a way to regulate the behavior of living beings in the outside world, the properties of which are perceived by the brain in the form of signals presented in the sign system of the language.
The "verbal" system is specific to humans and is not found in animals. It has special meaning: it lies at the basis of volitional activity, which ensures the regulation of behavior and social action; it is thanks to it that a person can weigh all the conditions, coordinate actions with moral principles and make smart decisions. With its relative predominance, a mental type of personality is formed.
The second signaling system arises in historical development society as an "extraordinary addition" that contributes new principle into the work of the nervous central system, because it allows in the processes of labor and speech communication to display the world in a generalized (conceptual) form. It interacts with the signaling system first and together with it forms a qualitatively new whole.
Second signal system
Word formation. Comes from lat. signum - a sign.
Author. I.P. Pavlov.
Specificity. Focuses on verbal signals, on the basis of which the formation of temporary neural connections is possible. Since a person is characterized by the joint action of the first and second signal systems, Pavlov proposed to single out specifically human types higher nervous activity by the predominance of one or another system. In accordance with this, the artistic type was defined as having the predominance of the first signal system, the mental type - the predominance of the second signal system, and the average type as balanced on this basis.
Second signal system
a system of conditioned reflex connections inherent in a person, formed under the influence of speech signals, i.e. not a direct stimulus, but its verbal designation. The second signal system arises on the basis of the first signal system in the process of communication between people. In psychology, it is used to refer to a system of human orientation to verbal signals, on the basis of which the formation of temporary neural connections is possible. Since a person is characterized by the joint action of the first and second signal systems, it was proposed to single out specifically human types of higher nervous activity according to the predominance of one or another system. In accordance with this, the artistic type was defined as having a predominance of the first signal system, the mental type - the predominance of the second signal system, and the average type as balanced on this basis. The concept of the second signal system was introduced in 1932 by I.P. Pavlov.
The first and second signal systems - one of them makes us related to animals, the other distinguishes us from them. The concept of the first and second signal systems was introduced by the famous academician Pavlov.
If the first includes various processes occurring in the brain in response to environmental stimuli, and it is the sensory basis for building a subjective world by a person, then the second includes all processes associated with the perception of speech, verbal signals. Thus, the signaling system is responsible for the perception and appearance of a reaction to external stimuli, which allows a person to adapt to the environment and behave appropriately depending on the conditions.
The development of the second signaling system is associated with labor and the growth of the importance of society for a person. The 1st signal system performs the function of directly reflecting the world through signals from the senses, the 2nd - through abstract, general concepts. In the process of reading, talking, it is the second system that leads to the appearance of associations with words. It is the basis for abstractions, and hence for .
The dependence of the two systems is easy to trace on the example of deaf children. Without the ability to hear the sounds made and imitate those around them, they do not develop speech. Both systems influence and control each other, the second system is able to manage.
Left and right
According to Pavlov, who created the doctrine of higher nervous activity, the word for people has leading value. The second signaling system is the basis for the intensive development of mankind.
Rubinstein emphasizes that the second signaling system should include formations in the brain that are activated in response to speech signals. You can not call it language, speech or thinking, but correctly understand it as the principle of the activity of the cerebral cortex. It is impossible to say in which particular area of the brain it "dwells", all structures are involved. But we can highlight the areas most related to it:
- Broca's speech center (damage leads to a lack of oral speech).
- Center Wernicke (the defeat of this area affects the ability to understand the meaning).
- Optical center (damages here lead to degradation of the perception of the written).
The listed centers are concentrated in the left hemisphere, which, apparently, is associated with right-handedness. Often left hemisphere is called responsible for the second signaling system. If the work of the left hemisphere is affected, then, as a rule, there are problems with processing speech, pronouncing words, understanding texts, solving puzzles, and the first signaling system does not suffer in any way.
On the contrary, when the right hemisphere is depressed, the emotional side of music, sounds, and the appearance of objects are disturbed, while all mental and speech functions remain normal. The division by hemispheres is also confirmed by tests for addressing people in different forms(verbal or non-verbal).
Socialization
Speech function is acquired through training. A child will not develop the ability to speak if he is deprived of communication. The word becomes an irritant already in the first year of life, namely in the second half of the year.
In children, the word becomes a stimulus, reactions appear on it. Thanks to the correlation of concepts and objects, a second signal system is developed, while the main role is played at first by the intonations of others, the environment, and the child's feelings.
The beginning of the second year marks the transition of the word from minor roles to the main ones. It becomes an independent and leading irritant. An important factor this result is achieved by changing the scenery and conditions while the word remains unchanged during the child's learning.
Gradually, words, remaining associated with complexes of phenomena, turn from sound stimuli into speech signals. Physiology explains this by the activity of various foci in the brain. The excitation associated with the stimulus-object becomes synchronized with the excitation from the word. This is how a single grid is born, including both areas.
Only at the time of admission to primary school in a child, the system responsible for speech reflexes becomes the leading one, but the first does not completely lose its influence. To develop effective patterns of behavior, it is useful to combine words and actions to activate the first system.
Reaction features
The first and second signal systems act together, allowing a person to cognize, learn, think, study the world. Reflexes of the first signaling system are involved in the work of the second. Features of the reflexes of the latter (according to Kogan):
1. If a person has developed a conditioned reflex to a word, then a reflex reaction will also occur to words similar to it in meaning.
2. Rapid formation and restructuring. It takes many repetitions for the first one to create/cancel/change the stimulus-reactive ligament; it takes seconds to link words and object—or, more accurately, meaning and object.
3. The second and the first are displayed in each other. If a reflex action has already been created on the sound of a bell, then the word "bell", written or spoken, will cause the same reaction. Thus, everything that relates directly to the first in a person will be connected with the second by means of a word, since the signal is also imprinted verbally. The same thing happens when the reaction is developed directly to the word - it is repeated on the phenomena related to it.
4. Abstract concepts evoke the less intense reaction, the farther they are from specific stimuli. So, Kogan cites an experiment in which a child developed a reflex (saliva) to the name of a particular bird (7 drops). Generalization of the "bird" gave 10, and further generalizations significantly reduced the intensity of the reaction.
5. The reflexes of the second system are subject to external influences and are more prone to high fatigue, which is explained by their youth. In schoolchildren, a bright motor reflex to the bell persisted throughout the day, and the reaction to the word “bell” decreased by the end of the day. Examples of high sensitivity are states alcohol intoxication: problems with reasonable judgments begin first, and only then the reflexes of the first system fail.
Typology
When there are two systems, there is a bias in their work. Balance is rare. Regarding the two signaling systems, everything works exactly the same. The characteristics of a person associated with the volume of use of one or another of them determines the type of higher nervous activity.
When the first one works more intensively and more often, a person is referred to as artistic type when the second - to the mental. Short description two extremes:
- The artistic type is concrete. He is attracted by everything bright, figurative, filled with sounds and colors. Artists cannot do without smells and touches.
- The thinking type is distinguished by a tendency to abstractions, analytics. bright pictures as if eluding the thinker's gaze, he presents everything in the form of generalizations, verbal definitions.
The division into types has quite a bit practical sense, since in any particular action the ratio of the work of the two systems will be special. In addition, most people are of a mixed type. Knowing one's own characteristics allows a person to better understand the patterns of his behavior, reactions and to choose the right environment so that it contains exactly what brings him the greatest satisfaction.
The first signal system, as already mentioned, is responsible for that part of the reflected reality that is perceived by the senses. The second signaling system provides content with meaning. Neither the first nor the second are isolated, which is easy to see when studying the reflexes of the latter.
In a person, it is the second that prevails due to the characteristics of his life (society, culture). At the same time, due to the mutual influence of the first and second systems, it is possible to produce better learning using words and reinforcement. And the most important advice
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First and second signal systems
Signaling systems are systems of conditioned stimuli that signal the occurrence of an event. The founder of the doctrine of the first and second signal systems is IP Pavlov.
If signaling is carried out by specific objective stimuli (light, sound, smell, etc.), then such a signal system constitutes the first signal system common to humans and animals.
First signal system is a set of nervous processes that arose in the cortex big brain with direct impact on the sensory systems of factors of the external and internal environment. The anatomical basis of the first signaling system is the analyzers, which are connected by nerve pathways with the sense organs. The first signal system is the basis for the direct reflection of objective reality in the form of sensations and perceptions. Provides subject concrete thinking.
If signaling is carried out by stimuli that are the result of generalization of specific signals (words), then such a system of signals constitutes the second signal system, inherent only to humans.
Second signal system - it is a set of nervous processes that occur in the cerebral cortex as a reaction to words and the concepts they denote. The anatomical basis of the second signal system is the cultural-motor analyzer, which is closely connected with the visual and auditory analyzers. Due to the presence of the second signaling system, conditions are created for abstract thinking, which significantly expands the adaptive capabilities of a person. In words and phrases, connections between objects and phenomena are fixed, therefore words are signals of signals. Establishing a connection between verbal signals and real stimuli occurs according to the laws of education conditioned reflexes. The second signal system is a reflection surrounding reality by generalizing abstract concepts with the help of words. With the advent of the second signaling system, a new principle of nervous activity appears - abstractions and generalizations a large number signals to the brain. This principle determines the boundless orientation of man in the surrounding world. The second signaling system is the supreme regulator various forms human behavior in the environment. However, it correctly reflects the objective world only if its coordinated interaction with the first signal system is constantly preserved. The second functions thanks to the information coming from the first signaling system, transforming it into specific concepts. Both signaling systems constantly interact and obey common physiological laws and mechanisms.
How younger child, the more its reactions are determined by the first signal system. The verbal, or other, signaling system begins to gradually form after 10 months of age. The learning process vigorously stimulates its development, but at the same time, a normal balance in the development of signaling systems should be ensured. It is necessary to strive for the knowledge to be acquired by children on the basis of visual representations, observations of the phenomena of reality and direct actions with objects, tools and instruments.
The relationship of the organism with the environment is carried out on the basis of signals entering the nervous system as a result of the direct impact of objects and phenomena of the outside world on receptors. IP Pavlov called this type of signaling the first signaling system. In the animal world, the first signaling system is the only channel of the body's information about the state of the environment. Various objects of the outside world, their physical and chemical properties (sound, color, shape, chemical composition etc.) acquire the value of conditioned signals, notify the body about the phenomena that follow them, thereby causing adaptive reactions. For example, a dormant herbivore flees at the sound of footsteps or the smell of a predator, as these stimuli signal danger.
The first signaling system of higher animals provides a sufficiently perfect reflection of the external world and, in connection with this, their rapid and precise adaptation to the environment. I. P. Pavlov considered the first signal system as a system of perception, impressions from all external and inner peace, signaling biologically useful or harmful stimuli for the body. He wrote: “For an animal, reality is signaled almost exclusively only by stimuli and their traces in the cerebral hemispheres, directly coming to special cells of the visual, auditory and other receptors of the body. This is what we have in ourselves as impressions, sensations and ideas from the external environment, both general natural and our social, excluding the word, audible and visible. This is the first signaling system of reality that we have in common with animals.
The signals of the first signaling system are specific and refer to a specific subject.
The formation of conditioned reflexes through the first signal system constitutes in higher animals the physiological basis of their elementary concrete, or objective, thinking. The first signaling system is the same in humans and animals. In conditions ordinary life in humans, it functions in isolation only in the first six months of life.
When a person is raised, he develops second signaling system, characteristic only of humans. This transfers the higher nervous activity of a person to a higher level. It acquires new qualities, which determine the expansion of opportunities for communication with the outside world and the versatility of its manifestations. IP Pavlov called the second signaling system an "extraordinary addition" to the mechanisms of higher nervous activity of a person. The second signal system is speech, the word, visible, audible, pronounced mentally. This is the highest signaling system of the surrounding world. It consists in the verbal designation of all its signals and in verbal communication. The second signaling system developed in humans under the influence of the social environment in the labor process. Big role kinesthetic stimulation of the brain, arising as a result of labor processes, played in this. The word for a person serves as the same physiological stimulus as objects and phenomena of the surrounding world.
Verbal signals generalize the stimuli of the first signal system. The same word “table” signals not only about a certain table, but also about many other tables, different in size, shape, color, etc. This fact expresses not only a generalization, but also an abstraction from specific objects of reality, i.e. e. the transition of a person from objective thinking to abstract. In order for the word "table" to point to a specific table, the clarification "this table" is necessary. Within the second signal system, stimuli are generalized not only from the first, but also from the second signal system itself. For example, the word with a narrow meaning "aspen" generalizes specific stimuli of the first signaling system, and the word with a broader meaning "tree" - stimuli of the second signaling system.
Thus, the second signaling system is comprehensive, capable of replacing, abstracting and generalizing all the stimuli of the first signaling system. Thanks to the entire previous life of an adult, the word is connected with all external and internal stimuli that enter the nervous system, it signals about all of them and replaces them all, causing the same actions as they are.
Another extremely important value of the second signaling system is that it sharply increases the amount of information - through the use of not only individual, but also the collective experience of all mankind. The verbal information received by a person from other persons - oral and especially written - has an extremely wide range (this can be information not only from living people, but also from many previous generations). So, the improvement of an athlete only partially occurs due to his personal experience, through verbal information he widely uses the experience of his coach and a huge number of other persons, set out in teaching aids, textbooks, articles, etc.
The first and second signal systems are functionally interconnected. Signals of the first signaling system coming from various parts of the body and environment, continuously interact with the signals of the second signaling system. In this case, conditioned reflexes of the second and higher orders are formed, functionally linking signal systems into a single whole. In addition, the connection between the two signal systems, based on elective (selective) irradiation of excitation, makes it possible to reproduce through the second signal system conditioned reflexes developed on the basis of the first signal system (A. G. Ivanov-Smolensky).
The second signaling system constitutes the physiological basis of abstract speech thinking, inherent only in humans. afferent signals to the central nervous system from the speech organs, through the auditory and visual analyzers, they form complex reflexes in a person that determine sound and written speech.
The localization of the functions of the second signaling system in the cerebral cortex has not yet been fully elucidated. The structures of the right and left hemispheres participate in its implementation. The dominant role in this case in most people (right-handers) belongs to the left hemisphere. Relatively extensive parts of it perform complex functions related to understanding the meaning of words, coordinating the speech-motor apparatus during their pronunciation, and other processes.
