The Principle of Development in Psychology

Soviet psychology has developed on the basis of Marxist-Leninist philosophy, in particular, on the theory of the role of practical activity with objects in the intellectual development of the individual and on the theory of reflection. On these foundations, the general principles for the study of animal mind and of human consciousness have been developed in psychology that together constitute the activity approach. Psychology has accumulated a vast amount of material that provides concrete underpinnings for these principles, material that includes abundant scientific data describing the development of various mental processes. Although an integrated and developed theory of the emergence and development of mental activity and consciousness that would satisfy the basic requirements of a dialectical materialist concept of development has not yet been created, a scientific situation is in the process of being established that favors the construction of such theories.