Scientific psychology during its development has achieved considerable results. The regularities of the human mental development are formulated, in different theories the rationale for the causes of human behavior, their psychological characteristics and types is given. In addition, a scientific approach has been created to the methods for obtaining all this information. About one of the methods of obtaining data about a person, analysis of the products of his activity, - further.
Analysis of the products of activity in psychology
Let's decide what kind of concept this is. Analysis of the products of activity (APD) is a method of studying the psychological characteristics of a person by studying the products of his labor or creative activity. Unlike the basic psychological methods (observation and experiment), APD is carried out indirectly, i.e., without direct communication of the psychologist and his client. The specialist studies the products of graphic, musical, dramatic creativity of a person and on their basis draws conclusions about his psychological characteristics.
Analysis of the products of activity in psychology is most often used in work with children of different ages, and therefore has gained such "popularity" in pedagogical practice.
Archival, or praximetric method
For this psychological method, there is another name - archival. This term was used in their work by American psychologists. They meant by the archival method the study of a person’s life through his products of labor, creativity, diary entries, archival data about him. Its variety is a biographical method that allows you to study the life path of an individual person or group of people through their creative or labor achievements. So modern humanity receives knowledge about the life, relationships and personality characteristics of famous people from the past.
In domestic psychology, the more common name is "analysis of the products of activity", or praximetric (from the Greek. "Praxis" - "action"). In our society, this method is widely used in educational psychology to study the development of children.
Analysis of products of children's activities
ADF is very common in working with children from a very young age, because it allows you to prove yourself in conditions comfortable for the baby (in the game). Young children are not yet able to verbally describe their experiences, they do not yet know the name of what they are currently feeling. But they can do it in another way - to draw on paper, lose with friends, write in essay. All this can be valuable material for a psychologist who works with a child.
Analysis of the products of children's activities involves the study of such data:
- the products of the activity created in the game: plasticine figures, designs from different materials, items for role-playing games;
- labor products: blanks, crafts at labor lessons;
- productive materials, creative: drawings, poems, notes, songs, compositions, applications and more;
- products of training sessions: tests, drafts, homework.
Thanks to the study of these materials, conclusions can be drawn about the level of knowledge, the formation of skills, the availability of abilities, the orientation of interests, the emotional state of the child, his relationships with other people.
In what cases is the method used?
The method of psychological analysis of the products of activity is an effective way to comprehensively study the psyche of a child. It allows you to identify features such as:
- mental processes (thinking, attention, memory, etc.);
- mental states (mood);
- mental properties (character, ability - everything that makes a child an individual).
Thus, the method can be used in a variety of situations - to identify the causes of student failure, with difficulties in adapting the child, to study his relationships with adults and peers, to determine the interests and inclinations of the child to a certain type of activity.
This list can be continued, because the number of questions about the successful development of the baby increases with his age. An experienced psychologist will always help concerned parents or educators if there is an analysis of the products of activities in the arsenal of his working methods.
What conditions must be met?
In order for the method to give the most complete and accurate results, the psychologist observes a number of conditions when conducting the study:
- clearly formulates the goal - what exactly and for what is being investigated (for example, the manifestation of the relationship of a 6-year-old child with significant adults and peers in the drawings);
- selects children (if this is a group) of the appropriate age (in this case, 6 years old) and possessing the indicated skills (for example, drawing);
- prepares the same conditions for activities for all children (the same materials, venue);
- minimizes own influence on the process of work of children, makes sure that the kids work independently and are motivated;
- captures the emotional reactions of children, which are manifested in the process of work;
- if the research involves further conversation with the child about the product of his creativity, prepares questions in advance;
- provides the criteria by which the final product will be evaluated (for example, the choice of colors, composition).
How is the analysis carried out?
This method involves the analysis of processes and products of activities. This means that not only the final product of the child’s work can carry information about him, but also the process of its creation. For example, when children play in the production of a fairy tale, you can observe how much they are involved in the process, how much they like the role and how they play it, how much the text of the role corresponds to, as well as the new that the kid brings to the process.
If you analyze a more passive lesson, for example, modeling or drawing, you can record the child’s emotional reactions to what is happening, observe how he evaluates his work, how much the product received corresponds to the original idea.
The final product of the activity is evaluated according to certain criteria. They depend on what goal was set. This may be the degree of development of certain mental functions of the child, his emotional state, the presence of abilities for some activity, and so on.
Research stages
Like all psychological research, analysis of the products of activity involves passing through several stages:
- preparatory - the collection of primary data about the child, the formulation of a hypothesis (what and why is happening, what it may be connected with), preparation of materials for analysis;
- direct research - a psychological analysis of the products of activity; if necessary, supplement it with other methods;
- the final stage is the systematization of the data, comparing them with the hypothesis (whether the assumption was confirmed), making recommendations on working with the child for parents and teachers.
The participation of the child is supposed only at the second stage. All other steps are taken by the psychologist.
Advantages of the method
The method of analysis of the products of activity is widely used in Western and Russian psychology due to a number of advantages that it has:
- The ability to collect quite extensive material from both the group and one child.
- The ability to track the dynamics of the psychological development of the child by comparing the oldest and newest products of creativity. For example, to see how the fine motor skills of the hands have improved , how the child’s attitude towards a particular aspect of his life has changed, etc.
- This is the most natural way for a child to study his psyche: in a playful form of work, the baby feels comfortable and liberated.
- The ability to identify the most diverse psychological characteristics of the child - from the degree of development of attention to character.
Deficiencies in Product Analysis
Any research method has its drawbacks, which can affect the result. Analysis of the study of product activities may be subject to the following difficulties:
- The use of the method is limited by the age characteristics of the child. For example, in order to study the drawing of the baby, it is necessary that he already had drawing skills.
- Processing the results may be subject to a subjective assessment by a psychologist (for example, the originality of the picture). For this, clear assessment criteria are needed that exclude the bias of the researcher.
- A comprehensive study of a person’s personality with the help of ADF requires a lot of time and resources.
Varieties of methods for researching products of activity
Analysis of the products of activity has its own varieties or can be used as part of other methods of psychological research. These include projective techniques. Their essence lies in the projection (transfer, image) of internal properties, human experiences on the product of his creativity. By studying it, you can get data on the development of this person.
The projective method differs from the classical ADF in that it has a standardized material on which work is carried out, and specific instructions. For example, the subject receives the task of drawing a drawing on a given topic, supplementing an unfinished sentence, composing a story from an image, etc. Such well-known techniques include Rorschach Spots, Non-Existing Animal, House, Tree, People and others.
Projective methods are effective not only in working with children, but also with adults, as well as people who have mental illness.
Another modern interpretation of the method is professionography. She uses the ADF of people who belong to a certain type of professional activity. Thanks to the collection of such data, the requirements that are necessary for the successful mastery of a particular profession are deduced. These are the psychophysiological, socio-psychological characteristics of a person. For example, in order to be a successful teacher, in addition to theoretical training, a specialist must be tactful, patient, able to control emotions, flexible enough and inventive.
Content Analysis as an Adjacent Method
The most developed and widespread variety of the archival method is content analysis. It is used not only in psychology, but also in other social sciences, communications. The method involves the study of text units and their classification. These units include:
- single words;
- phrases (phrases);
- topic;
- the message as a whole.
This method is more accurate because it involves mathematical actions with the resulting material. All units of the study are counted in order to determine the frequency of their use and systematization. This allows us to draw conclusions about the psychological characteristics of the author of the message, about his relationship with the addressee of the message, as well as about more global socio-psychological processes in large groups of people.
Potential sources for content analysis are books, personal diaries, newspaper notes, songs, poems, etc.
Analysis of pedagogical documentation
Widespread use in the practice of teaching and raising children has received another kind of ADF. This is an analysis of pedagogical documentation.
Every day a modern teacher, psychologist or social worker is faced with a large amount of data relating to students. These are various documentation:
- specifications;
- medical history;
- autobiographies;
- knowledge assessment journals;
- minutes of meetings;
- student diaries;
- orders and instructions of the management.
All this, after studying and systematizing, allows you to create an overall picture of the child’s development, identify problematic issues and outline ways to solve them.
The method of analysis of the products of activity in psychology is an effective tool in the work of a specialist. Theoretical training is not enough for its use. This is a constant practice, personal interest and desire to develop all the time. But if the parents trust their child with such a specialist, they will be sure that they will receive comprehensive information about him and qualified assistance.