Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev (1857–1927) – an outstanding Russian scholar in the fields of neuropathology, physiology, and psychology. He is considered one of the founders of objective psychology and was one of the pioneers in studying the neurophysiological aspects of mental processes.
V. Bekhterev recognized the equal standing of two psychologies: subjective and objective. Subjective psychology was based on the method of introspection (self-observation and description of one’s mental processes). However, Bekhterev actively promoted the idea of objective psychology, based on the study of the neurophysiological correlates of mental phenomena. His work on the study of reflexes and neuropsychology proved highly important for advancing the understanding of the brain mechanisms underlying behavior and mental states.
Later, Bekhterev began to advocate more actively for objective psychology and neuropsychology, rejecting the method of introspection as insufficiently precise and scientific for the study of mental processes.
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