The methodology and the instruments of interdisciplinary study identity crisis in modern society are discussed. Special attention is given to the characteristics of identity amid the radical social transformations in Russia. The problem of social trauma is analyzed. The importance of the simultaneous study of self-identification disorders within the frame of social psychology and pathopsychology is emphasized.

Peculiarities of the psychological approach to informational socialization and the influence of informational culture on personality and communication in teenagers are revealed; the concepts of information space and information field are separated. It is proved that information fields can be considered as specific institutes of socialization. On the example of empirical study of information preferences in students of senior classes of the Moscow school (n = 36), students of the Moscow secondary art school (n = 28) and teenagers immigrated to Germany with their parents (n = 23), the importance of joint research of external and internal factors influencing the process of information socialization is proved. The influence of the social situation including information space, values and hobbies of teenagers on their choice of sources of information, their preferences of mass media that differ in form and content is revealed.

The criteria of effective prevention of destructive developments at mass public events by law enforcement officials are studied. The experience of law enforcement agencies chiefs and officers (N = 290) participation in public order protection at mass events is analyzed. The study results suggest inadequate development of the system of information-psychological support of mass riots prevention.

The results of experimental testing of the hypothesis according to which the reflexive development of interpersonal cognition strategies in teenagers promotes the development of mature personal identity status and cognitive complexity of implicit self-perception theories are presented. The sample included 194 teenagers aged 13–15 who were 8 and 10 grades students in different types of schools. The above hypothesis was confirmed.

The functions and the role of informal groups in socialization of a teenager are analyzed. Various classifications of informal youth associations are considered. Differences in the image of the world and the self-image in teenagers who participate and teenagers who do not participate in informal associations are shown. It is substantiated that an informal group at teenage stage of socialization may serve a special step in moving into adulthood and entering the adult world.

The decrease of manifestation of educational activity motives and personal values in students of higher education institutions (N = 116) within four years of their study was found in a longitudinal study. The structure of motivational sphere was shown to include two still unexplored backbone latent factors the constituents of which were determined by axiological type of personality.

Main characteristics of professional identity of telecommunicators (directors, reporters and editors; a total of 100 subjects) and students learning the same trade (78 subjects) are identified and analyzed. The presence of a pronounced professional trend at the stage of vocational training is demonstrated. The indefiniteness of professional identity due to vague professional status, confusing professional functions and the fall in prestige of the profession influences vision of the future and life plans in working telecommunicators.

Influence of mass media and communication media on socialization of modern teenagers is analyzed, mechanisms of this influence are considered. 97 teenagers aged 11–13 took part in the study. Interrelations between indicators of teenagers’ adaptation and information preferences, between teenagers’ attitude to parents, teachers and peers and their trust in different sources of information are described. Data on interrelations between teenagers’ tendency to domination and teenagers’ interest differentiation are presented.

The relationship between success of joint activity and regulation experience characteristics is studied. The methodology “Trajectoriya” using a special device for joint activity evaluation was developed and tested. 226 schoolchildren aged 14–17 took part in the study. The success of joint activity was found to be related to different characteristics of regulation experience of its subjects. Operational experience and cooperation experience were found to be the most important components of regulation experience as a whole.

Age and gender differences of understanding deception in adults were investigated within the framework of the theory of mind. Narratives specially developed for the purposes of the investigation were used. Six groups with equal numbers of men and women (aged 17–22, 25–30 and 35–45; a total of 150 subjects) were analyzed. Gender differences and changes in understanding deception with age (from absolute and clear understanding to more sophisticated, complex and differentiated one) were identified.

The content of an argument viewed as a form of activity is analyzed depending on motivation of the participants: an argument for the truth, an argument for persuasion, an argument for winning, an argument as a sport. In arguments for the truth only rational reasons for opposite opinions are given; compromise decision formulation is possible in estimating a power of argumentation. In arguments for persuasion emotional reasons are used (by addressing to the opponent’s needs) in order to persuade the opponent a certain action. An argument for winning involves proving one’s right and criticism of an opponent’s argumentation; disputers use artifices (discredit an opponent as a source of information and as a person). An argument as a sport means becoming personal: each participant tries to prepossess in his/her favor and to belittle an opponent in the eyes of the audience. The results of discussion skills development and the hypotheses that need further investigations (related to rational and emotional methods of persuasion, factors that determine winning an argument, methods of artifices neutralization) are given.

Development and standardization procedures of a personal time disorganizers measuring technique are described (N = 350). Content validity, convergent validity, retest reliability and internal consistency of the technique are analyzed. A five-factor structure of the questionnaire used is substantiated. The results of psychometric assessment prove that the developed technique may be used for diagnostics of personality traits hindering effective time organization (personal time disorganizers).

The paper is devoted to psychological factors of functional somatic disorders. Main stages of the development of psychosomatic regulation and the each stage mechanisms of regulation disturbances are considered. Based on a chronic insomnia model the hypothesis on the role of socio-cultural factors in development and chronization of somatic diseases is tested. Country-specific differences in prevalence and manifestations of insomnia are shown. Several empirical studies (a total of 105 healthy controls and 83 chronic insomnia patients) confirmed the role of family factors and socio-cultural beliefs about sleep and insomnia in the development of subjective complaints and objective sleep disturbances. Disfunctional beliefs about sleep and insomnia typical for Russian population are identified.

Molecular genetic studies have indicated that genetic polymorphisms (multiple allelism) determine individual differences in pathology and as well as variation of normal psychological traits. Herein, we examine the association between psychological traits and monoamine oxidase A gene coding for MAOA enzyme involved in the breakdown of monamines. Three directions in research are discussed: (1) direct association between MAOA genotypes and psychological traits (antisocial behavior, anxiety, depression, personality), (2) genotype-environment interaction (association between MAOA genotype and psychological traits in the presence of environmental hazards), (3) the effect of combination of genes – association between a number of polymorphisms and psychological traits.

Psychic mechanisms and patterns of a non-normative crisis caused by the conflict in the meaning of life value system are considered. Different types of the meaning of life crisis including the non-optimal meaning of life crisis are identified. Based on empirical data the following hypothesis is proved: the conflict meaning of life as a particular kind of the non-optimal meaning of life leads to personality crisis. It is shown that the interrelation between the conflict meaning of life and the crisis state is mediated mostly by productivity of personality self-realization.

The analytical review of development of approaches to the structure of writing and the nature of agraphia in foreign neuropsychology is presented. In the first part of the paper the early theories (Wernicke-Lichtheim’s, Leischner’s, Pitres’, Chedru-Geschwind’s, Laine and Martilla’s, Barrière and Lorch’s theories) are discussed. The analysis is performed based on Russian neuropsychology statements where a set of two parameters characterizing the system structure of the psychic function is used. The first parameter corresponds to the internal structure of writing (the function of writing is treated as an undivided whole or a whole consisting of several components). The second parameter corresponds to the interfunctional relations between writing and other functions (describes if writing is a separate independent function or consists of components common to other psychic functions). In Russian neuropsychology foreign theories are traditionally considered as theories of narrow localizationalism. It is established however that in most reviewed theories writing is considered as a function with complex multicomponent structure containing components common to other psychic functions that provide the interaction between different functions.

The motivational component of perfectionism as a special dysfunctional personality style characteristic to suicidal patients is analyzed from the perspective of systemic integrative approach. The results of an empirical study of perfectionistic motivation structure in patients with adjustment disorder and attempted suicides (n = 40) and in potentially healthy subjects (n = 40) are presented. It is shown that the experimental group subjects exhibit a significantly higher perfectionism level and qualitative diversity of structure and content of perfectionistic motivation than the control group subjects. The particularity of the motivational component of perfectionistic personality style in suicidal patients includes a paradoxical combination of high perfectionism and low achievement motivation, a combination of overdependence on demands attributed to other people and expected evaluations with egocentricity of value orientations, as well as specificity and narrowness of value hierarchy with predominance of professional self-realization values over private life values. The results are discussed in the context of style organization of perfectionism and its significance as a suicidal behavior risk factor.