We all hear from childhood such phrases as “willpower”, “a weak-willed person” or “gather your will into a fist”. Each of us has an approximate idea of what exactly the interlocutor means when he says these words. However, a precise definition of the concepts of "will" and "functions of the will" can usually only be given by a specialist in the field of psychology or philosophy. This is all the more surprising because without this term it is difficult to imagine a person as a whole and all aspects of his life. Therefore, in this article we will consider the concept of will, the structure of a volitional act and the functions of will.
Interpretation of the concept in philosophy and psychology
Since ancient times, philosophers and psychologists have been concerned about the issues of will and freedom of choice. They were viewed from numerous angles and interpreted in completely different ways. For example, studies of the will in psychology were conducted by Schopenhauer. He revealed the rational nature of the will, but carried it to the most hidden corners of the soul. During this periodtime it was believed that it is a force that binds a person and obliges him to commit certain acts. Therefore, in order to have hope for a happy and free life, a person had to get rid of the fetters of the will.
I would like to note that psychologists distinguish three main areas of human activity:
- emotional;
- intellectual;
- volitional.
Specialists believe that the latter area is the least studied, and often it is presented in a distorted version. For example, psychologists in the Soviet Union, defining the function of the will and the concept itself, argued that it can be understood as the pressure of social goals and interests over individual ones. It is noteworthy that with such an interpretation, individual values formed by volitional nature became just a set of accepted value orientations of society as a whole. This approach has brought up several generations of citizens, whose will was completely and unconditionally subordinated to public and state interests.
It is noteworthy that philosophers are still debating about free will. Some authors of works adhere to the ideas of determinism. Their meaning in a few words can be expressed in the absence of free will in principle. That is, a person cannot independently choose one or another path, based on his own convictions and moral principles. Another group of philosophers promote the theory of indeterminism. Representatives of this trend provide an evidence base for the ideas of free will. They assert that every person is free from birth and inin such a context, the will only contributes to the development and movement forward.
In psychology, there are certain characteristics through which the will is determined:
- personality qualities - purposefulness, perseverance, self-control and so on;
- the ability to regulate mental and behavioral reactions;
- volitional actions that have a number of clear signs - overcoming moral and other types of obstacles, awareness, and the like.
Of course, all of the above does not give a precise definition of the structure of the will and function. However, in general, the mechanism of its action under certain conditions becomes clear. In the following sections of the article, we will take a closer look at the will, its main features and functions.
Definition
In the modern scientific world, the concept of will is considered one of the most complex and multifaceted. After all, considering it, one has to take into account that the will can act as an independent process, an indispensable aspect of certain actions, as well as the ability of a person to subordinate and control his actions and emotions.
If we refer to the terminology of psychology, then we can say that will is the ability of a person to regulate his behavior by overcoming a number of difficulties and obstacles. This process proceeds consciously and has a number of functions and features. Will in this case appears as a certain property of the human psyche. Indeed, in order to achieve his goal, a person must not only overcome a number of obstacles, but also apply all hisemotional and physical strength. Therefore, it is difficult to imagine human activity without the volitional aspect.
An act of will
It is possible to reveal the signs of will and function only through understanding the act of will. This process is extremely complex, it includes several successive stages, which can be represented as follows:
- need that performs a motivational function;
- recognition of the emerging need;
- internal definition of motives for action;
- selection of options to meet the needs;
- first steps towards the goal;
- monitoring the process of implementing a thoughtful plan.
It is noteworthy that each stage is accompanied by a strain of will. She participates in all the above processes. Psychologists believe that each time a person compares his action with a picture drawn in his head, taken as an ideal. The real plan is adjusted and re-launched.
All items on our list are also called “volitional actions” by experts and believe that it is in them that the personality is most fully revealed, and also enters a new stage of development.
Signs
Before talking about the functions of the will, it is necessary to consider its features. There are several of them:
- concentration of efforts for an act of will;
- presence of a detailed action plan;
- attention to one's own efforts;
- lack of positive emotions inthe course of their actions;
- mobilization of all the forces of the body;
- ultimate concentration on the goal and the way to it.
The listed signs reveal the psychological basis of the will. After all, such actions are aimed primarily at overcoming their own fears and weaknesses. In the process of implementing a volitional action, a person is set to fight with himself, which is considered characteristic only of a highly developed personality.
Signs of volitional action
We have already said that the will is the main aspect of all human activity. It imperceptibly penetrates into all spheres of life and sometimes subjugates them to itself. This process has three main features that explain that will and volitional processes and functions of will are closely related concepts:
- Ensuring the goal of any human activity, as well as streamlining life. Volitional actions can change the world around a particular person, subordinating it to certain goals.
- The ability to control oneself with the help of the will gives a person freedom. After all, in this case, external circumstances cannot have a decisive influence and the person turns into an active subject who has the ability to make conscious decisions.
- Consciously overcoming obstacles on the way to the goal activates all volitional processes. After all, when faced with difficulties, only the person himself can decide whether to continue moving forward or whether it is time to stop. Will gives him the impetus to make a decision.
It is worth noting that the psychicfunction in various properties of the human personality. It is worth talking about them in more detail.
Manifestation of Will
Every person has certain qualities. Many of them are a clear reflection of the will:
- Persistence. It can be interpreted as the ability to gather all the forces and concentrate on the task at hand.
- Excerpt. Subjugation and restraint of the mind, emotions and actions for the sake of a single goal.
- Determination. Striving for the fastest decision making and implementation of the action plan.
- Required. Completion of all actions on time and in full.
Of course, these are not all personality traits. In reality, there are many more of them, but even from this small list it becomes clear that the will literally permeates all human activity, his thoughts and dreams. Without it, a person would not be able to realize any of the ideas that have arisen. This fully reveals the will and volitional processes.
Functions of the Will
Science has been highlighting them for a long time. Initially, psychologists spoke of the presence of two functions of the will, but now their number has increased to three. This is considered the most accurate definition of the functional role of this mental aspect. Today we can highlight:
- incentive function;
- brake;
- stabilizing.
In the following sections of the article, we will take a closer look at the basic functions of the will.
Incentive
Many scientists consider it to be its main functionwill. It provides human activity, both arbitrary and conscious. It is noteworthy that this function is often confused with reactivity. However, there are serious differences between them, which are noticeable even to beginners in psychology. Reactivity causes action in response to a particular situation. For example, a walking person almost always turns into a shout, and a teaser will definitely cause resentment and negativity. In contrast to this process, the incentive function is expressed in the action caused by certain states within the personality. An example is a situation where the need for some information forces a person to shout and start a conversation with a friend or classmate. This is what distinguishes the basic function of the will, as it is called, from the described reactivity in the first place.
It is noteworthy that the activity caused by the instigation of the will gives the individual the opportunity to rise above the situation. The action can be carefully thought out in advance and go beyond what is happening right now.
It should be borne in mind that the incentive function often provokes a person to an activity that is not mandatory. Nobody expects it from a person and will not condemn him for not performing any actions. But despite this, the action plan is being built and implemented.
The motivating function contributes to the mobilization of all forces even when there is no need for activity right now. For example, it can be difficult for a school graduate to study hard every day for a year, but the thought of the final exam and admission to the coveted university makeshim to mobilize and start training.
Brake function
The functions of the will in psychology have been studied for a long time, so experts say that the inhibitory and incentive functions act in unity and work for the same goal in a person's life. Any person is able to suspend actions that contradict his principles, moral principles and the worldview formed as a result of education. It is noteworthy that the inhibitory function can even stop the development of unwanted ideas. Without it, not a single person could regulate his behavior in society.
The habit of controlling oneself in a team is especially important. She is nurtured as a person from infancy. First, parents, and then teachers in kindergarten, teach the baby to slow down himself in various negative manifestations. Even Anton Semenovich Makarenko in his works more than once emphasized how important it is to educate self-regulation in a growing personality. Moreover, control should become a habit and be as natural as possible. For example, one of the manifestations of the inhibitory function is considered banal politeness. At the same time, it is a certain framework that regulates the relationship of a person with society.
We have already said that a person cannot exist without motives for action. They can be divided into lower and higher. The former form our need for the simplest and most necessary things: food, drink, clothing, and the like. But the higher ones give us the opportunity to experience a wide range of emotions and feelings associated with moral experiences. Willallows the individual to restrain his lower needs for the sake of higher ones. Thanks to her, a person can bring to its logical conclusion the work begun, despite all the temptations and difficulties.
Incentive and inhibitory functions in their unity work to achieve the goal, despite all the problems encountered on the way.
Stabilizing
Determination of the functions of the will is impossible without a description of the stabilizing function. It performs its very significant role in the development and formation of personality. Thanks to it, the necessary degree of activity is maintained in the event of a collision with obstacles. At the moment when a person is aware of a number of problems that he will have to overcome in order to achieve his goal, and is already ready to retreat, it is the stabilizing function that does not allow activity to decline and motivates the person to continue the struggle.
Determination of the function of the will: arbitrary and volitional regulation
Telling about the will and its functions, it is impossible not to mention arbitrary and volitional regulation. This is not the easiest topic, because until now in psychology there is no unity between specialists regarding terminology. It is noteworthy that most psychologists equate voluntary and volitional regulation, however, they apply these definitions in various situations.
In the broad sense of the word, arbitrary regulation is understood as control over the behavior and activities of a person as a whole. This process has its own characteristics, but it should be borne in mind that not every action that is subject to self-regulation,is volitional. For example, a person who abuses alcohol does so voluntarily. That is, he consciously destroys himself every day, but he lacks the willpower to radically change the situation. However, in other life situations, it is the arbitrary regulation of behavior that becomes the very mechanism that starts the process of dominance of higher motives and needs over the lower ones. It depends on the level of development of the personality itself and the conditions in which certain actions must take place.
When psychologists mention volitional regulation, then most often this means action in a situation that is critical or difficult for a particular person, requiring concentration of physical and, above all, moral forces. Any volitional action includes a struggle of motives and is accompanied by a continuous movement towards a consciously set goal. The process of volitional regulation can be considered in the simplest example. Many people are actively involved in sports and do morning runs. What motivates them to do these things almost every day? Let's find out:
- First of all, the need for the need for physical activity is determined, which is converted into a specific and clear goal.
- Every morning there is a struggle of motives, because often you want to sleep much more than go out into the fresh air in the very early hours, when all household members are still sweetly napping.
- At this stage, volitional regulation comes into play, forcing the person to get out of bed and go for a run.
- In parallel, this process weakens motivation,inducing a person to abandon their intentions regarding the morning run.
- Before returning home, the individual carefully regulates his actions so as not to be tempted to enter the store, for example, or run a shorter distance than originally planned.
Based on the foregoing, it can be understood that volitional regulation contributes to the manifestation, formation and development of various mental processes. Thanks to them, the volitional qualities of the individual become more noticeable. Consciousness, purposefulness, determination and self-control of a person increase. Some psychologists call this mechanism the genetic function of the will. However, not all scientists agree with this term, so it is rarely used in scientific papers.
Summing up, I would like to say that the will is not yet a fully studied mental process. But it is difficult to argue about its significance, because it is thanks to it that humanity still lives and develops.
