Yury Zinchenko

Background. Creating new research areas at the Psychological Institute of the Russian Academy of Education is an important and urgent task. In the context of increasing changes in all spheres of life, there is a demand of modern society for professional support of psychologists in maintaining the psychological health of population and creating opportunities for harmonious development of youth and realization of its creative potential in these conditions. 

Objective. The article presents a number of modern areas of research at the Psychological Institute of the Russian Academy of Education. In accordance with modern research paradigms, they are clearly interdisciplinary in nature and involve innovative digital technologies. The presented studies are carried out in the context of health psychology and neurorehabilitation, implementation of psychological assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, fundamental research in the psychology of childhood, and the practical organization of psychological support for the children in “hot spots”. Particular attention is paid to the study of the phenomenon of modern child, highlighting the possibilities for preserving the value of childhood and harmonious development of children. 

Methods. Empirical and experimental studies implement the well-known psychological methods for diagnostics of mental development and functional states, as well as technologies of virtual reality (VR), exoskeletons, biofeedback (BFB), olfactorometry, etc. 

Results. Implementation of innovative technologies in neurorehabilitation has made it possible to identify promising areas of research, which results will determine the development of the VR industry as a whole. As part of the research conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, recommendations were developed for various groups of our population on organizing activities in self-isolation, on the psychological support and psychological training for medical staff, on the neuropsychological diagnostics and rehabilitation associated with COVID-19. Special efforts have been required for the research and practical work to create an effective system of psychological support in the Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics. The research team of the Psychological Institute of RAE also participated in organizing a large-scale international forum “Child in the Digital World”, which involved more than 10,000 students from 46 countries of the world. Its results demonstrated the growing interest in the childhood problems and the scientists’ desire to develop a common understanding of how educational work with children should be organized. 

Conclusions. New research areas were organized and implemented in the fruitful cooperation of the Psychological Institute of RAE and the Faculty of Psychology of the Lomonosov Moscow State University. In several cycles of interdisciplinary research that has already been carried out and is just being in mid-course, it was possible to obtain new fundamental knowledge in the fields of health psychology, childhood psychology, educational psychology, etc. This allowed for working out practical recommendations and scientific developments in the new promising areas of scientific research.