Conditioned reflexes are acquired arcs, temporary and. Congenital and acquired forms of behavior

Reflex– the body’s response is not an external or internal irritation, carried out and controlled by the central nervous system. The development of ideas about human behavior, which has always been a mystery, was achieved in the works of Russian scientists I. P. Pavlov and I. M. Sechenov.

Reflexes unconditioned and conditioned.

Unconditioned reflexes- This innate reflexes, which are inherited by offspring from their parents and persist throughout a person’s life. Arcs without conditioned reflexes go through spinal cord or brain stem. Bark cerebral hemispheres does not participate in their education. Unconditioned reflexes ensure the organism's adaptation only to those changes in the environment that have often been encountered by many generations of a given species.

TO unconditioned reflexes relate:

Food (salivation, sucking, swallowing);
Defensive (coughing, sneezing, blinking, withdrawing your hand from a hot object);
Indicative (squinting eyes, turning the head);
Sexual (reflexes associated with reproduction and care of offspring).
The importance of unconditioned reflexes lies in the fact that thanks to them the integrity of the body is preserved, maintaining constancy internal environment and reproduction occurs. Already in a newborn child the simplest unconditioned reflexes are observed.
The most important of these is the sucking reflex. The stimulus of the sucking reflex is the touching of an object to the child’s lips (mother’s breast, pacifier, toy, finger). The sucking reflex is an unconditioned food reflex. In addition, the newborn already has some protective unconditioned reflexes: blinking, which occurs if a foreign body approaches the eye or touches the cornea, constriction of the pupil when exposed to strong light on the eyes.

Particularly pronounced unconditioned reflexes in various animals. Not only individual reflexes can be congenital, but also more complex shapes behaviors that are called instincts.

Conditioned reflexes– these are reflexes that are easily acquired by the body throughout life and are formed on the basis of an unconditioned reflex under the action of a conditioned stimulus (light, knock, time, etc.). I.P. Pavlov studied the formation of conditioned reflexes in dogs and developed a method for obtaining them. To develop a conditioned reflex, a stimulus is needed - a signal that triggers the conditioned reflex; repeated repetition of the action of the stimulus allows you to develop a conditioned reflex. During the formation of conditioned reflexes, a temporary connection arises between the centers of the analyzers and the centers of the unconditioned reflex. Now this unconditioned reflex is not carried out under the influence of completely new external signals. These stimuli from the surrounding world, to which we were indifferent, can now acquire vital significance. Throughout life, many conditioned reflexes are developed that form the basis of our life experience. But this vital experience has meaning only for a given individual and is not inherited by its descendants.

In a separate category conditioned reflexes distinguish motor conditioned reflexes developed during our lives, i.e. skills or automated actions. The meaning of these conditioned reflexes is to master new motor skills and develop new forms of movements. During his life, a person masters many special motor skills related to his profession. Skills are the basis of our behavior. Consciousness, thinking, attention are freed from performing those operations that have become automated and become skills Everyday life. Most successful path Mastering skills means systematic exercises, correcting errors noticed in time, and knowing the ultimate goal of each exercise.

If you do not reinforce the conditioned stimulus with the unconditioned stimulus for some time, then inhibition of the conditioned stimulus occurs. But it doesn't disappear completely. When the experience is repeated, the reflex is restored very quickly. Inhibition is also observed when exposed to another stimulus of greater strength.

8. The individuality of conditioned reflexes is manifested in the fact that 1) an individual inherits only certain conditioned reflexes 2) each individual of the same species has its own life experience 3) they are formed on the basis of individual unconditioned reflexes 4) each individual has an individual mechanism for the formation of a conditioned reflex

20-09-2010 15:22
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Answers (1) Alinka Konkova +1 09/20/2010 20:02

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Higher nervous activity (HNA)

Higher nervous activity (HNA) is a complex and interconnected set of nervous processes underlying human behavior. GND ensures maximum human adaptability to environmental conditions.

VND is based on complex electrical and chemical processes, occurring in the cells of the cerebral cortex. Receiving information through the senses, the brain ensures the interaction of the body with environment and maintains the constancy of the internal environment in the body.

At the heart of the doctrine of higher nervous activity are the works of I.M. Sechenov - “Reflexes of the brain”, I.P. Pavlova (theory of conditioned and unconditioned reflexes), P.K. Anokhin (theory functional systems) and numerous other works.

Features of human higher nervous activity:

developed mental activity;
speech;
ability for abstract logical thinking.

The creation of the doctrine of higher nervous activity began with the works of the great Russian scientists I.M. Sechenov and I.P. Pavlova.

Ivan Mikhailovich Sechenov in his book “Reflexes of the Brain” proved that a reflex is a universal form of interaction between the body and the environment, that is, not only involuntary, but also voluntary, conscious movements have a reflex character. They begin with irritation of any sensory organs and continue in the brain in the form of certain nervous phenomena that lead to the launch of behavioral reactions.

A reflex is the body's response to stimulation, occurring with the participation of the nervous system.

THEM. Sechenov argued that brain reflexes include three parts:

The first, initial link is stimulation in the senses caused by external influences.
The second, central link is the processes of excitation and inhibition occurring in the brain. On their basis, mental phenomena arise (sensations, ideas, feelings, etc.).
The third, final link is the movements and actions of a person, i.e. his behavior. All these links are interconnected and condition each other.

Sechenov concluded that the brain is an area of continuous change of excitation and inhibition. These two processes constantly interact with each other, which leads to both strengthening and weakening (delay) of reflexes. He also drew attention to the existence of innate reflexes, which people inherit from their ancestors, and acquired ones, which arise throughout life as a result of learning. I.M. Sechenov’s assumptions and conclusions were ahead of their time.

The successor of the ideas of I.M. Sechenov became I.P. Pavlov.

Ivan Petrovich Pavlov divided all reflexes that arise in the body into unconditional and conditional.

Unconditioned reflexes

Unconditioned reflexes are inherited by offspring from their parents, persist throughout the life of the organism and are reproduced from generation to generation ( permanent). They are common to all individuals a certain type, i.e. group.

In unconditioned reflexes constant reflex arcs, which pass through the brain stem or through the spinal cord (for their implementation participation of the cortex is not necessarycerebral hemispheres).

There are food, defensive, sexual and indicative unconditioned reflexes.

Food: separation of digestive juices in response to irritation of oral receptors, swallowing, sucking movements in a newborn.
Defensive: withdrawal of a hand that has touched a hot object or when experiencing painful irritation, coughing, sneezing, blinking, etc.
Genital: The process of reproduction is associated with sexual reflexes.
Approximate(I.P. Pavlov called it the “what is this?” reflex) ensures the perception of an unfamiliar stimulus. An indicative reflex appears in response to a new stimulus: a person becomes alert, listens, turns his head, squints his eyes, and thinks.

Thanks to unconditioned reflexes, the integrity of the body is preserved, the constancy of its internal environment is maintained, and reproduction occurs.

A complex chain of unconditioned reflexes is called instinct.

Example:

A mother feeds and protects her child, birds build nests - these are examples of instincts.

Conditioned reflexes

Along with hereditary (unconditioned) reflexes, there are reflexes that are acquired by every person throughout life. Such reflexes individual, and certain conditions are necessary for their formation, which is why they were called conditional.

Differences between conditioned reflexes and unconditioned ones. Unconditioned reflexes are innate reactions of the body; they were formed and consolidated in the process of evolution and are inherited. Conditioned reflexes arise, become consolidated, and fade away throughout life and are individual. Unconditioned reflexes are specific, i.e. they are found in all individuals of a given species. Conditioned reflexes may be developed in some individuals of a given species, but absent in others; they are individual. Unconditioned reflexes do not require special conditions For their occurrence, they necessarily arise if adequate stimuli act on certain receptors. Conditioned reflexes require special conditions for their formation; they can be formed in response to any stimuli (of optimal strength and duration) from any receptive field. Unconditioned reflexes are relatively constant, persistent, unchanging and persist throughout life. Conditioned reflexes are changeable and more mobile.

Unconditioned reflexes can occur at the level of the spinal cord and brain stem. Conditioned reflexes can be formed in response to any signals perceived by the body and are primarily a function of the cerebral cortex, realized with the participation of subcortical structures.

Unconditioned reflexes can ensure the existence of an organism only at the very early stage of life. The body's adaptation to constantly changing environmental conditions is ensured by conditioned reflexes developed throughout life. Conditioned reflexes are changeable. In the process of life, some conditioned reflexes, losing their meaning, fade away, while others are developed.

Biological significance of conditioned reflexes. The body is born with a certain fund of unconditioned reflexes. They provide him with the maintenance of vital functions in relatively constant conditions of existence. These include unconditioned reflexes: food (chewing, sucking, swallowing, secretion of saliva, gastric juice, etc.), defensive (pulling a hand away from a hot object, coughing, sneezing, blinking when a stream of air enters the eye, etc.), sexual reflexes (reflexes associated with sexual intercourse, feeding and caring for offspring), thermoregulatory, respiratory, cardiac, vascular reflexes that maintain the constancy of the internal environment of the body (homeostasis), etc.

Conditioned reflexes provide a more perfect adaptation of the body to changing living conditions. They help to find food by smell, timely escape from danger, and orientation in time and space. Conditioned reflex separation of saliva, gastric, pancreatic juices in appearance, smell, meal time creates Better conditions to digest food before it enters the body. Enhancing gas exchange and increasing pulmonary ventilation before starting work, only when seeing the environment in which the work is being done, contributes to greater endurance and better performance of the body during muscular activity.

When a conditioned signal is applied, the cerebral cortex provides the body with preliminary preparation for responding to those environmental stimuli that will subsequently have an impact. Therefore, the activity of the cerebral cortex is signaling.

Conditions for the formation of a conditioned reflex. Conditioned reflexes are developed on the basis of unconditioned ones. The conditioned reflex was so named by I.P. Pavlov because certain conditions are needed for its formation. First of all, you need a conditioned stimulus, or signal. A conditioned stimulus can be any stimulus from the external environment or a certain change in the internal state of the body. In the laboratory of I.P. Pavlov, the flashing of an electric light bulb, the bell, the gurgling of water, skin irritation, gustatory, olfactory stimuli, the clinking of dishes, the sight of a burning candle, etc. were used as conditioned stimuli. Conditioned reflexes are temporarily developed in a person by observing a work schedule, eating at the same time, consistent with bedtime.

A conditioned reflex can be developed by combining an indifferent stimulus with a previously developed conditioned reflex. In this way, conditioned reflexes of the second order are formed, then the indifferent stimulus must be reinforced with a conditioned stimulus of the first order. It was possible to form conditioned reflexes of the third and fourth orders in the experiment. These reflexes are usually unstable. Children managed to develop sixth-order reflexes.

The possibility of developing conditioned reflexes is hampered or completely eliminated by strong extraneous stimuli, illness, etc.

In order to develop a conditioned reflex, the conditioned stimulus must be reinforced with an unconditioned stimulus, that is, one that evokes an unconditioned reflex. The clinking of knives in the dining room will cause a person to salivate only if this clinking has been reinforced with food one or more times. The ringing of knives and forks in our case is a conditioned stimulus, and the unconditioned stimulus that causes the salivary unconditioned reflex is food. The sight of a burning candle can become a signal for a child to withdraw his hand only if at least once the sight of a candle coincides with pain from a burn. When a conditioned reflex is formed, the conditioned stimulus must precede the action of the unconditioned stimulus (usually by 1-5 s).

The mechanism of formation of a conditioned reflex. According to the ideas of I.P. Pavlov, the formation of a conditioned reflex is associated with the establishment of a temporary connection between two groups of cortical cells: between those who perceive conditioned and those who perceive unconditional stimulation. This connection becomes stronger the more often both areas of the cortex are simultaneously excited. After several combinations, the connection turns out to be so strong that under the influence of only one conditioned stimulus, excitation also occurs in the second focus (Fig. 15).

Initially, an indifferent stimulus, if it is new and unexpected, causes a general generalized reaction of the body - an orienting reflex, which I. P. Pavlov called the exploratory or “what is it?” reflex. Any stimulus, if used for the first time, causes a motor reaction (general shudder, turning the eyes and ears towards the stimulus), increased breathing, heartbeat, generalized changes in the electrical activity of the brain - the alpha rhythm is replaced by rapid oscillations (beta rhythm). These reactions reflect generalized generalized arousal. When a stimulus is repeated, if it does not become a signal for a specific activity, the orienting reflex fades away. For example, if a dog hears a bell for the first time, it will give a general approximate reaction to it, but will not produce saliva. Now let's back up the sound of the bell with food. In this case, two foci of excitation will appear in the cerebral cortex - one in the auditory zone, and the other in the food center (these are areas of the cortex that are excited under the influence of the smell and taste of food). After several reinforcements of the bell with food, a temporary connection will arise (close) in the cerebral cortex between the two foci of excitation.

In the course of further research, facts were obtained indicating that the closure of the temporary connection occurs not only along horizontal fibers (bark - bark). Cuts in the gray matter separated different areas of the cortex in dogs, but this did not prevent the formation of temporary connections between the cells of these areas. This gave reason to believe that the cortex-subcortex-cortex pathway also plays an important role in establishing temporary connections. In this case, centripetal impulses from the conditioned stimulus through the thalamus and nonspecific system (hippocampus, reticular formation) enter the corresponding zone of the cortex. Here they are processed and along descending pathways reach the subcortical formations, from where the impulses come again to the cortex, but already in the zone of representation of the unconditioned reflex.

What happens in the neurons involved in the formation of a temporary connection? On this occasion there is various points vision. One of them assigns the main role to morphological changes in the endings of nerve processes.

Another point of view about the mechanism of the conditioned reflex is based on the principle of dominance by A. A. Ukhtomsky. In the nervous system at each moment of time there are dominant foci of excitation - dominant foci. The dominant focus has the property of attracting to itself the excitation entering other nerve centers, and thereby intensifying. For example, during hunger, a persistent focus with increased excitability appears in the corresponding parts of the central nervous system - a food dominant. If you let a hungry puppy lap milk and at the same time begin to irritate the paw with an electric current, then the puppy does not withdraw its paw, but begins to lap with even greater intensity. In a well-fed puppy, irritation of the paw with an electric current causes a reaction of its withdrawal.

It is believed that during the formation of a conditioned reflex, the focus of persistent excitation that arose in the center of the unconditioned reflex “attracts” to itself the excitation that arose in the center of the conditioned stimulus. As these two excitations combine, a temporary connection is formed.

Many researchers believe that the leading role in fixing the temporary connection belongs to changes in protein synthesis; Specific protein substances associated with imprinting a temporary connection have been described. The formation of a temporary connection is associated with the mechanisms of storing traces of excitation. However, memory mechanisms cannot be reduced to “belt connection” mechanisms.

There is evidence of the possibility of storing traces at the level of single neurons. Cases of imprinting from a single action of an external stimulus are well known. This gives grounds to believe that the closure of a temporary connection is one of the mechanisms of memory.

Inhibition of conditioned reflexes. Conditioned reflexes are plastic. They can persist for a long time, or they can be inhibited. Two types of inhibition of conditioned reflexes have been described - internal and external.

Unconditional, or external, inhibition. This type of inhibition occurs in cases where in the cerebral cortex, during the implementation of a conditioned reflex, a new, sufficiently strong focus of excitation appears, not associated with this conditioned reflex. If a dog has developed a conditioned salivary reflex to the sound of a bell, then turning on a bright light at the sound of a bell in this dog inhibits the previously developed salivation reflex. This inhibition is based on the phenomenon of negative induction: a new strong focus of excitation in the cortex from extraneous stimulation causes a decrease in excitability in the areas of the cerebral cortex associated with the implementation of the conditioned reflex, and, as a consequence of this phenomenon, inhibition of the conditioned reflex occurs. Sometimes this inhibition of conditioned reflexes is called inductive inhibition.

Inductive inhibition does not require development (that is why it is classified as unconditioned inhibition) and develops immediately as soon as an external stimulus, foreign to the given conditioned reflex, acts.

External braking also includes transcendental braking. It manifests itself when the strength or time of action of the conditioned stimulus increases excessively. In this case, the conditioned reflex weakens or completely disappears. This inhibition has a protective value, as it protects nerve cells from stimuli of too great strength or duration that could disrupt their activity.

Conditioned, or internal, inhibition. Internal inhibition, in contrast to external inhibition, develops within the arc of the conditioned reflex, i.e., in those nervous structures that are involved in the implementation of this reflex.

If external inhibition occurs immediately as soon as the inhibitory agent has acted, then internal inhibition must be developed; it occurs under certain conditions, and this sometimes takes a long time.

One type of internal inhibition is extinction. It develops if the conditioned reflex is not reinforced by an unconditioned stimulus many times.

Some time after extinction, the conditioned reflex can be restored. This will happen if we again reinforce the action of the conditioned stimulus with the unconditioned one.

Fragile conditioned reflexes are restored with difficulty. Extinction can explain the temporary loss of labor skills and the ability to play musical instruments.

In children, decline occurs much more slowly than in adults. This is why it is difficult to wean children from bad habits. Extinction is the basis of forgetting.

The extinction of conditioned reflexes has important biological significance. Thanks to it, the body stops responding to signals that have lost their meaning. How many unnecessary, superfluous movements would a person make during writing, labor operations, and sports exercises without extinctive inhibition!

The delay of conditioned reflexes also refers to internal inhibition. It develops if the reinforcement of a conditioned stimulus by an unconditioned stimulus is delayed. Usually, when developing a conditioned reflex, a conditioned stimulus-signal (for example, a bell) is turned on, and after 1-5 s food is given (unconditioned reinforcement). When the reflex is developed, immediately after the bell is turned on, without giving food, saliva begins to flow. Now let’s do this: turn on the bell, and gradually delay the food reinforcement until 2-3 minutes after the bell starts sounding. After several (sometimes very multiple) combinations of a sounding bell with delayed reinforcement with food, a delay develops: the bell turns on, and saliva will no longer flow immediately, but 2-3 minutes after the bell is turned on. Due to the non-reinforcement of the conditioned stimulus (bell) for 2-3 minutes by the unconditioned stimulus (food), the conditioned stimulus acquires an inhibitory value during the period of non-reinforcement.

The delay creates conditions for better orientation of the animal in the surrounding world. The wolf does not immediately rush at the hare when it sees it at a considerable distance. He waits for the hare to approach. From the moment the wolf saw the hare until the time the hare approached the wolf, a process of internal inhibition takes place in the wolf’s cerebral cortex: motor and food conditioned reflexes are inhibited. If this did not happen, the wolf would often be left without prey, breaking into pursuit as soon as he sees the hare. The resulting delay provides the wolf with prey.

Delay in children is developed with great difficulty under the influence of upbringing and training. Remember how a first-grader impatiently reaches out his hand, waving it, getting up from his desk so that the teacher notices him. And only by high school age (and even then not always) do we notice endurance, the ability to restrain our desires, and willpower.

Similar sound, olfactory and other stimuli can signal completely different events. Only an accurate analysis of these similar stimuli ensures biologically appropriate reactions of the animal. Analysis of stimuli consists of distinguishing, separating different signals, differentiating similar interactions on the body. In the laboratory of I.P. Pavlov, for example, it was possible to develop the following differentiation: 100 metronome beats per minute were reinforced with food, and 96 beats were not reinforced. After several repetitions, the dog distinguished 100 metronome beats from 96: at 100 beats she salivated, at 96 beats the saliva did not separate. Discrimination, or differentiation, of similar conditioned stimuli is developed by reinforcing some and non-reinforcing other stimuli. The inhibition that develops suppresses the reflex reaction to non-reinforced stimuli. Differentiation is one of the types of conditioned (internal) inhibition.

Thanks to differential inhibition, it is possible to identify signal-significant signs of a stimulus from many sounds, objects, faces, etc. around us. Differentiation is developed in children from the first months of life.

Dynamic stereotype. The external world acts on the body not with single stimuli, but usually with a system of simultaneous and sequential stimuli. If this system is often repeated in this order, then this leads to the formation of a dynamic stereotype.

A dynamic stereotype is a sequential chain of conditioned reflex acts, carried out in a strictly defined, time-fixed order and resulting from a complex systemic reaction of the body to a complex of conditioned stimuli. Thanks to the formation of chain conditioned reflexes, each previous activity of the body becomes a conditioned stimulus - a signal for the next one. Thus, by previous activity the body is prepared for the subsequent one. A manifestation of a dynamic stereotype is a conditioned reflex for time, which contributes to the optimal functioning of the body with the correct daily routine. For example, eating at certain hours ensures good appetite and normal digestion; Consistency in keeping a bedtime helps children and adolescents fall asleep quickly and thus sleep longer; Carrying out educational work and work activities always at the same hours leads to faster processing of the body and better assimilation of knowledge, skills, and abilities.

A stereotype is difficult to develop, but if it is developed, then maintaining it does not require significant strain on cortical activity, and many actions become automatic. ;d A dynamic stereotype is the basis for the formation of habits in a person, the formation of a certain sequence in labor operations, and the acquisition of skills.

Walking, running, jumping, skiing, playing the piano, using a spoon, fork, knife when eating, writing - all these are skills that are based on the formation of dynamic stereotypes in the cerebral cortex.

The formation of a dynamic stereotype underlies the daily routine of every person. Stereotypes persist for many years and form the basis of human behavior. Stereotypes that arise in early childhood are very difficult to change. Let us remember how difficult it is to “retrain” a child if he has learned to hold a pen incorrectly when writing, sit incorrectly at the table, etc. The difficulty of remaking stereotypes forces Special attention on the correct methods of raising and teaching children from the first years of life.

A dynamic stereotype is one of the manifestations of the systemic organization of higher cortical functions aimed at ensuring stable reactions of the body.

Each person, as well as all living organisms, has a number of vital needs: food, water, comfortable conditions. Everyone has instincts of self-preservation and continuation of their kind. All mechanisms aimed at satisfying these needs are laid down at the genetic level and appear simultaneously with the birth of the organism. These are innate reflexes that help to survive.

The concept of an unconditioned reflex

The word reflex itself is not something new and unfamiliar for each of us. Everyone has heard it in their life, and quite many times. This term was introduced into biology by I.P. Pavlov, who devoted a lot of time to studying the nervous system.

According to the scientist, unconditioned reflexes arise under the influence irritating factors to receptors (for example, withdrawing a hand from a hot object). They contribute to the body’s adaptation to those conditions that remain practically unchanged.

This is the so-called product historical experience previous generations, which is why it is also called the species reflex.

We live in a changing environment; it requires constant adaptations, which cannot in any way be provided for by genetic experience. Unconditioned reflexes of a person are constantly either inhibited, then modified or arise again, under the influence of those stimuli that surround us everywhere.

Thus, already familiar stimuli acquire the qualities of biologically significant signals, and the formation of conditioned reflexes occurs, which form the basis of our individual experience. This is what Pavlov called higher nervous activity.

Properties of unconditioned reflexes

The characteristics of unconditioned reflexes include several mandatory points:

Congenital reflexes are inherited.
They appear equally in all individuals of a given species.
For a response to occur, the influence of a certain factor is necessary, for example, for the sucking reflex it is irritation of the lips of a newborn.
The area of perception of the stimulus always remains constant.
Unconditioned reflexes have a constant reflex arc.
They persist throughout life, with some exceptions in newborns.

The meaning of reflexes

All our interaction with the environment is built at the level of reflex responses. Unconditioned and conditioned reflexes play important role in the existence of the organism.

In the process of evolution, a division occurred between those aimed at the survival of the species and those responsible for adaptability to constantly changing conditions.

Congenital reflexes begin to appear in utero, and their role boils down to the following:

Maintaining internal environment indicators at a constant level.
Preserving the integrity of the body.
Preservation of a species through reproduction.

The role of innate reactions immediately after birth is great; they ensure the survival of the baby in completely new conditions.

The body lives surrounded external factors, which are constantly changing and need to be adapted to. This is where higher nervous activity in the form of conditioned reflexes comes to the fore.

For the body they have the following meaning:

We will improve the mechanisms of its interaction with the environment.
The processes of contact between the body and the external environment are clarified and complicated.
Conditioned reflexes are an indispensable basis for the processes of learning, education and behavior.

Thus, unconditioned and conditioned reflexes are aimed at maintaining the integrity of a living organism and the constancy of the internal environment, as well as effective interaction with the outside world. Between themselves they can be combined into complex reflex acts that have a certain biological orientation.

Classification of unconditioned reflexes

Hereditary reactions of the body, despite their innateness, can differ greatly from each other. It is not at all surprising that the classification can be different, depending on the approach.

Pavlov also divided all unconditioned reflexes into:

Simple (the scientist included the sucking reflex among them).
Complex (sweating).
The most complex unconditioned reflexes. A variety of examples can be given: food reactions, defensive reactions, sexual reactions.

Currently, many adhere to a classification based on the meaning of reflexes. Depending on this, they are divided into several groups:

The first group of reactions has two characteristics:

If they are not satisfied, this will lead to the death of the body.
Satisfaction does not require the presence of another individual of the same species.

The third group also has its own characteristic features:

Self-development reflexes have nothing to do with the body’s adaptation to a given situation. They are aimed at the future.
They are completely independent and do not stem from other needs.

We can also divide them according to their level of complexity, then the following groups will appear before us:

Simple reflexes. These are the body's normal responses to external stimuli. For example, withdrawing your hand from a hot object or blinking when a speck gets into your eye.
Reflex acts.
Behavioral reactions.
Instincts.
Imprinting.

Each group has its own characteristics and differences.

Reflex acts

Almost all reflex acts are aimed at ensuring the vital functions of the body, so they are always reliable in their manifestation and cannot be corrected.

These include:

Breath.
Swallowing.
Vomiting.

In order to stop a reflex act, you simply need to remove the stimulus that causes it. This can be practiced when training animals. If you want natural needs not to distract from training, then you need to walk the dog before this, this will eliminate the irritant that can provoke a reflex act.

Behavioral reactions

This type of unconditioned reflex can be well demonstrated in animals. TO behavioral reactions can be attributed:

The dog's desire to carry and pick up objects. Retrieval reaction.
Showing aggression when seen stranger. Active defensive reaction.
Finding objects by smell. Olfactory-search reaction.

It is worth noting that a behavioral reaction does not mean that the animal will certainly behave this way. What is meant? For example, a dog that has a strong active-defensive reaction from birth, but is physically weak, most likely will not show such aggression.

These reflexes can determine the animal's actions, but they can be controlled. They should also be taken into account when training: if an animal completely lacks an olfactory-search reaction, then it is unlikely that it will be possible to train it as a search dog.

Instincts

There are also more complex forms in which unconditioned reflexes appear. Instincts come into play here. This is a whole chain of reflex acts that follow each other and are inextricably interconnected.

All instincts are associated with changing internal needs.

When a child is just born, his lungs practically do not function. The connection between him and his mother is interrupted by cutting the umbilical cord, and carbon dioxide accumulates in the blood. It begins its humoral effect on the respiratory center, and instinctive inhalation occurs. The child begins to breathe on his own, and the first cry of the baby is a sign of this.

Instincts are a powerful stimulant in human life. They may well motivate success in a certain field of activity. When we stop controlling ourselves, instincts begin to guide us. As you yourself understand, there are several of them.

Most scientists are of the opinion that there are three basic instincts:

Self-preservation and survival.
Continuation of the family.
Leadership instinct.

All of them can generate new needs:

In safety.
In material prosperity.
Looking for a sexual partner.
In caring for children.
In influencing others.

We could go on and on about the types of human instincts, but, unlike animals, we can control them. For this purpose, nature has endowed us with reason. Animals survive only due to instincts, but for this we are also given knowledge.

Don't let your instincts get the better of you, learn to manage them and become the master of your life.

Imprint

This form of unconditioned reflex is also called imprinting. There are periods in the life of every individual when the entire surrounding environment is imprinted on the brain. For each species, this time period may be different: for some it lasts several hours, and for others it lasts several years.

Remember how easily young children master foreign speech skills. While schoolchildren put a lot of effort into this.

It is thanks to imprinting that all babies recognize their parents and distinguish individuals of their species. For example, after the birth of a baby, a zebra spends several hours alone with it in a secluded place. This is exactly the time that is necessary for the cub to learn to recognize its mother and not confuse her with other females in the herd.

This phenomenon was discovered by Konrad Lorenz. He conducted an experiment with newborn ducklings. Immediately after the hatching of the latter, he presented to them various items, whom they followed like a mother. They even perceived him as a mother, and followed him around.

Everyone knows the example of hatchery chickens. Compared to their relatives, they are practically tame and are not afraid of humans, because from birth they see him in front of them.

Congenital reflexes of an infant

After its birth, the baby goes through difficult path development, which consists of several stages. The degree and speed of mastery of various skills will directly depend on the state of the nervous system. The main indicator of its maturity is the unconditioned reflexes of the newborn.

The presence of them in the baby is checked immediately after birth, and the doctor makes a conclusion about the degree of development of the nervous system.

From huge amount hereditary reactions can be distinguished as follows:

Kussmaul search reflex. When the area around the mouth is irritated, the child turns his head towards the irritant. The reflex usually fades by 3 months.
Sucking. If you place your finger in the baby's mouth, he begins to perform sucking movements. Immediately after feeding, this reflex fades away and becomes more active after some time.
Palmo-oral. If you press on the child's palm, he opens his mouth slightly.
Grasping reflex. If you put your finger in the baby’s palm and lightly press it, a reflexive squeezing and holding occurs.
The inferior grasp reflex is caused by light pressure on the front of the sole. The toes flex.
Crawling reflex. When lying on the stomach, pressure on the soles of the feet causes a crawling movement forward.
Protective. If you lay a newborn on his stomach, he tries to raise his head and turns it to the side.
Support reflex. If you take the baby under the armpits and place him on something, he will reflexively straighten his legs and rest on his entire foot.

The unconditioned reflexes of a newborn can go on for a long time. Each of them symbolizes the degree of development of certain parts of the nervous system. After an examination by a neurologist in the maternity hospital, a preliminary diagnosis of some diseases can be made.

From the point of view of their significance for the baby, the mentioned reflexes can be divided into two groups:

Segmental motor automatisms. They are provided by segments of the brain stem and spinal cord.
Posotonic automatisms. Provide regulation of muscle tone. The centers are located in the midbrain and medulla oblongata.

Oral segmental reflexes

This type of reflexes includes:

Sucking. Appears during the first year of life.
Search. Extinction occurs at 3-4 months.
Proboscis reflex. If you hit a baby on the lips with your finger, he pulls them out into his proboscis. After 3 months, extinction occurs.
The hand-mouth reflex is a good indicator of the development of the nervous system. If it does not appear or is very weak, then we can talk about damage to the central nervous system.

Spinal motor automatisms

Many unconditioned reflexes belong to this group. Examples include the following:

Moro reflex. When a reaction is caused, for example, by hitting the table near the baby's head, the latter's arms are spread to the sides. Appears up to 4-5 months.
Automatic gait reflex. When supported and slightly tilted forward, the baby makes stepping movements. After 1.5 months it begins to fade.
Galant reflex. If you run your finger along the paravertebral line from the shoulder to the buttocks, the body bends towards the stimulus.

Unconditioned reflexes are assessed on a scale: satisfactory, increased, decreased, absent.

Differences between conditioned and unconditioned reflexes

Sechenov also argued that in the conditions in which the body lives, innate reactions are completely insufficient for survival; the development of new reflexes is required. They will help the body adapt to changing conditions.

How do unconditioned reflexes differ from conditioned reflexes? The table demonstrates this well.

Despite the obvious difference between conditioned reflexes and unconditioned ones, together these reactions ensure the survival and preservation of the species in nature.

A reflex is the body's response to internal or external stimulation, carried out and controlled by the central nervous system. The first scientists who developed ideas about human behavior, which had previously been a mystery, were our compatriots I.P. Pavlov and I.M. Sechenov.

What are unconditioned reflexes?

Unconditioned reflex is an innate, stereotypical reaction of the body to the influence of the internal or environmental environment, inherited by the offspring from the parents. It remains in a person throughout his life. Reflex arcs pass through the brain and spinal cord; the cerebral cortex does not take part in their formation. The significance of the unconditioned reflex is that it ensures the adaptation of the human body directly to those environmental changes that often accompanied many generations of his ancestors.

What reflexes are unconditioned?

The unconditioned reflex is the main form of activity of the nervous system...

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A reflex is a stereotypical (monotonous, repeated in the same way) response of the body to the action of stimuli with the obligatory participation of the central nervous system.

Reflexes are divided into unconditioned and conditioned.

Unconditioned reflexes include:

1. Reflexes aimed at preserving the species. They are the most biologically significant, prevail over other reflexes, are dominant in a competitive situation, namely: sexual reflex, parental reflex, territorial reflex (this is the protection of one’s territory; this reflex manifests itself in both animals and humans), hierarchical reflex (the principle of subordination is reflexively embedded in a person, i.e. we are ready to obey, but we definitely want to command too - relationships in society are built on this, but there is also a biological basis).

2. Self-preservation reflexes. They are aimed at preserving the individual, personality, individual: drinking reflex, food reflex, defensive reflex, aggressive reflex (attack is the best...

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Differences between conditioned reflexes and unconditioned ones. Unconditioned reflexes are innate reactions of the body, they were formed and consolidated in the process of evolution and are inherited. Conditioned reflexes arise, become consolidated, and fade away throughout life and are individual. Unconditioned reflexes are specific, i.e. they are found in all individuals of a given species. Conditioned reflexes may be developed in some individuals of a given species, but absent in others; they are individual. Unconditioned reflexes do not require special conditions for their occurrence; they necessarily arise if adequate stimuli act on certain receptors. Conditioned reflexes require special conditions for their formation; they can be formed in response to any stimuli (of optimal strength and duration) from any receptive field. Unconditioned reflexes are relatively constant, persistent, unchanging and persist throughout life. Conditioned reflexes are changeable and more mobile.
Unconditional...

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Unconditioned reflexes are constant innate reactions of the body to certain influences from the external world, carried out through the nervous system and not requiring special conditions for their occurrence.

All unconditioned reflexes, according to the degree of complexity and severity of the body’s reactions, are divided into simple and complex; depending on the type of reaction - to food, sexual, defensive, orientation-exploratory, etc.; depending on the animal’s attitude to the stimulus - into biologically positive and biologically negative. Unconditioned reflexes arise mainly under the influence of contact irritation: food unconditioned reflex - when food enters the mouth and acts on the receptors of the tongue; defensive - when pain receptors are irritated. However, the emergence of unconditioned reflexes is also possible under the influence of such stimuli as the sound, sight and smell of an object. Thus, the sexual unconditioned reflex occurs under the influence of a specific sexual stimulus (species...

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Physiology of higher nervous activity. Congenital forms of behavior. Unconditioned reflexes.

Unconditioned reflexes are the body’s innate responses to stimulation. Properties of unconditioned reflexes:

1. They are congenital, i.e. are inherited

2. Inherited by all representatives of a given animal species

3. For the occurrence of an unconditioned reflex reaction, the action of a specific stimulus is necessary (mechanical irritation of the lips, sucking reflex in a newborn)

4. They have a permanent receptive field (area of perception of a specific stimulus).

5. They have a constant reflex arc.

I.P. Pavlov divided all unconditioned reflexes (B.U.R.) into simple (sucking), complex (sweating) and complex (food, defensive, sexual, etc.). Currently, all unconditioned reflexes, depending on their meaning, are divided into 3 groups:

1. Vital (vital). They ensure the preservation of the individual. To them...

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The concept of an unconditioned reflex

According to the scientist, unconditioned reflexes arise under the influence of irritating factors on the receptors (for example, withdrawing a hand from a hot object). They contribute to the body’s adaptation to those conditions that remain practically unchanged.

This is the so-called product of historical...

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To pull your hand away from a hot kettle, to close your eyes when there is a flash of light... We perform such actions automatically, without having time to think about what exactly we are doing and why. These are unconditioned human reflexes - innate reactions characteristic of all people without exception.

Discovery history, types, differences

Before examining unconditioned reflexes in detail, we will have to take a short excursion into biology and talk about reflex processes in general.

So what is a reflex? In psychology, this is the name given to the body’s response to changes in the external or internal environment, which is carried out using the central nervous system. Thanks to this ability, the body quickly adapts to changes in the surrounding world or in its own internal state. For its implementation, a reflex arc is necessary, that is, the path along which the signal of irritation passes from the receptor to the corresponding organ.

Reflex reactions were first described by Rene Descartes in the 17th century...

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Features of unconditioned reflexes

In specialized literature, in conversations between specialists - dog handlers and amateur trainers, the term "reflex" is often used, but at the same time common understanding There is no meaning for this term among dog handlers. Now many people are interested in Western training systems, new terms are being introduced, but few people fully understand the old terminology. We will try to help systematize ideas about reflexes for those who have already forgotten a lot, and to gain these ideas for those who are just beginning to master the theory and methods of training.

A reflex is the body's response to a stimulus.

(If you haven't read the article on irritants, be sure to read that first and then move on to this material). Unconditioned reflexes are divided into simple (food, defensive, sexual, visceral, tendon) and complex reflexes (instincts, emotions). Some researchers...

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Types of conditioned reflexes

Depending on the characteristics of the responses, the nature of the stimuli, the conditions of their use and reinforcement, etc., they are distinguished different kinds conditioned reflexes. These types are classified based on various criteria in accordance with the objectives. Some of these classifications have great importance both theoretically and in practical terms, including during sports activities.

Natural (natural) and artificial conditioned reflexes. Conditioned reflexes formed in response to signals that characterize the constant properties of unconditioned stimuli (for example, the smell or type of food) are called natural conditioned reflexes.

An illustration of the laws governing the formation of natural conditioned reflexes are the experiments of I. S. Tsitovich. In these experiments, puppies of the same litter were kept on different diets: some were fed only meat, others only milk. Animals fed meat have the appearance and smell of it...

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Reflex (from Latin reflexus - reflected) is a stereotypical reaction of a living organism to a certain influence, taking place with the participation of the nervous system. By generally accepted classification reflexes are divided into unconditioned and conditioned.

Unconditioned reflexes are innate, characteristic this species, responses to environmental influences.

1. Vital (life). The instincts of this group ensure the preservation of the life of the individual. They are characterized by the following signs:

a) failure to satisfy the corresponding need leads to the death of the individual; And

b) no other individual of a given species is needed to satisfy a particular need.

Vital instincts include:

Food,

Drinking,

Defensive,

Sleep-wake regulation,

Saving reflex...

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Classification of unconditioned reflexes

I.P. Pavlov at one time divided unconditioned reflexes into three groups: simple, complex and complex unconditioned reflexes. Among the most complex unconditioned reflexes, he identified the following: 1) individual - food, active and passive defensive, aggressive, freedom reflex, exploratory, play reflex; 2) species - sexual and parental. According to Pavlov, the first of these reflexes ensure the individual self-preservation of the individual, the second - the preservation of the species.

P.V. Simonov identified 3 classes of reflexes:

1. Vital unconditioned reflexes ensure individual and species preservation

body. These include food, drinking, sleep regulation, defensive and orientation reflex (biological caution reflex), energy saving reflex and many others. The criteria for the reflexes of the vital group are the following: 1) failure to satisfy the corresponding need leads to the physical death of the individual and 2) implementation...

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Classification of reflexes. What types of reflexes are there?

The functioning of the nervous system is based on the inextricable unity of congenital and acquired forms of adaptation, i.e. unconditioned and conditioned reflexes.

Unconditioned reflexes are innate, relatively constant species-specific reactions of the body, carried out through nervous system in response to certain stimuli. They ensure the coordinated activity of various functional systems of the body, aimed at maintaining its homeostasis and interaction with the environment. Examples of simple unconditioned reflexes include knee, blink, swallow and others.

There is a large group of complex unconditioned reflexes: self-preservation, food, sexual, parental (caring for offspring), migration, aggressive, locomotor (walking, running, flying, swimming), etc. Such reflexes are called instincts. They underlie the innate behavior of animals and represent...

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Unconditioned reflexes - what are they and what is their role?

Such habitual actions as breathing, swallowing, sneezing, blinking occur without conscious control, are innate mechanisms, help a person or animal to survive and ensure the preservation of the species - all these are unconditioned reflexes.

What is an unconditioned reflex?

I.P. Pavlov, a scientist-physiologist, devoted his life to the study of higher nervous activity. In order to understand what human unconditioned reflexes are, it is important to consider the meaning of the reflex as a whole. Any organism that has a nervous system carries out reflex activity. Reflex is a complex reaction of the body to internal and external stimuli, carried out in the form of a reflex response.

Unconditioned reflexes are innate stereotypical reactions laid down at the genetic level in response to changes in internal homeostasis or environmental conditions. For the emergence of unconditioned reflexes, special conditions are...

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