The paper presents an overview of developments within the discipline of psychology from the early 19th century until the 1980s. Emphasis is placed on differences between Soviet and American schools of psychology teaching and research and on the possible role of Western European psychologists in bridging the gap between these divergent approaches. Major differences between America and Soviet approaches to psychology include that American psychologists stress behaviorism (study of behavior instead of mental states) and cognitive psychology (an information processing approach), whereas Soviet psychologists base their work on a Marxist philosophical framework (as in the work of Vygotsky during the 1920s) and on an action-oriented approach (actions are the main objects of study and are viewed in light of their relationship to the pursuit of an individual's goals). Until recently, the American processing approach and the East European action-oriented approach have developed almost entirely independently of each other. It is suggested that because Western European psychologists are familiar with both approaches, they can facilitate a more open exchange of ideas between Soviet and American psychologists and can help American psychologists benefit from the positive aspects of Soviet psychology including use and application of systematic teaching experiments and development of more sophisticated techniques of qualitative diagnosis. (DB)