The general concept of the human psyche

The concept of the human psyche is one of the most studied and at the same time mysterious. Despite the huge amount of fundamental research on this topic, there remains a huge number of questions and puzzles to which humanity has yet to find an answer.

Basic concepts of the psyche

A huge number of scientists and researchers are studying the characteristics of the human psyche. Naturally, each of them forms its own definition of this concept. It is worth considering the most used of them.

The concept of the psyche No. 1 implies activity to reflect and regulate the phenomena of reality. Due to this, there is an active interaction with the outside world, as well as the knowledge of universal human experience.

The concept of psyche No. 2 implies the laws of the formation and functioning of the inner world and images of reality that take shape in the human mind.

Concept No. 3 defines the psyche as a subjective reflection of reality through a system of ideal images, through which there is interaction with the environment, as well as orientation in it.

Basic provisions on the psyche

Based on the findings of various specialists studying the concept of the psyche, several key points can be identified that determine the specifics of this phenomenon:

• The emergence of the psyche occurred simultaneously with the appearance on earth of living organisms as a mechanism of adaptive behavior.
• The highest stage in the development of the psyche is consciousness. Its appearance is associated with the development of human labor activity and the formation of collectives.
• The psyche is formed under the influence of human activity in the process of transition from external interaction with objects into a specific image, and then into a regulated action.
• The formation of the psyche is due to sociocultural factors and is mediated by brain activity.
• Mental moments have a systematic organization and a clearly defined structure.

The concept and structure of the psyche

The psyche is a complex systemic phenomenon that includes such structural elements:

• Mental processes are phenomena that provide reflection and awareness of reality. Distinguish between cognitive, emotional and volitional processes.
• Mental properties are stable and constantly duplicating personality traits that determine a person’s behavior, temperament, character and abilities.
• Mental states are the quality of functioning and the level of mental performance at a particular point in time. We are talking about activity, vigor, passivity, apathy and so on.
• Activity - a set of actions that ensure the satisfaction of interests and needs.

Structure of consciousness

The definition of the concept of the psyche is closely related to the concept of consciousness. The last category is characterized by the following structure:

• The unconscious is the initial level of the psyche, which can be individual (associated with basic instincts) and collective (due to historical patterns).
• Subconscious - includes representations, aspirations and desires, which the psyche perceived as signals. Subconscious images can be actualized (surfaced in memory) after a long period of time.
• The preconscious mind is an intermediate state of the psyche, which is represented in the form of a stream of thoughts, associations and images, as well as a wide range of emotions.
• Consciousness itself is the highest level of reflection of the processes of reality, through which complete knowledge of the world and its transformation is achieved.
• Superconsciousness is the psychic characteristics that a person can form as a result of systematic and focused efforts. An example is the conscious regulation of somatic conditions (for example, walking on broken glass or hot coals, slowing the heartbeat, and so on).

The main types of mental processes

The concept of the psyche includes such a category as mental processes. This is all that happens in the head of a person and is reflected in mental phenomena. Here are the types of processes that can be distinguished:

• Cognitive is the perception of the world through the transformation of incoming information. This is all about sensations, imagination, thinking and memory.
• Regulation - provide a certain organization, intensity and direction of behavior. This is motivation, setting goals, making decisions and monitoring their implementation, as well as emotions and volitional processes.
• Communication - provide interpersonal communication, which occurs through an understanding of feelings and thoughts. This applies to both verbal and non-verbal communications.

Key psyche functions

When studying the concept of the psyche, the functions of the psyche play a decisive role. Here are the main ones:

• Communicative - provides such a perception of reality, thanks to which a person’s need for communication is realized.
• Cognitive - involves the collection and analysis of information about the world around us, followed by awareness of our place and significance in it.
• Reflective - allows you to choose the answer from the variety of options associated with a particular situation.
• Regulatory - provides a change in the forms of human behavior, depending on the external environment and prevailing circumstances.
• Emotional - gives rise to sensory reactions to certain phenomena of the world.
• Strong-willed - provides an opportunity for free life choice.

Psyche and brain

The concept of psyche in psychology is associated with the central nervous system, which, in turn, originates in the human brain. In this regard, it is advisable to delve into the study of the mechanism of the formation of the psyche. Here are the processes that occur in different parts of the brain:

• In the frontal lobes, motor and speech centers are concentrated. This area is responsible for speech motility and analytical activity. Also, psychological functions such as the formation of the will and motives of achievements, meanings and human values, goal-setting, morality are presented here.
• Temporal lobes - the location of the auditory, gustatory and olfactory centers, as well as centers of perception and understanding of speech. This area carries out expressive speech function. From the point of view of the psyche, it is worth noting the presence on the medial surface of centers of joy, grief, fear, pleasure, sex drive and safety.
• The parietal areas are responsible for sensitivity to heat, cold, pain, touch and sharpness. It is these fields that are responsible for the perception and interpretation of musical melodies.

The concept of mental images

The concept of the psyche is inextricably linked with the concept of the mental image, which is an integrative reflection of reality. This is a kind of information model, on the basis of which the human activity is determined. The following properties are inherent in mental images:

• Idealism. A person perceives the world in the form of ideal forms that have developed as a result of past experience and mental states. Thus, different people have different images.
• Primary and secondary. Images are first formed on the basis of perceptions and sensations, after which they are transformed into memory and a way of thinking.
• Informational content. Images reflect data on the localization of real objects in space, as well as a set of properties inherent in them.
• Build Activity. Images arise not simultaneously, but sequentially, on the basis of motor and biomechanical processes.
• Multidimensionality. Images do not function independently, but in the context of reality or a certain activity.
• Plastic. With images, as with real objects, you can perform certain “mental actions”, play behavioral options, model development, depending on changes in reality.
• Information capacity. The image is formed on the basis of information about reality, and also serves as a source of data.
• Generalization. An image is an information model, a formed model in which key primary information is collected, which is essential for the perception of reality objects.

Characteristics of a healthy psyche

Considering the concept of the human psyche, it is worth paying attention to the signs of its normal functioning. A healthy psyche has such characteristics:

• Adequate receptor response to various stimulus signals.
• Balanced reflectivity based on evaluative and analytical processing of signals entering the brain.
• The presence of signal subsystems that develop in proportion to the development of judgments.

Approaches to the definition of mental possession

In general psychology, the concept of the psyche is studied only in relation to man. Nevertheless, some researchers are of the opinion that other creatures also have this property. Based on the difference of views on this issue, several theories were formed, namely:

• Anthropopsychism (Descartes) is a theory that upholds the view that the psyche is inherent only in human beings.
• Panpsychism (French materialism) is a theory that upholds the universal spirituality of nature. This means that the psyche is equally inherent in all living things (people, animals), and inanimate objects (plants, stones).
• Biopsychism is a theory that advocates that the psyche is inherent in all objects of living nature (including plants).
• Neuropsychism (Darwin) is a theory that upholds the view that the psyche is inherent only in those objects (creatures) that have a central nervous system.
• Brain-psychic psychology (Platonov) is a theory that upholds the view that the psyche is inherent in creatures with a brain and a tubular device of the nervous system. So, for example, insects cannot have a psyche, since they do not have a pronounced brain, and the nervous system is structured according to the nodular type.
• Sensitive theory (Leontiev) - the psyche is inherent in those creatures that can respond to environmental stimuli that are vital (the sound of danger, the smell of food, and so on) with the subsequent formation of conditioned reflexes.

Key differences between the human psyche and the psyche of animals

If we consider the concept of the human psyche in comparison with other living beings (namely, animals), certain conclusions suggest itself. So, the difference in the psyche of people is expressed in the following:

• In addition to hereditary-empirical forms of behavior, a person also uses the experience of ancestors, which is transmitted in the form of an oral and written rhea. Thus, the human psyche is constantly being improved and enriched due to continuously updated social experience.
• Human consciousness reflects only the most essential aspects and patterns of reality, which make it possible to solve deeper problems not by trial and error (like animals), but by establishing patterns.
• The human psyche and consciousness are characterized by awareness of the goals of the activity and the ability to model future events. Moreover, a person can evaluate the results of his actions in terms of a system of universal human events and knowledge. That is, a person is not limited to the direct perception of reality, but is inclined to predict ahead of reality.
• Individual consciousness of a person is formed under the influence of public consciousness.

The evolutionary development of the psyche

It is important to pay attention to the evolutionary development of the reflection of reality in order to better understand the concept under consideration. The development of the psyche occurs in accordance with such successive stages:

• Elementary sensory psyche determines the ability to respond to individual properties of objects (biologically neutral stimuli). The peculiarity of this stage is that instincts and innate behavioral programs that cause conditioned reflexes play a significant role.
• Perceptual stage - implies a holistic objective perception through the integration of individual properties into a holistic image. Complex instincts are manifested due to motor behavior, the search for positive stimuli, as well as the development of protective behavior.
• The intellectual stage is characterized by research activities, the ability to solve problems of different levels of complexity, as well as transfer the results to updated conditions of reality. The essence of the concept of "psyche" at this stage is the ability to reflect intersubject relationships with minimizing the value of innate instincts.
• The stage of consciousness reflects the various manifestations of the world around us, as well as the awareness of our own inner world and its significance in the environment. The ability to purposeful activity and regulation of their own mental processes appears.

Personality theories

The definition of the concept of the psyche is inextricably linked with the concept of personality, which is formed under its influence. In this regard, researchers offer various theories of personality. The most common are the following:

• Psychodynamic (Freud) - defines a personality as a system of aggressive sexual motives and protective mechanisms. In this case, the Eid, Ego and Superego are formed.
• Analytical (Jung) defines personality as a set of innate archetypes, each of which has certain properties. Moreover, the formation of the psyche is influenced by the collective and individual unconscious, as well as the individual conscious.
• The humanistic (Rogers and Maslow) defines personality as an inner world formed in the process of self-actualization. In the structure of the psyche, the real and ideal "I" stands out.
• Cognitive (Kelly) gives a general concept of the psyche and personality as a system of constructs, through which the life experience of a particular individual is perceived and processed. Moreover, each person has his own system of constructs (nuclear and peripheral).
• Behavioral (Bandura) defines a personality as a set of social skills, acquired reflexes and a system of internal factors (effectiveness, accessibility, significance).
• An active (Rubinstein, Leontiev, Abulkhanova, Brushlinsky) defines a person as a conscious subject with a certain social position and socially useful role.
• The dispositional (Allport, Eisenck) defines a person as a complex system of formal and dynamic features, as well as the substantial properties that form the proprium.

The mental structure of personality

Personality is a kind of reflection of the concept of the psyche. In this regard, it is appropriate to consider the mental structure of the personality, which is a combination of properties, qualities, relationships, positions, algorithms, and other factors that determine a person’s behavior. This issue was dealt with by many psychologists, but Platonov's theory was most widely used. He identified the following components of the mental structure of personality:

• focus;
• experience;
• individual specificity of mental processes;
• biological conditionality.

Character and psyche

When considering the essence of the concept of "psyche", the question of character invariably arises. The first thing to note is that this is not at all the same thing.

Character can be defined as a combination of mental properties that leave an imprint on behavior and actions in various life circumstances. On its basis, it is possible to predict what the individual will do when he finds himself in certain conditions. The mental properties of the personality that determine behavior are character traits. We can say that character reflects the attitude towards oneself, to others and to the world as a whole. Moreover, this relationship has a conscious expression in the form of worldview.

Character is closely interconnected with all aspects of the psyche. The line of behavior is influenced by cognitive processes, will, feelings that prevail in the individual’s mental warehouse and determine his behavior. In this regard, four groups of character traits should be distinguished:

1. Common features that form the mental warehouse of personality. This, for example, integrity, masculinity, activity, discipline. That is, the first characteristic that comes to mind when thinking about a person, as well as the one that is inherent in a large number of people.
2. Traits expressing attitude towards others. This is sociability or isolation, frankness or secrecy, sensitivity or callousness and so on.
3. Traits that reflect the individual’s attitude to himself. It can be self-esteem or self-abasement, modesty or arrogance, and so on.
4. Traits that reflect the individual's attitude to his activities and work in general. In this regard, one can single out initiative and perseverance (or passivity and laziness).

Psychologists agree that character is not an inborn and permanent characteristic. This property is formed throughout life under the influence of external factors and the individual's own efforts.