The will manifests itself in two interrelated functions - stimulating and inhibitory. The role and functions of the will. Volitional efforts The concept of the will of the function of the will

Volitional action and the need for it arises when an obstacle arises in the way of carrying out the action. One of the psychological functions of the will is to increase motivation and improve on this basis the conscious regulation of actions. When the initial motives are not enough to continue the activity, then the will turns on. According to W. James, in these cases it seems to a person that the action is carried out along the line of greatest resistance, although it can be easily directed in another way - along the line of least resistance.

Imagine that in a trolley bus you stepped on your foot painfully. A simple way to react in such a situation would be to scream, push a careless neighbor away. But the realization that other people are standing nearby, that rudeness is not The best way settlement of relations, may be the reason that you will not show it, although it will be painful and unpleasant for you. Educated people are often proud of victories over their nature. On the other hand, one who gives himself up to momentary urges or natural inclinations cannot admit that he has strengthened motives of a higher order in himself. So lazy people do not say that they have opposed their industriousness, and drunkards do not claim that they are struggling with the desire for a sober life.

Will always involves reliance on spiritual goals and moral values, beliefs and ideals. Strengthened influence on the moral side of the matter is an essential feature of a strong-willed person.

Volitional action is always associated with awareness of the purpose of the activity, its significance. Sometimes it becomes necessary to give any goal a special, privileged meaning. In this case, we can talk about the meaning-forming function of volitional action, which manifests itself in a change in the impulse to action through a change in its meaning. Psychology knows various ways of such meaning formation. Here is some of them.

Changes in the meaning of the action, firstly, can be achieved through a reassessment of the significance of the original motive.

For example, H. Lindemann went on a solo voyage in an inflatable boat through Atlantic Ocean, prompted by the desire for public fame and glory as a pioneer. In the most difficult situations, when the original motive lost its original strength, the navigator teased himself: "If you die, then your death will be printed in all the newspapers." When life hung in the balance, H. Lindemann spurred himself on: “To hell with fame! Think better how to survive! You must overcome it! You can handle it all!" Secondly, the change in the meaning of an action is carried out through the combination of a given action with other higher motives (duty, honor, dignity).

So, a fighter who remains at his post, despite the intense shelling and the growing danger, remembers that he is protecting his comrades, which means that he is fulfilling his duty as a soldier and a man. Thirdly, the meaning of an action can be changed by anticipating and emotionally experiencing the social and moral consequences of the results of one's actions.

For example, a young man refuses a tourist trip, which he has long dreamed of, and spends his vacation with his sick father. This choice is not easy for him. But when he remembers how happy his mother was that now she is not alone in this difficult situation, when he imagines how sorry he will be if his father dies and he does not have time to say goodbye to him, then he is strengthened in the legitimacy of the decision. Allocate the organizing function of the will, which consists in the organization of behavior as a systemic, purposeful activity. Thanks to the will, a person, on his own initiative, can perform actions in a pre-planned direction, with pre-foreseen force, and exercise control over their execution. The mental processes of a person are carried out, as a rule, in the mode of volitional action: the perception of the object that is needed at the moment. memorizing the required material, creating an image of the imagination, deliberate and purposeful search for a solution to the problem.

The influence of the will in restraining the corresponding emotions, in reproducing the necessary emotional states is known. This is where the restraining function of the will comes into play. Indeed, there are situations in which inaction requires a much greater volitional effort from a person than active intervention.

For example, a student refrains from sneaking a look into a notebook (and he really wants to, and the teacher left the classroom) when he was preparing to answer an exam that assesses knowledge in a professionally significant subject. To demonstrate here one's awareness for a student is "a matter of honor."

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The concept of will. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . four

Will functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .four

Arbitrary and involuntary volitional actions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

The structure of volitional action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Volitional qualities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Theories of will. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .eight

Will pathology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ten

Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

List of sources used. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Introduction

Will - the ability to choose activities and internal efforts necessary for its implementation. A specific act, irreducible to consciousness and activity as such. Carrying out a volitional action, a person opposes the power of directly experienced needs, impulsive desires: a volitional act is characterized not by the experience of "I want", but by the experience of "I must", "I must", awareness of the value characteristics of the purpose of the action. Volitional behavior includes decision-making, often accompanied by a struggle of motives, and its implementation.

Weakness of will, disorganization, action on the strongest motive, a relatively easy refusal to achieve the goal in spite of its objective significance - all this is characteristic of man.

We cannot always distinguish persistence from stubbornness, adherence to certain principles from striving, by all means to achieve our own, seeing in all this equal manifestations of will. Therefore, it is necessary to learn to separate the true manifestations of the will from the false ones.

The concept of will

Will is the most complex phenomenon in human psychology. Will can be defined as a kind of internal force of a psychological nature, capable of controlling psychological phenomena and human behavior. This is a form of internal control of behavior carried out by a person and associated with his consciousness, thinking.

Will is the highest level of regulation of human behavior. This is what makes it possible to set difficult goals for oneself, to achieve the set goals, overcoming internal and external obstacles thanks to the will, a person makes a conscious choice when he is faced with the need to choose among several forms of behavior.

The main difference between human behavior and the behavior of other creatures is will. For 300 years, science has made almost no progress in understanding the meaning of will and volitional regulation. This is due to the fact that will is a subjective phenomenon that does not have certain external manifestations and physiological signs; it is not known which brain structures are responsible for volitional regulation.

Will presupposes self-restraint, the restraint of some fairly strong drives, the conscious subordination of them to other, more significant, important goals, the ability to suppress the desires and impulses that directly arise in a given situation. At the highest levels of its manifestation, the will involves reliance on spiritual goals and moral values, on beliefs and ideals.

Will Functions

In general, volitional processes perform three main functions.

The first - initiating (directly related to motivational factors) is to force one or another action, behavior, activity to start, overcoming objective and subjective obstacles.

The second is stabilizing, associated with volitional efforts to maintain activity at the proper level in the event of external and internal interference of various kinds.

The third - inhibitory consists in the inhibition of other, often strong motives and desires, other behaviors.

Will as a process is not only one of the highest forms of organization of all other mental processes. In volitional processes, the personality and its mental processes are not only manifested, but also formed and developed. In this regard, one more function of the will is singled out - genetic, productive. As a result of its action, the level of awareness and organization of other mental processes increases, and the so-called volitional properties of the personality are formed - independence, determination, perseverance, self-control, purposefulness, etc.

Arbitrary and involuntary

volitional actions

Any human activity is always accompanied by specific actions, which can be divided into two large groups: voluntary and involuntary. The main difference between voluntary actions is that they are carried out under the control of consciousness and require certain efforts on the part of a person aimed at achieving a consciously set song. For example, imagine a sick person who hardly takes a glass of water in his hand, brings it to his mouth, tilts it, makes a movement with his mouth, that is, performs a number of actions united by one goal - to quench his thirst. All individual actions, thanks to the efforts of consciousness aimed at regulating behavior, merge into one whole, and a person drinks water. These efforts are often called volitional regulation, or will.

Arbitrary or volitional actions develop on the basis of involuntary movements and actions. The simplest of the involuntary actions are reflex ones: constriction and expansion of the pupil, blinking, swallowing, sneezing, etc. The same class of movements includes pulling the hand away when touching a hot object, involuntarily turning the head in the direction of a sound, etc. Involuntary character Our expressive movements are also usually worn: when angry, we involuntarily clench our teeth; in surprise, we raise our eyebrows or open our mouths; when we are happy about something, we begin to smile, etc.

Volitional structure

The structure of volitional action can be represented as a diagram:

Volitional activity always consists of certain volitional actions, which contain all the signs and qualities of the will. In this action, the following simple steps can be clearly distinguished:

1) motivation;

3) decision making;

4) willpower.

Often the 1st, 2nd and 3rd stages are combined, calling this part of the volitional action the preparatory link, while the 4th stage is called the executive link. For a simple volitional action, it is characteristic that the choice of a goal, the decision to perform an action in a certain way, is carried out without a struggle of motives.

In a complex volitional action, the following stages are distinguished:

1) awareness of the goal and the desire to achieve it;

2) awareness of a number of opportunities to achieve the goal;

3) the emergence of motives that affirm or deny these possibilities;

4) struggle of motives and choice;

5) accepting one of the possibilities as a solution;

6) implementation of the adopted decision.

Volitional qualities

Volitional qualities are relatively stable mental formations independent of the specific situation, certifying the level of conscious self-regulation of behavior achieved by the individual, his power over himself. Volitional qualities combine the moral components of the will, which are formed in the process of education, and genetic ones, closely related to the typological features of the nervous system. For example, fear, the inability to endure fatigue for a long time, to make a quick decision to a large extent depend on the innate characteristics of a person (strength and weakness of the nervous system, its lability).

Volitional qualities include three components: proper psychological (moral), physiological (volitional effort) and neurodynamic (typological features of the nervous system).

Based on this, all volitional qualities are divided into "basal" (primary) and systemic (secondary). The primary ones are actually volitional qualities, which, in turn, are divided into two groups. The first group is characterized by purposefulness, the ability to keep an effort of will, this is patience, perseverance, perseverance.

The second group characterizes self-control and includes such qualities as courage, endurance, determination. It is important for the education of the will to present to the child the requirements that are appropriate and feasible for his age, with mandatory control over their implementation. Lack of control can create a habit of quitting before finishing. The manifestation of willpower is due to the moral motives of a person. The presence of a person's strong beliefs and a holistic worldview is the basis of the volitional organization of the personality.

Theories of will

To date, several scientific directions have been formed that interpret the concept of “will” in different ways: will as voluntarism, will as freedom of choice, will as arbitrary control of behavior, will as motivation, will as volitional regulation.

1. Will as voluntarism

In attempts to explain the mechanisms of human behavior within the framework of the problem of will, a direction arose that in 1883, with the light hand of the German sociologist F. Tennis, received the name "voluntarism" and recognizes the will as a special, supranatural force. According to the doctrine of voluntarism, volitional acts are not determined by anything, but they themselves determine the course of mental processes. The German philosophers A. Schopenhauer and E. Hartmann went even further, declaring the will to be a cosmic force, a blind and unconscious first principle from which all mental manifestations of a person originate. Consciousness and intellect are, according to Schopenhauer, secondary manifestations of the will. Spinoza denied causeless behavior, since "the will itself, like everything else, needs a cause." I. Kant recognized equally provable both the thesis about free will and the antithesis that the will is incapable. Solving the problem of human freedom, Kant subjected to critical analysis both the Christian doctrine of free will and the concept of mechanistic determinism.

2. Will as "free choice"

The Dutch philosopher B. Spinoza considered the struggle of impulses as a struggle of ideas. Spinoza's will acts as an awareness of external determination, which is subjectively perceived as one's own voluntary decision, as inner freedom.

However, the English thinker J. Locke tried to isolate the question of free choice from the general problem of free will. Freedom, on the other hand, consists "precisely in this, that we can act or not act according to our choice or desire."

The American psychologist W. James considered the main function of the will to make a decision about an action in the presence of two or more ideas of movement in the mind at the same time. Therefore, volitional effort consists in directing a person of his consciousness to an unattractive, but necessary object and focusing attention on it. Classifying himself as a voluntarist, W. James considered the will to be an independent force of the soul, with the ability to make decisions about action.

L.S. Vygotsky, when discussing the problem of will, also associated this concept with freedom of choice.

3. Will as "arbitrary motivation"

The concept of will as a determinant of human behavior originated in ancient Greece and for the first time was explicitly formulated by Aristotle. The philosopher understood that knowledge in itself is not the cause of rational behavior, but a certain force that causes action according to reason. This force is born, according to Aristotle, in the rational part of the soul, thanks to the combination of a rational connection with aspiration, which gives the decision a motivating force.

Rene Descartes understood the will as the ability of the soul to form desire and determine the impulse to any human action that cannot be explained on the basis of a reflex. The will can slow down the movements caused by passion. Reason, according to Descartes, is the will's own instrument.

G.I. Chelpanov singled out three elements in the act of will: desire, aspiration and effort. K.N. Kornilov emphasized that volitional actions are always based on a motive.

L.S. Vygotsky singled out two separate processes in volitional action: the first corresponds to a decision, the closing of a new brain connection, the creation of a special functional apparatus; the second - executive - consists in the work of the created apparatus, in the action according to the instructions, in the implementation of the decision.

4. Will as obligation

The specificity of this approach to understanding the will is that the will is considered as one of the incentive mechanisms, along with the actually experienced need.

Will pathology

Allocate the pathology of higher and lower volitional activity. The pathology of higher volitional activity includes hyperbulia. At the same time, a pathological distortion of the motivation of volitional activity is revealed. There is an extraordinary perseverance in achieving goals by any means.

Hypobulia is a decrease in volitional activity, accompanied by poverty of motives, lethargy, inactivity, poor speech, weakening of attention, impoverishment of thinking, decreased motor activity, and limited communication. Abulia - lack of motives, desires, drives. It is observed in chronic diseases with a decrease in intelligence and a weakening of affective activity. Often combined with symptoms such as: a decrease in social productivity - a deterioration in the performance of social roles and skills, a decrease in professional productivity - a deterioration in the performance of professional duties and skills, i.e. specific tasks and responsibilities, knowledge and standards in the professional field and its productivity ( material production, service, the sphere of science and art), social alienation is a form of behavior characterized by a persistent tendency to reject social interactions and ties, etc.

The pathology of the lower volitional activity includes the pathology of drives that are formed on the basis of instincts in the form of their strengthening, weakening or perversion. For example: pathology of the food instinct (bulimia - increased craving for food associated with a lack of satiety; anorexia - weakening or lack of hunger), pathology of the self-preservation instinct: phobias - an unreasonable feeling of fear for one's life; agoraphobia - fear of open spaces, situations close to them, such as the presence of a crowd and the inability to immediately return to a safe place (usually home); pathology of the sexual instinct (hypersexuality, gender identity disorders)

There are also disorders of habits and drives (propensity to gamble).

Conclusion

Will - the ability to choose activities and internal efforts necessary for its implementation. In general, volitional processes perform three main functions: initiating, stabilizing, and inhibiting.

Any human activity is always accompanied by specific actions that can be divided into two large groups: voluntary and involuntary.

The structure of the will can be represented as the following steps:

1) motivation;

2) awareness of the possibilities of achieving the goal;

3) decision making;

4) willpower.

The pathology of the will is divided into lower and higher. The pathology of higher volitional activity includes hyperbulia. The pathology of the lower volitional activity includes the pathology of drives that are formed on the basis of instincts in the form of their strengthening, weakening or perversion.

FEDERAL AGENCY FOR EDUCATION

MOSCOW STATE CONSTRUCTION UNIVERSITY

Discipline: "Psychology and Pedagogy"

abstract

"Will"

Lecturer: Gusareva N.B.

Student: Masaltseva O.V.

Moscow, 2010

	Name	Page
	Introduction
	Properties and functions of the will
	Features of the will
	Volitional disorders
	Age-related changes in volitional qualities
	Conclusion. Checking the degree of development of willpower
	Bibliography

Introduction.

The concept of “will” is used by psychiatry, psychology, physiology and philosophy. AT explanatory dictionary Ozheg's will is interpreted as the ability to achieve the goals set for oneself. In antiquity, in European culture, the idea of ​​will as an integral part of the mental human life, was fundamentally different from the prevailing at the present time. So, Socrates compared the will with the direction (in the sense of action) of the flight of an arrow, understanding by this the indisputable fact that the arrow is still destined to break off the bowstring, but the will allows it to do this only when the target is correctly chosen. Philosophers of the school of Plato defined the will as “purposefulness combined with correct reasoning; prudent aspiration; reasonable natural desire. Zeno opposed will to desire. The Greek philosophers ascribed to the will a mainly restraining role. In their understanding, the will played the role of internal censorship rather than being a creative agent.

The modern idea of ​​will has been enriched by attributing additional characteristics to this concept. For example, Hume, having defined will as “an internal impression that we experience and are aware of when we consciously give rise to some new movement of our body or a new perception of our spirit”, actually pointed out that consciousness of will is inherent in a person, it has the character of experiencing , volitional acts are carried out consciously, the will precedes the action. Moreover, in the modern philosophical understanding, will has become inseparable from action, “every true, real, immediate act of the will is at the same time and directly a manifested act of the body.”

Modern psychiatry considers the will as a mental process, which consists in the ability to actively systematic activity aimed at meeting the needs of a person.

A volitional act is a complex, multi-stage process, including a need (desire), which determines the motivation of behavior, awareness of the need, the struggle of motives, the choice of a method of implementation, the launch of implementation, control of implementation.

Properties and functions of the will.

At the personal level, will manifests itself in such properties as willpower, energy, perseverance, endurance, etc. They can be considered as primary, or basic, volitional qualities of a person. Such qualities define behavior that is characterized by all or most of the properties described above.

A strong-willed person is distinguished determination, courage, self-control, self-confidence. Such qualities usually develop in ontogenesis (development) somewhat later than the above group of properties. In life, they manifest themselves in unity with the character, so they can be considered not only as volitional, but also as characterological. Let's call these qualities secondary.

Finally, there is a third group of qualities, which, reflecting the will of a person, are connected at the same time with his moral and value orientations. This is responsibility, discipline, adherence to principles, commitment. The same group, designated as tertiary qualities, can include those in which the will of a person and his attitude to work simultaneously act: efficiency, initiative. Such personality traits are usually formed only by adolescence.

The will ensures the performance of two interrelated functions - incentive and brake and shows up in them.

incentive function ensured activity a person that generates an action due to the specifics of the internal states of the subject, which are revealed at the moment of the action itself (for example: a person in need of obtaining the necessary information calls out to a friend, experiencing a state of irritation, allows himself to be rude to others, etc.).

Unlike strong-willed behavior, characterized by unintentionality, activity is characterized by arbitrariness, i.e., the conditionality of the action by a consciously set goal. Activity may not be caused by the requirements of a momentary situation, the desire to adapt to it, to act within the boundaries of a given one. It is characterized by over-situation, i.e. going beyond the original goals, the ability of a person to rise above the level of the requirements of the situation, to set goals that are excessive in relation to the original task (such is “risk for the sake of risk”, creative impulse, etc.).

According to V.A. Vannikov, the main psychological function of the will is increased motivation and improvement on this basis of conscious regulation of actions. The real mechanism for generating an additional motivation for action is a conscious change in the meaning of the action by the person performing it. The meaning of the action is usually associated with the struggle of motives and changes with certain, deliberate mental efforts.

The need for volitional action arises when an obstacle appears on the way to the implementation of motivated activity. The act of will is connected with its overcoming. Beforehand, however, it is necessary to realize, comprehend the essence of the problem that has arisen.

The inclusion of will in the composition of activity begins with a person asking himself the question: “What happened?” The very nature of this question indicates that the will is closely connected with the awareness of the action, the course of activity and the situation. The primary act of including the will in action actually consists in the arbitrary involvement of consciousness in the process of carrying out the activity.

A volitional action is always associated with the consciousness of the purpose of the activity, its significance, with the subordination of the actions performed to this purpose. Sometimes it becomes necessary to give a special meaning to any goal, and in this case, the participation of the will in the regulation of activity comes down to finding the appropriate meaning, the increased value of this activity. Otherwise, it may be necessary to find additional stimuli for carrying out, bringing to the end an activity that has already begun, and then the volitional meaning-forming function is associated with the process of performing the activity. In the third case, the goal may be to learn something, and actions related to learning acquire a volitional character.

The energy and source of volitional actions is always, one way or another, connected with the actual needs of a person. Based on them, a person gives a conscious meaning to his arbitrary actions. In this regard, volitional actions are no less determined than any others, only they are associated with consciousness, hard work of thinking and overcoming difficulties.

Volitional regulation can be included in the activity at any of the stages of its implementation: the initiation of the activity, the choice of means and methods for its implementation, following the planned plan or deviating from it, monitoring the execution. The peculiarity of the inclusion of volitional regulation at the initial moment of the implementation of activity is that a person, consciously refusing some drives, motives and goals, prefers others and implements them in spite of momentary, immediate impulses. The will in choosing an action is manifested in the fact that, having consciously abandoned the usual way of solving a problem, the individual chooses a different, sometimes more difficult one, and tries not to deviate from it. Finally, the volitional regulation of control over the execution of an action consists in the fact that a person consciously forces himself to carefully check the correctness of the actions performed when there is almost no strength and desire to do this. Particular difficulties in terms of volitional regulation are presented for a person by such an activity, where problems of volitional control arise along the entire path of the activity, from the very beginning to the end.

A typical case of the inclusion of the will in the management of activity is the situation associated with the struggle of incompatible motives, each of which requires the performance of different actions at the same time. Then the consciousness and thinking of a person, being included in the volitional regulation of his behavior, are looking for additional incentives in order to make one of the drives stronger, to give it more meaning in the current situation. Psychologically, this means an active search for connections between the goal and the ongoing activity with the highest spiritual values ​​of a person, consciously attaching much more importance to them than they had at the beginning.

Features of the will

The following characteristic features of the will can be distinguished:

endurance and persistence wills, which are characterized by the fact that vigorous activity covers long periods of a person's life, striving to achieve the goal.

principle sequence and constancy will, as opposed to inconstancy and inconsistency. The fundamental sequence lies in the fact that all actions of a person follow from a single guiding principle of his life, to which a person subordinates everything secondary and secondary.

criticality will, contrasting it with easy suggestibility and a tendency to act thoughtlessly. This feature lies in the deep thoughtfulness and self-critical evaluation of all their actions. It is possible to persuade such a person to change the line of behavior taken by him only through reasonable argumentation.

determination, which consists in the absence of unnecessary hesitation in the struggle of motives, in the rapid adoption of decisions and the bold implementation of them.

The will is characterized by the ability to subordinate one's personal, individual aspirations to the will of the collective, the will of the class to which the person belongs.

Volitional disorders

It seems possible to combine volitional disorders into the following main groups:

Group 1. Disorder of volitional actions.

Volitional actions are actions performed without an actually experienced need for the action itself or for its results, but behind which there is a decision aimed at satisfying the need in the distant future (the action is not in the nature of a knowingly necessary one). The disorder is clinically manifested by the inability to fix one's attention and perform actions, the result of which is not obvious, instantly achievable. The disorder is also associated with prognostic function. Patients who detect the disorder report that they cannot imagine the fruits of their labor, are disappointed in the work they do before the result is achieved, or they perceive the long work itself as a negative result, are unable to motivate themselves for long work, need additional incentives - “milestones ". In particular, they cannot make savings for the purchase of any valuable thing, study if their knowledge does not find practical application. Creation of objective values ​​for the benefit of society or individuals. It is manifested by the lack of ability for altruistic actions, which often creates the impression of callousness, reduced energy and emotional potential. Satisfying the requirements of the team, the immediate environment (in the absence of self-interest).

CONCEPT

Will - the process of conscious regulation by a person of his behavior and activities, expressed in the ability to overcome internal and external difficulties in the performance of purposeful actions and deeds.

In psychology, the problem of will exists in two versions: the first is represented by the traditional problem of self-determination, the second - by the problem of self-regulation. Volitional regulation in the variant of self-determination, according to scientists, occurs through a change in the meaning of the action that provides its motivation, or, conversely, its inhibition. Changing the meaning of an action is a necessary psychological mechanism of volitional action. So, according to L.M. Wecker, the regulation of behavior and activity can take place at three levels: sensory-perceptual, voluntary and volitional:

1) at the sensory-perceptual level images that regulate movements and actions control the behavior of the subject, regardless of his desire (involuntary);

2) at an arbitrary level actions are regulated consciously and involve intentions, planning, control. Here, actions are performed by the subject himself for a certain motive and do not need volitional regulation, since the components of the personality remain unincluded;

3)volitional regulation arises when a person encounters obstacles, external difficulties (time, space, physical properties things) or internal (attitude, fatigue, suffering). At this level, the individual becomes the subject of activity. In this case, a person is forced to create additional motives (meanings of action) and the action is performed not for the sake of the original motive, but for the personal values ​​of a person or other people. In this way, volitional regulation is a connection to immediate motives that are personally significant, more often moral. The more moral a person is, the easier it is for him to strong-willed actions.

Volitional regulation is the highest level of regulation, which is a kind of arbitrary regulation, a special form of its manifestation. This point of view is shared by V.A. Ivannikov, L.M. Wecker and others.

Currently, the most promising is the systematic study of the processes involved in the regulation of human activity and behavior, mastering oneself (K.A. Abdulkhanov-va-Slavskaya, O.A. Konopkin, V.K. Kalin, T.I. Shulga and etc.).

Volitional regulation as the highest level of arbitrary regulation is aimed at improving a person’s activity and behavior, and ultimately at changing his personality, that is, volitional regulation, on the one hand, is aimed at changing the results of a particular activity, and on the other hand, at self-change. The functional structure of the process of volitional regulation consists of three components: 1) a motivational and incentive link (goal, motives); 2) the performing link (methods of action and behavior, both external, proposed by someone, and internal, developed by oneself; 3) evaluative-effective link (the results of actions and the results of the subject's self-change).

Volitional regulation - the highest level of voluntary regulation. It is characterized by intention, purposefulness, awareness, decision-making coming from the subject. Volitional regulation is realized in the conditions of overcoming subjective and objective difficulties, changes in the motivational and incentive sphere of activity and is aimed at improving the subject's behavior, activity and own personality.

Actions are arbitrary - actions performed with a goal, freely chosen, conscious and motivated.

Actions are involuntary- actions performed without setting a goal, unconscious, performed under the influence of perception.

Actions impulsive- an action “launched” by a stimulus, performed instantly, without thinking, it is short-term and often unmotivated.

Volitional actions- actions characterized by the following features: a) having a purposeful character; b) the goal is realized (reflected in the second signal system, that is, indicated by specific words); c) external (internal) difficulties are overcome on the way to the goal.

The will performs four functions.

1. Incentive and guiding to achieve the goal while overcoming difficulties. Volitional activity is characterized by over-situation, that is, going beyond the original goals, the requirements of the situation.

2. The inhibitory function of the will is manifested in the containment of unwanted activity, motives and actions that do not correspond to the worldview, ideals and beliefs of the individual.

3. Regulatory function is expressed in arbitrary, conscious regulation of actions, mental processes and behavior, in overcoming obstacles.

4. The developing function consists in the fact that volitional regulation is aimed at improving by the subject of his behavior, activities, at changing his own personality.

Mechanisms

Volitional activity is connected with the balance of excitation and inhibition. With a weakening of the process of excitation, apathy occurs in a person, with a dulling of the process of inhibition, greater activity develops. The mechanism of volitional action functions on the basis of the first and second signal systems. On the basis of temporary connections between various centers of the cerebral cortex, a wide variety of associations and their systems are formed and fixed, which creates the conditions for purposeful behavior. The regulator of volitional activity - the frontal lobes of the cortex hemispheres. In them, the result achieved at each given moment is compared with a previously compiled program. The function of regulation is performed by special pyramidal cells of the brain. When these cells are damaged, paralysis or awkwardness of movements occurs, skills are lost.

The structure of the act of will

1. Motivation to action (needs, motives).

2. Obstacle and struggle of motives (connection of other motives - personal values). The struggle of motives can continue for a long time, or the action stops due to a lack of proper motivation.

3. Making a decision.

4. Execution of an action accompanied by an effort of will. This step may also be quite long or not be performed at all.

5. Reflection (self-control, self-esteem).

6. The volitional action ends with the pleasure of its successful implementation or the extraction of a “lesson” if it did not achieve the desired result. In any case, as a result of an act of will, personality develops.

How the subject evaluates the result of a volitional action depends on the type of control (locus of control) that has developed in the personality.

Locus- the location of something.

Locus of control(internal - internal) - a stable quality of a person, expressed in the acceptance by a person of responsibility for his actions and events occurring to him, explaining them with his behavior, mistakes, etc.

Locus of control(external - external) - a stable tendency of a person to attribute responsibility for everything that happens to her to external factors (accidents, circumstances and

Reflection(lat. reflexio - reflection, reversal) - internal mental activity of a person, aimed at comprehending one's own actions and states; self-knowledge by a person of his spiritual world.

Theories of will

Mention of the will can be found in Aristotle. One of the well-known theories of will in the philosophy of the XIX century. was voluntarism. Voluntarists (Schopenhauer, Akh, and others) considered the will to be a special supranatural force that determines the course of mental processes and the free choice of behavior. They understood the will as absolute freedom, not connected with society. Representatives of another mechanistic theory of will (C. Lombroso and others) completely denied the freedom of the will of man and believed that the will depends entirely on the circumstances in which the person is (man is a weak-willed toy of nature). AT last years a concept is developed according to which human behavior is understood as initially active, capable of independently choosing forms of behavior that are adequate to the laws of nature and society he has learned, as well as to his own personal meaning (Frankl, Rubinstein, Ivannikov, etc.).

Properties and patterns

Will has certain qualities: strength, stability and breadth.

Willpower - the degree of excitation of volitional effort.

The stability of the will is the constancy of manifestation in situations of the same type.

The breadth of the will - the number of activities (sports, study, work, etc.) in which the will manifests itself.

The will is inextricably linked with the personality and manifests itself in its qualities. One of the classifications (V.A. Ivannikov) distinguishes three blocks of volitional qualities of a person:

1) moral and volitional qualities (responsibility, commitment, vigor, initiative, independence, discipline);

2) emotional-volitional (purposefulness, endurance, patience, calmness;

3) actually volitional (courage, courage, determination, perseverance).

A responsibility - external or internal control over activities, reflecting the social, moral and legal attitude towards society, expressed in the implementation of accepted moral and legal norms and rules, one's duty.

obligatory(dutifulness) - the quality of the will, manifested in the precise, rigorous and systematic execution of the decisions made.

Initiative - the ability to make attempts to implement the ideas that have arisen in a person.

Independence- the ability to consciously make decisions and the ability not to be influenced by various factors that impede the achievement of the set goal, the ability to critically evaluate the advice and suggestions of other people, act on the basis of one's views and beliefs and at the same time make adjustments to one's actions based on the advice received.

Discipline - conscious subordination of one's behavior to social norms, the established order.

purposefulness - conscious and active orientation of the individual to achieve a certain result of activity.

Excerpt(self-control) - the ability to restrain one's feelings when necessary, to prevent impulsive and thoughtless actions, the ability to control oneself and force oneself to perform a planned action, and also to refrain from what one wants to do, but which seems unreasonable or wrong.

Courage - the ability to overcome fear and take justified risks in order to achieve the goal, despite the dangers to personal well-being.

Courage- a high degree of self-control, which is clearly manifested in difficult and dangerous circumstances, in the struggle with unusual difficulties. Courage is a complex quality. It implies courage, endurance and perseverance.

Determination- the absence of unnecessary hesitation and doubt in the struggle of motives, timely and quick decision-making. An example of the opposite quality - indecision - is the situation of "Buridan's donkey", which, not daring to eat one of the equal armfuls of hay, died of hunger.

persistence- the ability of a person to mobilize his capabilities for a long struggle with difficulties. Not to be confused with stubbornness and negativism.

Negativism- unmotivated, unreasonable tendency to act contrary to other people, to contradict them, although reasonable considerations do not give grounds for such actions.

Stubbornness - a stubborn person always tries to insist on his own, despite the inexpediency of this action, is guided not by the arguments of reason, but by personal Desires, despite their failure.

Development

Studies by domestic psychologists have shown that already in the first year of life, voluntary movements begin to form, and from the second year of life, the child's behavior is determined not only by the current situation, but also by the imagined one (the first stage of development of the will). In two or three years, the regulatory function of speech develops. From the age of two or two and a half, children begin to act on the basis of the subordination of a motive (L.I. Bozhovich). The ability to overcome immediate desires, subjugate motives and establish the relationship of motive to goal is manifested only in the presence of external means, the role of which is most often the very presence of an adult or other children, as well as the corresponding objects, while the greatest motive force remains nevertheless for game motives. It is shown that already at the age of four, control over one's actions develops, and violation of the rules of behavior by other people is noticed from the age of three. Studies of volitional regulation of schoolchildren (T.I. Shulga) showed that:

The formation of the motivational and incentive link of volitional regulation in the age aspect is characterized by an increase in the strength of the motive and goals, independence, awareness and restructuring of the motivational sphere. These indicators are most pronounced in primary school age;

The formation of the executive level is characterized by the expansion with age (especially in adolescence) of the range of methods of self-government used, the predominance of self-developed ones among them. They become more flexible and adequate to the requirements of situations;

The evaluative-productive link increases with age in all spheres of life, and the results of self-change become more pronounced. The sensitive period for the formation of this link of volitional regulation is senior school age.

The development of volitional regulation is primarily associated with the formation of a rich motivational and semantic sphere of personality.

Violations

One of the most important violations of the volitional sphere is a violation of the structure of the hierarchy of motives. . Another violation is the formation of pathological needs and motives.

(B.V. Zeigarnik). These disorders are manifested by various symptoms: a decrease in volitional processes (hypobulia) or excessive activity (hyperbulia). Symptoms of hypobulia can be very diverse. The most common violations of the will: apathy, abulia (anorexia, bulimia), a symptom of autism, hyperbulia.

Apathy(Greek apatheia - dispassion) - a mental state, manifested in the loss of interest, indifference to the environment, a drop in the activity of the psyche.

Abulia- violation of the will, partial or complete lack of desire and motivation for activity (anorexia, bulimia, etc.).

Anorexia- lack of appetite, suppression of the desire to eat.

bulimia- a pathological desire to eat constantly, often and a lot.

Hyperbulia- violation of behavior in the form of motor disinhibition (excitation) (impulsive, stereotypical actions, etc.).

autism a symptom is the loss by the patient of the need to communicate with others, the formation of pathological isolation, isolation, unsociableness.

Individual characteristics

People differ from each other: in willpower, in the form of manifestation of which, etc. A dependence of willpower on the type of nervous system has been established (the willpower of the streets with a strong nervous system is more developed). individual differences are also manifested in the degree of formation of the volitional qualities of the individual.

STUDY METHODS

experimental

As an example pilot study will we will study the volitional effort in intellectual activity using the "Unsolvable Problems" methodology. Preschool and toddler children school age It was proposed to collect three pictures. The first picture consisted of one object, divided into several (4-6) parts and was relatively easy to assemble. The second picture consisted of two objects - large and small (also divided into 4-6 parts); this picture was also assembled by the children easily and rather quickly, but some thought and reasoning were required to assemble it. Finally, the children were asked to assemble a picture, also consisting of two objects and divided into 4-6 parts, which had no solution - according to the design of the experiment, one of the parts was missing. The time for completing all three tasks was recorded, as well as the behavior of children and an explanation of the reasons for refusing to work when manipulating the third picture.

Diagnostic

To measure volitional effort in physical activity, the technique is used "Dynamometry" (I.I. Kuptsov).

To study the level of development of volitional qualities, the method is used "Expert Assessments" where experts evaluate various characteristics actions of the subjects (duration of solving the problem, number of attempts, concentration of efforts, the presence of fluctuations in the decision-making process).

Methodology for level diagnostics subjective control(SK) and many others.

The will is present in many acts of human behavior, helping the gay to overcome resistance, as well as other desires and needs on the way to the intended goal. For example, if a person does not want to drink a bitter medicine, but he knows that it is extremely necessary for his health, then, by suppressing his reluctance by willpower, he forces himself to systematically carry out the prescribed treatment.

Another example - a student wants to go to a disco, but his homework is not ready yet. test by tomorrow. Overcoming momentary desire by an effort of will, the student forces himself to work, setting the goal of tomorrow's success. We observe the manifestation of will in various situations of communication. For example, a person is unpleasant to us, but our further progress objectively depends on him, therefore, by an effort of will, we restrain our hostility, put on a psychological “mask” suitable for this situation, and as a result we achieve our goal.

Any human activity is always accompanied by actions that can be divided into two large groups:

Ø Arbitrary,

Ø Involuntary.

Main difference arbitrary action consists in the fact that they are carried out under the control of consciousness and require certain efforts on the part of a person aimed at achieving a consciously set goal. Arbitrary or volitional actions develop on the basis of involuntary movements and actions.

The simplest of involuntary movements are reflex constriction and dilation of the pupils, blinking, swallowing, sneezing, etc. . To involuntary movements also include withdrawal of the hand when touching a hot object, an involuntary turn of the head in the direction of a sharp sound.

Will is a conscious regulation by a person of his behavior and activities, expressed in the ability to overcome internal and external difficulties in the performance of purposeful actions and deeds.

The mechanism of functioning of the will consists in the conscious regulation of activity in difficult conditions of life. This regulation is based on the interaction of the processes of excitation and inhibition of the nervous system.

Most often, a person manifests his will in the following typical situations:

Ø it is necessary to make a choice between two or more equally attractive, but requiring opposite actions, thoughts, goals, feelings, incompatible with each other,

Ø in spite of everything, it is necessary to purposefully move along the path to the intended goal;

Ø on the way practical activities a person has internal fear, uncertainty, doubts or external objective circumstances (obstacles) that must be overcome.

In other words, the will, its presence or absence, is manifested in all situations related to choice and acceptance.

As basic functions of the will allocate:

1. choice of motives and goals,

2. regulation of motivation to act in case of their insufficient or excessive motivation;

3. organization of mental processes into a system that is adequate to the activity performed by a person;

4. mobilization of physical and mental capabilities in achieving goals in a situation of overcoming obstacles.

THEORIES OF WILL

Will as a phenomenon of the human psyche attracted the attention of thinkers for a long time, even in antiquity.

1. Thus, Aristotle introduced the concept of will into the system of categories of the science of the soul in order to explain how human behavior is realized in accordance with knowledge, which in itself is devoid of motivating power.

Will for Aristotle acted as a factor capable of changing the course of behavior:

Ø initiate it,

Ø stop,

Ø change direction and pace.

However, the thinkers of antiquity, and later of the Middle Ages, did not interpret the will in its modern personal understanding. So, in antiquity the concept of "will" was absorbed by the concept of "logic". According to Aristotle, for example, any action follows primarily from a logical conclusion.

2. During the Middle Ages, there was a rite of exorcism - exorcism of the devil. A person in those days was perceived only as a passive principle, in which the will manifested itself in the form of good and evil spirits, sometimes even personified.

Such an understanding of the will was due to the fact that traditional society actually denied an independent principle in behavior. S.I. Rogov notes that the personality acts in it only as a genus, as a program according to which the ancestors lived. The right to reject was recognized only for certain members of society, for example:

Ø shaman - a person who communicates with the spirits of ancestors;

Ø a blacksmith - a person who is subject to the power of fire and metal;

Ø a robber - a criminal person who opposed himself to this society.

3. The concept of will, as it were, is reborn in modern times, along with the emergence of the concept of personality, one of the main values ​​of which is free will. A new world view emerges existentialism, "philosophy of existence", according to which freedom is absolute, free will. M. Heidegger, K. Jaspers, J.-P. Sartre and A. Camus believed that any person is inherently self-willed and irresponsible, and any social norms are the suppression of human essence.

4. In Russia, IP Pavlov presented an interesting interpretation of the will, considering the will as an "instinct" (reflex) of freedom. As the instinct of freedom, the will is no less a stimulus for behavior than the instincts of hunger or danger.

A lot of controversy has arisen and is arising on the issue conscious or unconscious origin concept of will.

Ø Supporters idealistic views interpreted as a phenomenon of will, the inherent ability of a person to independently choose a goal and ways to achieve it. The ability to make decisions that express personal attitudes and beliefs, they interpreted as the result of the actions of the irrational force behind these acts.

Ø At one time, the German philosophers A. Schopenhauer and E. Hartmann absolutized will, declaring it a cosmic force, a blind unconscious first principle, the derivative of which are all the mental manifestations of man.

Ø Psychoanalytic psychology represented the will of man kind of energy human actions. Supporters of psychoanalysis believed that a person's actions are controlled by a certain biological energy of a person, turned into a psychic one. Freud identified this energy with the psychosexual energy of sexual desire - the unconscious libido, thereby explaining human behavior first by the "cultivated" manifestations of this life-affirming force of Eros, and then by its struggle with the equally subconscious human craving for death Tantos.

Ø Supporters of the theory of will as a special supernatural power , underlying the psyche and being in general, were such well-known psychologists as W. Wundt and W. James. The theological interpretation of will is that will is identified with the divine principle in the world: God is the exclusive owner of free will, endowing people with it at his own discretion.

Ø Materialists interpret the will as a side of the psyche, which has a material basis in the form nervous brain processes. Volitional or voluntary actions develop on the basis of involuntary movements and action. The simplest of involuntary actions are reflex actions. This type also includes impulsive actions, unconscious, not subordinate to the general goal of the reaction. As opposed to involuntary conscious actions of a person are aimed at achieving their goal, which is typical for volitional behavior.

The material basis of voluntary movements is the activity of giant pyramidal cells located in one of the layers of the cerebral cortex in the region of the anterior central gyrus. In these cells, impulses to move are born. Scientists came to this conclusion by studying the causes of abulia (painful lack of will), which develops on the basis of brain pathology and appraxia (disturbances) of voluntary regulation of movements and actions that make it impossible to carry out a volitional act resulting from damage to the frontal lobes of the brain. The doctrine of the second signal system I.P. Pavlova significantly supplemented the materialistic concept, proving the conditional reflex essence of the will.

Modern research will in psychology are conducted in different scientific areas:

Ø in behavioral oriented science studies certain forms of behavior,

Ø in the psychology of motivation the focus is on intrapersonal conflicts and ways to overcome them,

Ø in personality psychology the main attention is focused on the identification and study of the corresponding volitional characteristics of the personality.

However, modern psychology seeks to give the science of the will integrative character.