Objective and phenomenological position in the pathopsychological examination. Part 1

The article focuses on two essentially different positions of psychologist during the pathopsychological assessment: objective one and phenomenological one. The specialist while performing an еxamination uses both of them; however, methodological analysis of each of them separately is necessary for deeper elaboration and development of their heuristic potential. It helps to clarify the specifics of data acquired by using each position as well as the specifics of the position itself and to expound the goals and the results awaited from the assessment. The authors focus on the phenomenological position arguing that it provides special opportunities for examination of the patient's personality even within the framework of the traditional pathopsychological assessment. The results of using phenomenological approach in pathopsychological assessment will be shown in the second article illustrated by certain pathopsychological case, specifically at the example of the modified version of H. Ebbinghaus's completion test carried out by a patient who has been receiving medical treatment in psychiatric hospital.