The Integral Abilities of the Personality as the Subject Matter of Psychological Research

Abstract

This article discusses some key methodological and theoretical issues of the fundamental, common psychological problem of abilities. It shows that there is a lack of modern ideas about the content of the subject matter of the psychology of abilities and, therefore, a need for enrichment. In this conceptual expansion it is necessary to differentiate a special, qualitatively specific class of abilities-the integral abilities of the individual. All these abilities are differentiated on the basis of the most promising paradigm in the development of the ability problem-the functional-genetic paradigm-and are related to one of the basic classes of mental processes-the integral mental processes (goal formation, anticipation, decision making, programming, prognosis, planning, control, self-control). In the article a detailed psychological characteristic of the basic integral abilities is presented, as a result of which the correspondence of these abilities to all features and criteria of abilities as such is proved. The necessity of using the structural-level approach in relation to the ability problem is shown, and a holistic, generalized hierarchy of the basic ability classes is proposed. This hierarchy has three main levels. At the highest level the general abilities are located; at the basic level are the specific abilities of a person. The integral abilities are located between these two levels and thus form a mesolevel in the general hierarchical organization of the abilities of the individual.

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