Filatova A.F., Odintsova M.M. The Concept of Personality Wholeness in Contemporary Russian Psychology: A Meta-Review

Statement of the Problem. Currently, the scientific community is searching for new ways to define, describe and evaluate wholeness as an integral personality characteristic. The existing data require analysis and systematization, which can serve as a basis for further research and the development of a new theoretical model of personality wholeness.

The purpose of the study is to conduct a meta-review of modern Russian-language research on the problem of personality wholeness, as well as to generalize and systematize current theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of this phenomenon.

The main research method is a meta-review of modern Russian literature on the problem of personality wholeness. Over 200 scientific publications from the past 10 years in the fields of psychology, pedagogy, and philosophy have been analyzed, in which the key concepts are wholeness and related categories (Self, identity, individuality, Self-concept, etc.).

Findings. The wholeness of personality can be considered in three interrelated aspects: structural, static, and dynamic properties of personality. The focus on the dynamic or processual aspect implies that wholeness should be understood as the coherence and interconnectedness of intrapersonal processes, as well as the interaction of trends toward stability and variability in the personality system. 

Conclusions. The processual approach to the study of the whole personality as a dynamic system and a changeable entity requires a revision of traditional concepts and methods of study, which will allow a more complete and accurate understanding of the essence of the phenomenon. In the future, it is planned to analyze the available methodological solutions for the study of personality wholeness, develop its own tools based on the authors’ theoretical and methodological model, as well as identify empirical referents of wholeness, taking into account the polycontextuality of the phenomenon.

Key words: personality wholeness, holism, processual approach, systemic approach, personality psychology

For citation: Filatova, A.F., Odintsova, M.M. The Concept of Personality Wholeness in Contemporary Russian Psychology: A Meta-Review // New Psychological Research. 2025. No 3. pp. 34-53. DOI: 10.51217/npsyresearch_2025_05_03_02

Acknowledgment

The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, project 24-18-00308 (2024–2026) “Processual model of personality integrity: theoretical justification and empirical referents”.