Triangulation in historical-psychological research

The subject of the author's analysis is triangulation as a method and strategy of historical-psychological research. In connection with contemporary trends in organizing scientific psychological research and with the specifics of the subject area of historical-psychological research, the possibilities and prospects for the implementation of triangulation are discussed. As a methodological foundation for defining the possibilities of triangulation in the history of psychology, the ideas of V.A. Koltsova regarding the subject, methods, sources, and principles of historical-psychological research, including the principles of comprehensiveness, completeness, and representativeness of the source base are used. The author of the article examines aspects of the topic such as the advantages and limitations of qualitative and quantitative research methods, along with the possibilities of overcoming them during the implementation of triangulation; provides examples of the application of different types of triangulation in the history of psychology, paying special attention to the triangulation of historical-psychological sources. The difficulties that arise in conducting historical-psychological research are discussed, primarily the impossibility of adhering to strict scientistic requirements in organizing scientific knowledge and verifying its results. For the first time, the conditions for overcoming the limitations of quantitative and qualitative methods in historical-psychological research are identified. The article shows that triangulation can be applied at different stages of research (organization, data collection, processing, and interpretation of results). The practice and results of historical-psychological research allow the author to highlight the triangulation of methods, data, and sources, as well as research triangulation as a key condition for enhancing the objectivity representativeness, and validity of research results using qualitative and quantitative methods. The conclusion is made that the triangulation strategy corresponds to the methodological guidelines of contemporary non-classical and post-non-classical psychology with its complex, systemic, integrative, and interdisciplinary orientation. It is shown that the systemic approach in the history of psychology, which implies conducting a multi-faceted, multi-dimensional, multi-level analysis, can be complemented by the requirement of triangulation. The novelty of the positions presented lies in defining the triangulation of historical-psychological sources as a specific to the history of psychology form of triangulation, as well as in defining the prospects for applying triangulation as a specific principle of historical-psychological research.