Many studies are devoted to the study of the problem of will.foreign and domestic psychologists. Among the latter, such researchers as S. L. Rubinshtein, D. N. Uznadze, V. A. Ivannikov worked on this issue.
Types of human actions
To understand what the structure of volitionalact, it is necessary to define the very concept of will. Will is the ability of a person to control his behavior, despite external and internal difficulties that oppose his control. The fact is that all human actions can be divided into two broad categories: voluntary and involuntary. The latter group includes those that take place without the control of consciousness: for example, instincts laid down by nature, unconditioned reflexes, or actions performed in a state of strong emotional arousal (affect). Arbitrary actions are those that a person performs, relying on his own decisions: they are dictated by his will and are realized with the participation of consciousness.
S.L. Rubinstein Algorithm
The structure of a volition developed bydomestic scientists S. L. Rubinstein, includes several stages. The initial stage is the immediate motivation to perform an action, it includes the initial statement of the goal. The second stage is not present in every case. Its characteristic feature is the struggle of motives. A person subjectively assesses the possible losses that various algorithms of actions can be fraught with. The third stage is a turning point. This is a final decision. The last stage according to S. L. Rubinstein is the performance.
However, some researchers add to thisscheme is still some intermediate stages. The structure of the volition will include overcoming difficulties in the process of achieving the goal, as well as positive reinforcement after the goal has been achieved.
Another important component of volitional regulation
Однако структура волевого акта в психологии It is not only an algorithm of actions that describes the implementation of a particular behavior. If there are certain obstacles to achieving the goal, the ability to control one’s behavior depends largely on how developed certain personality traits are in a person. These include self-control, determination, willpower, perseverance and courage. Therefore, some researchers pay special attention to other components that have the structure of volitional act. For example, the cognitive component has a great influence on a person’s behavior in certain situations.
Experience A. V. Zaporozhets
A very interesting study demonstrating the power of this impact was conducted by AV Zaporozhets. The subjects were asked to lift heavy weights. The entire sample was divided into three groups.
The first consisted of those subjects who were supposed to just perform the task, without any additional instructions or explanations.
The participants of the second group were told that by lifting heavy weights, they should set their personal best.
Finally, the third group consisted of those who were given an unusual explanation for this assignment. They were told that by lifting weights, they thus produce electrical energy to supply the city.
So another significant was discoveredaddition, which has the structure of volitional act in psychology. An example has shown that the meaning of this action is crucial for the implementation of an action. In other words, the researcher discovered the cognitive component of volitional regulation.
The applied nature of research will
The structure of an act of will in psychology isapplied research area. The results obtained by scientists can be applied in a variety of life areas. This is the psychology of labor, sports, education, family psychology. The results obtained by scientists can be used both by professionals in counseling and those interested in the questions of will and motivation.
An interesting conclusion was made by domesticresearcher V. A. Ivannikov. In his works, the scientist shows: the urge to action includes not only the original deficit motive. The willful regulation is also carried out in the formation of additional motivation, the one that could not exist initially, when the subject only decided to take this or that action.
Experience A. I. Lipkina: volitional regulation and educational processes
In many ways, an indicative discovery was made by A.I. Lipkina. It is associated with the peculiarities of the learning process. In her studies, a special place was also occupied by the structure of a volitional act in psychology. Briefly experience Lipkina consists in the following. Those students who had poor performance in school were asked to take care of even weaker students for some time. Moving from one role to another, these students began to get better grades, to demonstrate a greater desire to learn.
Negative volitional qualities
But besides positive character traits to the areaWill studies also include negative volitional qualities. These include stubbornness, ductility and impulsivity. Stubbornness has very little to do with the processes of volitional regulation of behavior. It is associated with inadequate perception of reality. Impulsiveness is a behavior caused by emotions, which is always thoughtless and implemented in a hurry. Compliance is synonymous with conformity: a person with this quality easily changes his decision, succumbing to the influence of someone else's opinion.
