Acmeology is a branch of psychological science that arose at the intersection of natural, social and humanitarian disciplines.

In 1928, N. A. Rybnikov, introducing the concept of "acmeology" into scientific circulation, designated them a section of developmental psychology - the psychology of maturity or adulthood. The founder of ac-meology, Boris Gerasimovich Ananiev, formed the main idea of this science - the study of the "peaks" of life, the highest achievements of the individual. Developing the problem of human knowledge, he set a complex task of studying the patterns, mechanisms and phenomen that characterize the process of adult development. His students were A.A. Bodalev, A.A. Derkach, N.V. Kuzmina and others.

At the end of the 60s, B.G. Ananiev, exploring the life periods of a person, included this science on a par with pediatrics and gerontology (the science of old age).

The concept of adulthood or maturity of a person is common in psychology and acmeology. However, the beginning of acmeological maturity is associated with the development of a person's ability to become responsible and make independent decisions, leading to creative activity and the creation of acme-target programs for self-realization of creative potentials, such as:

• choose a profession based on self-awareness of creative potentials, including physical capabilities;

• Choose an educational institution where you can acquire a profession that can be used to serve society;

• choose an individual system of activity related to the awareness of the prospects and opportunities for self-realization of creative potentials in creative activity.

Creativity and creation are the basic concepts of acmeology.

Acmeology (from the Greek akmē - top) is a science that studies the patterns of achieving maximum perfection in all types of individual activity, exploring the creative potentials and life self-realization of a person, factors, ways and means of achieving social success and professional skill by a person.

The definition given by N.V. Kuzmina, acmeology is "the science of patterns, conditions, factors and incentives that promote or hinder the self-realization of the creative potentials of mature people in the process of self-movement to the tops of professionalism and productivity of creative activity, embodied in socially significant products of culture, art, literature, science, technology, education, as well as in the person himself." (Kuzmina N. V.)

The purpose of acmeology is to develop scientific and methodological foundations for improving the effectiveness of professional training of specialists, developing their creative potential, forming psychological readiness to solve complex and diverse problems in the context of reforming society as a whole and its individual spheres.

Objectives of acmeology:

1. A comprehensive, versatile study of a person who is at the stage of adulthood. It examines the features of development, dynamics and changes in physical, psychological, personal and professional development. Also, the tasks of this science include understanding how human development took place at previous stages (in childhood, youth).

2. Understanding how a person should develop in the previous stages of development in order to reach certain peaks in maturity. The study of how the macroenvironment and microenvironment (state, family, nature) affect a person's ability to reach professional and personal heights.

3. The study of how a person masters a profession, how he becomes a master in his field and reaches the pinnacle in his own professional development. What factors affect this positively, and which ones inhibit this process.

4. In addition, the creation of such methods and tools that will allow you to assess the level of professionalism in different fields and in different people. At the moment, there are practically no such methods, since the term "professionalism" itself will have its own meaning in each field and industry of activity.

The object of acmeology is a mature and creative person (creative activity is an activity that ends with the creation of a product that has a socially significant value), capable of embodying the desired result in the product of activity. This is the main difference between acmeology and psychology.

At the same time, the fundamental category of acmeology, unlike any other science of man, is creativity. And it is it that defines the key psychological concepts for acmeology, such as skill, development, maturity, giftedness, abilities, creativity, improvement, consciousness, personality, individuality, etc. Accordingly, the dominant problem in acmeology is the development of human creative abilities.

Acmeology studies:

• patterns of self-realization of the creative potentials of mature people in the process of creative activity on the way to the highest achievements (peaks);

• objective and subjective factors that contribute to and hinder the achievement of peaks;

• patterns of teaching the heights of life and professionalism in activities;

• self-education, self-organization and self-control;

• patterns of self-improvement, self-correction and self-reorganization of activities under the influence of new requirements coming both from the outside, from the profession and society, the development of science, culture, technology, and, especially, from the inside, from their own interests, needs and attitudes, awareness of their abilities and capabilities, advantages and disadvantages of their own activities.

Classification of the main directions of acmeology

Acmeology as a science is divided into three components: 

•Classic 

•Fundamental

• and applied (industry) acmeology.

At the origins of classical acmeology, which is one of the sections of developmental psychology along with pedology, juvenile and gerontology, were B.G. Ananiev, N.A. Rybnikov and A.V. Pterovsky. The subject of classical acmeology is the psyche of a mature person.

Fundamental acmeology considers a person as an integral system, its subject is patterns, conditions, factors, incentives for self-realization of the creative potentials of mature people on the way to the heights of productivity and professionalism in creative activity throughout life and professional biography. It is a kind of continuation of psychology and differs radically from it only in that the central concept of psychology is "reflection", and acmeology is "creation" as the leading manifestation of a mature person.

Applied (sectoral) acmeology considers ways to achieve results in specific branches of scientific knowledge, such as professional, managerial, political, military, pedagogical, etc.

Directions of acmeology:

1. General foundations of acmeology.

2. Professional acmeology, which is divided into:

• pedagogical acmeology,

• military acmeology,

• social acmeology,

• school acmeology,

• medical acmeology.

3. Acmeology of management.

4. Creative acmeology.

5. Synergetic acmeology.

6. Acmeology of education.

7. Corrective acmeology.

8. Ethnological acmeology.

Acmeology at the moment includes a sufficient number of related sciences that explore in detail certain features of adult life, as well as issues of self-realization of mature people. 

Separately, creative acmeology deals with the issues of creativity, its development and influence on the professional development of a person. It explores in detail the creative thinking of an adult, as well as the methods of its development and activation within the framework of an ever-evolving world.

Of course, there are many other areas that are also very actively developing at the moment:

• Correctional - examines the problems associated with achieving "peaks" in people with developmental problems (physical, personal, mental). How and due to what they are able to reach their personal heights.

• Ethnic - explores the features of the professional development of mature people, depending on belonging to a particular ethnic group. How national and cultural characteristics influence human development.

• Acmeology of education – examines what education and educational systems should be like so that the teacher can effectively reach the heights in his profession, as well as the stages that the teacher goes through on the way to acme.