The paper discusses conceptions of the subject and methods of contemporary educational psychology in the context of a new interdisciplinary approach - a humanitarian developmental theory treating personality as a unique individuality. There is a tendency in studying links between instruction and development to look not only at effects of socialization, but also at natural preconditions which determine the trajectory of individual development of each child in the school period. Choice of content, forms and methods of instruction should be based on a child's personal attitude to learning.