THE PROBLEM OF COMPREHENSION IN PSYCHOLOGY: AT THE CROSSROADS OF COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONAL, PERSONAL AND SITUATIONAL DIMENSIONS OF ANALYSIS

The article reveals separate significant aspects and problems connected with psychological research of comprehension, which originate from philosophical hermeneutics and extend within structuralism and post-structuralism. It is substantiated that currently existing theories and models of comprehension consider mainly its cognitive (mental) and personal and regulatory aspects. It is connected, on one hand, with prolonged and dominant concept of displayed activity of the psychics, on the other hand, with popular foreign concepts of cognitive psychology. Moreover, it is accented on insufficient study of emotional and situational factors of the relevant phenomenon, which show obvious significance of their influence. “Empathy” (as compassion, sympathy for the Other and mutual comprehension with the Other) is represented as one of the basic concepts that should be considered in researching emotional aspects of comprehension. Thus, analysis, situation assessment, personal and moral reflection, emotional and cognitive decentration, intention, anticipation are treated as mechanisms of comprehension on its highest sociopsychological or personal-mental levels of empathy (according to L.P. Zhuravlova). It is also accented on constructiveness of D.O. Leontiev's views, which differs from classical opposition “meaning – sense” and enables one to consider comprehension as a simultaneous search of senses in meanings and meanings in senses. The results of the analysis outline the sphere of research which is generally characterized by the need to consider both personal and situational factors of comprehension.