Psychophysiology is what? Age physiology and psychophysiology

Psychophysiology is the science of the physiological basis of behavior and mental activity. This article contains basic information about it. You will learn the history of its origin, the features of the methodology, its significance, as well as some other important information about this science.

Psychophysiology is a special section of psychology and physiology, in which the role of biological factors (including the properties of the nervous system) in the provision of mental activity is studied. Scientists distinguish between differential psychophysiology, speech and thinking, sensations and perceptions, attention, emotions, arbitrary actions. Currently, all these areas of knowledge are actively being developed.

The cause of psychophysiology

Today the question of the relationship between psychology and physiology is still open. It can not be unequivocally said that the first is part of the second or the second - the first. However, there is no doubt that the mental and physiological processes are part of a single psychophysical whole. It is also certain that the notions of this whole, so necessary for practical purposes, can not be obtained separately either by physiology or by psychology. It is to satisfy the need for knowledge about man as a whole, and not for purely corporate or organizational reasons, and a new branch of biology, called psychophysiology, has emerged. This science considers a very wide range of issues. The level of complexity of the problems studied by her is much higher than in psychology or physiology alone.

Interdisciplinarity of psychophysiology, probabilistic methodology

Psychophysiology is a field of knowledge that is interdisciplinary. It considers the organization of relations of probabilistic mental, physical and spiritual phenomena and human essences. Psychophysiology is a discipline that, for effective cognition, uses a combination of principles, prerequisites, means and methods of cognition that enable scientists to explore a specific object that a person is. Thus, the probabilistic methodology is applied. It is necessary to say a few words about it.

Psychophysiology is a science that studies a person with the help of probabilistic methodology. The beginning of the latter was laid back in 1867 by the English physicist James Clerk Maxwell. Probabilistic methodology claims to be universal in science. Maxwell is the first scientist who applied her methods to characterize probabilistic physical reality. This researcher is considered the creator of statistical physics. Probabilistic methodology has one important advantage over deterministic (traditional) methodology. It gives a much more complete knowledge of the object that is being explored.

Creation of psychophysiology

Officially, it took shape in the middle of the 19th century. Recognized as its creator is AR Luria, an outstanding domestic scientist (pictured above). Having a dual education (psychological and neurological), he was able to combine the most important achievements of these disciplines into a single whole. The result of the work done was a combination of psychophysiology and neuropsychology.

For a long time it was considered that the soul is incorporeal. In other words, the brain has nothing to do with it. Later, scientists began to place mental functions in the three ventricles of the brain. In this case, each of the ventricles was considered a place of storage of the reflected impressions of the soul. It was believed that it is the abode of ideal images. The brain was considered as an organ from which the vital energy under the influence of will flows into parts of our body through special channels called nerves.

Later, thanks to the works of various scientists, mostly domestic (IM Sechenov, IP Pavlov, P. Ya. Galperin, AN Leontiev, AR Luria, NA Bernshtein, and others. ), A fairly clear idea of the importance of the CNS (central nervous system) for the human psyche was made.

The natural-scientific method of IM. Sechenova

IM Sechenov developed a special natural-scientific method. Its essence can be defined by the following two principles:

• All sorts of psychic phenomena are the product of the activity of the central nervous system, and therefore they obey the laws by which other phenomena of nature develop;
• It is necessary to adhere to the principle of historicism in the study of the psyche, that is, to go from the lower forms of its activity to the higher, from the simple to the complex, from studying the psyche of the animal to investigating its specificity in man.

Sechenov, applying these principles, approached the creation of a materialist theory of reflection.

IP Pavlov's works and further studies

In the works of I.P. Pavlov, the famous Russian physiologist, the reflex theory was further developed. This scientist for the first time used an objective method of studying mental functions of the brain, which was a conditioned reflex. Taking it into service, Pavlov investigated physiological mechanisms in a number of processes that form the basis of elementary mental reactions. The works of this scientist, as well as representatives of his school, opened a new horizon in the study of brain activity in an experimental way.

Later, electrophysiological studies, supplemented by the method of conditioned reflexes, helped to establish the fact that many processes of the psyche are based on a certain functional organization in the structures of the brain. For example, memory can be considered as a result of the process of circulation of excitations along chains of neurons that are closed, with further fixation at the molecular level of those or other changes.

Emotions depend on how active certain centers are in the subcortical structures of the brain. At present, many mental reactions are reproduced artificially. To do this, the brain departments responsible for them are especially irritated. On the other hand, on the brain, as well as on the whole on the body, everything that deeply affects our psyche is reflected. So, depression or grief can cause psychosomatic (bodily) diseases. Hypnosis can help cure or cause somatic disorders. Witchcraft or violation of the "taboo" of primitive peoples can even kill a person.

The object of knowledge and the subject of psychophysiology

General psychophysiology is the science of the life of a healthy person. Clinical same (more about it is told at the end of the article) he studies sick people.

Man, as you know, is three-sided. Psychophysiology is a science that takes into account all levels of its organization. Man has the unity of the following three probabilistic entities:

• Physical (physical, carnal);
• Mental (psychic);
• Spiritual.

Consequently, the subject of psychophysiology is the physical, mental and spiritual essence of man in their mutual conditioning and interconnection. This discipline, thanks to the success of studying the activity of neurons in the brain of animals, and also in connection with the possibility of a clinical examination of people, began to consider not only the physiological, but also the neuronal mechanisms of various mental states, processes and behaviors. Modern psychophysiology deals, among other things, with the study of neural networks and individual neurons. This is determined by the existing tendency to integrate various disciplines that study the functioning of the brain (neurochemistry, neurophysiology, neuropsychology, psychophysiology, molecular biology, etc.) into a single neuroscience.

The various branches of the discipline of interest to us have their own subject matter. Physiological psychophysiology, for example, examines the patterns of behavior and mental response, which depend on the state of the physiological parameters, the rate of reactions of the peripheral and central nervous systems, and the catfish in general (at the systemic, tissue and cellular levels).

Importance of discipline

The discipline of interest complements psychology, neurology, psychiatry, pedagogy and linguistics. Psychophysiology is a necessary link through which the human psyche is viewed in its entirety, including a multitude of complex forms of behavior, before its emergence has been studied.

For example, if you know which stages of ontogenesis are most sensitive to any pedagogical influences, you can influence the development of very important physiological and psychophysiological functions, such as memory, thinking, attention, perception, motor activity, mental and physical performance, etc. If one has an idea of the age-related features of the child's organism, one can best reveal his physical and mental abilities, develop scientifically valid, valeological and hygienic nical requirements for recreational and educational work, to organize the mode of the day, motor activity and nutrition, appropriate individual constitutional characteristics and age. In other words, pedagogical influences can be optimal and effective only when they take into account the age characteristics of the child and adolescent, the possibilities of his organism.

Age physiology and psychophysiology

Age physiology is a science that explores the features of vital activity and development of the organism during ontogenesis. She studies the functions of the body as a whole, the systems of organs and individual organs as they grow, the uniqueness of these functions at different age stages.

Ontogeny is the central concept of such discipline as age physiology. It was introduced in 1866 by E. Haeckel. In our time, ontogeny means the individual development of the organism throughout its life (from conception to death).

Age physiology and psychophysiology took shape relatively recently. The first was released only in the second half of the last century. Embryology is a science that examines the features and regularities of the body's vital activity at the stages of intrauterine development. Later stages, from maturity to old age, are considered gerontology.

Age physiology uses various methods of research, including morphological characteristics of the body (its length, mass, circumference of the waist and chest, girth of the hip, shoulder, etc.). This discipline is one of the sections of developmental biology - a very broad field of knowledge.

Features of human ontogeny

The origin of man influenced the features of his ontogeny. At early stages, it has some similarities with ontogenesis, characteristic of higher primates. However, the specific nature of a person is that this is a social being. This left an imprint on his ontogeny. First of all, the period of childhood increased. This is due to the fact that a person needs to learn a social program during training. In addition, the period of intrauterine growth has increased. Sexual maturation in humans occurs later than in the higher primates. The periods of the growth jump, as well as the transition to the elderly age, are clearly distinguished, in contrast to these animals. The total length of life we have more than the higher primates.

Age norm and rate of development

It is very important for a teacher and a doctor to understand the level of development of the child with whom they work. Age physiology and psychophysiology determine what to consider a norm, and that is a deviation from it. Any significant deviation in development means the need to apply non-standard methods of treatment and upbringing to a person. Therefore, one of the most important tasks of age psychology is the establishment of parameters that determine the age norm.

It should be noted that the pace of development does not always correlate with its final level. The slowdown of this process often leads to the achievement by the person (although later his peers) of outstanding abilities. On the contrary, often the accelerated development ends too soon. As a result, the person who first gave high hopes, in adulthood does not achieve high results.

Relatively rare deviations in the rates of development and growth are observed. However, small variations, which are manifested in moderate lead or lag, are often encountered. How should we treat them? Is this a deviation in development or its variability? Age physiology answers these and other questions. It develops criteria to judge the extent of deviations from the norm and the need to take measures to eliminate them or mitigate the consequences.

Clinical psychophysiology

It is an important applied field of psychophysiology. This is an interdisciplinary area of knowledge, which examines the physiological mechanisms of various changes in mental activity in case of somatic and mental pathology, as well as their influence on each other.

Clinical psychophysiology is a discipline that also involves the study of pathogenetic mechanisms, etiological factors, professional rehabilitation and treatment of psychosomatic diseases. It can not do without the knowledge and methods of a number of related disciplines (neurochemistry, neurophysiology, experimental psychology, neuropsychology, neuroradiology, etc.). Through field surveys and laboratory experiments, it is possible to find out how human behavior and experience affect regulatory processes and physiological responses. From this we can deduce the patterns of psychosomatic relations.

As a rule, the measured psychophysiological quantities are registered non-invasively on the surface of the human body (as a result of the activity of the body's functional systems). With the help of sensors their physical properties are measured. These sensors register and simultaneously strengthen the determined indicators, so that the obtained values can be converted into biosignals. Taking as a basis this method, the researchers come to a conclusion about what physical processes are the basis of this or that phenomenon, about their dynamics in the course of the impact of psychotherapy.

So, psychophysiology is a science, the definition of which is presented at the beginning of the article. We talked about its subject, method, history of origin and development, and also about some important branches. Psychophysiology is a science that studies both the psyche and the physiology of man, therefore it has an interdisciplinary character.