The category of the possible in personality psychology: new research perspectives

On September 15, an open lecture was held by an intern-researcher of the Laboratory, a lecturer of the Department of Psychology, a 3rd year graduate student at a graduate school in psychology, Milena Grishutina, on the topic “The category of the possible in personality psychology: new prospects for research”

“Personality is the possibility of oneself, which is not exhausted by any self-realization,” in the words of M.N. Epstein, we can generalize the significance of the category of the possible for personality psychology. The tendency of modern research to focus on 'possible' phenomena allows personality psychology to open new horizons for its study, enriching existing theories, as well as creating new concepts and methods. ‘Possible’ is often associated with uncertainty and instability, which is why immersion in a topic gives the impression of immersion in a pool of philosophical knowledge that is inaccessible to full understanding. Despite this, consideration of philosophical ideas about the possible modality of thinking makes obvious the reasons why the importance of this category is critical in the study of personality. The phenomenon of the Possible Self, which most holistically embodies the idea of the possible within the framework of psychological science, allows us to take a fresh look at how exactly a person manifests himself in the position of an active agent, capable of realizing his own desires, dreams and preventing the realization of fears. This ‘possible’ phenomenon allows us to come into closer contact with the motivation of the individual, which is directly related to many resources of personal potential.