POUR UN PROGRAMME INTERNATIONAL DE RECHERCHES PSYCHOLOGIQUES

For an international program of psychological studies . — We live at a time of a rapid accumulation of psychological data as contrasted with disproportionately slow development of psychology as a scientific system. Progress in the practical utilization of psychological research findings appears equally inadequate in the face of the quantitative explosion of the research. Having established a multitude of concrete facts, we are unable to agree on any but a few general statements. Each area of psychology has developed a host of “miniature theories”, but there is little, if any, agreement among them. The deplorable theoretical state makes it equally difficult to establish a valid hierarchy of research problems that might enable us to discriminate between fundamental and secondary issues. The relative isolation of the “miniature theories” has led to an atomization of research into “miniature projects”, or else into mutually irrelevant topics. In effect, the research potential of psychology is being largely dissipated. The history of psychology has recorded many attempts to develop great theoretical systems, of which three proved most successful. These were : the associationist psychology of either the S‐S type, based on the idea of mental connections, or the S‐R type; the Gestalt psychology based on the idea of structure; and psychoanalysis, based on the idea of dynamic tendencies. Each has greatly contributed to the development of psychological studies without being able, however, to account for all by then established facts. The net effect has been a general disenchantment with theory. Nevertheless, the fundamental ideas underlying these systems have come to be generally acknowledged. Attempts to develop new entities from various pieces of these systems have produced numerous theoretical constructs of an eclectic character, which only increased the atomization of psychology. The growing atomization of psychology has been a source of concern for many scholars. At the xviith Congress of Psychology in Washington, this situation was extensively discussed by G. Allport. In continuation of his ideas, it may be suggested that there seems to be real prospects of defeating the atomization of psychology, and of integrating it into a coherent system, provided psychology is approached as a science of man. This would require us to abandon the heritage of Hume's philosophy, which has caused us to view psychology as a science of phenomena, processes, reactions or behaviors, while disregarding the fact that these are merely manifestations of man's goal‐oriented and organized activity, resulting from his continuous effort to adjust his relationships with the environment. Such a reorientation would enable us to establish a definite hierarchy of problems, with the main emphasis resting on the structure of man's activity and the mechanisms by which this activity is orientated and organized. As a result, the gap between psychological theory and practical application would be narrowed down, a circumstance of great significance for the social prestige of psychology as a science. An organized effort is needed to overcome the present atomization in psychology. A particularly great responsibility rests on the International Union of Psychological Science. The present author suggests the following objectives for the IUPS in this respect : further efforts should be made to improve the methods of scientific information; a co‐operation should be sought with other international institutions responsible for research on man; specially interesting appears to be the UNESCO initiative to investigate the basic development trends in the sciences of man; an international program of scientific research work in psychology should be drawn up.