ABSTRACT
Activity.theory.(AT).is.a.branch.of.psychology.that.studies.internal.mental. processes.in.an.integrated.manner.with.human.behavior..A.central.concept. in. AT. is. “activity,”. which. refers. to. a. collection. of. internal. (cognitive). and. external.(behavioral).processes.that.are.guided.by.a.conscious.goal.(Petrovsky,.1986)..AT.originated.in.the.former.Soviet.Union.in.the.1930s..However,. since.the.early.1980s.there.has.been.a.growing.interest. in.the.study.of.AT. in. the. West.. This. is. reflected. in. the. rising. number. of. publications. on. the. topic.in.Western.journals.and.in.the.formation.of.an.International.Association.of.Activity.Theory..In.contrast,.there.has.been.a.decline.in.AT.research. in.its.birthplace-the.former.Soviet.Union..This.decline.can.be.attributed.in. large.part.to.sociopolitical.events..Historically,.AT.incorporates.Marxist.philosophy,.which.was.promulgated.by.the.socialist.government.of.the.Soviet. Union..With.the.fall.of.the.socialist.government,.the.academic.community.of. Eastern.Europe.has.largely.abandoned.Marxist.philosophy..The.new.generation.of.Eastern.European.psychologists.have.lost.interest.in.AT.because.of.its. historical.association.with.Marxism.
