The article will provide general information about the concept of internalization. This phenomenon is characteristic of higher mental functions and activity. The term was developed by both Western and Soviet psychologists, especially in the framework of the psychology of activity.
Definition of a concept
The concept of internalization was first introduced into the scientific circulation by researchers from France. Initially, there was a different meaning of iteration. This was a phenomenon that denoted the process of instilling the ideology of the personality, that is, the consciousness of society was transferred to the consciousness of the individual.
Psychoanalysts consider a slightly different definition of interiorization. This, in their opinion, is a process that takes place in the psyche and determines the relationship of an individual with an existing or non-existing object, the transformation of an environmental factor into an environmental factor. This phenomenon still causes debate in the psychoanalytic direction. At the moment, scientists have not yet figured out whether processes such as introjection, absorption and identification are identical, or whether they occur along parallel lines.
The Soviet psychologist L. S. Vygotsky gave the following definition of internalization - this is the transformation of external activity into the internal environment of consciousness. The scientist believed that the initial development of the psyche takes place in the external environment and depends on various environmental factors residing in the environment of the individual. But over time, these external general forms of activity, due to the phenomenon of internalization, are absorbed by the human consciousness and become the higher mental functions of a particular individual.
How is the process of interiorization going?
It was already indicated above that external relations between people gradually turned into higher mental functions of a person, such as memory, thinking, perception, sensation, imagination. L. S. Vygotsky conducted experiments at school to confirm his theoretical assumptions. As a result of research, the scientist came to the following conclusions:
- You can see the process of building higher mental functions only in the genesis, after they are formed. Then the structure goes deep into consciousness and becomes indistinguishable.
- Internalization has helped to bring forth psychic reality through the transition of external forms to internal ones.
- The formed essence is difficult to explain, especially if we speak from the point of view of physiological processes. To consider it, you need a different kind of toolbox - psychological.
The process of transforming external relations into internal is possible through internalization. This transformation does not happen on its own, because it also depends on the people around you, communication with them. Only thanks to adequate education, the child and his psyche develop correctly. The phenomenon of interiorization helps a person mentally build plans, make dialogs, and consider various options for events. Thinking in abstract categories is becoming available.
Internalization of activities
Each term is a product of human activity. It turns out that this can hardly be taught. But thanks to a properly organized learning process, the internalization of activities will be progressive and phased.
Take, for example, a student who learns to read. To begin with, he should learn external forms, that is, letters. Then gradually the student learns syllables and begins to read aloud. But the process of learning to read does not end there, because the next step is the transition of reading aloud to internal reading. This is the process of transforming external actions into higher mental functions - the process of internalization.
In addition to this phenomenon, there is another opposite concept. Interiorization and exteriorization are like two sides of the coin. One transforms the external into the internal, and the other transforms the internal into the external. For example, when an automated skill fails, a person starts looking for what's wrong, and then does it right. Thus, the inner returns to the outer.
Engaged in the study and development of these concepts in the framework of the theory of stages of development of mental activity P. Ya. Halperin. He considered the highest level of internalization that a person can do certain actions mentally, without resorting to additional manipulations.
Theory of P. Ya. Halperin
The scientist believed that a mental action will form only after passing through such stages:
- Acquaintance with the requirements for the result of the activity.
- External manipulations with objects.
- Actually, internalization is the development of action in the absence of material objects, transformation into an internal plan. External speech is used here to refer to external objects.
- The final transition of speech into mental activity.
- Completion of interiorization.
This is how the human psyche develops, and external actions with the help of internalization become mental activity.