Discipline Psychology
Lesson 5. Emotions. Feelings. Will.
Review questions:
1. Human emotions and feelings. Similarities and differences.
2. Types of emotions. Types of feelings.
3. Functions of emotions and feelings in humans.
4. Will. Volitional qualities of a person. Functions of the will.
Tasks for independent work
Exercise 1. Study the material “Will and volitional processes” ( Annex 1). Make a short summary, highlight the key points.
Task 2: Analyze the test (see Appendix 2). Complete it, compare the test results with your own self-image. What can willpower depend on?
Reports
1. Conditions for the emergence of positive and negative emotions. The influence of emotional state on a person’s perception and activity.
2. The art of managing emotions.
3. The relationship between emotions and physiological manifestations of the human body.
4. Patterns of formation of higher feelings.
5. Strong-willed personality traits. Diagnosis of human will.
6. Development and training of will.
Annex 1
Will and volitional processes
Any mental activity of a person can be either involuntary, unintentional, or purposeful, voluntary. Unintentional activity requires no effort or planning. Involuntary actions are impulsive and lack clear awareness. This could be, for example, a person’s behavior in a state of passion, trance, or other altered states of consciousness.
In situations where it is necessary to be active in order to achieve some consciously set goal, they connect volitional processes. Thus, we can say that will is a person’s ability to consciously and actively manage his activities, overcoming obstacles to achieve his goal and creating additional motivation for action when he has already existing motivation is not sufficient. The amount of effort that a person makes to overcome the obstacle that has arisen characterizes the degree of development of his volitional sphere.
Highlighting volitional processes into a special layer of mental phenomena, psychologists do not contrast them with cognitive and emotional processes, since the same process can be simultaneously cognitive, and to a certain extent emotional, and volitional (for example, voluntary attention).
The initial motivations of a person to action are needs, therefore, the rudiments of will are already contained in them. Unlike a need, a motive is a mental incentive to carry out an activity, being no longer only a stimulus, but a personal processing of a stimulus (need, need). If unambiguous motives prevail, they enhance the possibility of achieving the goal. The emergence of motives that contradict the achievement of the intended goal inhibits human activity ( in some situations this is a manifestation of lack of will).
Thus, the will has two oppositely directed, but interrelated functions: stimulating and inhibitory.
The incentive function is provided by human activity, which generates action due to the specific internal states of the subject, revealed at the moment of the action itself.
The inhibitory function of the will does not always interfere with obtaining a positive result from an activity. Acting in unity with the incentive function, it is characterized by restraining unwanted manifestations of activity. For example, a person simultaneously has an urge to engage in two types of activities, but if he takes on both things at the same time, it will be to the detriment of both one and the other. There is a struggle of motives. The motive that a person evaluates as more significant at the moment generates the incentive function of the will, and the less significant one becomes the object of the inhibitory function. In addition, the inhibitory function also manifests itself in cases when a person’s impulses do not correspond to his ideas about the proper model of behavior. For example, if a person is very hungry, he may have the urge to steal a loaf of bread from the bakery. But for most people, such behavior is internally unacceptable, and it will be inhibited by volitional effort.
A person’s volitional manifestations are largely determined by those to whom he is inclined to attribute responsibility for the results of his own actions. If a person tends to blame external factors for his failures - circumstances, other people, it is much more difficult for him to exercise volitional efforts, than to someone who takes full responsibility for the results of his activities. Let's consider an example that is close to students - preparing for an exam. Friends arriving at the wrong time, noise in the next room, rainy weather that makes you sleepy, an interesting movie on TV that you can’t miss - everyone is familiar with such distractions. But a person with a developed volitional sphere of the psyche and who is responsible for the results of activities will, through strong-willed efforts, resist all factors that may have a negative impact on these results.
There are a number of personal qualities that are considered in psychology as volitional qualities:
1) determination is complete confidence in the feasibility of the decision;
2) self-control - a manifestation of the inhibitory function of the will, which consists in suppressing such human states that prevent the achievement of the goal;
3) courage - the manifestation of willpower to overcome obstacles dangerous to a person’s well-being and life;
4) persistence – the ability to perform repeated volitional actions over a long period of time to achieve a certain goal (it should not be confused with stubbornness – inadequate persistence without sufficient objective grounds);
5) diligence - the quality of will, manifested in the accurate, rigorous and systematic execution of decisions made;
6) patience and endurance are also strong-willed qualities necessary for the purposeful achievement of results;
7) discipline is evidence of the strong-willed qualities of an individual, since discipline teaches a person to overcome external and internal difficulties.
Each of the volitional qualities has its own antipode - a quality that indicates the underdevelopment of the volitional sphere, such as indecision, lack of initiative, pliability, etc.
Strong will, manifested in self-control, courage, perseverance, endurance and patience, is called courage.
Volitional action- this is an internal motivating force, formed not only by typological and biological inclinations, but also determined by everyday education, self-control, and self-persuasion. Therefore, psychologists believe that the will is educated.
However, it should be noted that the formation of strong-willed personality traits can be prevented by improper upbringing of a child. There are two extremes in education, which are very unfavorable for the development of the volitional sphere:
1) the child was spoiled, all his wishes and whims were unquestioningly fulfilled, therefore the inhibitory function of the will was not formed in him;
2) the child, on the contrary, was suppressed by the harsh will and instructions of adults, his initiative was suppressed, and therefore, having matured, he became incapable of making independent decisions.
Volitional action can have both simple and more complex forms.
A volitional action, simple in form, is an impulse that goes directly into action to achieve a goal. In this case, the action is practically not preceded by any complex and lengthy conscious process. The goal itself does not go beyond the immediate situation; its implementation is achieved by performing actions familiar to the subject, which are performed almost automatically as soon as a stimulus arises.
For a complex volitional action in its most pronounced specific form, it is primarily characteristic that between the stimulus and the action there is a mediator of this action. complex conscious process. An action is preceded by a calculation of its consequences and awareness of its motives, decision-making, the emergence of an intention to carry it out, and drawing up a plan for its implementation.
It should be noted that a complex volitional action does not in all cases cause a struggle of motives. This only happens when the goal is subjective and arises spontaneously. If it is conditioned by external factors and its achievement is necessary for the subject, he only needs to recognize it by forming a certain image of the future result of the action. The emergence of a struggle of motives is associated with the presence of several equivalent goals at the same time (for example, a housewife simultaneously wants to cook something special for dinner and watch her favorite TV series).
When making a decision, the subject understands that the further course of events depends on him. The idea of the consequences of one’s action gives rise to a sense of responsibility specific to a conscious act of will.
The decision-making process itself can take various forms.
1. Sometimes the decision is not differentiated in consciousness as a special stage. Volitional action proceeds without a special, consciously allocated special decision in it. This occurs in those situations when the impulse that has arisen in the subject at the moment is not contradicted by any other internal aspects of mental activity (for example, insufficient mental activity), and the very implementation of the goal corresponding to this impulse does not encounter any external obstacles.
In this case, it is enough for the subject to imagine the goal and realize its necessity for action to follow. (For example, a person wants to have a snack, he gets up from the cozy sofa in front of the TV and heads to the refrigerator - no matter how trivial, but this is a manifestation of volitional effort.)
2. In some cases, the decision comes as if by itself, since it is a complete resolution of the conflict that caused the struggle of motives, i.e. the decision is made not because the subject considers it optimal, but because in the given circumstances no other decision is no longer possible. (For example, in the event of a fire, a person jumps from the third floor not because he likes this solution, but because he has no other chance to save his life.)
3. And, finally, sometimes it happens that until the very end and even when the decision is made, each of the opposing motives still retains its strength, not a single possibility has disappeared by itself, and the decision in favor of one motive is made not because the effective the strength of the rest is exhausted, not because other motives have lost their attractiveness, but because the necessity or expediency of sacrificing opposing motives is realized. (For example, a sleepless night is over, you really want to sleep, but you have to go to the lecture by 8:00, otherwise there will be problems with getting a test.)
As for the relationship between action planning and the volitional qualities of an individual, the patterns here are as follows. The tendency to follow a plan in detail, which dominates the will, deprives it of flexibility. The plan strictly determines the will, which in turn strictly determines human behavior. As a result, the lack of flexibility of will leads to a lack of flexibility of behavior, and this does not make it possible to respond timely and adequately to changing circumstances.
If the subject’s volitional sphere is not only strong, but also has sufficient flexibility, then, in order to achieve the final result, he will be able to adjust the initial plan of action and introduce into it all those changes that, due to newly discovered circumstances, will be necessary for optimal achievement of the goal.
Will plays a vital role in overcoming life's difficulties, resolving major and minor problems, and achieving success in life. One of the main differences between humans and representatives of the animal world is, in addition to abstract thinking and intelligence, the presence of a volitional sphere, without which any abilities would remain useless and unactualized.
Appendix 2
Willpower test
/I.Yu.Yusupov, associate professor
Kazan Pedagogical Institute/
1. Are you able to complete work that you do not like?
2. Can you easily overcome internal resistance when you have to do something unpleasant?
3. When you find yourself in a conflict situation at school or at home, are you able to pull yourself together enough to assess the situation objectively?
4. If you are prescribed a diet, can you overcome temptations?
5. Will you find the strength to get up earlier than usual in the morning, as planned the day before, if you don’t have to?
6. Will you remain at the scene to testify?
7. Do you respond quickly to emails?
8. If you are afraid of an upcoming plane flight or a visit to the dentist's office, will you be able to not change your intention at the right time?
9. Will you take a very unpleasant medicine that your doctor strongly recommends?
10. Will you keep your promise in the heat of the moment, even if fulfilling it will bring you a lot of trouble?
11. Would you hesitate to go on a business trip to an unfamiliar city?
12. Do you strictly adhere to your daily routine?
13. Do you disapprove of library debtors?
14. Will not even the most interesting TV show make you refuse to do urgent and important work?
15. Will you be able to interrupt a quarrel and remain silent, no matter how offensive the words addressed to you may seem?
2 points - given for the answer “yes”;
1 point – for the answer “I don’t know”, “sometimes it happens”;
0 points for answering “no”.
If you dialed from 0 to 12 points, then not everything is going well with your willpower. You simply do what is easier and more interesting, you treat difficulties carelessly, and this is the cause of various troubles.
13-21 points. Your willpower is average. If you encounter an obstacle, you will take action to overcome it. But if you find a workaround, you will immediately use it. Don’t overdo it, but keep your word. You will not take on unnecessary obligations of your own free will.
The amount collected fluctuates from 22 to 30 points. Your willpower is fine. You can be relied upon. You won't let us down.
There is no person in the world whose life would be smooth. At some point there are ups and sometimes downs await us. White and black stripes replace each other, regardless of our desires. And there are moments when you just give up. It is then that everyone will need one, which helps us consciously manage our actions and actions, give up momentary benefits and pleasures in order to achieve more significant results.
What is willpower?
- This is one of the fundamental character traits of a business person. Many people believe that willpower is character. Everyone should work on this indicator constantly.
- Every person has willpower, but not everyone uses it and strives to develop it. So, when a person tries to quit smoking or fails to achieve these goals, he believes that he does not have willpower. But in fact, everyone is able to force themselves to do something necessary and useful.
- If a person wants to achieve heights in his life, create a career, he simply needs to develop willpower.
Recently, scientists have proven that willpower is a completely measurable resource. It is depleted during use. When we eat certain foods, it increases. And it can also be pumped up. By taking the willpower test, you will learn a lot of interesting things about yourself.
Surely, you will have to take more than one test in your life, but this one will help you become more confident, think about how you live, how you feel about yourself. Don't waste your time, take the willpower self-assessment test.
So, let's begin. Here is a test to determine willpower. There are fifteen questions in it. You can answer “yes”, for which you will receive two points, “It happens” - one point, “no” - 0 points. For each answer, immediately give points based on how you answered.
Questionnaire text
- Are you able to complete work that you have started that is not interesting to you, regardless of the fact that time and circumstances allow you to break away from it and then return to it again?
- Have you easily overcome internal resistance when you had to do something unpleasant (for example, go on duty on a day off)?
- When you find yourself in a conflict situation at work or at home, are you able to pull yourself together enough to look at it with maximum objectivity?
- If you are prescribed a diet, can you overcome all culinary temptations?
- Will you find the strength to get up earlier than usual in the morning, as planned in the evening?
- Will you remain at the scene to testify?
- Do you respond quickly to emails?
- If you are afraid of an upcoming airplane flight or a visit to the dentist's office, will you be able to overcome this feeling without much difficulty and not change your intention at the last moment?
- Will you take a very unpleasant medicine that your doctor recommended?
- Will you keep a promise made in the heat of the moment, even if fulfilling it will bring you a lot of trouble? Are you a man of your word?
- Do you hesitate to travel to an unfamiliar city if necessary? 12. Do you strictly adhere to the daily routine: time to wake up, eat, study, clean and other things?
- Do you disapprove of library debtors?
- Will the most interesting TV show make you put off urgent and important work? Is it so?
- Will you be able to interrupt a quarrel and remain silent, no matter how offensive the words of the other side may seem to you?
If your score is from zero to twelve, then you have rather weak willpower. You like to do what is easier and more interesting, so you do not try to show willpower and do something necessary against your desires. You take your responsibilities carelessly, and very often this becomes the main reason for various troubles that happen to you.
If the indicator is from thirteen to twenty-one, the result is that your willpower is average. As soon as obstacles appear on your path, you begin to overcome it. But if this obstacle can be bypassed, you do it. You can cope with unpleasant work, although reluctantly. In general, you will not take on unnecessary obligations of your own free will.
Is your score between twenty-two and thirty? This means that you can be congratulated - you have great willpower. I can go on reconnaissance with you - you won’t let me down. You are not afraid of new assignments, as well as tasks and tasks that others may find difficult and insurmountable.
After passing the willpower test, you will decide for yourself what to do next. If your scores are quite low, it’s not a problem. The main thing is that you have already taken the first step towards self-control.
There are special techniques that train willpower.
Never put off important decisions until the evening - at this time your willpower has already been depleted by the worries of the day. It is best to do everything in the morning, after you have breakfast.
How strong the will is, the more fruitful our work and studies are usually. Do you want to know this about yourself? Then try to answer the proposed questions of this test with maximum frankness.
You can use three answer options: “yes” “sometimes it happens” (“I don’t know”, “I don’t know”, “no”.
Willpower test questions
:1. Are you able to complete work that does not interest you?
2. Do you easily overcome internal resistance when you need to do something unpleasant?
3. When you find yourself in a conflict situation at home or at work, are you able to pull yourself together enough to look at the situation objectively?
4. If you are prescribed a diet, can you overcome culinary temptations?
5. Will you find the strength to get up earlier than usual in the morning, as planned the day before, if it is not necessary?
6. Will you remain at the scene to testify?
7. Do you respond quickly to emails?
8. If you are afraid of an upcoming airplane flight or a visit to the dentist's office, will you be able to not change your intention at the last moment?
9. Will you take a very unpleasant medicine that your doctor strongly recommends?
10. Will you keep your promise in the heat of the moment, even if fulfilling it will bring you a lot of trouble?
11. Do you hesitate to go on a business trip (business trip) to an unfamiliar city?
12. Do you strictly adhere to your daily routine?
13. Do you disapprove of library debtors?
14. Even the most interesting TV show won’t make you put off doing urgent and important work?
15. Will you be able to interrupt a quarrel and remain silent, no matter how offensive the words addressed to you may seem?
Test results:
Answer “yes” - 2 points
- “sometimes it happens” (“I don’t know”, “I find it difficult to answer”) - 1 point
- “no” - 0 points.
Now count the results.
0-12 points. Your willpower is not going well. You simply do what is easier and more interesting, even if it may hurt you in some way. You often take your responsibilities carelessly, which can cause various troubles for you. Your position is expressed by the well-known expression “What do I need more than anyone else?” You perceive any request, any obligation almost as physical pain. The point here is not only about weak willpower, but also about the selfishness of your personality. Try to look at yourself with this assessment in mind. Maybe this will help you change your attitude towards others and “remake” something in your character. If you succeed, you will only benefit from this.
13-21 points. Your willpower is average. If you encounter an obstacle, you will take action to overcome it. But if you see a workaround, you will immediately use it. Don’t overdo it, but keep your word. You will try to do unpleasant work, although you will grumble. You will not take on unnecessary responsibilities of your own free will. This sometimes negatively affects the attitude of managers towards you and does not characterize you from the best side in the eyes of others. If you want to achieve more in life, train your will.
22-30 points. Your willpower is fine. You can rely on you - you will not let you down. You are not afraid of new assignments, long trips, or those things that confuse others. But sometimes your firm and irreconcilable position on fundamental issues annoys those around you. Strong-willed qualities are very good, but it is also necessary to have such qualities as flexibility, forbearance, and kindness.
Will is the conscious regulation by the subject of his activities and behavior, ensuring overcoming difficulties in achieving life goals. The development of volitional regulation of human behavior is carried out in several directions: by transforming involuntary mental processes into voluntary ones, by a person gaining control over his actions and behavior and by developing emotional-volitional personality traits. As a result of volitional self-regulation, the individual sets himself more promising goals and more difficult tasks that require significant volitional efforts over a fairly long period of time.
Instructions: the test consists of 20 judgments. There are several alternative answers for each of them. For each of the judgments, choose the most suitable alternative, from your point of view. Write down the details of your choice on the answer sheet (or on a separate sheet of paper).
Questions
Do you often think about the impact your actions have on the people around you?
a) very rarely
c) quite often
d) very often
2. Do you ever tell people something that you yourself don’t believe in, but assert out of stubbornness, in defiance of others:
3. Which of the following qualities do you value most in people:
a) persistence
b) breadth of thinking
c) the ability to show oneself
4. Do you have a penchant for pedantry:
5. Do you quickly forget about troubles that happen to you:
Do you like to analyze your actions?
7. Being among people you know well, you:
a) try to adhere to the rules of behavior accepted in this circle
b) strive to remain yourself
8. When starting a difficult task, do you try not to think about the problems awaiting you:
9. Which of the following characteristics suits you best:
a) dreamer
b) shirt-guy
c) diligent in work
d) punctual and neat
d) likes to philosophize
e) fussy
10.When discussing a particular issue, you:
a) always express your point of view, even if it differs from the majority opinion
b) you think that in this situation it is best to remain silent and not express your point of view
c) outwardly support the majority, internally remaining unconvinced
d) accept the point of view of others, giving up the right to have your own opinion
11. How do you usually feel when you receive an unexpected call from your manager:
a) irritation
b) anxiety
c) concern
d) does not cause any feeling
12.If, in the heat of controversy, your opponent breaks down and makes a personal attack against you, then you:
a) answer him in the same way
b) don't pay attention to it
c) are demonstratively insulted
d) interrupt the conversation with him to calm down
13.If your work was rejected, then you:
a) feel annoyed
b) feel ashamed
c) angry
14.If you suddenly find yourself in a mess, who do you blame for this first of all:
a) yourself
b) fate, bad luck
c) objective circumstances
15. Don’t you think that people around you underestimate your abilities and knowledge:
16.If friends or colleagues start making fun of you, then you:
a) be angry with them
c) get involved in the game yourself and start playing along with them, making fun of yourself
d) you pretend to be indifferent, but in your heart you are indignant
17.If you are in a hurry and suddenly don’t find your item in the usual place where you usually put it, then:
a) you will silently continue searching for her
b) you will search, blaming others for the disorder
c) leave, leaving the necessary thing at home
18. Most likely to throw you off balance:
a) a long line in which you have to stand
b) crowding on public transport
c) the need to come to the same place several times in a row on the same issue
19. Having finished an argument with someone, do you continue to conduct it mentally, bringing up more and more new arguments in defense of your point of view:
20. If you have the opportunity to choose an assistant to perform urgent work, then which of the following possible candidates for assistants will you prefer:
a) an executive but lacking initiative person
b) a person who knows the matter, but is argumentative and intractable
c) a gifted person, but lazy.
Evaluation of test results
The table indicates the number of points a subject can receive in this technique for a particular selected answer.
If the sum of points scored is 14 or less, then this person is considered a person with a weak will.
With a score of 15 to 25 points, a person’s character and will are considered quite strong, and his actions are generally realistic and balanced.
With a total score of 26 to 38, a person’s character and will are considered very strong, and his behavior in most cases is considered quite responsible.
There is, however, a danger of being carried away by willpower for the purpose of narcissism.
With a score above 38, a person’s will and character are considered close to ideal, but sometimes doubts arise as to whether the person has assessed himself correctly and objectively.
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Scores for answers: |
Answer options |
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Serial number of judgment
Individual test psychological task No. 4 “Will”
100 tests for a manager. Part 1 Kyiv, 1990, p. 61-64
Assignment: answer the proposed questions using one of the following options: “yes” – 2 points; “it happens” – 1 point; “no” – 0 points.
1. Are you able to complete uninteresting work if you have the opportunity to temporarily postpone it?
2. Can you easily overcome internal resistance when doing something unpleasant?
3. Are you able to pull yourself together if you find yourself in a conflict situation?
4. Will you be able to overcome culinary temptations if you are prescribed a diet?
5. Will you find the strength to get up earlier than planned the day before?
6. Will you remain (voluntarily) at the scene to testify?
7. Do you respond quickly to emails?
8. Will you be able to overcome your fear and not change your intention to fly on an airplane or visit the dentist?
10. Will you keep a promise made in the heat of the moment if fulfilling it will bring you a lot of trouble (are you a man of your word)?
11. Do you hesitate to go to an unfamiliar city?
12. Do you strictly adhere to your daily routine?
13. Do you disapprove of library debtors?
14. Will an interesting TV show make you put off doing complex and important work?
15. Will you be able to remain silent in a quarrel, no matter how offensive the words of the “opposite side” may seem to you?
Calculate your total points!
Transcript of the test
Individual task No. 4 – “Will”
Check your total points:
0-12 points – your willpower is not good (your life principle is “What do I need most?”). We need to take our will seriously!
13-21 points - your willpower is average (you begin to act only when there is a real difficulty, but if there is a workaround, you will use it and will not take on too much). The will must be trained!
22-30 points - your willpower is fine (but you also need to have flexibility, forbearance, and kindness).