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Now that the Russian Armed Forces come over to enlistment-based manpower acquisition, the long-overdue problem of barracks-room harassment in the army and navy is as pressing as never before. In all world countries it is normally the psychologists who study and tackle problems in relations (hazing, family, business). The recent-year Russian practice has been to enlist specialists from different areas of psychological science to do similar jobs. Valery G. Melnikov is one of those active in studying army and navy harassment problems. He is a practical psychologist with quite a record of cooperation with the Armed Forces and the current head of the regional center for psychological work at St. Petersburg Higher Military Electronics School.

Between 1973 and 1982, Melnikov developed adequate theories required for realization of indoctrination work principles in the army. Between 1982 and 1984, he succeeded in developing a concept for the dynamic model of the group and a methodology to diagnose developmental and formation levels in a collective. From 1984 to 1989, models of concrete groups were made with the use of manual data treatment methods. In 1989-1991, computer treatment that came to replace the latter helped to prepare and run a massive methodology-testing experiment which involved surveys of a large number of groups totalling upwards of 6,000 members. Notice that this methodology was used as one of the principal diagnostic tools by a group of professional psychologists within the framework of a probe into a combined-arms large unit. In 2001, Melnikov wrote the monograph Dynamic Model of the Group (1) which summed up results of his work. The book convincingly proved that optimizing relations in a collective or military unit could solve the harassment problem, suggesting an efficient diagnostic method capable of gauging group developmental levels and thus enabling an objective judgment of development trends inside a group.

It should be pointed out that minimal budget funding and other obstacles had for long prevented the developers from producing professional psychological tools on their own, be it at a laboratory or even a research institution. In this connection, the state enterprise (SE) Imaton was established on the basis of the Russia State Committee for Standardization in 1990 to provide methodological support for practical psychology nationwide. From its inception Imaton engages in development, adaptation and production of professional psychological tools. Its scientific-methodological sector regularly monitors new developments in practical psychology and is active in working with R & D personnel interested in mutually beneficial cooperation and publication of their materials with a guaranteed professional quality, something that will make them accessible for all practical psychologists in Russia and Russian-speaking countries.

Melnikov-Imaton cooperation in software standardization, adaptation and development resulted in a new professional methodology estimating developmental and formation levels in collectives. (2)

Used in army units, this methodology enables the following:

** to gauge development levels of negative phenomena among different categories of servicemen and to understand their causes;

** to study the role of each person in a given military collective;

** to carry out prophylaxis or correction of group delinquent behavior (group wrong-doing), as well as to work to disallow offenses and happenings linked to disruptions in relationships;

** practically to rule out errors in officer promotion and selection of enlisted ranks below sergeant or equivalent for NCO positions;

** to train officers and warrant officers in methods of indoctrination work directed at eradicating negative phenomena and rallying military collectives;

** to map out concrete directions in joint work involving commanders, staffs and indoctrination organs, work designed to improve the moral and psychological climate and strengthen the discipline.

The diagnostic part of the methodology is a modified version of expert estimation method tailored to analyze the characteristic traits of each person in groups numbering as many as 20 members. The estimate is on the basis of paired comparisons of the parameters of abilities and moral qualities. The subsequent computer statistical treatment and multi-dimensional representation of results enable judgment on the prevalence of negative or positive tendencies in a group. Investigation results demonstrate how clearly correlations between abilities and moral qualities are represented in perception of group members. In other words, they show whether group members believe that a "good soldier" should take care not only of his interests but also those of his mates, or, in their view, a more successful guy is someone who demonstrates selfish behavior. The latter stance is most dangerous, leading as it does to negative phenomena in a collective. The methodology helps to take into account in an investigation the individual peculiarities of both a consultant and a target group and relations existing between them. Depending on the group's size, the time consumed in diagnosing and data treatment may vary from one to two hours.

Aside from its diagnostic part, the methodology includes an efficient group-formation controlling technology based on the process of change in its dynamic structure. This component is a sufficiently powerful tool impelling people to positive social activities and constructive person-to-person relations. It also influences processes in individual and group consciousness and behavior regulation, as it does all main spheres of life in an organization. Its corrective bias makes itself felt both at instructions stage, and in the thinking activation process during paired comparisons of group members, and in the course of postmortem discussions. Based on theoretically grounded view of the group as a dynamic structure, participants shape a new method for perception of social reality and satisfy their need for orientation.

Applied in military units, the methodology yielded the following practical results:

** it identified sources and causes of negative phenomena arising in groups and impelling their members to violence, cruelty, harassment, sadism, deception, extortion, theft, etc.;

** it checked negative influences likely to be brought to bear on the personality of each group member by asocial trends, preventing destruction of an adult's personality and his reduction to the state of "an obedient child" through "friendly" group pressure;

** it carried out prophylaxis and correction of group delinquent behavior, and disallowed offenses or happenings linked to a disruption in relations;

** it optimized group standards and values, improved the moral and psychological climate in groups, and humanized person-to-person relations;

** it ruled out mistakes in promotion, enhanced the role, authority and responsibilities of leaders, and afforded a chance to forecast group trends following personnel shifts;

** it trained leaders in psychological basics of group structure and development knowledge as well as indoctrination methods.

The methodology can be used in practical work by leaders at all levels, military and law psychologists, consultants and indoctrination staff.

NOTES:

1. V.G. Melnikov, Dinamicheskaya model gruppy, Kirov, 2001.

2. V.G. Melnikov, Metodika otsenki urovnya razvitiya i formirovaniya kollektiva, GP Imaton, St. Petersburg, 2005.

* This story was contributed by I.L. Solomin and M.S. Grinyova, staff members of the state-run enterprise Imaton. For more detailed information, see the website [www.imaton.com].