The large hemispheres are conditioned and unconditioned reflexes. Conditioned reflexes, their general features and significance for the adaptation of the organism to the environment. The difference between conditioned reflexes and unconditioned reflexes

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

The concept of an unconditioned reflex

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

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

This is the so-called product of the historical experience of previous generations, therefore it is also called a specific reflex.

We live in a changing environment, it requires constant adaptations that cannot be foreseen by genetic experience. Unconditioned reflexes of a person are constantly being 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 that form the basis of our individual experience occurs. Pavlov called it higher nervous activity.

Properties of unconditioned reflexes

The characteristic of unconditioned reflexes includes several mandatory points:

1. Congenital reflexes are inherited.
2. They are equally manifested in all individuals of a given species.
3. For the occurrence of a response, the influence of a certain factor is necessary, for example, for the sucking reflex, this is an irritation of the lips of a newborn.
4. The area of ​​perception of the stimulus always remains constant.
5. Unconditioned reflexes have a constant reflex arc.
6. They persist throughout life, with some exceptions in newborns.

The meaning of reflexes

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

In the process of evolution, there was a division between those that are aimed at the survival of the species, and those responsible for adapting to constantly changing conditions.

Congenital reflexes begin to manifest themselves already in utero, and their role is reduced to the following:

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

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

The body lives surrounded by external factors that are constantly changing, and it is necessary to adapt to them. Here, higher nervous activity in the form of conditioned reflexes comes to the fore.

For the body, they have the following meaning:

• The mechanisms of its interaction with the environment will be improved.
• They clarify and complicate the processes of contacting the body with the external environment.
• Conditioned reflexes are an indispensable basis for the processes of learning, upbringing 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 surrounding world. Between themselves, they can be combined into complex reflex acts that have a certain biological orientation.

Classification of unconditioned reflexes

The hereditary reactions of the body, despite their innateness, can be very different 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 attributed the sucking reflex to them).
• Difficult (sweating).
• The most complex unconditioned reflexes. Examples can be cited very different: food reactions, defensive, sexual.

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 features:

1. If they are not satisfied, then this will lead to the death of the organism.
2. For satisfaction, there is no need for the presence of another individual of the same species.

The third group also has its own characteristic features:

1. Self-development reflexes have nothing to do with the adaptation of the organism to this situation. They are directed towards the future.
2. They are completely independent and do not follow from other needs.

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

1. Simple reflexes. These are the body's usual responses to external stimuli. For example, jerking a hand away from a hot object or blinking when a speck enters the eye.
2. Reflex acts.
3. Behavioral reactions.
4. Instincts.
5. Imprinting.

Each group has its own characteristics and differences.

Reflex acts

Almost all reflex acts are aimed at ensuring the vital activity of the organism, therefore they are always reliable in their manifestation and cannot be corrected.

These include:

• Breath.
• Swallowing.
• Vomiting.

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

Behavior reactions

This kind of unconditioned reflexes can be well demonstrated in animals. Behavioral responses include:

• The tendency of the dog to carry and pick up objects. Loading reaction.
• The manifestation of aggression at the sight of a stranger. Actively defensive reaction.
• Search for objects by smell. Olfactory search reaction.

It is worth noting that the behavior 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 actions of the animal, but it is quite possible to control them. They should also be taken into account when training: if the animal does not have an olfactory-searching reaction at all, then it is unlikely that it will be possible to raise a wanted dog from it.

Instincts

There are also more complex forms in which unconditioned reflexes are manifested. Instincts belong 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 baby 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 action on the respiratory center, and an instinctive inhalation occurs. The baby begins to breathe on its own, and the first cry of the baby serves as a sign of this.

Instincts are a powerful stimulant in human life. They may well motivate for success in a particular field of activity. When we cease to control ourselves, then instincts begin to guide us. As you can imagine, there are several of them.

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

1. Self-preservation and survival.
2. Continuation of the family.
3. Leader instinct.

All of them can give rise to new needs:

• In safety.
• In material abundance.
• Looking for a sexual partner.
• Taking care of children.
• Influencing others.

We can still enumerate the varieties of human instincts for a long time, but, unlike animals, we can control them. For this, nature has endowed us with reason. Animals survive only due to instincts, but we have also been given knowledge for this.

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

Imprinting

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

Remember how easy it is for young children to master foreign language skills. While schoolchildren make a lot of effort for this.

It is thanks to the imprinting that all babies recognize their parents, distinguish individuals of their own species. For example, a zebra after the birth of a cub is with him in a secluded place alone for several hours. This is exactly the time it takes 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 latter hatched, he introduced them to various objects, which they followed as if they were a mother. Even they perceived him as a mother, and pursued him on his heels.

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

Congenital reflexes of an infant

After birth, a baby goes through a complex developmental path that consists of several stages. The degree and speed of mastering various skills will directly depend on the state of the nervous system. The main indicator of her maturity is the unconditioned reflexes of the newborn.

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

Of the huge number of hereditary reactions, the following can be distinguished:

1. Search reflex of Kussmaul. If the area around the mouth is irritated, the child turns the head towards the irritant. Usually the reflex fades away by 3 months.
2. Sucking. If you put your finger in the baby's mouth, then he begins to suck. Immediately after feeding, this reflex fades away and becomes more active over time.
3. Palmar-oral. If the child is pressed on the palm, then he opens his mouth.
4. Grasp reflex. If you put your finger in the baby's palm and lightly press it, then there is a reflex squeezing and holding it.
5. The lower grasping reflex is triggered by light pressure on the front of the sole. Bending of the toes occurs.
6. Crawl reflex. In the prone position, pressure on the soles of the feet causes a forward crawling motion.
7. Protective. If you lay the newborn on his stomach, he tries to raise his head and turns it to the side.
8. Support reflex. If you take the baby under the arms and put it on something, then he reflexively unbends his legs and rests with his whole foot.

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

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

1. Segmental motor automatisms. They are provided by segments of the brain stem and spinal cord.
2. 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. It manifests itself during the first year of life.
• Search. Extinction occurs at 3-4 months.
• Proboscis reflex. If you hit the baby with your finger on the lips, then he pulls them into the proboscis. Extinction occurs after 3 months.
• The palmar-oral reflex shows well 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:

• Reflex Moro. When a reaction is elicited, for example, by hitting the table not far from the baby's head, the latter's hands are spread to the sides. It appears up to 4-5 months.
• Automatic gait reflex. With support and a slight tilt forward, the baby makes step movements. After 1.5 months, it begins to fade.
• Reflex Galant. If you run your finger along the paravertebral line from the shoulder to the buttocks, the torso bends towards the stimulus.

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

Differences between conditioned and unconditioned reflexes

Even Sechenov argued that in the conditions in which the body lives, it is completely insufficient for the survival of innate reactions, the development of new reflexes is required. It is they who will contribute to the adaptation of the organism to changing conditions.

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

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

Reflex- This is the body's response to stimulation of receptors, carried out by the nervous system. The path along which the nerve impulse passes during the implementation of the reflex is called.

The concept of "reflex" was introduced Sechenov, he believed that "reflexes form the basis of the nervous activity of humans and animals." Pavlov divided reflexes into conditioned and unconditioned.

Comparison of conditioned and unconditioned reflexes

The development of a conditioned reflex

Conditional (indifferent) stimulus must precede unconditional(causing an unconditioned reflex). For example: a lamp is lit, after 10 seconds the dog is given meat.

Inhibition of conditioned reflexes

Conditional (non-reinforcement): the lamp is lit, but the dog is not given meat. Gradually, salivation stops when the lamp is on (the conditioned reflex is extinguished).

Unconditional: during the action of the conditioned stimulus, a powerful unconditioned one arises. For example, when the lamp is turned on, the bell rings loudly. Saliva is not secreted.

Choose the one that is most correct. The centers of conditioned reflexes, in contrast to unconditioned ones, are located in a person in
1) the cerebral cortex
2) the medulla oblongata
3) cerebellum
4) midbrain

Answer

Choose the one that is most correct. Salivation in a person at the sight of a lemon is a reflex
1) conditional
2) unconditional
3) protective
4) indicative

Answer

Choose three options. The peculiarity of unconditioned reflexes is that they




5) are congenital
6) are not inherited

Answer

Choose three correct answers out of six and write down the numbers under which they are indicated. Unconditioned reflexes that ensure the vital activity of the human body,
1) are developed in the process of individual development
2) formed in the process of historical development
3) are available in all individuals of the species
4) are strictly individual
5) formed under relatively constant environmental conditions
6) are not congenital

Answer

Choose three correct answers out of six and write down the numbers under which they are indicated. The peculiarity of unconditioned reflexes is that they
1) arise as a result of repeated repetition
2) are a trait characteristic of an individual of the species
3) are genetically programmed
4) are typical for all individuals of the species
5) are congenital
6) build skills

Answer

Choose the one that is most correct. What are the features of spinal reflexes in humans and mammals
1) acquired throughout life
2) are inherited
3) are different in different individuals
4) allow the body to survive in changing environmental conditions

Answer

Choose the one that is most correct. The extinction of a conditioned reflex when it is not reinforced by an unconditioned stimulus is
1) unconditional braking
2) conditional inhibition
3) rational action
4) a deliberate act

Answer

Choose the one that is most correct. Conditioned reflexes of humans and animals provide
1) adaptation of the body to constant environmental conditions
2) adaptation of the body to the changing external world
3) mastering new motor organisms, skills
4) animal discernment of the trainer's commands

Answer

Choose the one that is most correct. The baby's reaction to the milk bottle is a reflex that
1) is inherited
2) is formed without the participation of the cerebral cortex
3) acquired throughout life
4) persists throughout life

Answer

Choose the one that is most correct. When developing a conditioned reflex, the conditioned stimulus must
1) act 2 hours after the unconditional
2) follow immediately after the unconditional
3) precede the unconditional
4) gradually weaken

Answer

1. Establish a correspondence between the value of the reflex and its type: 1) unconditioned, 2) conditioned. Write down the numbers 1 and 2 in the correct order.
A) provides instinctive behavior
B) ensures the adaptation of the organism to the environmental conditions in which many generations of this species lived
C) allows you to gain new experience
D) determines the behavior of the organism in the changed conditions

Answer

2. Establish a correspondence between the types of reflexes and their characteristics: 1) conditioned, 2) unconditioned. Write down the numbers 1 and 2 in the order corresponding to the letters.
A) are congenital
B) adaptation to new emerging factors
C) reflex arcs are formed in the process of life
D) are the same for all representatives of the same species
D) are at the heart of learning
E) are constant, practically do not fade during life

Answer

Choose the one that is most correct. Conditional (internal) braking
1) depends on the type of higher nervous activity
2) appears when a stronger stimulus occurs
3) induces the formation of unconditioned reflexes
4) occurs with the extinction of the conditioned reflex

Answer

Choose the one that is most correct. The basis of the nervous activity of humans and animals is
1) thinking
2) instinct
3) excitement
4) reflex

Answer

1. Establish a correspondence between examples and types of reflexes: 1) unconditioned, 2) conditioned. Write down the numbers 1 and 2 in the correct order.
A) pulling the hand away from the fire of a burning match
B) crying of a child at the sight of a man in a white coat
C) stretching the hand of a five-year-old child to the sweets he saw
D) swallowing pieces of cake after chewing them
E) salivation in the appearance of a beautifully set table
E) skiing downhill

Answer

2. Establish a correspondence between the examples and the types of reflexes they illustrate: 1) unconditioned, 2) conditioned. Write down the numbers 1 and 2 in the order corresponding to the letters.
A) sucking movements of the child in response to touching his lips
B) constriction of the pupil, illuminated by a bright sun
C) performing hygiene procedures before bedtime
D) sneezing when dust enters the nasal cavity
D) salivation on the clink of dishes when setting the table
E) roller skating

Answer

© D.V. Pozdnyakov, 2009-2019

Our nervous system is a complex mechanism of interaction of neurons that send impulses to the brain, and it, in turn, controls all organs and ensures their work. This process of interaction is possible due to the presence in a person of the main inseparable acquired and congenital forms of adaptation - conditioned and unconditioned reactions. A reflex is a conscious response of the body to certain conditions or stimuli. This well-coordinated work of nerve endings helps us to interact with the world around us. A person is born with a set of simple skills - this is called an example of this behavior: the ability of an infant to suckle the mother's breast, swallow food, blink.

and animal

As soon as a living being is born, he needs certain skills that will help to ensure his life. The body actively adapts to the world around it, that is, it develops a whole range of purposeful motor skills. This very mechanism is called the behavior of species. Each living organism has its own set of reactions and innate reflexes, which is inherited and does not change throughout life. But the behavior itself is distinguished by the method of its implementation and application in life: congenital and acquired forms.

Unconditioned reflexes

Scientists claim that an innate form of behavior is an unconditioned reflex. An example of such manifestations has been observed since the birth of a person: sneezing, coughing, swallowing saliva, blinking. The transfer of such information is carried out by the inheritance of the parent program by the centers that are responsible for reactions to stimuli. These centers are located in the brain stem or in the spinal cord. Unconditioned reflexes help a person quickly and accurately respond to changes in the external environment and homeostasis. Such reactions have a clear demarcation depending on biological needs.

• Nutritional.
• Indicative.
• Protective.
• Sexual.

Depending on the species, living things have different reactions to the world around them, but all mammals, including humans, have a sucking skill. If you attach a baby or baby animal to the mother's nipple, a reaction will immediately occur in the brain and the feeding process will begin. This is an unconditioned reflex. Eating patterns are inherited in all creatures that receive nutrients from their mother's milk.

Defensive reactions

These types of responses to external stimuli are inherited and are called natural instincts. Evolution has laid in us the need to protect ourselves and take care of our safety in order to survive. Therefore, we have learned to instinctively react to danger, this is an unconditioned reflex. Example: Have you noticed how your head tilts when someone raised a fist over it? When you touch a hot surface, your hand jerks away. This behavior is also called it is unlikely that a person in their right mind will try to jump from a height or eat unfamiliar berries in the forest. The brain immediately starts the process of processing information, which will make it clear whether it is worth risking your life. And even if it seems to you that you do not even think about it, the instinct immediately works.

Try to bring your finger to the baby's palm, and he will immediately try to grab it. Such reflexes have been developed for centuries, however, now a child does not really need such a skill. Even in primitive people, the baby clung to the mother, and so she carried him. There are also unconscious innate reactions, which are explained by the connection of several groups of neurons. For example, if you hit the knee with a hammer, it twitches - an example of a two-neural reflex. In this case, two neurons come into communication and send a signal to the brain, forcing it to respond to an external stimulus.

Delayed reactions

However, not all unconditioned reflexes appear immediately after birth. Some arise as needed. For example, a newborn baby practically does not know how to navigate in space, but after about a couple of weeks he begins to respond to external stimuli - this is an unconditioned reflex. Example: the child begins to distinguish between the mother's voice, loud sounds, bright colors. All these factors attract his attention - an orientation skill begins to form. Involuntary attention is the starting point in the formation of the assessment of stimuli: the baby begins to understand that when the mother speaks to him and approaches him, most likely, she will pick him up or feed him. That is, a person forms a complex form of behavior. His crying will draw attention to him, and he uses this reaction consciously.

Sexual reflex

But this reflex refers to the unconscious and unconditioned, it is aimed at procreation. It occurs during puberty, that is, only when the body is ready to reproduce. Scientists claim that this reflex is one of the strongest, it determines the complex behavior of a living organism and subsequently triggers the instinct to protect its offspring. Despite the fact that all these reactions are inherent in humans, they are triggered in a certain sequence.

Conditioned reflexes

In addition to the instinctive reactions that we possess at birth, a person also needs many other skills in order to better adapt to the world around him. Acquired behavior is formed both in animals and in humans throughout life, this phenomenon is called "conditioned reflexes". Examples: at the sight of food, salivation occurs, if the diet is observed, a feeling of hunger occurs at a certain time of the day. Such a phenomenon is formed by a temporary connection between the center or vision) and the center of the unconditioned reflex. An external stimulus becomes a signal for a specific action. Visual images, sounds, smells are able to form persistent connections and generate new reflexes. When someone sees a lemon, salivation may begin, and with a pungent smell or contemplation of an unpleasant picture, nausea may occur - these are examples of conditioned reflexes in humans. Note that these reactions can be individual for each living organism, temporary connections are formed in the cerebral cortex and send a signal when an external stimulus arises.

Throughout life, conditioned reactions can arise and also disappear. It all depends on For example, as a child, a child reacts to the sight of a bottle of milk, realizing that it is food. But when the baby grows up, this object will not form an image of food for him, he will react to a spoon and a plate.

Heredity

As we have already found out, unconditioned reflexes are inherited in every type of living creature. But conditioned reactions affect only complex human behavior, but are not transmitted to descendants. Each organism "adjusts" to this or that situation and the surrounding reality. Examples of innate reflexes that do not disappear throughout life: eating, swallowing, reaction to the taste of the product. Conditioned stimuli change constantly depending on our preferences and age: in childhood, at the sight of a toy, a baby experiences joyful emotions, in the process of growing up, a reaction is caused, for example, by visual images of a film strip.

Animal reactions

In animals, as in humans, there are both unconditioned innate reactions and acquired reflexes throughout life. In addition to the instinct for self-preservation and obtaining food, living things also adapt to the environment. They develop a reaction to a nickname (pets), with repeated repetition, an attention reflex appears.

Numerous experiments have shown that it is possible to instill in a pet many reactions to external stimuli. For example, if you call the dog with a bell or a certain signal every time he feeds, he will have a stable perception of the situation, and he will immediately react. In the process of training, rewarding a pet for completing a command with a favorite treat forms a conditioned reaction, walking the dog and the type of leash signals an imminent walk, where he must relieve himself - examples of reflexes in animals.

Summary

The nervous system constantly sends many signals to our brain, and they shape the behavior of humans and animals. The constant activity of neurons allows us to perform habitual actions and respond to external stimuli, helping to better adapt to the world around us.

Reflex- the response of the body is not 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 Are innate reflexes that are inherited by offspring from parents and persist throughout a person's life. Arcs of unconditioned reflexes pass through the spinal cord or brain stem. The cerebral cortex is not involved in their formation. Unconditioned reflexes provide only those changes in the environment that have often been encountered by many generations of this species.

These include:

Food (salivation, sucking, swallowing);
Defensive (coughing, sneezing, blinking, pulling the hand away from a hot object);
Indicative (bevelling eyes, turns);
Sexual (reflexes associated with reproduction and caring for offspring).
The meaning of unconditioned reflexes lies in the fact that thanks to them the integrity of the organism is preserved, the maintenance of constancy is maintained, and reproduction occurs. Already in a newborn child, the simplest unconditioned reflexes are observed.
The most important of these is the sucking reflex. An irritant of the sucking reflex is the touching of an object (mother's breast, nipple, toy, finger) to the baby's lips. 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.

They are especially pronounced unconditioned reflexes in various animals. Not only individual reflexes can be innate, but also more complex forms of behavior, which are called instincts.

Conditioned reflexes- these are reflexes that are easily acquired by the body during life and are formed on the basis of an unconditioned reflex under the action of a conditioned stimulus (light, knock, time, etc.). IP Pavlov studied the formation of conditioned reflexes in dogs and developed a method for obtaining them. To develop a conditioned reflex, an irritant is needed - a signal that triggers the conditioned reflex, repeated repetition of the action of the stimulus allows you to develop a conditioned reflex. With the formation of conditioned reflexes, a temporary connection arises between the centers and centers of the unconditioned reflex. Now this unconditioned reflex is not carried out under the influence of completely new external signals. These annoyances from the outside world, to which we were indifferent, can now take on vital importance. During life, many conditioned reflexes are developed, which form the basis of our life experience. But this life agaric makes sense only for a given individual and is not inherited by its descendants.

Into an independent category conditioned reflexes allocate conditioned motor reflexes developed during our life, that is, skills or automated actions. The meaning of these conditioned reflexes is the development of new motor skills, the development of new forms of movements. During his life, a person masters many special motor skills associated with his profession. Skills are the foundation of our behavior. Consciousness, thinking, attention are freed from performing those operations that were automated and became the skills of everyday life. The most successful way of mastering skills is systematic exercises, correcting mistakes noticed in time, knowing the ultimate goal of each exercise.

If the conditioned stimulus is not reinforced with an unconditioned one for some time, then the conditioned stimulus is inhibited. But it does not disappear at all. When the experiment is repeated, the reflex is restored very quickly. Inhibition is also observed when exposed to another stimulus of greater strength.

Reflexes are unconditioned, that is, innate, and conditional, that is, acquired during the life of a person or animal. In this article, we will consider conditioned reflexes, which play a very important role in our life. Conditioned reflexes were studied by such a famous scientist and psychologist as I.P. Pavlov, a person I respect, his works are priceless for me. In principle, conditioned reflexes have something in common with the theme of the so-called anchoring, a term used in NLP, but I see these things differently and treat them differently, conditioned reflexes, after all, they were studied much earlier and on their basis the study and management of human behavior was built ... A person or an animal can be given a certain reaction to a certain external stimulus, this will be the so-called indifferent irritation, which in turn will cause excitation in the corresponding receptors, from which impulses will already go to the brain in the corresponding analyzers.

There is nothing difficult in understanding conditioned reflexes, it is enough to understand that there is some information from the outside that is associated in an organism with a central nervous system, a central nervous system, a person or an animal with a specific type of action from both the stimulus and himself. We are constantly faced with conditioned reflexes everywhere, for example, it is possible to develop a reaction in a person to a certain sound, to a visual stimulus, olfactory and tactile. I will not go into technical details of a theoretical nature, after all, in the library and on the Internet you can find a lot of information on conditioned instincts, but I’d better give you some practical recommendations on using this reflex, or it would be more correct to say on its development, what for you and me are much more important. It is known from Pavlov's experiments that in some of them he used a sound signal as a conditioned stimulus, as an unconditioned food, and the reaction was salivation in dogs. After the development of a reaction in the form of salivation in dogs, a black square appeared in front of the dogs in a short time before the initial stimulus, that is, the second conditioned stimulus.

And after ten such combinations, salivation per square alone began to appear with half the intensity. This is called a conditioned reflex of the second order, a conditioned reflex of the third order by Pavlov was discovered in cases with a defensive reflex, when he used electric shocks. And now let's try to compare this whole chain of actions and reactions to external stimuli with our human life, in which we call conditioned reflexes our habits as well. To what extent can a modern person do something in this life, fully thinking over his every step? This is a rare friend, I assure you of this, much more often people act according to the stereotypes that they have accumulated thanks to their life experience and their beliefs, and therefore, the mass of external stimuli that affect these people, activate their conditioned reflexes, and we in In this case, we observe relatively primitive behavior and not well-thought-out actions that can be called reasonable, adequate. A habit, my friends, here is your conditioned reflex, and any habit can be developed if it is trained in the same way as Pavlov achieved salivation in dogs by just showing a black square.

For example, they behave in a similar way with recruits in the army, where it is extremely important to make organized fighters out of an uncontrollable herd, acting in a certain way under certain conditions, which is why they say that smart soldiers are not needed in the army. Animal training and human training, in principle, are not much different, because our central nervous system is the same, and the difference in intellectual development is almost imperceptible, because, as I said, most people rely on previous experience and have a ready-made algorithm of actions for each case. Needless to say, when a non-standard situation arises, many begin to panic, because they have a protective reflex, when you just need to save yourself, because you don't know what to do. It is extremely important to find the patterns of all your actions that occur exclusively after certain external stimuli, and those that are not relevant, of course, must be revised. Another example is a situation in which it is very difficult for people to find a new job, because they are just used to the old one, it can be terrible and low-paid, but they are used to it, and they do not need anything else.

It is the same with fears, in which there is no sense at all, and nevertheless, people react precisely reflexively to most dangerous situations, often only exacerbating the situation. Conditioned reflexes are used in relation to people, starting from childhood, when children do something wrong, something that adults simply do not like, then violence, physical or moral, is used against them. The child may not understand why it is impossible to do certain things, which may by the way negatively affect his further development, it is undesirable to leave questions without answers, but he knows that this cannot be done, because they will be punished for this. Just as Pavlov used electric shocks on his experimental animals, forcing them to act according to the algorithm he needed, they do the same with respect to a person, using violence against him. And it works perfectly, in principle, an alternative to the development of conditioned reflexes through violence can only be beliefs, but they are not applicable to everyone. Take a look at your life from the outside, try to act outside the box in a standard situation, and try to understand why you always react in a certain way to external stimuli, whether your algorithm of actions suits you, or maybe these actions of yours suit more than someone else ?

There is such a concept as training and there is such a concept as training, in the first case, the work can be carried out with your consciousness, which studies and learns, if you only learn not hard and stupidly memorizing. But in cases with training, we are talking about the development of certain reactions, the meaning and relevance of which you may not understand at all, but you know that you need to do this and not otherwise. These are conditioned reflexes, there is a situation, there is a variant of your actions in case of its occurrence, and here a person is not much different from animals, and therefore often acts primitively. Now look at our education, how much it looks like training and how much it looks like training, for me it’s just training, or even training it is more than anything else. If a person is forced to remember, and not to understand, this is training, this is programming, if you like, patterned thinking, patterned lifestyle, patterned reactions and behavior.

Of course, such a person responds well to the conditions of society, but often this person is a tool in the hands of those who really understand, who does not react, does not act reflexively, but approaches creatively to every new situation, to every new problem. At the same time, such an approach can only be in relation to your own behavior and actions, while in relation to other people you can and even need to act in a standard way, for them it is standard, they paint exactly the picture that they should see according to your plans. For someone the black square will be a word, for someone money, or it can be a bottle of vodka. In the vast majority of people, it is possible to develop a conditioned reflex of social utility, that is, such a reflex that will be interesting to you, but not to him, not to this person. And this can be done by making a person interested in something that may be interesting for him, given the peculiarities of his character, in other words, everyone needs something and you can play on it. It is necessary to create such conditions for a person, using the necessary external stimuli for this purpose, under which he will be useful for you, and not harmful, under which he will be your friend and not your enemy. And you, in principle, can see all this in every person, if you just take a closer look at the behavior of people around you. Each of us can be turned on by something, so to speak, everyone can be stimulated in a certain way.

As an example, I can also cite the situation with women for whom it will be enough to say a few affectionate words at a certain moment, and any of them will be yours, maybe not for long, but still, and she will not need any gold and diamonds, you will not need to buy it. But in order to control the conditioned reflexes of other people, in order to develop them in the way you need, you yourself must not be a victim of unconscious behavior, not follow the lead of your central nervous system, and act according to the pattern that is in your database in your head.