Mental cognitive processes. Memory as a mental cognitive process What is a cognitive process in psychology

The level of human development as a being endowed with reason is determined by the effectiveness of his cognitive processes. It is they who ensure the receipt and processing of information from the outside and create a completely unique space of ours, filled with images, thoughts and feelings.

The psyche, if we understand it as the content of our inner world, is a very complex formation. All mental phenomena are divided into 3 groups: processes, properties and states. True, this division is conditional, since everything that happens in our consciousness is interconnected. and depend on emotional states and, influences the formation, and images are capable of generating emotions no less strong than real phenomena. And all this is somehow connected with activity and accumulation of experience.

The place of cognitive processes in the human psyche

Despite the unity and interconnection of mental phenomena, several spheres can be distinguished, including cognitive, which includes the corresponding processes. They are also called cognitive (cognito – from Latin “knowledge”).

The content of the psyche is the result of a reflection of reality, its ideal, subjective image. Cognitive processes ensure the process of reflecting the world and forming ideal images in our minds. The level of their development determines the effectiveness of a person’s interaction with the outside world, as well as his mental and, in many ways, physical health. That is, problems associated with cognitive processes can make a person disabled, mentally retarded, or simply prevent him from adapting normally to the world.

Functions of cognitive processes

Cognitive processes are evolutionarily the “youngest” mental phenomena. Even the centers of these processes are located in the neocortex - the new cortex - the latest formation of our brain. The exception is the more ancient attention and memory, which are present even in fairly primitive living beings. But despite his youth, cognitive processes perform important functions:

• Reception and differentiation of sensory information coming from outside world. In accordance with the channels of perception, all external signals are distributed between the visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory and taste analyzers.
• Processing primary information and creating holistic subjective images.
• Storage of received information.
• Establishing connections between different areas of sensory experience, images, concepts, cognitive constructs, between new information and already experienced.
• Creation of abstract concepts and signs, identification of patterns of external processes and phenomena. Using the sign function for communication (speech).
• Formation of behavior strategy and its motives.
• Goal setting, creation of promising tasks.
• Prognostic function is the ability to foresee the results of activity and plan one’s behavior.

The totality of these functions of cognitive processes is usually called cognitive or mental abilities. The more efficiently these processes perform their functions, the higher the .

Structure of cognitive processes

The cognitive sphere has a branched structure, which is associated with the complexity of the process of cognition of the world itself, which consists of several stages:

• obtaining information and primary data processing;
• analysis, comparison, synthesis and synthesis;
• remembering and storing information;
• creation of new knowledge in the form of images and concepts;
• complex operations with information at the highest level of consciousness and the formation of a cognitive strategy.

Human cognition has its own hierarchy, in which one can distinguish the highest and lower levels cognitive processes. The highest ones include the sensory-perceptual sphere, and the highest ones include thinking, imagination and the sign function, that is, speech. Along with this, there are two more cognitive processes that perform a servicing function and do not have their own content. This is attention and memory.

Sensory-perceptual sphere

This is the sphere of elementary cognitive processes, these include sensation and. On the one hand, they are the most ancient of all cognitive functions, on the other hand, they are the basis of knowledge of the world, as they ensure the entry of any information into the brain.

Feel

The various influences that the world has on a person are called signals; accordingly, the sense organs responsible for receiving these signals are receivers-receptors. Sensations are also called sensory processes (sensor - from English sensor, sensitive element). In sensations we reflect individual properties, qualities of objects, for example, color, sound, temperature, the nature of the surface, taste, etc. Sensations are fragmentary, since they do not provide a holistic picture of the world, and momentary, since they arise only at the moment of exposure to the stimulus. sense organ. The contact stopped and the sensation disappeared.

We are accustomed to thinking that there are five senses in accordance with the five main sensory channels through which information from the outside world enters the brain. These are hearing, vision, smell, touch (tactile sensations) and taste. Well, sometimes we can speculate about some mysterious sixth sense. In fact, there are much more than five types of sensations. In psychology they are divided into three groups.

• Extraceptive are exactly those five types of sensations that we all know. They arise from exposure to external stimuli and are associated with the work of receptors located on the surface of the body.
• Interaceptive or organic are the result of processing signals from our internal organs, for example, sensations of hunger, thirst, heartbeat, pain.
• Propriceptive sensations are associated with the work of receptors located in muscles and ligaments. They carry information about body position, movement (kinesthetic sensations), muscle tension, etc.

Along with these three groups, sometimes they consider separately, for example, vibration sensations - a very ancient type of mental phenomena, a kind of atavism. In the process of evolution, skin sensitivity and hearing developed from vibration sensations.

Despite the importance of sensations, we almost never deal with them in pure form, or rather, we are rarely aware of them. For us, cognition begins with the emergence in the brain of a holistic image of a phenomenon. And another process is responsible for this – perception.

Perception

This cognitive process is also called perception and, accordingly, the processes associated with it are perceptual. Unlike sensations, perception is a reflection of the world in holistic images, although it is of a momentary nature. That is, we perceive, for example, a tree only while we see it. As soon as you turn away, the image of perception disappears. What remains? What is preserved in memory.

Just like sensation, perception is associated with the main sensory channels, so it is customary to talk about auditory, visual, olfactory, tactile and gustatory images. However, only the first two species have been more or less studied. And the rest have been less studied in psychology.

In addition to these five types of perception, there are several more:

• time perception;
• motion perception;
• perception of space.

True, the latter is related to visual images, but it has its own specifics and is of a slightly different nature than the formation of other visual images.

Perception is a more complex cognitive process than sensation. It is based on the analytical and synthetic activity of the brain, involves the activity of its various parts and has several stages or stages:

• exposure detection;
• discrimination is perception itself;
• identification - comparison with images in memory;
• identification – creation of a holistic image.

Perception is related to the activity and general mental state of a person. This connection is called apperception. In different emotional states, we perceive the same objects differently - this is familiar to all of us. And the richer a person’s sensory experience, the more images are stored in his memory, the richer and more varied his perception. He sees the nuances of the shades of clouds at sunset, notices the singing of birds even among the noise of the city, feels the coolness of the breeze and the aromas of a flowering meadow, in which he can identify the smells of different flowers.

Highest level of cognitive processes

Cognition does not end with the formation of images of perception. Even stored in memory, they are only building material for the highest level of cognitive processes, which includes thinking, imagination, and speech activity.

Thinking

The thought process is also a reflection of reality. But unlike direct reflection in sensations and perceptions, thinking is mediated by generalized images and concepts. They are the tools with which a person processes and transforms information received by the brain. The result of thinking is the acquisition of new knowledge that was not present in sensory experience. Thinking is a complex activity; it is organized and controlled consciously. In psychology and logic (the science of thinking), several operations of mental activity are distinguished:

• analysis – comprehension of the received data, highlighting their individual significant elements, properties, qualities;
• comparison of individual details of various objects, phenomena, etc.;
• generalization - the creation of generalized images or concepts based on the identification of essential, significant features;
• synthesis - combining individual transformed elements of information into new combinations and obtaining theoretical knowledge.

Three main types of thinking reflect different aspects and levels of this cognitive process:

• Visual-effective thinking is the elementary level at which mental operations are performed in the process of objective activity.
• Visual-figurative thinking operates with images, both concrete and abstract.
• Abstract-logical (conceptual) is the highest level of thinking, the main tools of which are concepts, signs and symbols.

These types of thinking were formed gradually during the formation of man as a species, and in a child they also develop gradually. But in the cognitive activity of an adult, all three are present, becoming more active depending on the situation. In addition, it should be noted that although imaginative thinking is not considered the highest level, creativity - the pinnacle of the cognition process - is based precisely on the images that are born in our consciousness.

Imagination and creativity

Imagination is responsible for the birth of new images. This is an exclusively human form of cognition. If the rudiments of elementary thinking are found in higher animals, then imagination is inherent only to us.

Imagination is a complex mental process during which comparison, analysis and combination of elements of previous experience occur, and on the basis of such combinatorial activity unique images that are absent in reality are born. Even if we imagine something we have seen repeatedly, the picture in our brain will still differ from the original.

The level of originality and novelty of imaginative images can, of course, be different, so it is customary to distinguish between two types of imagination.

• The reproductive is responsible for recreating the elements of reality according to a given model. For example, we can imagine an animal from a description or an architectural structure from a drawing. How well the idea corresponds to reality depends on the strength of our imagination and the knowledge available in our memory.
• Creative imagination is the creation of original images, ideas, projects.

Imagination underlies the highest cognitive process - creativity. It is defined as the creation of something new. Unlike other cognitive processes, creativity occurs not only at the level of consciousness, but also in the sphere of practical activity. We can say that imagination becomes creativity when its images are embodied in reality - books and paintings are written, projects and unique works of art are created, inventions are made, buildings are built, etc.

It is creativity that brings to life the results of the cognitive process, and this is the basis for the development of human civilization.

Speech

We are accustomed to considering speech as a means of communication and do not think about its role in cognitive processes. And this role is quite a big one. Speech in cognition acts as a sign function of consciousness. The highest form of thinking - logical - occurs in speech form, its tools are words-concepts and other abstract signs.

Speech performs the function of organizing and stimulating thinking, so if a deaf-mute person is not taught a special language, then his mental abilities will remain at the level of a 3-4-year-old child.

Speech is even involved in the process of perception. In order to comprehend, “accept” a perceived object in our consciousness, we must name it, designate it. And in order to understand a complex problem and find its solution, you need to “speak” this problem, express the incomprehensible through words-signs. Such is the power of the word over our mind.

Attention and memory

The process of cognition can be represented as a ladder, the ascent along which begins with sensations, then moves on to perception, thinking, imagination and ends at the top, which is creativity. But two cognitive processes stand apart. This is attention and memory. They play an auxiliary role and exist only in connection with other cognitive processes. But on the other hand, no intelligent human activity is possible without them.

Attention

This is the concentration of consciousness on external objects and phenomena or on internal processes. In order to perceive something, we must focus on it, and objects that do not fall into the sphere of attention are simply not noticed by us, that is, they are not included in the process of cognition.

There are two main types of attention: voluntary and involuntary.

• Involuntary attention occurs on its own, under the influence of specific stimuli. Such concentration, regardless of our desire, is caused by some strong, bright, unusual objects and phenomena, or those that matter to us and are associated with our interests and needs.
• Voluntary attention is a conscious activity aimed at maintaining concentration on objects that do not arouse interest. The significance of these objects is determined by the goals and objectives of the activity, and not by their brightness and unusualness. For example, to concentrate on a complex textbook text, you need to make an effort. Voluntary attention is often difficult, so it is necessary to develop conscious concentration skills.

In psychology, attention is considered both as a dynamic side of cognition and as its guide. It is this process that determines the selectivity of our consciousness, not only in terms of cognition, but also in mental activity generally. Attention is also associated with increased activity in various centers of the brain and makes any of our activities, including cognitive ones, effective and productive. And the loss of the ability to concentrate and concentrate, the involuntary loss of attention is a serious mental illness.

Memory

You already know that the images that arise in the process of perception are unstable. In order for them to be preserved and become part of experience and material for our thinking, the work of memory is necessary. Just like attention, it is not an independent mental process. There is no memory in its pure form, outside, for example, the processes of perception, which supplies information, or thinking, which works with what is stored in memory.

All our experience, including professional and sensory-emotional, is the merit of memory. But it also performs other important functions, not only shaping experience, but also establishing a connection between the present and the past. And having lost memory, a person, along with memories and accumulated experience, loses his own.

There are 4 interconnected processes in memory:

• memorization;
• storing information;
• its reproduction;
• forgetting.

The latter process is also important not only in the field of cognition, but also for maintaining a person’s emotional balance.

Memorizing and storing data is closely related not only to all cognitive processes, but also to the field of activity. To make knowledge easier to remember and retain longer, it must be included in activities: repetition, comprehension, analysis, structuring, use in practice, etc.

Memory is associative in nature, that is, effective memorization occurs through establishing a connection (association) with information we already have. A very interesting and important conclusion follows from this: the more we know, the easier it is to remember new things.

Thus, cognitive processes are a complex system mental phenomena that ensure the full existence of a person and his relationship with the outside world.

Human cognitive activity consists of a series of cognitive mental processes: sensation, perception, attention, memory, imagination, thinking and speech.

The concept of the surrounding world is carried out at two levels: sensory cognition, which includes sensations, perceptions, ideas, and logical cognition through concepts, judgments, and inferences.

Feeling

Feeling – this is a reflection of the individual properties of objects that directly affect our senses.

The human body receives a variety of information about the state of the external and internal environment in the form of sensations through the senses. Sensations are the source of our knowledge about the world and ourselves. All living beings with a nervous system have the ability to sense sensations. Only living beings with a brain and cerebral cortex have conscious sensations.

Objects and phenomena of reality that affect our senses are called stimuli. The sensation arises as a reaction of the nervous system to a particular stimulus and like any other mental phenomenon has a reflex character.

The physiological mechanism of sensation is the activity of special nervous apparatuses called analyzers. Analyzers receive the impact of certain stimuli from the external and internal environment and convert them into sensations. The analyzer consists of three parts:

Receptors, or sensory organs, that convert the energies of external influences into nerve signals (each receptor is capable only of a certain type of influence);

The nerve pathways through which these signals are transmitted back to the brain and back to the receptors;

Corkov projection zones brain.

Sensations can be classified on different grounds. According to the leading modality, sensations are distinguished:

· visual sensations are a reflection of colors, both achromatic and chromatic. Visual sensations are caused by exposure to light, i.e. electromagnetic waves, emitted by bodies to the visual analyzer.

· Auditory sensations are a reflection of sounds of varying heights, strength and quality. They are caused by the influence of sound waves created by vibrations of bodies.

· Olfactory sensations – reflection of smells. Occur due to particle penetration odorous substances, spreading in the air, in top part nasopharynx, where they act on the peripheral endings of the olfactory analyzer.

· Taste sensations reflect some Chemical properties flavoring substances dissolved in water or saliva.

· Tactile sensations are a reflection of the mechanical properties of objects that are detected when touching them, rubbing them, or hitting them. These sensations also reflect the temperature of objects environment and external pain.

These sensations are called exteroceptive, and in turn are divided into contact and distant.

Another group of sensations consists of those that reflect the movements and states of the body itself. They are called motor or proprioceptive.

There is also a group of organic sensations - internal (iteroceptive). These sensations reflect the internal state of the body.

Properties of sensations:

· quality is an essential feature of sensations that allows one to distinguish one type of sensation from another, as well as various variations within a type;

· intensity is a quantitative characteristic of sensations, which is determined by the strength of the current stimulus and functional state receptor.

Duration – a temporary characteristic of sensations.

Main sensitivity characteristics of analyzers:

· lower threshold of sensations - the minimum value of the stimulus that causes a barely noticeable sensation;

· upper threshold of sensations – the maximum value of the stimulus that the analyzer is capable of adequately perceiving;

· sensitivity range – the interval between the upper and lower threshold;

· differential threshold – the smallest detectable value of differences between stimuli;

· operational threshold – the magnitude of the difference between the signals at which the accuracy and speed of the difference reach a maximum;

· time threshold – the minimum duration of exposure to the stimulus required for the sensation to occur;

· latent period of reaction – the period of time from the moment the signal is given until the moment the sensation occurs;

· inertia – time of disappearance of sensations after the end of the impact.

A change in the sensitivity of analyzers under the influence of irritation of other senses is called the interaction of sensations, which is observed in the following phenomena:

Sensitization – increased sensitivity nerve centers under the influence of the stimulus.

Synesthesia is the occurrence, under the influence of stimulation of one analyzer, of a sensation characteristic of another analyzer.

Perception

Perception - a holistic reflection of objects and phenomena of the objective world under their direct influence in this moment to the senses. Together with the processes of sensation, perception provides direct sensory orientation in the surrounding world.

Perception is subjective - people perceive the same information differently, depending on their interests, abilities, and needs. Dependence of perception on past experience, individual characteristics of a person is called apperception.

Perceptual properties:

1. Integrity – internal organic relationship in the image. Manifests itself in two aspects: the unification of different elements as a whole; independence of the formed whole from the quality of its constituent elements.

2. Objectivity - an object is perceived by us as a separate physical body isolated in space and time.

3. Generalization – assigning each image to a certain class of objects.

4. Constancy – relative constancy of the perception of the image.

5. Meaningfulness – connection with understanding the essence of objects and phenomena through the thinking process.

6. Selectivity – preferential selection of some objects over others in the process of perception.

Types of perception:

Person's perception by person;

Time perception;

Motion perception;

Perception of space;

Perception of the type of activity.

Perception can be externally directed or internally directed.

Perception may be erroneous (illusory). An illusion is a distorted perception of a truly existing reality. Illusions are detected in the activities of various analyzers. Perception can not only be erroneous, but also ineffective.

Attention

Attention - the direction and concentration of consciousness on certain objects or certain activities while being distracted from everything else.

Attention is continuously connected with consciousness as a whole. Attention is associated with the direction and selectivity of cognitive processes. Attention is determined by:

Accuracy of perception, which is a kind of amplifier that allows you to distinguish the details of the image;

The strength and selectivity of memory, acting as a factor contributing to the retention of necessary information in the short-term and random access memory;

Focus and productivity of thinking, which act as a mandatory factor in correctly understanding and solving problems.

Basic functions of attention:

· selection of significant influences and ignoring others;

· retention of a certain content of activity in consciousness until its completion;

· regulation and control of activities.

Main types of attention:

1. Depending on the volitional efforts of the individual:

· involuntary attention arises without a person’s intention to see or hear anything, without a predetermined goal, without an effort of will;

· voluntary attention – an active, purposeful focus of consciousness, maintaining the level of which is associated with certain volitional efforts aimed at combating stronger influences;

· post-voluntary attention – occurs after voluntary attention, but is qualitatively different from it. When, when solving a problem, the first positive results, interest arises, automation of activity occurs, its implementation no longer requires special volitional efforts and is limited only by fatigue, although the purpose of the work remains the same.

2. By the nature of the direction:

· externally directed attention is directed to surrounding objects;

· internal attention – directed to one’s own thoughts and experiences.

3. By origin:

· natural attention – a person’s innate ability to selectively respond to certain internal or external stimuli that carry elements of information novelty;

· socially conditioned attention develops in the process of life, as a result of training, education, and is associated with a selective conscious response to objects, with volitional regulation of behavior;

4. According to the regulation mechanism:

· direct attention is not controlled by anything other than the object to which it is directed;

· indirect attention is regulated using special means.

5. By direction to the object:

· sensory;

· intellectual.

Basic properties of attention:

1. Concentration of attention - maintaining attention on one object or one activity while distracting from everything else.

2. Stability of attention - the duration of concentration on an object or phenomenon is determined by individual physiological characteristics organism, mental state, motivation, external circumstances of the activity.

3. Volume of attention - determined by the number of objects to which attention can be simultaneously directed during the process of perception.

4. Distribution of attention - the ability of an individual to simultaneously perform two or more types of activities.

One of the most complex, diverse in its manifestations and least studied in human body are mental processes. The table presented in this article clearly divides the phenomena occurring in our psyche into three main groups: by properties, states and processes. All this is a reflection of reality, which can be traced in dynamics, that is, each such phenomenon has its beginning, develops and ends with the resulting reaction. Mental processes (the table clearly demonstrates this) interact extremely closely with each other. Mental activity continuously flows from one process to another when a person is awake.

Mental conditions

Processes occurring in the human psyche can be caused by external influences that irritate nervous system, and also be born directly in internal environment the body, depending on the state in which it is at that moment. The table divides mental processes into three main groups: cognitive, emotional and volitional. Here their components are classified in detail: perception and sensations, memory and representation, imagination and thinking belong to cognitive processes, and active and passive experiences belong to emotional ones. The table reveals volitional mental processes as the ability to make decisions, execute and

Let's take a closer look at the column that represents the state of the human psyche. The table represents motivational, that is, cognitive mental processes most widely, up to the actualization of needs. The reasons are clear: they are the ones who can provide the correct help to form knowledge and regulate behavior. Various cognitive mental processes merge into a single stream of consciousness, a table of which is presented in the article, since a person is a very complex organism, and the mental component is the basis for any life activity. It is she who ensures adequacy in reflecting reality, controlling all types of human activities.

Activity level

The fact that the processes of the human psyche proceed unevenly, with different intensity and speed, is shown by the very first tables on general psychology. Mental processes depend entirely on the state of the individual and external influences at her. What's happened mental condition? Roughly speaking, this is the relative stability of the level of mental activity, which manifests itself in reduced or increased activity. A person can experience a wide variety of conditions. Anyone can remember that sometimes physical and mental work seemed easy and was productive, and at other times the same actions required a lot of work and still did not achieve the desired effect.

Depending on the state of the individual, the characteristics of mental processes also change; the table clearly shows this. The nature of the processes occurring in the psyche is reflexive; they arise and change depending on physiological factors, the environment, the progress of work, even on verbal influences (from praise and blame, the state of the individual clearly acquires new qualities). The comparison table breaks down the mental cognitive processes of an individual point by point. It contains the most studied factors of such changes. For example, the level of attention can fluctuate from concentration to absent-mindedness, characterizing the general mental state, and emotional moods especially clearly change the general background of all characteristics - from sadness or irritability to cheerfulness and enthusiasm. Especially a lot of research concerns the main creative state of the individual - inspiration.

Personality traits

Mental - stable formations, the highest regulators of activity, which determine the level of the state in the quality and quantity of its components, which is observed in behavior and activity typical of a particular individual. A comparative table of mental cognitive processes connects each gradually formed property of the psyche with the result of practical and reflective activity. The variety of such properties is quite difficult to classify, even in accordance with the basics of all already grouped mental processes.

However, the intellectual, that is, cognitive, volitional and emotional activities of the individual have been studied quite deeply and considered in many complex interactions of their synthesis. Thus, the table shows a variety of mental processes. The properties, functions and role of these components in human life will be considered by us within the framework of this material. Of the cognitive functions, for example, it is worth noting observation and a flexible mind; volitional functions include persistence and determination, and emotional functions include sensitivity and passion. The properties and functions of mental processes differ, but they all play important role in our daily life.

Synthesis

The properties of the human psyche do not exist separately; they act in synthesis, forming complex structural complexes. There is a classification of manifestations of the unconscious according to mental processes. A table of such states is presented below.

This includes following processes, synthesizing with each other:

• Life position: needs, interests, beliefs, ideals, personality activity and selectivity.
• Temperament is the natural properties of a person: balance, mobility, tone, other behavioral characteristics, everything that characterizes the dynamics of behavior.
• Capabilities: the whole system intellectual, volitional, emotional properties of the individual, which can determine creative possibilities.
• Character is a system of behavior and relationships.

Interconnected neuropsychic acts in their stable and purposeful totality have a certain scheme for transforming activity to obtain a certain result. These are the mental processes characteristic of each individual, which are of primary value for study. For example, memory as a mental process requires memorizing information; this is its need - conscious and unconscious. Here, the input to the process will be precisely this requirement as a property, and the output or final result will be the information remaining in memory.

Psychic phenomena

The most common mental processes were listed above, but let's look at these lists in more detail. They vary greatly among different authors. Common and noted by all are attention, emotions, memory, will, thinking, perception, speech. In the category of mental phenomena, they are accessible to any direct and unqualified observation.

Most often, what is interesting is not even the observed process itself, but its deviations from the norm, that is, its characteristics. Here, the usual table of features of mental processes usually helps students understand the classification. Children of all categories are studied especially carefully, but even their cognitive processes can be quite easily distinguished from emotional or volitional processes.

Personality Features

People are endowed with completely different capabilities: one is absent-minded, and the other is attentive, this one perfectly remembers faces, and the other only remembers melodies. In addition, behavior is characterized by any mental phenomenon and the degree of balance: some will be delighted by the surprise, some will be surprised, and some will be left indifferent. People treat each other differently: some love those around them, while others find humanity disgusting. There are people who are persistent, even stubborn in achieving their goals, and also those who do not care about anything - they always remain apathetic and lethargic.

Attitude to science

Russian psychology divides everything into three types: properties, states and processes. The differences between them are not so great and are temporary. The processes usually take place quickly, but the properties are more stable and long-lasting. Modern psychologists believe that through the interconnectedness of mental processes, the psyche itself is formed, which can be divided into components only very conditionally, since there is no theoretical justification for this study. Nevertheless, not only major phenomena of the work of the psyche have been quite widely identified and studied, but also basic mental processes, for which there is far from a single comparative table.

But since psychology has become a science, scientists are developing methods for its knowledge, where the main postulate is an integrative approach to the human psyche, and all classifications in the tables are of propaedeutic and pedagogical value. Similar processes occur in society. Just as in the psyche of an individual, they are extremely interconnected in society: children study, parents raise them, work, athletes train, alcoholics drink, the police catch criminals, and so on. No matter how parallel these processes may seem, sooner or later they all intersect with each other in some way.

Will and emotions

Throughout his life, a person reproduces his existing skills, knowledge, and abilities, trying to connect various forms of behavior with his existing emotional state. In this way, the actualization of connections between various mental processes is built, their transition from latent to active form is carried out. Among emotional states, the most striking is affect. This is a stormy, rapidly flowing emotion of enormous power, which looks like an explosion, therefore it is uncontrollable by consciousness and is often pathological.

But the process that concentrates consciousness on a real or ideal object is attention. But it is not emotional. A special ability regulates and self-determines its own activity. This is will. All mental processes can be subordinated to it. Its main properties and functions are the precise choice of goals and motives, the regulation of impulses for certain actions, even if there is a lack of motivation, the organization of those mental processes that can fit into the system of adequately performed activities, the mobilization of mental and physical capabilities, if you need to overcome obstacles on the way to your goal.

Cognition and Intelligence

The tools for adequately reflecting and projecting the world surrounding a person are representation and imagination. They are closely connected with nonspecific brain structures at the cortical level and make it possible to build the dynamic characteristics of maturing mental processes. These are speed and quantitative indicators of certain actions and their implementation. The state in which the individual’s psyche is located can be different, hence the high variability of performance results.

Speech is in the closest connection with thinking, approximately as closely as sensations and perceptions - one follows from the other. These cognitive processes of the psyche are characteristic of any activity, since it is they who ensure its effectiveness. With the help of basic cognitive processes, a person can set necessary goals in advance, make plans, fill upcoming activities with content, predict results and manipulate them as work progresses. The table presented in the article demonstrates mental cognitive processes and their characteristics as intellectual.

conclusions

The psychological process is most simply explained by a person's ability to remember, think and anticipate. Most often this concept is associated with the acquisition of knowledge. Cognitive mental processes are always creative and active in nature, not so much reflecting the world, how transformative it is. There are two ways of cognition - specific and nonspecific. The first uses sensory and rational processes - these are sensations, perception and thinking, in the latter they share concept, judgment and inference.

Universal, or nonspecific, mental processes are memory, will, imagination, attention. They operate in an end-to-end manner, providing connections throughout the entire cognitive process, and it is on them that all behavioral processes that are in synthesis depend. This supports the cognitive activity and practical objective activity of the individual, who receives not only individuality, but also originality and uniqueness.

Purpose of the lecture: consider the integrity of the process of cognition as constructing an image of the world, form ideas about the basic cognitive processes, their distinctive features, pay attention to the complexity and diversity of approaches to their study, show the possibilities of developing cognitive abilities.

Lecture outline

1. Concept and types of cognitive processes.

2. Feelings.

3. Perception.

4. Attention.

5. Memory.

5.1. Types of memory.

5.2. Patterns of memory processes.

6. Thinking.

6.1. General ideas about thinking.

6.2. Forms of thinking and mental operations.

6.3. Types and individual characteristics of thinking.

7. Imagination.

Concept and types of cognitive processes

Any act of human interaction with the world is based on an idea of ​​his environment. Sensory and abstract cognition provides regulation various types human activity.

Cognitive processes are mental processes by which images of the environment and the organism itself are formed.. The entire psyche takes part in the formation of the image (based on individual sensations, it builds a holistic image and places it outside itself).

Based on the specifics of the contribution to the construction of an image in psychology, the following cognitive processes have been conventionally identified:

Feel provide primary information, reflecting individual aspects of objects and phenomena;

perception integrates sensations, contributes to the construction of a holistic primary image of an object or phenomenon;

attention ensures selectivity of reflection, memorization and processing of information;

memory saves and reproduces information; memory processes are involved in perception, imagination, thinking;

imagination contributes to the creation of images of objects and phenomena that are not currently represented;

thinking produces information not given in direct perception, provides forecasting of the future and the decision-making process, is present in the processes of memory, imagination, perception;

speech– “denoting a reflection of being,” a form of existence of thinking.

Cognitive processes are influenced by a person’s emotional state. All mental processes, including cognitive ones, occur in the personality and depend on it:

on the individual characteristics of a person;

from general development personalities;

from the interests and goals of a person (cognitive processes turn into actions consciously regulated by the individual).

Feel

Sensation is the simplest mental process, consisting in the reflection of individual properties of objects and phenomena under the direct influence of stimuli on the corresponding receptors.

Feelings can be conscious or unconscious. Until the intensity of the stimulus reaches the absolute lower (physiological) threshold, the sensation of receptor excitation does not occur. If the intensity of the stimulus is higher than the physiological threshold, but lower than the threshold of perception, the receptor reacts to the signal, information enters the nervous system, but is not realized. The physiological threshold is determined genetically and depends on physiological factors. The threshold of perception depends on the experience and condition of the person and is less stable than the physiological one.

Properties of sensations: quality, intensity, duration, spatial localization of stimuli.

Types of sensations.

1. Visuals are generated by electromagnetic waves with wavelengths of 380 (violet) – 780 (red) nm. Characterized by color tone, saturation, lightness.

2. Auditory – reaction to mechanical influences, periodic appearance of areas of high and low pressure. They are characterized by pitch, timbre, and volume (20–20,000 hertz in frequency; 16–120 decibels in volume).

3. Olfaction is a type of sensitivity that generates the sensation of smell - the most ancient, simple and vital sensation. The lower a living creature is on the evolutionary ladder, the larger the olfactory part of the brain.

4. Gustatory – have 4 modalities: sweet, salty, sour and bitter.

5. Touch - skin sensitivity - the result of a complex combination of sensations of pressure, pain, heat and cold.

6. Others (static and kinesthetic: sensations of balance, vibration, etc.).

Sensations are classified:

by the nature of contact with the stimulus: distant(auditory, visual, olfactory) and contact(skin, taste);

by receptor location: interoceptive(signaling about internal state body), proprioceptive(signaling the position of various parts of the body, their movement) and exteroceptive(signaling characteristics of the external world).

Sensory effects.

1. Adaptation – change in the sensitivity of the senses under the influence of a stimulus. It can occur as a complete disappearance or dulling of sensation during the prolonged action of the stimulus or an increase in sensitivity under the influence of a weak stimulus (for example, a change in the width of the pupil when moving from darkness to light).

2. Interaction of sensations– a change in the sensitivity of the analyzer under the influence of irritation of other senses (for example, weak sound and pleasant olfactory stimuli increase the sensitivity of the visual analyzer).

3. Sensitization– increased sensitivity as a result of the interaction of analyzers and exercise. Sensitization is caused by: a) the need to compensate for sensory defects (development of the sense of smell and touch in deaf-blind people); b) constant specific activity.

4. Synesthesia– the emergence, under the influence of irritation of one analyzer, of a sensation characteristic of another (for example, color hearing).

Sensation, perception, thinking are inseparable parts of a single process of reflecting reality. IN psychological structure personality, an important place is occupied by the cognitive sphere, which includes such processes as sensation, perception, memory, thinking, imagination, attention. Each of the listed mental processes performs its own special cognitive functions.

Feeling

Sensation is the process of mental reflection of specific, individual properties, qualities, aspects of objects and phenomena of material reality, affecting the senses at a given moment, in the form of special subjective formations. Through sensations we are presented with the physical and chemical properties of the surrounding world and even our own body. Sensations as subjective formations arise on the basis of a psychophysiological process similar in name.

For sensations to arise, it is necessary, first of all, to have objects and phenomena in the real world influencing the sense organs, which are called in this case irritants. The effect of stimuli on the sense organs is called irritation. Excitation of systems nerve cells with the obligatory participation of cells of the cerebral cortex and gives sensation.

The physiological basis of sensations is the complex activity of the sense organs. I.P. Pavlov called this activity analyzer, and the systems of cells, which are the most complexly organized and are perceptive apparatuses that directly carry out the analysis of irritations - analyzers.

The analyzer is characterized by the presence of three specific sections: peripheral(receptor), transmitting(conductor) and central(cerebral).

Peripheral department - all sensory organs (eye, ear, nose, skin), as well as special receptor devices located in the internal environment of the body (in the digestive and respiratory organs, in the cardiovascular system, in the genitourinary organs).

A person has quite a few different sense organs and corresponding sensations. They differ from each other in such an important property as modality. Modality is a specific subjective coloring that is characteristic of each sensation. Depending on the modality, the following groups of sensations are distinguished: visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory, painful, motor, organic, static and vibration. Let's characterize them:

Visual sensations arise as a result of the influence of light rays (electromagnetic waves) on the retina of the eye, which is a receptor visual analyzer. Light affects two types of light-sensitive cells located in the retina - rods and cones, so named for their external shape;

Auditory sensations(distant). Thanks to this type of sensation, a person is able to hear speech and has the ability to communicate. Stimuli are sound waves. Auditory sensations reflect the pitch of sound, volume, timbre. All auditory sensations can be reduced to three types - speech, music, noise.

Skin sensations (contact). IN skin There are several analyzer systems: tactile (touch sensations), temperature (sensations of cold and heat), pain. Tactile hand sensations, combining with muscle-joint sensitivity, form the sense of touch. Touch is a specific human system of cognitive activity of the hand, developed through labor. Temperature sensations are associated with the regulation of heat exchange between the body and the environment. The distribution of heat and cold receptors on the skin is uneven. The back is most sensitive to cold, the chest is the least sensitive. Painful sensations They signal to the body the need to move away from the stimulus and have a pronounced emotional tone.

Statistical feelings signal the position of the body in space. Receptors are located in vestibular apparatus inner ear. Sudden and frequent changes in body position in space can lead to dizziness.

Vibration sensations. Vibration sensitivity is adjacent to auditory sensations. They have a common nature of reflected physical phenomena. Vibration sensations reflect vibrations of an elastic medium. This type of sensitivity is figuratively called “contact hearing.” In humans, vibration sensitivity is subordinated to auditory and visual. No special vibration receptors have been found for humans.

Olfactory sensations(distant) reflect the smells of surrounding objects. The olfactory organs are the cells of the upper part of the nasal cavity.

Taste sensations(contact) are caused by the effect on taste buds of substances dissolved in saliva or water. Taste buds- taste sticks located on the surface of the tongue, pharynx, palate - distinguish between the sensations of sweet, sour, salty and bitter.

Interoceptive (organic) sensations occupy a special place and role in human life. They arise from receptors located in internal organs and signal the functioning of the latter. These sensations form the organic feeling (well-being) of a person.

Depending on the functional purpose, sensations are divided into three groups: exteroceptive, interoceptive and proprioceptive. Receptors can be located directly on the surface of the body (exteroceptors) and in internal organs and tissues (interoceptors). An intermediate position is occupied by proprioceptors, which serve to sense the movement and position of body organs, and also participate in determining the properties and qualities of objects, in particular, when touching them with the hand, those located in the muscles and ligaments. Thus, the peripheral part of the analyzer plays the role of a perceiving apparatus. Receptors have a very strict specialization in the sense that each of them is capable of reacting only to certain physical and chemical properties of sensed objects and phenomena.

Sensations have some important properties, knowledge of which has great importance for the understanding of many life situations and phenomena. In addition to modality, these include energy parameters, temporal characteristics, adaptation, sensitization and synesthesia. Let's look at them in more detail.

For a sensation to occur, the triggering stimulus must reach a certain magnitude. The minimum strength of the stimulus that causes a barely noticeable sensation is called absolute lower threshold of sensations. Stimuli of lesser strength that do not cause sensation are called subliminal. The lower threshold of sensations determines the level of absolute sensitivity of this analyzer.

The maximum strength of the stimulus, at which a sensation adequate to the current stimulus still occurs, is called the absolute upper threshold of sensations.

The most important property of sensations is intensity. The stronger the stimulus, the more intense the resulting sensation.

The minimum difference between two stimuli that causes a barely noticeable difference in sensations is called threshold of discrimination.

Latent period- the period of time after which a sensation occurs. A change in the sensitivity of the analyzer under the influence of a stimulus is called adaptation.

Sensitization– this is an increase in sensitivity under the influence of the interaction of sensations and exercises (hearing development in children with the help of exercises). Sensations of one modality can change under the influence of stimulation of other senses.

This happens as a result interaction of sensations(for example, visual sensitivity increases under the influence of certain olfactory stimuli).