Mental states (PS) are called mental (or animal) characteristics that are stable for a certain period of time. Human PS are intermediate position between personal ones that are stable and stable, and occurring at a particular point in time. PS can last for months, but under favorable conditions, they change quickly. Usually, the mental state is understood as an energy characteristic that affects the activity of a person - fatigue, vigor, euphoria, depression, apathy.
What are mental states?
State of reduced mental activity,
State of transition from sleep to sleep,
State of vigorous sleep (with dreams)
Deep sleep state (slow)
State of loss of consciousness.
Qualitative PS classifications are based on the levels listed above.
In conclusion, let us consider mental states as they are the result of a holistic adaptive personal response to changes in internal and external conditions, aimed at achieving a positive result and manifested in the degree of mobilization of functional capabilities and experiences of a person.
Mental states - The psychological category that characterizes the mental activity of the individual for a certain period of time. This is the background against which a person's mental activity proceeds. It reflects the peculiarity of mental processes and the subjective attitude of the individual to the reflected phenomena of reality. Mental states have a beginning and an end; they change over time, however they are complete, relatively constant and stable. K.K. Platonov defines mental states as occupying an intermediate position between mental processes and personality traits.
Mental states include joy, sadness, concentration, boredom, fatigue, tension, apathy, etc. It is often impossible to give a precise definition of an experienced state, because, firstly, mental states are multidimensional and characterize reality from various sides, and secondly, they are continuous, that is, the boundaries of the transition of one state to another are not clearly marked, they are smooth. "Pure" states are practically non-existent.
What kind of mental state an individual will have at a given time is influenced by two groups: factors: environmental factors and individual characteristics of the subject. The first include the characteristics of the reflected objects and phenomena of the world. To the second - the previous states and properties of the individual (features of cognitive activity, needs, desires, aspirations, opportunities, attitudes, self-esteem, values). Mental states are determined by the ratio of these factors.
States arise in the process of activity, depend on it and determine the specifics of experiences. Each mental state is experienced by the individual holistically, as a unity of spiritual, mental and physical (physical) structures. A change in mental state affects all of these levels.
Mental conditions are peculiar to certain specifications . States are classified depending on which of these characteristics come to the fore in a given time. Emotional characteristics reflect the dominance in a given state of a particular emotion, their intensity, polarity (the predominance of positive or negative emotions: joy and sadness). The sign of some states is not obvious. For example, it cannot be unambiguously defined as a positive or negative surprise or concentration. Emotional state is euphoria, joy, satisfaction, sadness, anxiety, fear, panic. Activation statesshow the involvement of the individual in the situation or alienation from it. Increased activation is manifested in clarity of consciousness, energetic behavior, the desire to solve the problem, to overcome difficulties. On the other side of the pole there is a decrease in the intensity and pace of movements, a decrease in activity. Activation states include excitement, inspiration, recovery, concentration, absent-mindedness, boredom, apathy. Tonic statesreflect the tone, the energy resources of the body. Tonus is felt as the presence or absence of energy, a large or small resource of forces, internal composure or lack of integrity, inertness, lethargy. Tonic states - wakefulness, monotony and mental satiety, fatigue and overwork, drowsiness and sleep. Tension (from English tension Ї voltage) statesshow the extent to which a person is required to make volitional efforts in order to choose this or that behavior. The more attractive for an individual various objects, the more forces he needs to contain non-priority drivers, the higher the voltage. At low voltage, a person is liberated, relaxed, feels inner comfort, at high tension, is clamped, feels inner unfreedom, forcedness of his behavior. Tension states include stress, emotional resolution, frustration, sensory hunger, and stressful states.
For each state, emotional, activation, tonic, and tentative characteristics can be recorded. All characteristics are interrelated and in most cases change consistently. For example, in mental states for which positive emotions are typical (a state of joy), there is an increase in activation and tone, a decrease in tension.
Also, mental states can be divided into classes according to which sphere of the psyche they characterize the most. In such a case, cognitive, emotional, motivational and volitional mental states will be distinguished. Sometimes only one type of mental state is considered - emotional state, the latter being considered a kind of emotion. This is not entirely true, since emotional states differ from emotions and emotional reactions in that the former are more stable and less objective (everything makes one happy, saddens). Emotional states, as well as mental states in general, characterize activity to a greater degree and influence it.
Due to the fact that mental states, like other mental phenomena, can be measured by various parameters, many of them cannot be unambiguously attributed to a particular class.
2.6.1. EMOTIONAL MENTAL CONDITIONS
Depending on the content and dynamics of experiences, emotions are divided into moods, feelings, and affects.
Moods.The main features of the mood are:
1. Weak intensity. If a person experiences a mood of pleasure, then it never comes to any strong manifestation; if it is a sad mood, then it is dimly expressed and does not have at its base intense nervous excitations.
2. Significant duration. Moods are always more or less lasting states. Their very name indicates that the corresponding emotions are slowly developing and experienced over a long period. Short-term emotional states no one calls moods.
3. Vagueness, "accountability." Testing this or that mood, we, as a rule, have little awareness of the reasons that caused it. Often we are in one or another mood, without being aware of the sources of this state, without associating it with certain objects, events or events. “A person feels sad when the body is unwell, although he still doesn’t know at all why this happens” (R. Descartes). On the contrary, when a person is explained the reason for his mood, this mood often passes quickly.
4. Peculiar diffuse nature. Moods leave their imprint on all thoughts, relationships, actions of a person at the moment. In one mood, the work performed seems easy, pleasant, the person good-naturedly reacts to the actions of those around them; in a different mood, the same work becomes hard, unpleasant, and the same actions of other people are perceived as rude and intolerable.
The senses.Distinctive features of the senses are:
1. Distinct intensity. Feelings are stronger emotional experiences than moods. When we say that a person feels a feeling, and not a mood, by this we point first of all to an intense, clearly expressed, well-defined emotional experience: a person not only experiences pleasure, but experiences joy; he is not just in a mood in which some vague anxiety is expressed, he feels fear.
2. Limited duration. Feelings do not last as long as the mood. Their duration is limited by the time of the immediate action of the causes that cause them, or by the recollection of circumstances that caused this feeling. For example, spectators at the stadium experience strong feelings while watching the football competition they are interested in, but these feelings pass after the end of the match. We can re-experience this or that feeling if the thought arises in our memory about the object that caused this feeling in its time.
3. Conscious character. A characteristic feature of the senses is that the reasons that caused them are always clear to the person who is experiencing these feelings. This could be a letter we received, achievement of a sports record, successful performance of work, etc. At the heart of the senses are complex nervous processes in the higher parts of the cerebral cortex: according to I.P. Pavlov, feelings "are connected with the uppermost section and they are all tied to the second signal system." "Unaccountable feeling" is a term that does not correspond to the psychological characteristics of the senses, which always appear as conscious experiences. This term can rightly be applied to moods, not feelings.
4. Strongly differentiated connection of emotional experience with specific objects, actions, circumstances, its calling. Feelings are not diffuse, characteristic of moods. We feel a sense of pleasure in reading this particular book, and not the other; doing a favorite sport, we feel satisfaction that does not extend to its other types, etc. Feelings are closely connected with the activity, for example, the feeling of fear causes the desire to run, and the feeling of anger - the desire to fight. This "objective" nature of feelings is of great importance in their upbringing: feelings develop, become more profound and perfect as a result of close acquaintance with objects that trigger them, systematic exercises in this type of activity, etc.
Feelings are distinguished by the complexity and variety of emotional experiences. Depending on their content and the reasons for them, they are divided into lower and higher.
Lower feelings associated primarily with biological processes in the body, with the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the natural needs of man. An example of lower feelings can be pleasure or suffering experienced in thirst, hunger, satiety, satiety, as well as in various types of muscle activity, depending on the degree of muscle tension or muscle fatigue.
Higher feelings divided into three groups: moral, intellectual and aesthetic.
Moralcalled such higher feelings that are experienced by a person in connection with the awareness of the conformity or non-conformity of his behavior with the requirements of public morality.
Intellectual called feelings associated with the cognitive activity of man, they arise in the process of educational and scientific work, as well as creative activities in various types of art, science and technology.
Aestheticthese are the highest feelings that are caused in us by the beauty or ugliness of perceived objects, be they natural phenomena, works of art or people, as well as their actions and actions.
Affects.Distinctive features of affects are:
1. Very large, sometimes excessive intensity and violent external expression emotional experience. Affects are characterized by excessive force of excitatory and inhibitory processes in the cerebral cortex and, at the same time, enhanced activity of the subcortical centers, the manifestation of deep, instinctive emotional experiences. Rapidly developing excitement in the centers of the cortex associated with these emotional experiences is accompanied by strong inductive inhibition of other parts of the cortex, with the result that during an affect a person may not notice the environment, not be aware of the events and his own actions, and is transmitted to the subcortical centers that, being freed at the moment from the restraining and controlling influence of the entire cortex, cause a vivid external manifestation of the emotional state being experienced.
For example, that a person has an anxious mood, if he is embraced by some, as yet unclear and uncertain concerns. We can say that a person is seized by a feeling of fear, if his condition is already distinguished by greater certainty and the reason for which he is well known. And finally, we can say that a person experiences a horror affect if his emotional state, which, compared with the previous two, is distinguished by extraordinary strength and is vigorously expressed in external movements and internal physiological processes: a person can run from terror without thinking or, on the contrary, stay in place without being able to move.
2. The short duration of the flow of emotional experience. Being an overly intense process, the affect cannot last long and ceases very quickly. At the same time in its course can be noted three stages, characterized by various features.
Initial stage of affect. In some cases, the affect occurs suddenly, in the form of some kind of flash or explosion, and quickly reaches the maximum intensity (Fig. 31 but). In other cases, there is a gradual increase in the intensity of emotional experience: attention is drawn to the objects or circumstances causing the emotion and gradually focuses more on them, arousal increases in some and correspondingly inhibition in other centers of the cortex, the subcortical centers become more and more active and start exert a strong influence on the cortical processes, as a result of which a person loses his composure and, finally, completely surrenders to the strong experience that has engulfed him (Fig. . 31 b).
Central stagewhen the affect develops to its climax. This stage is characterized by dramatic changes and even disturbances in the normal activity of the whole organism. Excitement processes, especially in the subcortical centers, achieve their highest power, deep inhibition covers the most important centers of the cortex, whose functions are inhibited, and therefore the higher nervous processes associated with the social and moral attitudes of the person acquired during life experience and upbringing disrupt, the mechanisms second signaling system and accordingly upset the activity of thinking and speech. The ability of voluntary attention decreases, a person considerably
Emotional state: the types and characteristics of human experiences
Any person gets to know and comprehends the surrounding reality thanks to the means of knowledge: attention, sensations, perception, thinking, imagination and memory. Each subject somehow reacts to the events taking place, feels some emotions, experiences feelings towards certain objects, people, phenomena. Subjective attitude to situations, facts, objects, persons is reflected in the mind of a person in the form of experiences. Such relationships, experienced in the inner world, are called "emotional state". This is a psychophysiological process that motivates a person to perform certain actions, regulates his behavior, and affects thinking.
In the scientific community, there is no single universal definition explaining exactly what an emotional phenomenon is. The emotional state is a generalizing concept for all relationships experienced by an individual that have arisen in the course of his or her life activity. The satisfaction of the requirements and requests of the person, as well as the dissatisfaction of the needs of the individual, gives rise to a variety of emotional states.
What is cognitive therapy and how does it work?
Experiments in hypnosis: hypnotic phenomena in deep hypnosis (somnambulism). Hypnosis training
Types and characteristics of emotional states
In domestic science, emotional processes are classified into separate types, each of which is endowed with its own characteristics and features.
The emotional world of the personality is represented by five components:
- emotions;
- affects;
- feelings;
- moods;
- stresses.
All the above components of the emotional sphere of a person are one of the main regulators of the subject's behavior, act as a source of knowledge of reality, express and define the diversity of options for interaction between people. It should be noted that the same emotional process can last from a few seconds to several hours. In addition, each type of experience can be expressed with minimal force or be very intense.
Consider all the elements of the sphere of emotions and feelings in more detail.
Emotions
Emotion is the experience of the subject at a specific moment of his life, transmitting a personal assessment of the event, informing him about his attitude to the real situation, to the phenomena of the inner world and the events of the external environment. Emotions of a person occur instantly and can change very quickly. The most significant characteristic of emotions is their subjectivity.
Like all other mental processes, all types of emotional states are the result of the active work of the brain. The trigger for the generation of emotions are the changes that are currently occurring in the surrounding reality. The more important and significant the changes are for the subject, the more acute and bright will be the emotion they experience.
When emotions arise, a temporary focus of excitation is formed in the cerebral cortex and then in the subcortical centers - clusters of nerve cells located under the cortex of the big hemispheres. It is in these segments of the brain that the main sections of the regulation of the physiological activity of the organism are located. That is why the emergence of such a focus of excitation leads to an increase in the activity of internal organs and systems. Which, in turn, is also a visible external reflection.
We illustrate with examples. We blush with shame. We turn pale from fear, and our heart stops. Out of anguish, heart aches. From the excitement we are suffocating, often and irregularly breathing in and out.
Emotions are also characterized by valence (directivity). They may be positive or negative color. It should be noted that in almost all people in the normal state the number of negative emotions is much higher than the number of positive color experiences. In the course of the research, it was established that the left hemisphere is more a source of positive emotions, while the right hemisphere supports negative experiences more.
In all types of emotional states, their polarity can be traced, that is, the presence of emotions with a plus sign and with a value of minus. For example: pride - annoyance; joy is grief. There are also neutral emotions, for example: surprise. This does not mean that the two polar emotions are mutually exclusive. In the complex feelings of a person often found a combination of conflicting emotions.
Also, emotions vary in intensity - their strength. For example: anger, anger and rage, in fact, are identical experiences, but they manifest with different strength.
Emotions are also classified into two types: sthenic (active) and asthenic (passive). Active experiences motivate and encourage people to perform actions, passive emotions relax and deprive of energy. For example: for joy, we are ready to turn over the mountains, and for fear we have weak legs.
Another feature of emotions is the fact that although they are perceived by man as experiences, it is impossible in the waking state to influence their occurrence. All emotional states originate in the deep repositories of the psyche - the subconscious. Access to the resources of the subconscious sphere is possible with a temporary change in consciousness, achieved through hypnosis.
Affects
The second kind of emotional states - affects. This is a short-term state, which is characterized by a special intensity and expressiveness of experiences. Affect is a psychophysiological process that rapidly captures the subject and flows very expressively. It is characterized by significant changes in consciousness and a violation of personality control over their behavior, loss of self-control.
Affect is accompanied by pronounced external manifestations and active functional restructuring of the internal systems. The peculiarity of this kind of emotional states is binding to the situation of the present. Affect always arises in response to an already existing state of affairs, that is, it cannot be focused on the future and reflect the experiences of the past.
Affect can develop for various reasons. Violent emotional process can be caused by a single stressful factor, a prolonged stressful situation, and a serious human disease. Examples of affective states are the following states. Delight at winning your favorite team, experienced a passionate fan. The anger that has arisen when detecting a betrayal of a loved one. The panic that gripped a man during a fire. The euphoria that occurred during the discovery of a scientist after many years of hard work.
In its development, affect passes through several stages, which are characterized by their own characteristics and experiences. In the initial phase, the person reflects exclusively on the subject of his experiences, is unwittingly distracted from other more important phenomena. The usual picture of the start of the affective state is represented by energetic and expressive movements. Tears, heart-rending sobs, loud laughter, ridiculous cries are characteristic features of the experience of affect.
From a strong nervous tension, the pulse and respiratory function change, the motility of movements is disturbed. Intensive action of the stimuli that excite cortical structures above their inherent limit of working capacity leads to the development of extreme (protective) inhibition. This phenomenon causes a disorganization of the human mind: the subject experiences a stubborn need to surrender to the emotion experienced.
At this moment of the affective state, any individual can take measures in order not to lose control of himself and slow down the development of a cascade of destructive reactions. It is this phenomenon that hypnosis influences: in a state of hypnotic trance, attitudes are implanted in a person’s subconscious mind, which allow, at an instinctive level, to prevent an increase in affect at a crisis moment. That is, as a result of hypnosis suggestion, a person, unknowingly on a conscious level, acquires the required skills to inhibit the development of a negative emotional state.
If, however, a subsequent stage of affect has occurred, then the subject completely loses his self-control and ability to control the behavior. He commits reckless acts, performs useless actions, says ridiculous phrases. It should be noted that such manifestations of the affective outbreak are hardly remembered by the person later on. This situation arises due to the fact that after excessive excitation of the cortical structures inhibition occurs, which interrupts the existing system of temporary connections.
However, information about the behavior during an affective outburst is firmly deposited in the subconscious sphere, reminding oneself of vague and vague experiences of shame for the acts committed. Such completely unrecognizable sensations eventually become the culprits of depressive states, because a person intuitively feels guilty, not realizing at the same time what he has done. To recognize the factors that have been moved into the subconscious during an affective outburst, a deliberate temporary shutdown of consciousness through is necessary.
Summing up the information, you need to specify: the affect itself is neither bad nor good. Its tonality and consequences depend on what kind of experiences a person experiences - positive or negative, and how much he controls himself in this emotional state.
The difference between hypnosis and other "states"
The senses
The third type of emotional states is feelings. These are more stable psycho-emotional states in comparison with emotions and affect. Feelings are manifestations of the subjective attitude of a person to real facts or abstract objects, certain things or generalized concepts. Moreover, such an assessment is almost always unconscious. The origin and affirmation of feelings is the process of forming a sustainable relationship of a person to an object or phenomenon, which is based on an individual's experience of interaction with such an object.
Feature of feelings - in contrast to emotions, they are more or less permanent, it is an ingrained personality trait. Emotion, at the same time, fleeting experience of this situation. Let's give an example. The feeling is a person's love for music. While staying at a good concert with excellent music performance, he experiences active positive emotions - interest and joy. However, when the same person is faced with a disgusting performance of the work, he feels passive negative emotions - grief and disgust.
Feelings are directly related to the personality trait, they reflect a person’s attitude to life, his world view, beliefs, and views. Feeling is a complex in its structure kind of emotional states. Let's give an example. The feeling of envy is inherently a person’s feelings about the success of another person. Envy is a combination of several emotions combined together: anger, resentment, contempt.
In addition to the valence (color), there is another feature of this type - the intensity of feelings. The stronger and deeper the feeling of a person, the more pronounced its external (physiological) manifestations, the more significant its influence on the subject's behavior.
All negative feelings perform extremely destructive functions, forming painful thinking and leading to non-functional behavior. Such negative emotional states, rooted in the human subconscious, not only impede the normal interaction of the person in society, but also cause psychopathological disorders.
Consider the example of envy. Envy turns someone else’s good fortune into an inferiority complex, the happiness of another person into a feeling of worthlessness and uselessness. Envy is an energetic vampire that forces a person to spend his time, strength, energy on endless tracking of the success and achievements of another person. This feeling forces a person to start performing actions, forcing to gossip, slander, plot, intrigue, and often use physical force. As a result, the subject is left with nothing when he does not have the strength to act, and there are no friends who can support him. The ensuing depression in such a situation is a natural step taken by the “wise” subconscious, indicating that the subject needs to stop, reconsider his outlook and choose a different style of behavior.
In addition to the sthenic feelings that motivate the subject to act, there are asthenic experiences. This is an emotional state that paralyzes the will of a person and deprives him of his strength. An example of a passive feeling is despair, which underlies depressive states.
Feelings can be called an intermediate link between an intense emotion experienced in relation to an object or situation, and a neurotic or psychotic disorder. And to solve the problem of man, it is necessary to break this vicious chain. To do this, it is necessary to gain access to the repositories of the subconscious, which requires the temporary elimination of conscious censorship through hypnosis. Only by establishing the initial factor that has served to form a negative feeling can one eliminate the obvious problem of man.
Moods
Mood is a fairly long-lasting emotional state that colors all human experiences and influences his behavior. Especially mood - unaccountable, insignificance, relative stability. If the mood becomes significant intensity, it has a significant impact on mental activity of a person, the productivity of his work. For example, if a person is in a dreary mood, then it is very difficult for her to focus on the task being performed and it is problematic to bring the work started to the final.
Frequent change of emotional states, called mood lability, suggests that the subject has affective disorders. Rapid change of the episode of spleen and mania can be a sign of bipolar depression.
Another feature of this emotional state is the lack of attachment to a particular object.Mood expresses the general attitude of the individual to the status quo as a whole.
How is a person's mood formed? This kind of emotional state can have very different sources: both recent events and very distant situations. The main factor influencing the mood of a person is his satisfaction or dissatisfaction with life in general, or with some separate phenomena. Despite the fact that the mood of a person always depends on certain reasons, the sources of the present emotional state are not always clear and understandable to a person. For example, a person indicates that she is in a bad mood, something oppresses and distresses her. However, she cannot independently establish the relationship between bad mood and her unfulfilled promise made a month ago.
To prevent mental abnormalities, everyone should understand the reasons for the change in his mood. In order to avoid depression and other problems, it is necessary to clarify and eliminate objectively existing factors affecting a person’s emotional state. This step is convenient and expedient to perform by applying the techniques of hypnosis. A feature of hypnosis is its painlessness and comfort: the establishment and correction of any psychological defects occurs in a “harmless” mode, when the psyche of the subject does not receive unnecessary injuries typical of psychotherapeutic effects.
Stress
The term "stress" is usually denoted special feelings of feelings that are similar in their characteristics to the affect and are similar in their duration to moods. The causes of stress are varied. A single intense intense exposure to external factors can cause a stressful state. Long-lasting monotonous situations in which the individual feels threatened or offended can lead to stress. For example, a woman, due to circumstances, is forced to share housing with an alcoholic spouse, with whom she is associated with common children and jointly “earned” debts. It is impossible to drastically change the situation at one moment, and the lady has no internal forces necessary for that. So she pulls her miserable burden, experiencing a lot of negative emotions every day. The lack of prospects for improvement of the situation, the impossibility of restoring the old family relationships are the basis for stress.
Often this emotional state arises in the subject, if he feels a nervous tension for a long period and experiences negative emotions. At the same time, he understands that a change in the current situation at the moment and the near future is impossible. An example of such a situation is the sudden tragedy, as a result of which a person receives physical injuries and becomes confined to a wheelchair. Awareness of their physical failure, the understanding that the full recovery of the body is hardly possible for a person to be a tremendous stress, fraught with the development of deep depression.
Is it possible to defeat stress and restore full health? Very often, orthodox medicine, by prescribing psychotropic drugs to a patient, tries to eliminate the painful symptoms associated with stress. However, fading away for a while, the painful experiences come back to the person again, and in a more expressive form.
This is due to the fact that drug treatment is not able to affect the cause of the problem, so the drugs can not ensure the full restoration of human mental health. To identify and influence the source of life difficulties, it is necessary to use hypnosis, since only he has the resources to penetrate into the sphere of the subconscious - a repository of information about a person’s personal history. Treatment of the effects of stress with the help of hypnosis provides for the complete elimination of the problem provocateur, a lifelong change in the world view of constructive tactics, and an atraumatic restoration of a person’s mental health.
A quick dip in hypnosis: catalepsy
Street hypnosis (Elman's induction). How to quit smoking with hypnosis?
The most typical conditions peculiar to most people, both in everyday life and in [[Professional activity / professional activity]], are as follows.
Optimum working condition providing the greatest efficiency of activity at an average pace and intensity of labor (the state of the operator working on a conveyor line, turner, grindering part, a teacher who leads a regular lesson). It is characterized by the presence of a conscious goal of activity, a high concentration of attention, an aggravation of memory, and an intensification of thinking.
The state of intense workarising in the process of labor in extreme conditions (the condition of an athlete at a competition, a test pilot during a test of a new machine, a circus performer when performing a complex stunt, etc.). Mental stress is due to the presence of a highly significant goal or increased requirements for the employee. It can also be determined by a strong motivation to achieve a result or a high cost of error. It is characterized by a very high activity of the entire nervous system.
State of professional interest is of great importance for the efficiency of work. For such a condition characterized by: awareness of the importance of professional activity. the desire to learn more about her and to be active in her field; focus on objects related to this area. The creative nature of professional activity can give rise to mental states in an employee that are similar in nature to a state of creative inspirationpeculiar to scientists, writers, artists, actors, musicians. It is expressed in the creative rise, exacerbation of perception, increasing the ability to play previously captured; increase the power of imagination.
The mental state of readiness for it as a whole and for its individual constituent elements is important for effective professional activity.
Monotonia - a condition that develops with long repetitive loads of medium and low intensity (for example, the status of a truck driver at the end of a long journey). It is called monotonous, repetitive information. The prevailing emotions that accompany this state. - boredom, indifference, decline in attention indicators, deterioration in the perception of incoming information.
Fatigue - temporary decrease in working capacity under the influence of a long and high load. It is due to the depletion of the body's resources during prolonged or excessive activity. It is characterized by reduced motivation to work, impaired attention and memory. Pa physiological level, there is an excessive increase in the processes of inhibition of the central nervous system.
Stress - the state of long-term and increased voltage associated with the inability to adapt to the requirements of the environment. This condition is due to prolonged exposure to environmental factors in excess of the ability of the organism to adapt.
It is characterized by mental stress, a feeling of unhappiness, anxiety, anxiety, and in the last stage - indifference and apathy. At the physiological level, there is a depletion of adrenaline reserves necessary for the body.
State of relaxation - This state of calm, relaxation and recuperation, occurs during autogenic training sessions, during prayer. The cause of involuntary relaxation is the cessation of strenuous activity. The reason for arbitrary relaxation is the practice of psychological self-regulation, as well as prayer and other religious rites, which are considered by believers as a way of communicating with higher powers.
The predominant sensations in this state are the relaxation of the whole body, the feeling of peace, pleasant warmth.
Sleep state - a special state of the human psyche, which is characterized by an almost complete disconnection of consciousness from the external environment.
During sleep, a two-phase mode of the brain is observed - alternating between slow and fast sleep, which can also be considered as independent mental states. Sleep is associated with the need to streamline the information flows received during wakefulness, and the need to restore the body's resources. Man's mental reactions during sleep are involuntary, from time to time he has emotionally-colored dreams. At the physiological level, alternating activation of different parts of the nervous system is noted.
State of wakefulness - contrasted with the state of sleep. In the most peaceful form, wakefulness manifests itself in such forms of human activity, such as reading a book, watching a TV show that is neutral in terms of emotional level, etc. In this case, there is a lack of pronounced emotions, moderate activity of the nervous system.
One or another relationship between these states, the dynamics of their development play an important role both in the daily life of a person and in his production activity. Therefore, psychological states are one of the main objects of study, both in general psychology and in such a branch of psychological science as the psychology of labor.
16. Under mental personality traits are understood stable mental phenomena that significantly affect human activity and characterize it mainly from the socio-psychological side. In other words, these are mental phenomena that are realized in a certain society (social group or in relationships with other people). Their structure includes direction, temperament, character and ability.
Focus - this complex mental property, representing a relatively stable unity of the needs, motives and goals of the individual, determining the nature of its activities. Its content is formed on the basis of interconnected inner motives of a person, which show what he strives for in life, what goals he sets for himself and why he performs this or that action (commits an act). This is due to the fact that human activity is always subjectively defined and expresses all that requires its satisfaction from it. They also manifest the attitudes peculiar to a person, which were formed in the process of his life and are considered as an attitude towards society as a whole and towards one’s behavior in a particular social environment in particular. Orientation precisely expresses the indicated features in an integrated form and focuses, as it were, on the main personal meaning of human activity.
As a complex mental property of the individual, the focus has its internal structure, including needs, goals and motives.
Needs - the need of man, as a socio-biological being, in a particular spiritual or material object (phenomenon). They require their satisfaction and encourage the individual to be active for this, to carry out specific activities. According to orientation, needs are divided into material (need for food, clothing, housing, etc.) and spiritual (need for information, knowledge, communication, etc.).
In contrast to the needs of animals, which are mainly on an instinctive level and are limited mainly by biological (material) needs, human needs are formed in ontogenesis, multiplied and changed in the course of his whole life, which is largely predetermined by social relations and the level of social production. Moreover, the external situation itself can actualize the formation of new needs at a particular stage of human activity.
The needs, as a structural element of the orientation of the individual, always have a number of specific features. Firstly, they always have a specific meaningful character, connected either with the object that people (housing, clothing, food, etc.) or with some kind of activity (play, study, communication, etc.) strive to possess. Secondly, the awareness of need is always accompanied by a characteristic emotional state (for example, satisfaction or dissatisfaction). Thirdly, the need is always present volitional component, focused on the search for possible ways to meet it.
The material and spiritual needs of a person have a decisive influence on the formation goals – conscious ideal image of the result of activities (actions performed), aimed at achieving existing needs. In the psychology of personality, this concept is used in the study of deliberate actions that represent a specific feature of human activity. In this case, goal setting is considered as the main mechanism for the formation of any human actions.
The psychophysiological basis of the formation of the goals of human activity is the acceptor of the results of the action, which PK Anokhin considered as a regulatory program of the physiological realization of the action by means of anticipating and authorizing (giving information about the compliance of the achieved result with the required) commands. Their psychological basis, along with the needs, is subject-material human activity aimed at transforming the surrounding world. In ontogeny, their development goes in the direction from the formation of those or other intentions in joint activities with other people to the person setting goals for himself.
By the time of existence of the goal are operational (near future), promising (weeks, months), long-term (years) and life. The life goal acts as a general integrator of all other goals. As a rule, the implementation of each of these types of goals in adulthood is carried out in accordance with the life goal.
The image of an anticipated result of an action, acquiring a motive force, becomes the goal, begins to direct the action and determine the choice of possible ways of implementation only by associating with a specific motive or system of motives.
Motive (lat. moveo- move), considered as direct internal urge to commit a specific action to achieve the goal of the activity. Its specific content is determined by the objective conditions of human life. With the change of specific social conditions, the prerequisites for the development of certain motives in the form of situational or stable ones also change.
The content and direction (implementation of the activity or its prohibition) of motives determine not only the fact of the implementation of a particular activity, but also its effectiveness. Experimentally demonstrated its influence on the structure and specificity of the processes of memorization, the construction of movements, the structure of the game, etc. In addition, the motives of the subject set the direction of his cognitive activity and structure the content of perception, memory, thinking. As a result, they can manifest themselves in the form of dreams, in the products of imagination, in the patterns of involuntary memorization and forgetting of significant events. The motives themselves may not be realized, but only take the form of the emotional coloring of certain needs. However, their awareness allows a person to control their activities and individual actions.
The process of formation of motives is characterized by the integration of spontaneously arising impulses into larger motivational units with a tendency to form an integral motivational system of the individual. For example, the characteristic for early age amorphous structure of impulses is gradually transformed into a more complex structure with a centralized conscious-will behavior control system. The motives formed as a result are a specific means of regulation of activity, reflecting a peculiar energy level and structural features of the activity accessible to humans. In this regard, they can act in a variety of forms and fields of activity and represent both simple (wants, cravings, desires) and complex (interests, attitudes, ideals) motives of actions, behavior and activities in general.
In general, the level of orientation is determined by its social significance, the manifestation of a person’s life position, his moral character and degree of social maturity. Consequently, knowledge of the orientation of the personality allows not only to understand the actions of another person, but also to predict his behavior in specific situations and conditions of activity.
However, with relatively coinciding characteristics of focus, different people behave differently: some are harsh and gusting, others respond slowly, carefully thinking through their steps, etc. This is due to another mental property of the individual - temperament.
Temperament (lat. temperamentum- proportionality, proper ratio of parts) - a regular correlation of the stable features of the functioning of the psyche, which forms a certain dynamics of the flow of mental processes and manifests itself in human behavior and activity.
In the history of the development of the theory of personality psychology, there are three main systems of views on the nature of temperament, the most ancient of which are humoral approaches. So according to the theory of Hippocrates, it depends on the ratio between the four fluids circulating in the human body - blood (Latin. sanquis), bile (Greek chole), black bile (Greek melaschole) and mucus (Greek phlegma). Assuming that one of them prevails in the human body, he singled out the appropriate temperaments: sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic. Close to humoral theories is the idea formulated by PF Lesgaft that the properties of the circulatory system underlie the manifestations of temperament. The basis of morphological theories (E. Krechmer, W. Sheldon, and others) is the assumption that the type of temperament depends on the constitutional features of the human body. However, the weakest point in both approaches is the desire of their authors to single out such systems of the body as the root cause of the behavioral manifestations of temperament that do not possess and cannot possess the necessary properties for this.
In modern Russian psychology, a third belief system is used, based on the typology of temperaments developed by IP Pavlov. In her physiological basis He laid the most common characteristics of the main mental processes - excitement and inhibition: their strength, balance and mobility. As a result of their various combinations, initially four types of higher nervous activity (GNI) were identified: strong, uncontrolled, inert, and weak. Subsequent studies allowed us to describe people with different types of GNI, manifested in the dynamics of their behavior and received the name of active, expansive, calm and depressed. Later, the scientist linked his discovery with the notion of temperament proposed by Hippocrates, and assigned them the corresponding names - sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic and melancholic.
Sanguine temperament formed on the basis of strong, balanced and mobile nervous processes that determine a strong type of GNI and active behavior. Sanguine is characterized by activity, energy, quick and thoughtful reaction to events, interest in the significant and unknown. In communication, they are correct, emotionally restrained. In the behavior of plastic, easily adapt to changing environments and conditions of activity.
Choleric temperament formed on the basis of strong, unbalanced and mobile nervous processes that determine the unrestrained type of GNI and expansive behavior. People of this temperament (choleric) are characterized by high activity, speed of action and energy. In communication, they often change mood, easily show sharpness and flashes of emotions. They usually talk quickly, decisions are made instantly, accompanying them with active gestures and sudden movements.
Phlegmatic temperament formed in people with strong, balanced and sedentary nervous mental processes that determine the inert type of GNI and measured behavior. Outwardly, these are calm and somewhat sluggish people with inexpressive facial expressions and gestures. They easily transfer monotonous conditions of activity, are well-grounded in making and making decisions, and successfully perform complex, monotonous work. Their circle of communication is limited, speech is monotonous and slow.
Melancholic temperament formed as a result of weak, unbalanced and mobile nervous processes that determine the weak type of GNI and changeable behavior. Melancholic people are easily vulnerable, acutely perceive injustice, are distinguished by the gradual maturation of feelings, a significant influence of mood on the quality of their activities. In communication, they prefer to listen to others, empathize, show respect for the feelings of the interlocutors, as a result of which they are often respected by others.
However, it should be borne in mind that at the present stage of development of psychology, it is not possible to make a final conclusion about the number of temperaments. Recent studies by scientists have shown that the very structure of the properties of the nervous system is much more complicated than previously thought and, therefore, the number of their main combinations can be much larger. However, the division into four main types of temperament proposed by IPPavlov for practical study of the peculiarities of a person’s personal sphere can serve as a fairly good base.
Based on the manifestation of personality temperament in specific social conditions, the following mental property is formed - character.
Character in psychology is considered as a set of the most stable mental traits that manifest themselves in all types of human interpersonal interaction and expressing its individual identity. It is believed that the individual characteristics of a person, forming his character, primarily depend on the personality orientation, type of nervous system and are determined by his will, emotions and intelligence (mind).
The formation of a person’s character as a mental personality trait occurs in the context of its inclusion in various social groups (family, friends, informal associations, etc.). Depending on the conditions under which the individualization of the personality is carried out and what is the level of development of interpersonal relations in them, in the same subject in one case openness, independence and firmness can form, and in the other directly opposite features - secrecy, conformism, weak character. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that in many cases their formation and consolidation is determined by the orientation of the personality and the peculiarity of the human temperament.
Among the character traits, some act as the main, defining the general direction of its manifestation, others - as secondary, manifesting only in certain situations. Their correspondence to each other is considered as a character integrity (integral character), and opposition as its inconsistency (contradictory character).
Character is the core psychological property of a personality, the content of which is assessed according to its relationship to various events and phenomena of objective reality that form the corresponding character traits. In turn, a character trait is a stable personality trait that repeats in various situations. Modern Russian has more than five hundred words that reveal the content of various aspects of one or another character trait. This allows you to specifically characterize a person, but requires a rather capacious thesaurus.
To overcome this difficulty in the domestic psychology, an appropriate systematization of mental personality traits (character traits) has been developed, based on the dichotomous method of classifying phenomena (broken down into polar pairs of subordinate elements). As a result, for example, among the most revealing character traits that serve as the basis for their classification, depending on the level of development of its main components, there are:
in relation: to social phenomena - convinced and unprincipled; to activity - active and inactive; to communicate - sociable and closed; to oneself - an altruist and an egoist;
by strength- strong and weak;
according to emotional features- balanced and unbalanced, etc ..
No less important traits of character, revealing its features, are also indicators of its focus, initiative, creativity, responsibility, ethics and a number of others.
The variability of character traits is manifested not so much in their qualitative diversity, as in quantitative expression. When it reaches the limit values, the so-called character accentuation, signifying the excessive expression of its individual features or their combination. It is believed that this is an extreme variant of the norm of behavior.
In modern psychology, in order to systematize accentuated character traits, in most cases, the approach developed by K. Leongard is used, which identified the following thirteen types:
cycloid- The alternation of the phases of good and bad mood with a different period of flow;
hyperthymic- constantly high spirits, increased mental activity with a thirst for activity and a tendency not to bring the work started to the end;
labile- mood swings depending on the situation;
asthenic- fatigue, irritability, a tendency to depression;
sensitive- Increased susceptibility, fearfulness, heightened sense of inferiority;
psychasthenic- high anxiety, suspiciousness, indecision, a tendency to self-analysis, constant doubts;
schizoid- fenced off from the outside world, isolation, emotional coldness, manifested in the absence of empathy;
epileptoid- a tendency to angry-melancholy mood with accumulating aggression, manifested in the form of rage and anger;
stuck- increased suspicion and sensitivity, the desire for dominance, the rejection of the opinions of others, conflict;
demonstrative- a pronounced tendency to oust unpleasant facts and events, deceit, pretense, “flight into illness” when the need for recognition is not met;
distyme- the prevalence of low mood, a tendency to depression, focus on the dark and sad sides of life;
unstable- the tendency to easily be influenced by others, the search for new experiences and companies, the superficial nature of communication;
conformal- excessive subordination and dependence on other people, lack of criticality and initiative.
As already noted, the character of a person is formed in a certain social environment on the basis of the physiological predestination of his psyche, including abilities.
Abilities - the compliance of mental personality characteristics with the requirements of a specific type of activity. That is, it is a mental property of the person, reflecting the manifestation of its features that allow you to successfully perform various activities. The development of the majority of applied problems of the personality psychology, including the methods of professional selection, is based on this understanding.
It is necessary to take into account that abilities are a holistic reflection of the individual psychological characteristics of a person and are manifested in the motivational, operational and functional mechanisms of his activity.
Motivational mechanismit represents a kind of “trigger” for activating the psyche, setting it up and mobilizing for the upcoming activity, creating conditions for the functioning of other mental mechanisms. Operating mechanism abilities include a set of operations or ways by which the realization of a conscious goal in the final result. Functional mechanism it is provided by the mental processes considered earlier, in connection with which higher abilities are possessed by people who have developed imagination, memory, thinking, etc.
Among kinds of abilities allocate private, implemented in one action, special, used in a particular activity and common, used in all spheres of human activity.
Ability levelspredetermine the quality of relevant human activities. These include:
failure to- the discrepancy between the mental characteristics of the individual and the psychological requirements of the activities they perform;
simple ability- the compliance of the mental characteristics of the individual with the psychological requirements of the activities they perform
talent- the ability of an individual to achieve high results in a particular field of activity;
talent- the ability to achieve outstanding results in one of the areas of the individual;
genius- the ability to achieve outstanding results in a specific area of human activity.
It should be borne in mind that abilities are an already formed mental property and should be distinguished from inclinations and inclinations. If the inclination is the desire of the individual to a certain activity, then the makings are innate features of the psyche, allowing the individual to effectively carry out specific activities. Both the first and the second, unlike abilities, represent only a person’s potential and may turn out to be completely unclaimed.
Such is the content of the psychology of personality. The previously mentioned division of its elements into three groups (mental processes, formations and properties) is very conditional and is used only for educational purposes. All of them act simultaneously, complementing and mutually influencing each other. In confirmation of this, the conclusion of SLRubinshtein that the mental phenomena of a personality "are almost inseparable from each other. On the one hand, all mental processes in their course depend on the characteristics and characteristics of the personality ..., on the other hand - each the type of mental processes, fulfilling its role in the life of the individual, in the course of activity turns into its properties. "
Knowledge of the psychological structure of the personality, understanding of the mechanisms of its functioning and characteristics of manifestation is one of the important conditions for the effectiveness of management activities of all categories of managers. In this case, not only conditions are created for understanding and explaining the actions and actions of the subordinate personnel and colleagues, but also for the effective management of their joint professional activity.
Features of cognitive mental states
Conclusion
1. The essence of mental states and their classification
In this abstract, we have a goal to briefly characterize the essence of mental states, incl. in the process of cognitive activity, based on the experience of domestic and foreign researchers. Three main tasks arise from this goal: firstly, to study the essence of mental states and their classification, secondly, to characterize emotional and volitional mental states, and, finally, to bring about the peculiarities of cognitive mental states of a person.
The mental state of a person is a very complex multifaceted phenomenon, which has always been the object of rapt attention from psychologists and other specialists.
Today, under the mental state understand the temporary functional level of the psyche, which reflects the interaction of the influence of the internal environment of the body or external factors and determines the direction of the course of mental processes at a certain moment and the manifestation of mental properties of a person.
From the standpoint of functioning, the mental state of the personality is manifested in how quickly or slowly the reactions and processes occur in it, and how the existing mental properties are affected.
The mental state is closely related to the individual properties of the individual, since it characterizes mental activity not in general, but individually. The state of fear in one person can be expressed in mental arousal, and in another - in mental "paralysis", inhibition of mental activity. Just as mental properties are reflected in mental states, mental states can turn into mental properties. If a person very often experiences a state of anxiety, the possible formation of a personality trait is anxiety.
Each mental state is the experience of the subject and at the same time the activity of its different systems, it has an external expression and is found in the change in the effect of the activity that is performed by the person. Only by comparing indicators together, which each of these personality psychological levels reflect, allows one to conclude that a person has one or another state. Neither behavior nor different psychophysiological indicators, taken separately, can reliably differentiate the mental state. The leading place in the diagnosis of states belongs to the experiences associated with the attitude of the individual to a particular phenomenon or situation. The selection of experiences as a visible factor in the mental state of the individual makes it possible to consider the mental state as a qualitative characteristic of the individual psyche, which combines the mental processes and personality traits and influences them (Fig. 1).
Mental states have a reflex nature. At the same time, some of them are, of course, a reflex origin, for example, a state of hunger, thirst, and satiety, while others (most) are conditionally reflex. For example, in a person who is used to starting work at the same time, before it begins, a state of optimal readiness for activity arises, he enters the work rhythm from the very first minute.
The basis of mental states is a certain ratio of nerve processes (from episodic to stable, typical for this person) in the cortex of the main brain. Under the influence of a combination of external and internal stimuli, a certain general tone of the cortex arises, its functional level.
Picture 1
Mental states in the structure of the personality psyche
The physiological state of the bark I.P. Pavlov called phase states. “At one end,” he wrote, “a state is raised, an extreme increase in tone, irritation, when the inhibitory process becomes impossible or very difficult. It is followed by a normal, vigorous state, a state of balance between irritable and inhibitory processes. Then follows a long, but also consistent, series of transition states to the stopping state. Of these, especially characteristic: the equalizing state, when all stimuli, regardless of their intensity, as opposed to a cheerful state, act in exactly the same way; the paradoxical state, when only weak stimuli or / and strong stimuli act, but only barely, and, finally, ultra paradoxical, when only previously developed inhibitory agents act positively, a state followed by a complete inhibitory state. ” Pupils I.P. Pavlov differentiated and divided some phases into a number of additional phases.
External mental states are manifested in changes in breathing and blood circulation, in facial expressions, pantomimics, movements, walking, gestures, intonation features of speech, etc. Thus, in a state of satisfaction, an increase in the frequency and amplitude of respiration can be observed, and dissatisfaction predetermines a decrease in the frequency and amplitude of respiration. Breathing in an excited state becomes frequent and deep, in a stressed state - slow and weak, in anxious - accelerated and weak. In case of unexpected surprise, breathing becomes more frequent, but maintains a normal amplitude.
Mental conditions can be classified according to a variety of characteristics. First of all, divide them into groups of manifestations of mental processes:
emotional states - moods, affects, anxiety, etc .;
volitional states - decisiveness, confusion, etc .;
cognitive states - concentration, thoughtfulness, etc.
Also, mental states are distinguished by depth and duration. Passion as a mental state is deeper than mood. Each state is temporary, it can change another. With the practical purpose to isolate the state of instant (unstable), long-lasting and even chronic, or operational, current and permanent, it is necessary for psychological diagnosis. Each state - for example, anxiety and reverie, under certain conditions can be both operational (unstable), and current (long), and permanent (chronic). The transition of states from current to permanent can be either positive (state of fitness in sports, decisiveness) or negative (state of fatigue, confusion).
Intellectual, emotional, volitional and combined states are purely psychological signs.
Depending on the type of occupation of the individual, mental states are divided into states in training, labor, combat, domestic, extreme, and other activities.
According to their role in the structure of personality, states can be situational, personal, and group. Situational states express the peculiarities of a situation that caused reactions uncharacteristic of its mental activity in the personality psyche. Personality and collective (group) states are typical for a particular person or team (group).
According to the depth of experience, deep and superficial states are distinguished. By the nature of the impact on the individual, the collective (group) states are divided into positive and negative.
For the duration of mental states are long and fast. The longing of young soldiers (sailors) in their homeland can cover a period of up to several weeks, until they get used to the new conditions, do not “join” the team. Some people have a state of waiting for a significant event several months before it occurs.
According to the degree of awareness, states can be more or less conscious and unconscious.
The difficulty of distinguishing the types of mental states lies in the fact that it is almost impossible to place them within the same scale, to classify them by one attribute. Each state has its own set of manifestations and signs (level of awareness, domination of mental processes, duration, adequacy of the situation, etc.).
So, in mental states, the characteristics of mental processes and personality traits are merged. Analysis of the mental state makes it possible to predict the behavior of the individual, his development and self-growth.
Moreover, all mental states are peculiar to:
integrity, mobility and relative stability;
direct and direct connection with mental processes and personality traits;
individual originality and typicality;
not matching personality traits and mental states, polarity.
Emotional and volitional mental states
Emotions are a very important component of the human psyche, these are mental phenomena that reflect, in the form of experiences, personal significance and assessment of external and internal situations for a person’s vital activity.
Emotions can significantly affect a person’s behavior and activity. Experiencing the life meaning of phenomena and properties of the world, or emotions, is a necessary prerequisite for human activity. Emotional processes provide, above all, the energy basis of activity, are its motives. Emotions determine the qualitative and quantitative characterization of behavior. They also provide selectivity perception - the choice of objects of the environment that affect a person and are important to him. At the same time, congenital, unconditioned-reflex emotions and acquired emotions or conditionally-reflex emotions are distinguished.
The world of human emotions is multifaceted. Emotions as much as situations in which the person falls. In general, feelings and emotions change contrast in the following directions:
satisfaction (pleasant experience);
displeasure (unpleasant experience);
double (ambivalent);
uncertain attitude to reality.
Among the main emotional states are mood, affect, stress, frustration and passion (tab. 1).
Mood - a relatively long-lasting mental state of moderate or low intensity, which manifests itself as a positive or negative emotional background of the individual's mental life. The mood can be joyful or sad, awake or depressed. The source of the emergence of a mood is, as a rule, the state of health or the person's position in society. At the same time, the mood, in turn, affects the attitude of a person to his environment: it will be unequal in a joyful mood and, for example, in a sad one.
Table 1
Characteristics of the main emotional states
Emotional state Parameters Confusion Characterized by subconscious and weak expressiveness. It can be joyful, sad, indifferent. The effect is characterized by significant changes in consciousness, loss of self-control, changes in the entire vital activity of the organism. Stress Strong stresses increase the vegetative system, disorganize the psyche; weak stresses induce very complex activities. Frustration Conflict between the level of desires and opportunities, lethargy, depression. Passion. Maximum interest in the subject of passion.
Affect is a strong and relatively short-term emotional state associated with an abrupt change in vital circumstances for the subject, which is characterized by pronounced motor, speech manifestations and changes in the functions of the internal organs.
There are physiological and pathological affects. In a state of physiological affect, a person, despite a sudden shock, is able to direct or control his activity. This affect occurs as a reaction of the body to a strong and unexpected irritant. Pathological affect is mostly caused by a relatively weak irritant, for example, a slight insult.
Stress (from the English. Stress - "pressure, tension") is a state of personality that arises as a response to various extreme types of influence of the external and internal environment, which disrupts the physical or psychological functions of a person.
A person can be affected by a variety of stressors, the effect of which may be different (Table 2). Short-term stress mobilizes all the forces of a person, helps to overcome obstacles, perform an act of volition, and severe prolonged stress leads to chronic fatigue and professional burnout.
Stress, as well as boredom, aversion can be a specific emotional state of activity. At the same time, the emotional intensity and uniformity of labor can be both objective and subjective, reflected only in the human mind.
Frustration also acts as a blocking of the aspirations of the individual, a state of unpleasant emotional stress caused by external or internal obstacles that make it impossible for the person to realize his intentions temporarily or permanently. Frustration, as a rule, is accompanied by a number of negative consequences: the emergence of frustration, despair, aggression, deprevation, etc.
table 2
Types of stressors and their effects
Stressors Consequences Production (overload, poor equipment) Fatigue, anxiety, irritation, guilt, illness Role-playing (role conflict, lack of status) Behavioral problems, threat of conflict Structural (weak communications, violation of hierarchy) Poor concentration, low motivation, problems with volitional actions Personalities (problems in personal relationships, economic, social) Decreased self-esteem, low productivity, depression, neurosis, illness mental stressful volitional personality
Passion is a strong, enduring all-encompassing and all-absorbing feeling that dominates other motives, needs of a person and leads to a focus on the subject of passion of all his powers and aspirations.
Volitional states are temporary mental states that optimize, mobilize the human psyche to overcome internal and external obstacles. Often such states manifest themselves in a volitional effort that reflects the strength of the neuropsychic tension that mobilizes the physical, intellectual and moral strengths of a person. By positive volitional states can be attributed perseverance, determination, dedication, enthusiasm, and negative - confusion, lack of will, passivity, indecision, doubt, etc.
3. Features of cognitive mental states
As we saw in the first chapter of this work, cognitive processes are closely related to emotional and volitional processes and states.
The cognitive process is the mental process by which a person knows the world. Cognitive activity is the process of reflection in the brain of a person, his consciousness of objects and phenomena of reality. It consists of a series of cognitive mental processes: sensation, perception, attention, memory, imagination, thinking and speech. The display of reality in human consciousness can occur at the level of sensitive and abstract cognition.
Consequently, cognitive states are those mental states of a person that accompany the process of cognition, like mastering the surrounding reality and oneself. These should include interest, concentration, thoughtfulness, enthusiasm. It is rather difficult to clearly distinguish and distinguish each of these states, because sensory and abstract cognition closely complement each other (Fig. 2).
Sensory cognition is characterized by the fact that objects and phenomena of the objective world directly affect the human sense organs - his eyesight, hearing, smell, tactile and other analyzers are transmitted to the brain. The cognitive mental processes of sensation and perception belong to this form of cognition of reality.
The highest form of human cognition is abstract cognition, which occurs with the participation of thinking and imagination. In a developed form, these cognitive processes are inherent only to a person who has consciousness and discovers mental activity in activity. An important feature of thinking and imagination is the mediated nature of their reflection of reality, due to the use of previously obtained knowledge, experience, hypotheses, etc. The object of knowledge in the processes of thinking and imagination are internal, not directly given to the sensations of objects, patterns of phenomena and processes.
Figure 2
Scheme of the cognitive process
An important role in human cognitive activity is played by memory, which in a peculiar way reflects, fixes and recreates what is displayed in the mind in the process of cognition.
A significant characteristic of cognitive activity are emotional and volitional processes that induce a person to take action, volitional acts.
Consequently, interest, concentration, thoughtfulness, enthusiasm can be counted among the elements of sensation and perception.
Sensation is a cognitive mental process of displaying in a person's brain individual properties of objects and phenomena with their direct action on his sense organs. There are also interoreceptive sensations that come from the internal organs.
This is the simplest cognitive activity through which both animals and humans receive basic information about the external environment and the states of their body. It is the sensation of light, color, smell, taste, touch, noise, vibration, smoothness or roughness, moisture, heat or cold, pain, body position in space, etc. This is an elementary sensitive (touch) image. But this is also the foundation on which the image of the world is built, the sensitive fabric of the consciousness of the individual. The loss of the ability to feel is the loss of communication channels of a person with the world, as convincingly demonstrated by cases of blindness, deafness, and experiments in which a person is isolated from external stimuli of the environment.
So, sensation is the basis of cognitive activity, the condition of mental development, the source for building an adequate image of the world.
Perception is a mental process of displaying objects and phenomena by a person as a whole, in the aggregate of all their qualities and properties with their direct influence on the senses.
The process of perception occurs in conjunction with other mental processes of the individual: thinking (the person is aware of the object of perception), speech (calls it a word), feelings (reveals his attitude towards him), will (organizing perceptual activity with conscious effort).
Perception is distinguished: according to sensory characteristics (vision, hearing, smell, touch, taste, kinetic, pain), in relation to mental life (intellectual, emotional, aesthetic), according to the complexity of perception (perception of space, movement, time). Perception is the perception of objects and phenomena in space, movement, time.
The main properties of perception - objectivity, integrity, structure, constancy.
The interest of the individual is the motive for cognition, it is the first result from the sensation and perception of the new material. If at the first stage of cognition there is no state of interest among students, then most likely the effect of the learning process will be very low. Interest has a positive effect on the emotional-volitional state of the individual. Therefore, in the process of training and education a variety of techniques are used to increase the interest of students. From it directly depends on the personal enthusiasm in the process of cognitive activity, which can be supported by emotional passion.
The concentration of the individual in the process of cognition, learning is the concentration of attention, which depends on the content of the activity, the measure of interest in it and, above all, on the individual characteristics of a person, his skills and habits. The basis is the activity and persistence of excitations in the active parts of the cerebral cortex. I. Newton to the question, thanks to which he was able to discover the law of the world, he replied that due to the fact that he was tirelessly thinking about this issue. But at the same time, an important role is played by the methods of cognition, of training, on which the support of the intensity of arousal for the necessary time largely depends, for example, during the lesson at school or during the time needed to perform any other activity.
If a person has adverse emotional-volitional mental states, for example, stress, affect, indecision, confusion, the cognitive state will also be unproductive.
After writing this abstract work, we were convinced that the mental states of the individual are temporary functional levels of the psyche, which reflect its interaction with the external environment, as well as the influence of the internal environment of the body or external factors on the human psyche. They determine the direction of the course of mental processes at a certain moment and manifestations of the mental properties of a person and are closely connected with all components of the psyche.
In fact, mental states are manifested in a certain relation, the experience of an individual relative to a particular fact, phenomenon, object, personality. Manifestation of the mental state becomes a change in behavior, first of all, verbal, a change in some physiological and mental processes.
All mental states are classified according to various criteria, but most often they are divided into three groups: - emotional states (moods, affects, anxiety, etc.), volitional (decisiveness, confusion, etc.) and cognitive (concentration, thoughtfulness, etc.).
Emotional states reflect the emotional background of the personality, its emotional and physiological response to external ones, including extreme conditions, on personally significant objects, etc.
Volitional states as temporary mental states optimize, mobilize the human psyche to overcome internal and external obstacles.
And the cognitive states of the personality are accompanied by the process of cognition, like mastering the surrounding reality and oneself. At the same time, in the process of organizing cognitive activity, it is important to remember that all states are interrelated and for the success of training it is necessary to create conditions for a general positive state of mind.
Thus, we managed to achieve the main goal of writing abstract work, to characterize mental processes from the point of view of their psycho-physiological nature, while highlighting various types of states, including cognitive ones. This goal was dictated by the fact that an important task of modern education is the formation of a harmoniously developed, physically and mentally healthy person. Nevertheless, the success of this task today is negatively influenced by a number of factors: the problems of the unstable socio-economic situation of the state, the complexity of the child’s social development situation, the unfavorable family atmosphere and the peculiarities of the relationship between parents. As well as the level of professionalism and psychological education of teachers, the sensitivity of schoolchildren and students to various social influences, their emotional instability and impressionability, individual typological properties, etc. Some of these factors determine the appearance of negative mental states in children, adolescents and young people, which, in the absence of proper psychological correction, adequate changes in the conditions of education and upbringing, can be transformed into stable personality traits and distort its further development, cause deterioration in educational success, behavior, to cause a violation of relationships in society.
Inadequate cognitive mental state impairs the quality of the educational and educational process, and vice versa the effective emotional-volitional and cognitive state of the psyche of the student contributes to a better absorption of the material, its all-round fruitful development.
And the specialist, teacher, psychologist or social worker himself, a worker in the field of education and upbringing, must promptly diagnose and correct unwanted mental states in himself and his colleagues.
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