States of Mind

Political belief systems are, at heart, psychological theories of motivation, personality, mental health, education, and social interaction. In this volume, Diane Halpern and Alexander Voiskounsky take advantage of recent political events in the former Soviet Union which have created a unique opportunity to study the ways in which two major world powers have defined contemporary psychological issues. Because access to Western literature in psychology was strictly controlled until 1991, much of Soviet psychology developed independently of Western ideas. Likewise, impediments in communication also prevented Western researchers and theorists from enhancing their work with Soviet perspectives. Although the political climate has changed enormously, barriers to the exchange of ideas still remain. States of Mind explores newly evolving areas of psychology that are particularly important at this time in history, and addresses these topics from both post-Soviet and American perspectives. Psychologists from both backgrounds present their personal views of their own areas of expertise to offer their counterparts a portion of the psychological landscape from a new vantage point.