - the theory of apprehension and theory or memory, P.Ya. Galperin - the theory of mind action stage forming, L.I. Bozhovich - the theory of personality development. But all these directions were based on common foundation - theory of action, which were developed cooperatively.

Science problems of Psychology Dept. KhGU (memory) were stipulated for being within the Kharkov Psychology School. From 1963 till 1969, when P.I. Zinchenko was the head of Psychology Dept., the cycle of memory problems works were written.

After the death of P.I. Zinchenko (1969) the G.K. Sereda (1925 - 1995) becomes the head of Department.

In 1992 the Medical And Applied Psychology Dept. has been founded (since 1996 - Dept. Of Applied Psychology).

In present days in Departments the intentional approach to memory and its mechanisms, problems of connection between memory and personality, connections between memory and motivation sphere, connections with other peculiarities of communications, problems of cognition processes, motivation, problems of political psychology, ethnical psychology, ecological psychology, criminal psychology, psychosexual progress are at research.

In 1972 for preparing specialists the psychology branch was opened, where about 200 students are studying every year. Now there are two specialties to prepare for - psychology and practical psychology. Graduates work in different branches of psychology, there are more then 20 Doctors between them.

Besides day-time studying there is also correspondence courses for people, who already have high education, to obtain the second major in psychology. The courses are pedagogical, social and clinic psychology.