Will concept and function - abstract. Will is a definition in psychology

Will is present in many acts of human behavior, helping to overcome resistance, as well as other desires and needs on the way to the intended goal. If, for example, a person does not want to drink a bitter medicine, but he knows that it is absolutely necessary for his health, then, suppressing his unwillingness by force of will, he forces himself to systematically carry out the prescribed treatment. Another example: a student wants to go to a disco, but his home test is not yet ready for tomorrow. Overcoming an instant desire with an effort of will, the student forces himself to work, setting tomorrow's success as his goal. We observe the manifestation of will in various situations of communication. For example, a person is unpleasant for us, but our further advancement objectively depends on him, therefore, by willpower we restrain our hostility, put on a psychological “mask” suitable for a given situation, and, as a result, achieve our goal.

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

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

in spite of everything, it is necessary to purposefully move towards the intended goal;

on the way of practical activity of a person there are internal (fear, uncertainty, doubts) or external (objective circumstances) obstacles that must be overcome.

In other words, the will (its presence or absence) is manifested in all situations related to the choice and decision-making. Will is a person’s conscious overcoming of difficulties on the way of carrying out an action.

As the main functions   wills emit:

the choice of motives and goals;

regulation of motivation for actions with insufficient or excessive motivation;

the organization of mental processes in a system that is adequate to human activities;

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

Will as a phenomenon of the human psyche, even in antiquity, attracted the attention of thinkers. Aristotle introduced the concept of will into the system of categories of the science of the soul in order to explain how human behavior is realized in accordance with knowledge, which in itself is devoid of incentive power. Aristotle's will acted as a factor, along with the desire to change the course of behavior: initiate it, stop it, change direction and pace. However, the thinkers of antiquity, and later the Middle Ages, did not interpret the will in its modern personal understanding. So, in antiquity, the concept of "will" was absorbed by the concept of "logic." According to Aristotle, for example, any action follows primarily from a logical conclusion.

In the Middle Ages there was a rite of exoris - the expulsion of the devil. A person in those days was perceived only as a passive principle, in which the will manifested itself in the form of good and evil spirits (sometimes even personified). This understanding of the will was due to the fact that traditional society actually denied an independent beginning in behavior. S.I. Rogov * notes that the personality appears in him only as a kind, as a program according to which ancestors lived. Only certain members of society recognized the right to rejection, for example, a shaman — a person who communicates with the spirits of their ancestors; a blacksmith - a person to whom the power of fire and metal is subject; a robber - a criminal who opposed himself to a given society.

* Rogov S.I. General psychology. - M., 1995.

The concept of will, as it were, is being revived in modern times with the advent of the concept of personality, one of the main values \u200b\u200bof which is free will. A new worldview is emerging - existentialism, the "philosophy of existence", according to which freedom is absolute, free will. M. Heidegger, C. Jaspers, J.-P. Sartre and A. Camus believed that any person is essentially self-willed and irresponsible, and any social norms are a suppression of the human essence.

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

A lot of controversy has arisen and arises on the question of the conscious or unconscious origin of the concept of "will".

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

At one time, the German philosophers A. Schopenhauer and E. Hartmann absolutized will, declaring it to be a cosmic force, a blind unconscious principle, the derivative of which is all the psychic manifestations of man.

Psychoanalytic psychology represented the will of man as a kind of energy of human actions. Proponents of psychoanalysis believed that a person’s biological energy, transformed into psychic, controls the actions of a person. Freud identified this energy with the psychosexual energy of sex drive - the unconscious libido, thereby explaining human behavior first with the "cultured" manifestations of this life-affirming force (Eros), and then its struggle with the same subconscious craving for death (Tantos).

Supporters of the theory of the will as a special supernatural force that underlies the psyche and being in general, were such well-known psychologists as W. Wundt and W. James.

The theological interpretation of the will is that the will is identified with the divine principle in the world: God is the exclusive possessor of free will, endowing it with people at his discretion.

Materialists interpret will as a side of the psyche that has a material basis in the form of nervous brain processes. Volitional or voluntary actions develop on the basis of involuntary movements and actions. The simplest of involuntary actions are reflex. This type also includes impulsive actions, unconscious, not subordinate to the general purpose of the reaction. In contrast to involuntary, conscious human actions are aimed at achieving his goal, which is characteristic of volitional behavior.

The material basis of voluntary movements is the activity of giant pyramidal cells located in one of the layers of the cerebral cortex in the region of the anterior central gyrus. In these cells, impulses to movement arise. Scientists came to this conclusion by studying the causes of abulia (painful lack of will), which develops on the basis of cerebral pathology and appraxia (impaired voluntary regulation of movements and actions that make it impossible to carry out a volitional act), resulting from damage to the frontal lobes of the brain.

The doctrine of the second signal system I.P. Pavlova significantly supplemented the materialistic concept, proving the conditioned-reflex essence of the will.

Modern studies of the will in psychology are conducted in different scientific areas: in behaviorist-oriented science, certain forms of behavior are studied, in the psychology of motivation, the focus on intrapersonal conflicts and ways to overcome them, in the psychology of personality, the main focus is on the identification and study of the corresponding volitional characteristics of the personality. At the same time, modern psychology seeks to give integrative character to the science of will.

The concept of will. The term “will” reflects that side of mental life, which is expressed in a person’s ability to act towards a consciously set goal, overcoming various obstacles. The concept of will was originally introduced to explain the impulses to actions carried out according to one’s own decisions, but not corresponding to one’s desires. Then it began to be used to explain the possibility of free choice in a conflict of desires. The will manifests itself in the ability to force oneself to do what is necessary, to suppress the desires and drives that hinder this. In other words, the will is power over oneself, control of one’s actions, conscious regulation of one’s behavior.

Will -it is a form of mental reflection in which reflectedis the objective goal, the incentives for its achievement, the objective obstacles that arise; reflectedbecomes a subjective goal, the struggle of motives, volitional effort; the resultis the action and satisfaction of achieving the goal. Obstacles that a person has to overcome on the way to achieving the goal can be both internal and external.

Domesticobstacles appear in cases when there is a conflict, a clash of conflicting motives (you want to sleep, but you need to get up), fear, uncertainty, and doubt arise.

Will manifests itself in overcoming externalobstacles: objective circumstances, work difficulties, various kinds of interference, resistance of other people, etc. A person with a strong will knows how to achieve his goal and bring the matter to the end.

Overcoming obstacles requires volitional effort - a special state of neuropsychic stress that mobilizes human strength.

Most often, in a person’s life, the will manifests itself in the following typical situations when:

It is necessary to make a choice between two or several equally attractive, but requiring opposite actions thoughts, goals, feelings, attitudes, incompatible with each other;

Despite everything, we must purposefully move towards the intended goal;

You should refrain from implementing the decision due to changed circumstances.

The will is not an isolated property of the human psyche, therefore, it should be considered in close connection with other aspects of his mental life, primarily with motives and needs.Will is especially needed when directly motivating motives and needs for activity are relatively weak or there are strong motivations and needs competing with them. A strong-willed person suppresses one of his motives and needs in order to satisfy others. We can say that the will lies in the ability to act in accordance with the goal, suppressing immediate desires and aspirations.

A powerful engine of will feelings.A person indifferent to everything cannot be a man of strong will, because the will presupposes awareness of one’s feelings, their assessment and power over them. “Slaves of their passions” (players, drug addicts, etc.) are always weak-willed people. Volitional action in itself is capable of generating a new strong feeling - a feeling of satisfaction from a fulfilled duty, an overcoming obstacle, a goal achieved, against which an old, suppressed feeling is often forgotten.

Deep connection of will and with thinking.Willful action is a deliberate action: before you force yourself to do what is necessary in the circumstances, a person must understand, realize, think through his actions. Before overcoming external obstacles that stand in the way of the goal, it is necessary to find the best paths, to consider the plan of action and draw up its plan.

The participation of thinking, imagination, motives, emotions and other mental processes in volitional regulation led to an exaggerated assessment by scientists of either intellectual or affective processes. There were also theories in which the will was considered as the primary ability of the soul. This, in particular, the so-called voluntarism -idealistic current in philosophy and psychology, recognizing the will as a special supernatural force underlying the psyche and being. According to voluntarism, volitional acts are not determined by anything, but they themselves determine the course of mental processes. Volitional principle is opposed to the laws of nature and society.

Idealists considered the will to be a spiritual force, not related either to the activity of the brain or to the environment. They argued that the will is the highest agent of our consciousness, which is called upon to fulfill administrative functions, that the will is subordinate to no one and nothing. In their opinion, in any case, a person can do as he pleases, regardless of anything, because he is free in his actions.

Materialists assert the objective determinism of volitional actions. Volitional regulation of human behavior and actions is formed and developed under the control of society, and then self-control of the person, and is primarily associated with the formation of a rich motivational-semantic sphere, a stable worldview and beliefs of a person, as well as the ability to volitional efforts in special situations of action.

Analysis of volitional action.As a social neoplasm of the human psyche, due to the development of labor activity, the will can be represented as special internal actionincluding external and internal means. All human actions can be divided into involuntary and arbitrary.

Involuntaryactions are performed as a result of the emergence of unconscious impulses (drives, attitudes, etc.), they are devoid of a clear plan, impulsive and most often arise in a state of affect (fear, enthusiasm, anger, amazement). These actions can be called involuntary, since they are carried out without human control and do not need conscious regulation. These include unconditionally reflexive, instinctive actions (turning the head toward a sudden flash of light or a sound that sounds, tilting the body forward or to the side to maintain equilibrium, etc.).

Arbitraryactions require awareness of the goal, a preliminary presentation of those operations that can ensure its achievement, their sequence. All arbitrary actions can be considered volitional.

Volitional actions, like all mental activity, are associated with the functioning of the brain. An important role in this is played by the frontal lobes of the brain, in which the achieved result is compared with the previously drawn up goal program. Damage to the frontal lobes leads to abulia -painful lack of will, when a person does not have enough will even to take the item he needs from the table, get dressed, etc.

In the most elementary form, volitional action is expressed in the direct influence of thoughts or ideas on behavior. The most striking example of this is the ideomotor act, that is, the ability of a thought of movement alone to cause movement itself. Whenever we are just about to make any movement, it involuntarily occurs in the micro-movements of the eyes, fingers, in the barely noticeable tension of the corresponding muscles. This is used by artists who find a hidden object in the auditorium, touching during the search the hand of a person who knows where he is hidden and constantly thinks about it.

In volitional action, two main stages can be distinguished:

1) preparatory (“mental action”), ending with a decision;

2) the final ("actual action"), consisting in the execution of the decision.

AT simplevolitional actions, performing which a person without hesitation goes to the intended goal, it is quite clear to him what and in what way he will achieve, and the decision goes directly into execution.

AT difficultvolitional action of the stages is much more:

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

2) awareness of a number of possibilities for achieving the goal;

3) the appearance of motives that affirm or deny these opportunities;

4) the struggle of motives and choice;

5) the adoption of one of the possibilities as a solution;

6) implementation of the decision;

7) overcoming external obstacles in the implementation of the decision and achieving the goal.

The first stage (awareness of the goal and the desire to achieve it) is not always accompanied by a struggle of motives in a complex action. If the goal is set from the outside and the achievement of this goal is mandatory for the performer, then it remains only to know it, having formed a certain image of the future result of the action. The struggle of motives arises at this stage when a person has the opportunity to choose goals, at least the sequence of their achievement. The struggle of motives that arises when goals are realized is not a structural component of volitional action, but rather a certain stage of volitional activity, of which the action is a part. Each of the motives, before becoming a goal, goes through the stage of desire (in the case when the goal is chosen independently). Desire is the existing ideal (in the head of a person) content of need. To desire something means first of all to know the content of the stimulus.

Since a person at any moment has various significant desires, the simultaneous satisfaction of which is objectively excluded, a clash of opposing, diverging motives takes place, between which a choice has to be made. This situation is called the struggle of motives. At the stage of awareness of the goal and the desire to achieve it, the struggle of motives is allowed by the choice of the goal of the action, after which the tension caused by the struggle of motives at this stage is reduced.

The second stage (recognition of a number of possibilities for achieving the goal) is the actual mental action, which is part of the volitional action, the result of which is the establishment of a causal relationship between the methods of performing the volitional action under the existing conditions and possible results.

At the third stage (the emergence of motives ...) the possible ways and means of achieving the goal are correlated with a person’s existing system of values, including beliefs, feelings, norms of behavior, leading needs. Here, each of the possible paths is discussed in the aspect of the correspondence of a particular path to a given person’s value system.

The fourth stage (the struggle of motives and choice) is central to complex volitional action. Here, as at the stage of choosing a goal, a conflict situation can be observed related to the fact that a person understands the possibility of an easy way to achieve the goal (this understanding is one of the results of the second stage), but at the same time, due to his moral qualities or principles, he can take it. Other ways are less economical (and this is also understood by a person), but following them is more consistent with a person’s value system.

The result of resolving this situation is the fifth stage (the adoption of one of the possibilities as a solution). It is characterized by a decline in tension, since internal conflict is resolved. Here, the means, methods, and the sequence of their use are specified, i.e., precise planning is carried out. After this, the sixth stage begins (implementation of the decision). However, it does not exempt a person from the need to exert volitional efforts, since the practical implementation of the intended goal also involves overcoming obstacles.

The results of any volitional action have two consequences for a person: the first is the achievement of a specific goal; the second is due to the fact that a person evaluates his actions and draws lessons for the future regarding methods of achieving the goal, the expended efforts.

Will as one of the most complex mental processes in a person creates certain mental states - activity, concentration, readiness for activity.

Education and development of the will.The characterization of the will testifies to its social essence, that is, to the fact that it develops not according to biological, but according to social laws. Therefore, we can distinguish the following basic conditions and directions of education of the will.

1. The formation of the worldview, the enrichment of the motivational and moral spheres of man, the development of ethical feelings and, above all, the development of a sense of duty, because the will is expressed in overcoming difficulties, and a person can overcome them only by understanding for what he does it.

2. The development of volitional regulation of behavior begins from the moment of a person’s life when he masters speech and learns to use it as an effective means of self-regulation, which first appears in the form of external speech regulation and only then, much later, in terms of the speech process. Without this, it is impossible to control arbitrary processes, movements and actions, behavior. Therefore, the central direction in the development of human will is the transformation of involuntary mental processes into arbitrary ones.

3. A person who seeks to cultivate a strong will in himself must treat his every decision and intention as a serious and responsible matter, remembering that failure to fulfill the decision corrupts the will.

4. The formation of control over their behavior, habits to evaluate their actions, to be aware of their consequences. Without developing a critical attitude towards yourself, your actions, it is impossible to cultivate a strong will in yourself. Great self-discipline is one of the characteristic features of a person of strong will.

5. An important direction in the development of will is the development of strong-willed qualities of a person: discipline, determination, self-control, independence, determination, perseverance, initiative, courage, courage, courage, etc.

6. Constant training of oneself in overcoming internal and external obstacles, constant exercise of volitional effort. Where effort is not required, there is no reason to talk about a serious volitional task. The ability to overcome obstacles develops as a result of practice. Will is formed in action.

Very often one has to hear from people that they can’t do one thing or another, because they don’t have enough. For example, start doing exercises every morning or stop eating large amounts of sweets. This requires a person to make certain efforts on himself. What is the will? Is it inherent in every person? Is it possible to develop one's willpower?

Concept of will

Will is a function of the human psyche, thanks to which we are able to exercise control over our actions and manage actions, making this or that decision, and achieving our goals.

The will encourages people to achieve their desires and at the same time allows you to manage them. With it, a person is able to overcome difficulties, get out of difficult life situations. People whose will is not developed, prefer to go with the flow, do not seek to change their existence for the better. It is easier for them to give up their dreams than to make an effort on themselves and take action.

Volitional qualities of man

The concept of will includes a number of qualities of a human character. These include, first of all, self-control and endurance. These qualities are manifested in restraining, when necessary, your emotions in order to avoid taking rash actions that can lead to disastrous consequences. For example, you should not start a fight, even if you have been insulted or humiliated.

Another strong-willed quality is determination. It consists in overcoming internal doubts and hesitations, quickly moving on to active actions, whether it is setting a goal or steps on the road to achieving it.

Human independence is also one of the willful qualities. People should be able to make decisions, guided only by their principles and beliefs, be independent of the opinions of others.

Persistent qualities include persistence and stubbornness, as well as determination. They help a person not to deviate from what was conceived, to continue to strive and act, even if not everything turns out right away.

Freedom and will

Very often the word "will" is associated with freedom. In terms such as “let loose” or “give free rein”, these words are almost synonymous. However, there are significant differences between the two words. Will is a broader concept, in contrast to freedom, which implies the ability of a person to live and act, as he wants. Moreover, the will can to some extent restrict freedom, forcing a person to act not only the way he wants, but also as common sense requires.

There is also the concept of “free will”, which means that a person has a choice independent of external circumstances. People have the right to make decisions independently - how they live, what values \u200b\u200bto set for themselves, which goals to choose and how to strive to achieve them.

What is the will of God

Many people ask whether a person has a choice at all and whether he can influence his fate. What is the will of God? How does it manifest in our world and is it possible to influence it?

God's will implies that everything that happens in our lives is predetermined from above. There is nothing that can happen without the knowledge and permission of God. The will of the Almighty is unchanging and does not depend on any external factors. People have no power to influence her, no matter how much they wish. It is hidden, inaccessible to the understanding of mankind.

Hiding under God's will, people could do anything - kill, steal, saying that it was destined to be so. However, this is far from the case, and the person’s responsibility for his evil deeds is not removed. In addition to the hidden, there is also an understandable, or open, God's will for people. It is reflected in the Bible and tells people how they should live, what to fear and what to strive for. Man is responsible before God when he does not fulfill His will, rejects His laws and neglects them.

The will of the Russian people

Each country, as a rule, has its own distinctive features inherent in its inhabitants. Russia is famous for the indomitable willpower of its people. There are many examples of its manifestation in the history of our state. Only thanks to an unprecedented willpower Russia managed to win in many wars and maintain its sovereignty to this day.

One of the most striking examples when the will of the people has manifested itself in full force is the blockade of Leningrad. It lasted almost 900 days. During this time, many people died of starvation, but the city did not give up, despite all the difficulties.

Of course, not all Russian people have a powerful will. At all times and in our country there were many traitors, cowards, ready to sell their country. However, most Russian people still have willpower, and it manifests itself not only in a time that is dangerous for the country, but also in everyday life.

How to develop willpower

Very often, people decide to dramatically and radically change their lives, collecting all their will into a fist. For example, a person wants to start playing sports from tomorrow. To do this, he decides to get up early every morning, do exercises, run, and after work go to the gym. However, after being unaccustomed, after a couple of days of such a rhythm of life, a person gets so tired that he completely abandons his undertaking, and he no longer has the desire to train willpower. As a result, instead of a positive result, it turned out only worse.

How to develop volitional qualities without harming yourself? To begin with, you need to stop postponing the beginning of your actions, citing some reasons. For example, the promises “I will start exercising on Monday” or “I will not eat sweets from the beginning of the month” do not strengthen willpower, but, on the contrary, make it even weaker.

What is the will? This is the ability to control behavior to achieve your goals. That is why you need to start moving towards them today. It’s much easier right now to get up and do some exercises than to suddenly switch to heavy loads right away.

Training willpower is a planned process. It is impossible to become a strong-willed person in one day, you need to go to this for a long time and gradually. Every time, even making a small effort on yourself, you approach the goal. The main thing is not to kill in oneself the desire to develop willpower.

FEDERAL EDUCATION AGENCY

State educational institution of higher professional education

FAR EASTERN STATE UNIVERSITY

INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS

FACULTY OF ECONOMICS

Will and its main features. Theories of will. Volitional regulation of behavior. Development of the will.

abstract

students gr.

Vladivostok

1 Will and its main features

Will - a person’s conscious regulation of his behavior, associated with overcoming internal and external obstacles, having a number of signs: the presence of effort and a well-thought-out plan for the performance of a particular volitional act; increased attention to such a behavioral action; lack of immediate pleasure received in the process and as a result of its execution; the state of optimal mobilization of the personality, concentration in the right direction.

The manifestation of the will is reflected in the following properties (qualities):

Willpower is the degree of necessary volitional effort to achieve a goal;

Persistence - the ability of a person to mobilize for a long overcoming of difficulties;

Exposure - the ability to restrain feelings, thoughts, actions;

Decision - the ability to quickly and firmly implement decisions;

Courage - the ability to quickly and firmly implement decisions;

Self-control - the ability to control oneself, to subordinate one's behavior to the solution of assigned tasks;

Discipline - the conscious submission of one’s behavior to generally accepted norms, the established order;

Obligation - the ability to fulfill the assigned duties on time;

Organization - rational planning and streamlining of their work, etc.

Will is present in many acts of human behavior, helping to overcome resistance, as well as other desires and needs on the way to the intended goal. Most often, a person shows his will in the following typical situations:

It is necessary to make a choice between two or several equally attractive, but requiring opposite actions thoughts, goals, feelings, incompatible with each other;

Despite everything, it is necessary to deliberately move towards the intended goal;

On the way of a person’s practical activity, internal (fear, uncertainty, doubts) or external (objective circumstances) obstacles arise that must be overcome.

In other words, the will (its presence or absence) is manifested in all situations related to the choice and decision-making.

The main signs of a volitional act:

a) the application of efforts to perform a volitional act;

b) the presence of a sound plan for the implementation of a behavioral act;

c) increased attention to such a behavioral act and the lack of immediate pleasure received in the process and as a result of its execution;

d) often the efforts of the will are directed not only to victory over circumstances, but to overcoming oneself.

The main functions of the will are:

The choice of motives and goals;

Regulation of motivation for actions with insufficient or excessive motivation;

The organization of mental processes into a system that is adequate to human activities;

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

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

Another sign of the volitional nature of an action or activity regulated by will is the presence of a well-thought-out plan for their implementation. An action that does not have a plan or is not carried out according to a predetermined plan cannot be considered volitional. Willful action is a conscious, purposeful action by which a person realizes the goal set before him, subordinating his impulses to conscious control and changing the surrounding reality in accordance with his plan.

Essential signs of volitional action are increased attention to such an action and the lack of immediate pleasure received in the process and as a result of its implementation. It is understood that volitional action is usually accompanied by a lack of emotional rather than moral satisfaction. On the contrary, the successful fulfillment of a volitional act usually involves just moral satisfaction from the fact that it was possible to fulfill.

Often, the efforts of the will are directed by a person not so much to defeat and master the circumstances, but to overcome himself. This is especially true for people of an impulsive type, unbalanced and emotionally excitable, when they have to act contrary to their natural or characterological data.

Not one more or less complicated life problem of a person can be solved without the participation of the will. No one on Earth has ever achieved outstanding success without having outstanding willpower. First of all, a person differs from all other living beings in that, in addition to consciousness and intellect, he also has a will, without which abilities would remain an empty phrase.

2 Theories of will

At present, psychological science does not have a unified theory of will, although many scientists have made attempts to develop a holistic doctrine of will with its terminological certainty and uniqueness.

Traditionally, the will is defined as the conscious regulation by a person of his behavior and activities, expressed in the ability to overcome internal and external difficulties in the commission of purposeful actions and deeds.

Among the most popular directions in the study of the will problem, the so-called heteronomic and autonomous (or voluntaristic) theories of will stand out.

Heteronomic theories reduce volitional actions to complex mental processes of a non-involuntary nature - associative and intellectual processes. G. Ebbinghaus gives an example: a child instinctively, involuntarily reaches for food, establishing a connection between food and satiety. The reversibility of this connection is based on a phenomenon in which, having felt hunger, he will purposefully search for food. A similar example can be given from another area - the psychology of personality. According to Ebbinghaus, the will is an instinct that arises on the basis of the reversibility of associations or on the basis of the so-called "sighted instinct", conscious of its purpose.

For other heteronomic theories, volitional action is associated with a complex combination of intellectual mental processes (I. Herbart). It is assumed that, first, impulsive behavior arises, then on its basis the action developed on the basis of habit is actualized, and after that it is the action controlled by the mind, i.e. volitional action. According to this point of view, each act is volitional, because every action is reasonable.

Heteronomic theories have advantages and disadvantages. Their advantage is the inclusion of the determinism factor in the explanation of the will. Thus, they contrast their point of view on the emergence of volitional processes with the point of view of spiritualistic theories, which believe that the will is a kind of spiritual force that is not amenable to any determination. The disadvantage of these theories is the assertion that the will is not substantial, does not have its own content and is updated only if necessary. Heteronomic theories of will do not explain the phenomena of arbitrary actions, the phenomenon of internal freedom, the mechanisms of the formation of volitional action from non-voluntary.

An intermediate place between heteronomic and autonomous theories of will is occupied by the affective theory of will of W. Wundt. Wundt sharply objected to attempts to derive the motivation for volitional action from intellectual processes. He explains the will using the concept of affect. The most essential for the occurrence of the volitional process is the activity of an external action, which is directly related to internal experiences. In the simplest volitional act, Wundt highlights two points: affect and the action associated with it. External actions are aimed at achieving the final result, and internal ones are aimed at changing other mental processes, including emotional ones.

Theories of autonomous will explain this psychic phenomenon proceeding from the laws inherent in volitional action itself. All theories of autonomous will can be divided into three groups:

Motivational approach;

Free choice approach;

Regulatory approach.

Motivational approach   means that the will, one way or another, is explained using the categories of psychology of motivation. In turn, it is divided into:

1) theories that understand will as a superhuman, world power:

Will as a world power embodied in man was the subject of research by E. Hartmann, A. Schopenhauer, G.I. Chelpanova. Schopenhauer believed that the essence of everything is world will. She is a completely irrational, blind, unconscious, aimless and, moreover, never ceasing and not weakening impulse. It is universal and is the basis for everything that exists: it generates everything (through the process of objectification) and controls everything. Only by creating the world and looking into it like in a mirror does it get the opportunity to become aware of itself, first of all, that it is the will to live. The will that exists in every person is simply an objectification of the world will. So, the doctrine of the world will is the source, and the doctrine of the human will is secondary, derivative. Schopenhauer presents different ways of getting rid of the world's will. A general provision is that all methods are realized through spiritual activity (cognitive, aesthetic, moral). It turns out that cognition, aesthetic contemplation is able to save from “serving” the world will. He devotes much attention to moral methods.

The same approximate understanding of the will as an active force providing for human actions was characteristic of G.I. Chelpanova. He believed that the soul has its own power to make choices and induce action. In a volitional act, he singled out aspiration, desire and effort; later he began to connect the will with the struggle of motives.

2) theories that regard will as the initial moment of motivation for action:

Will as the initial moment of motivation for action is the subject of research by various authors (T. Hobbes, T. Ribot, K. Levin). Common to all concepts is the provision that the will has the ability to stimulate action. T. Ribot added that it can not only induce action, but also inhibit some undesirable actions. Kurt Levin's identification of the inducing function of the will with quasi-need as a mechanism for inducing intentional action led Western psychology to the identification of motivation and will. Levin distinguished between volitional behavior, carried out with a special intention, and field behavior, performed in accordance with the logic (forces) of the field. Levin invested a dynamic aspect in his understanding of the will. This is an internal tension caused by some incomplete action. The implementation of volitional behavior is to relieve tension through certain actions - movements in the psychological environment (locomotion and communication).

3) theories that understand will as the ability to overcome obstacles:

Will as the ability to overcome obstacles was studied in the works of J. Kuhl, H. Heckhausen, D.N. Uznadze, N. Aha, L.S. Vygotsky. In this case, the will does not coincide with motivation, but is actualized in a difficult situation (in the presence of obstacles, struggle of motives, etc.), such an understanding of the will is primarily associated with volitional regulation.

Yu. Kul connects volitional regulation with the presence of difficulties in the implementation of intentions. He distinguishes between intention and desire (motivation). Active intentional regulation is activated when an obstacle or competing tendency arises on the path of desire.

H. Heckhausen identifies four stages of motivation for action, which account for different mechanisms - motivational and volitional. The first stage is related to motivation before a decision is made, the second is volitional effort, the third is the implementation of an action, and the fourth is an assessment of the results of behavior. Motivation determines the choice of action, and the will determines its strengthening and initiation.

D.N. Uznadze correlates the formation of will with activities that are aimed at creating values \u200b\u200bindependent of the actual human needs. Satisfaction of actual needs occurs through impulsive behavior. Another type of behavior is not connected with the impulse of the actual need and is called volitional. According to Uznadze, volitional behavior differs from impulsive behavior in that it has a period preceding the act of decision-making. Behavior becomes volitional only because of the motive that so modifies the behavior that the latter becomes acceptable to the subject.

Overcoming obstacles, according to N. Ah, is possible with the actualization of volitional processes. Motivation and will do not match. Motivation determines the general determination of the action, and the will enhances the determination. The volitional act distinguishes two sides: phenomenological and dynamic. The phenomenological includes such moments as 1) a feeling of tension (figurative moment), 2) determination of the purpose of the action and its relation to means (objective), 3) the fulfillment of an internal action (actual), 4) the experience of difficulty, the fulfillment of effort (moment of state) . The dynamic side of a volitional act is the implementation, embodiment of a motivated (volitional) action.

L.S. Vygotsky considers overcoming obstacles as one of the signs of will. As a mechanism for enhancing the impulse to action, he defines the operation of introducing an auxiliary motive (means). Such an additional motive may be lots, counts of one, two, three, etc. In his early works, L.S. Vygotsky explains the arbitrary form of regulation of mental processes through the deliberate organization of external stimuli. “If you force a child to often do something on the count of“ one, two, three, ”then he will get used to doing it in the same way as, for example, we do when throwing ourselves in the water. Often we know that we need to do something, say, following the example of W. James, to get out of bed, but we do not want to get up ... And at such moments, an offer to ourselves from outside helps us to get up ... and we are invisible to ourselves we find ourselves getting up ”(LS Vygotsky, 1982. P. 465). In later works, he changes his view of the will, using the concept of semantic formations of consciousness, which, if you change the semantic emphasis in them, can strengthen / weaken the urge to act. In his opinion, an interesting trend that is revealed when performing meaningless instructions. It consists in the fact that by creating a new situation, making changes in the psychological field, come to its understanding.

With a motivational approach, the will was investigated as an independent psychic phenomenon, but the drawbacks of this direction are that the explanation of the mechanisms of the emergence of the will did not have a specific source: it came either from teleological interpretations, then from natural scientific ones, or from causal ones.

Free choice approach   consists in the correlation of volitional processes with the problem of making a choice, with a situation in which any person often finds himself. I. Kant was interested in the question of compatibility, on the one hand, the determinism of behavior, and on the other, freedom of choice. The causality of the material world was compared with the determinism of behavior, and morality implied freedom of choice. Will becomes free when subordinated to its moral law.

In addition to the philosophical point of view, there are a number of psychological interpretations of the will in line with the problem of free choice. Thus, W. James believed that the main function of the will is to make a decision on action in the presence of two or more ideas. In such a situation, the main feat of the will is to direct consciousness to an attractive object. The choice as one of the functions of the will is considered by S.L. Rubinstein.

Regulatory approach   correlates the will not with certain contents, but with the function to exercise control, management and self-regulation. M.Ya. Basov understood the will as a mental mechanism through which a person regulates his mental functions. Willpower is defined as the subjective expression of regulatory volitional function. The will is deprived of the ability to generate mental or other actions, but it regulates them, showing up in attention. According to K. Levin, the will can really manage the affects and actions. This fact was proved by many experiments conducted at his school.

Studies of the regulation of mental processes, carried out in the framework of the problem of will, have generated a completely independent direction in psychology, dealing with the problem of self-regulation of personality. Despite the close connection with the will and volitional processes, the subject of research in this area of \u200b\u200bpsychological knowledge is the techniques and methods of regulating behavior, states and feelings.

3 Volitional regulation of behavior

Psychology of the will studies volitional actions, the problem of choosing motives and goals, volitional regulation of mental states, volitional qualities of a person.

By volitional regulation is understood the intentionally carried out control of the impulse to action, consciously accepted by necessity and carried out by a person according to his decision. If necessary, the inhibition of the desired, but not socially approved, action is not meant to regulate the inducement to action, but to regulate the action of abstinence.

Among the levels of mental regulation are the following:

Involuntary regulation (dopsychic involuntary reactions; figurative (sensory) and perceptual regulation);

Arbitrary regulation (speech-interpretative level of regulation);

Volitional regulation (the highest level of arbitrary regulation of activity, ensuring overcoming difficulties in achieving the goal).

The function of volitional regulation is to increase the effectiveness of the corresponding activity, and volitional action appears as a conscious, purposeful action of a person to overcome external and internal obstacles with the help of volitional efforts.

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

A strong-willed person is distinguished by decisiveness, courage, self-control, self-confidence. Such qualities usually develop in ontogenesis somewhat later than the group of properties mentioned above. In life, they appear in unity with character, therefore they can be considered not only as strong-willed, but also as characterological. We call these qualities secondary.

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

Volitional qualities - a dynamic category, i.e. capable of change, development throughout life. Strong-willed qualities are often directed not so much at mastering the circumstances and overcoming them, but at overcoming oneself. This is especially true for people of an impulsive type, unbalanced and emotionally excitable, when they have to act contrary to their natural or characterological data.

The mechanisms of volitional regulation are: mechanisms to compensate for the deficit of motivation, committing volitional effort and intentionally changing the meaning of actions.

Mechanisms for filling the deficit of motivation consist in strengthening weak, but socially more significant motivation by evaluating events and actions, as well as ideas about what benefits the achieved goal can bring. Strengthening motivation is associated with an emotional reappraisal of value based on the action of cognitive mechanisms. Cognitive psychologists paid special attention to the role of intellectual functions in filling the deficit of motivation. Cognitive mechanisms are associated with mediation of behavior by the internal intellectual plan, which performs the function of conscious regulation of behavior. Strengthening motivational trends is due to the mental construction of a future situation. Anticipation of the positive and negative consequences of the activity causes emotions associated with the achievement of a consciously set goal. These motives act as additional motivation for a deficit motive.

The need to commit volitional effort is determined by the degree of difficulty of the situation. Willpower is the way in which difficulties are overcome in the process of committing a targeted action; it provides the possibility of a successful course of activity and the achievement of previously set goals. This mechanism of volitional regulation is correlated with various types of self-stimulation, in particular with its speech form, with frustration tolerance, with the search for positive experiences associated with the presence of an obstacle. Four forms of self-stimulation are usually distinguished: 1) a direct form in the form of self-orders, self-encouragement and self-hypnosis, 2) an indirect form in the form of creating images, representations associated with achievement, 3) an abstract form in the form of constructing a system of reasoning, logical justifications and conclusions, 4) combined form as a combination of elements of the three previous forms.

A deliberate change in the meaning of actions is possible due to the fact that the need is not strictly related to the motive, and the motive is not uniquely related to the goals of the action. The meaning of the activity, according to A.N. Leontiev, are in relation to the motive to the goal. The formation and development of the impulse to action is possible not only due to filling the deficit of the impulse (by connecting additional emotional experiences), but also due to a change in the meaning of the activity.

A change in the meaning of the activity usually occurs:

1) by reassessing the significance of the motive;

2) through a change in the role and position of a person (instead of becoming a subordinate, become a leader, instead of taking the giver, instead of desperate desperate);

3) with the help of reformulation and implementation of meaning in the field of fantasy, imagination.

Volitional regulation in its most developed forms means connecting insignificant or insignificant, but obligatory for execution of an action, to the semantic sphere of personality. Volitional action means the transformation of pragmatic action into an act as a result of its adherence to moral motives and values.

The problem of volitional regulation of personality is closely related to the issue of volitional qualities of a person. Volitional qualities are understood to mean such features of a person’s volitional activity that contribute to overcoming external and internal difficulties and, under certain circumstances and conditions, manifest themselves as stable personality traits.

The most important volitional properties are determination, perseverance, determination, initiative, courage, etc.

Purposefulness is understood as the ability of a person to subordinate his actions to set goals. It manifests itself in the ability to be tolerant, i.e. resistant to possible obstacles, stress, unexpected turns of events when focusing on a specific goal.

Perseverance - the ability to mobilize to overcome difficulties, the ability to be strong, as well as intelligent and creative in difficult life situations.

Decision - the ability to make and implement timely, informed and firm decisions.

Initiative - the ability to make independent decisions and implement them in activities, spontaneous expression of the motives, desires and motives of a person.

Volitional regulation is necessary in order to for a long time hold in the field of consciousness an object that a person is reflecting on, to maintain attention focused on it. The will is involved in the regulation of almost all basic mental functions: sensations, perceptions, imagination, memory, thinking and speech. The development of these cognitive processes from lower to higher means the acquisition by a person of volitional control over them.

Willful action is always associated with the consciousness of the goal of the activity, its significance, with the subordination of the goal of the performed actions. Sometimes it becomes necessary to give a particular meaning to a goal, and in this case, the participation of the will in the regulation of activity is reduced to finding the corresponding meaning, the increased value of this activity. Otherwise, it may be necessary to find additional incentives for the implementation, bringing to the end of the already begun activity, and then the volitional sense-forming function is associated with the process of performing the activity. In the third case, the goal may be to teach something and the actions connected with the teaching acquire a strong-willed character.

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

A typical case of the inclusion of will in the management of activities is the situation associated with the struggle of difficultly incompatible motives, each of which requires at the same time to perform various actions. Then the person’s consciousness and thinking, including in the volitional regulation of their behavior, look for additional incentives in order to make one of the drives stronger, to give it more meaning in the current situation. Psychologically, this means an active search for the connection between the goal and the activity carried out with the higher spiritual values \u200b\u200bof a person, consciously giving them much more significance than they had at first.

With the volitional regulation of behavior generated by actual needs, a special relationship develops between these needs and the human mind.

Knowledge of the mechanisms of volitional regulation and ways of developing the will is necessary for every person striving for the systematic and successful self-development and achievement of life goals.

4 Development of the will

The development of volitional regulation of human behavior is carried out in several directions. On the one hand, this is the transformation of involuntary mental processes into arbitrary ones, on the other, a person’s gaining control over his behavior, and on the third, the development of strong-willed personality traits. All these processes ontogenetically begin from the moment of life when the child masters the speech and learns to use it as an effective means of mental and behavioral self-regulation.

The development of human will is associated with:

a) with the transformation of involuntary mental processes into

arbitrary;

b) with the acquisition by a person of control over his behavior;

c) with the development of volitional personality traits;

d) with the fact that a person consciously sets himself more and more difficult tasks and pursues ever more distant goals, which require considerable volitional efforts over time.

Within each of these areas of will development, as it is strengthened, its own specific transformations take place, gradually raising the process and mechanisms of volitional regulation to higher levels. For example, within cognitive processes, the will initially appears in the form of external speech regulation and only then in terms of the intra-speech process. In the behavioral aspect, volitional control initially refers to the voluntary movements of individual parts of the body, and subsequently to the planning and control of complex complexes of movements, including the inhibition of some and the activation of other muscle complexes. In the field of the formation of volitional qualities of a personality, the development of will can be represented as a movement from primary to secondary and further to tertiary volitional qualities.

Another direction in the development of will is manifested in the fact that a person consciously sets himself more and more difficult tasks and pursues more and more distant goals, requiring considerable volitional efforts for a fairly long time. For example, a student in his teens can set himself the task of developing such abilities for which he does not have pronounced natural inclinations. At the same time, he can set himself the goal of engaging in the future with a complex and prestigious activity, for the successful completion of which such abilities are necessary. There are many life examples of how people who became famous scientists, artists, writers, achieved their goals, not having good inclinations, mainly due to increased efficiency and will.

The development of will in children is closely related to the enrichment of their motivational and moral spheres. The inclusion of higher motives and values \u200b\u200bin the regulation of activities, increasing their status in the general hierarchy of incentives that govern activities, the ability to highlight and evaluate the moral side of the actions performed are all important points in raising the will of children. The motivation of the act, which includes volitional regulation, becomes conscious, and the act itself is arbitrary. Such an action is always performed on the basis of an arbitrarily constructed hierarchy of motives, where the highest stage is occupied by a highly moral impulse that gives moral satisfaction to a person in case of success of the activity. A good example of such an activity is the excess activity associated with the highest moral values, committed on a voluntary basis and aimed at the benefit of people.

Improving the volitional regulation of behavior in children is associated with their general intellectual development, with the appearance of motivational and personal reflection. Therefore, it is almost impossible to cultivate the will of the child in isolation from his general psychological development. Otherwise, instead of the will and perseverance as undoubtedly positive and valuable personal qualities, their antipodes may arise and become fixed: stubbornness and rigidity.

A special role in the development of the will of children in all of these areas is played by games, and each type of game activity makes its own, specific contribution to the improvement of the volitional process. Constructive objective games that appear first in the age development of a child contribute to the accelerated formation of arbitrary regulation of actions. Role-playing games lead to the consolidation of the child's necessary volitional personality traits. Collective games with rules, in addition to this task, solve one more thing: strengthening self-regulation of actions. The doctrine, which appears in the last years of preschool childhood and turns into a leading activity in the school, makes the greatest contribution to the development of voluntary self-regulation of cognitive processes.

Bibliography

1.   Rubinstein S.L. Fundamentals of General Psychology: In 2 vols. - M, 1989. - T. II. - S. 187.

2.   Nikolaenko V.M. Psychology and pedagogy: a training manual. - 2000

3.   Radugin A.A. Psychology and pedagogy: a training manual. - M. 2002. - 257s.

4.   Lukovtseva A.K. Psychology and pedagogy. Lecture course: textbook for university students. - M.: KDU, 2008 .-- P.192.

Will - this is perhaps one of the most complex concepts in the world of psychology. Belief in oneself and one's own strengths, the ability to discipline oneself, showing decisiveness at the right time, courage and patience are all phenomena that reunite into one whole, forming the main character of our article. Psychology covers several interpretations of the concept of will. In our article, we will try to learn more about this mystery.

What is will: definitions

1. The will is a conscious regulation by each individual of their actions and actions, the implementation of which requires moral and physical costs.
2. Will is a form of mental reflection in which the goal is the reflected object, the motivation for its achievement and the existing objective obstacles to implementation; the subjective goal, the struggle of contradictions, one's own volitional effort is considered to be reflected; the result of the manifestation of will is the achievement of a goal and the satisfaction of one's own desires. It is worth noting that the obstacles that a person has to face are both internal and external.
3. Will is a side of consciousness, which is a kind of lever of activity and regulation of the beginning, designed to create efforts and hold them for as long as necessary.

In short, we can combine all of the above and conclude that the will is the skill of every person, which manifests itself in self-determination and self-regulation by him of his own activities and various mental processes.

Will and its main features

Modern psychology divides this phenomenon into three most common kind   in the human psyche:

The development of will in the character of man

This distinctive feature of human character distinguishes us from the behavior of other living beings on the planet. It is commonly believedthat this is a conscious quality that was formed as a result of the formation of society and social labor. Will closely interacts with cognitive and emotional processes that take place in the human psyche.

She is subject exhibit only two functions:

• brake;
• incentive.

The functioning of the first quality is manifested in the form of deterrence of those actions that are contrary to your prejudices, signs, moral standards and so on. As for the second quality, it encourages us to take action and achieve our goals. Thanks to the combination of these two interacting functions, each person has the opportunity develop strong-willed qualitiesto overcome life's difficulties that stand in the way of their own realization and happiness.

It is worth noting that, if the quality of living conditions, starting from birth, were unfavorable, then the likelihood that the child will have well-developed volitional qualities is small. But believe and know that courage, perseverance, determination and discipline can always be developed through hard work on oneself. To do this, it is necessary to devote time to various activities, suppressing external and internal obstacles.

List of factorsthat contribute to the inhibition of the development of volitional qualities in children:

• spoilage;
• tough parents who believe that suppressing a child’s decisions will benefit him.

Characteristics of the will

• Close relationship with the concept and motive “necessary”;
• The formation of a clear intellectual plan, which allows you to go to the implementation of the plan;
• Conscious mediation;
• Interaction with other mental processes, for example: emotions, attention, thinking, memory and so on.

Will in the structure of character and its education

Self-education and the development of one's own volitional qualities is an integral part of self-improvement of each person, on the basis of which, it is necessary to develop rules and programs for the development of self-education of “willpower”.

If willpower to consider   as spontaneous control, it should include self-stimulation, self-determination, self-control and self-initiation. Let's look at each concept in more detail.

• Self-determination (motivation)

Determination or, as we are used to say, motivation is the conditionality of human behavior, which was prompted by certain factors or causes. In the arbitrary behavior of a person, the cause of action and deed lurks in the person himself. It is he who is responsible for the reaction of the body to the stimulus. However, decision making is a more complex processwhich covers more ongoing events.

Motivation is the process of creating the intention to act or to do nothing. The formed foundation of his action is called a motive. Quite often, in order to try to understand the reason for the actions of another person, we ask ourselves, and what motive prompted the person   to commit this act.

Summing up the above, I want to note that in one person all the components of volitional qualities are heterogeneous: some are better, others are worse. This indicates that the will is heterogeneous and depending on various life situations. Consequently, we can assume that there is no unique will power for all cases, otherwise it would manifest itself by one person either extremely successfully or stably badly.

But this does not mean that there is no point cultivate   and nurturing your willpower. It should be assumed that significant difficulties can be encountered along the way, therefore it is necessary to acquire patience, wisdom, tact and human sensitivity.