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PSYCHOLOGY OF IMAGE A.N. LEONTIEV

Goryachev Vadim Vladimirovich

cand. psychol. Sciences, Associate Professor, Ryazan branch of MPSU, Ryazan

Image is a rather active concept and is used in different ways in the system. scientific knowledge: psychological, historical, philosophical, pedagogical, ethnographic. In psychology, the image is often defined in the context of sensory perception and reflection of reality, the study of consciousness and development cognitive activity person. A fundamentally new problematic situation, not only in the system of psychological knowledge, but also in the general educational space, outlines approaches to the image of the world in the context of the psychology of perception, expressed by A.N. Leontiev in his work "The Image of the World". As the scientist wrote: “the formation of the image of the world in a person is a transition beyond the “directly sensory picture”. The purpose of our article is to consider the category of "image" in the works of A.N. Leontiev, and above all, his position on the existing relationship and interdependence of reflection and activity.

Analyzing the state of the theory of perception, A.N. Leontiev comes to the conclusion that in psychology there is a large amount of accumulated knowledge in this direction, but there is actually no full-fledged theory. From the point of view of a scientist, it is necessary to reconsider the very fundamental direction in which research is moving. Of course, A.N. Leontiev proceeds from such fundamental provisions of dialectical materialism as the recognition of the primacy of matter in relation to the spirit, consciousness, psyche, understanding of sensation and perception as a reflection of objective reality and brain function. The researcher insisted on the implementation of these provisions in the practice of experimental work, while the author considered it necessary to radically change the very formulation of the problem of the psychology of perception and abandon the imaginary postulates that are preserved in it.

One of the main provisions made and defended by A.N. Leontiev, consists in the following: the problem of perception should be posed as a problem of the psychology of the image of the world and developed from this point of view. At the same time, the problem should be analyzed consistently materialistically, considering that every thing primarily exists objectively - in the objective connections of the real world, and that it secondarily posits itself in human consciousness, the direction of research should be the same.

A.N. Leontiev also touches upon the problem of the biological development of the sense organs in connection with the four-dimensional nature of the real world. He rightly points out the need to understand the phylogenetic evolution of the sense organs as a process of adaptation to a four-dimensional space. Further A.N. Leontiev introduces the concept of the so-called fifth dimension, in which objective reality is revealed to a person, understanding it as a certain semantic field or system of meanings. “In a person, the world acquires a fifth quasi-dimension in the image. It is by no means subjectively ascribed to the world. It is a transition through sensibility, through sensory modalities to the amodal world. The objective world appears in meaning, that is, the picture of the world is filled with meanings. Thus, perceiving a certain object, the subject does not have an image of its individual features, their simple combination (criticism of associative theories) and does not primarily perceive the form (criticism of Gestalt psychology), but perceives the object as a categorized object. Naturally, in the presence of an appropriate perceptual task, it is possible to perceive both the individual elements of the object and its form, but in the absence of such, it is objectness that comes to the fore.

A.N. Leontiev introduces the division of the image into its texture or sensual fabric and objectivity. Texture is understood as a combination of individual elements of perception and the connections between them, main feature its is the possibility of folding and substitution, without distorting objectivity. Most often, the explanation of this phenomenon (the indirect connection between the sensory fabric and the objectivity of the image) consists in attributing the categorical nature of perception itself. It is essential that with this approach there is a logical need to refer to ontogenetic a priori categories, which, according to the scientist, seems to be very dangerous.

In contrast to this approach, the author puts forward a fundamentally new idea: the properties of meaningfulness and categorization should be understood as characteristics of the conscious image of the world, not immanent to the image itself. O.E. Baksansky notes referring to A.N. Leontiev that: “These characteristics express the objectivity revealed by the totality of social practice, idealized in the system of meanings that each individual finds as “outside-of-his-existing” - perceived, assimilated - and therefore, just like what is included in his image of the world. Thus, meanings are something that lies behind the “appearance of things”, in the objective connections of the real world, known by the subject. In other words, the meanings form in themselves a certain special dimension, which, according to A.N. Leontief is the fifth quasi-dimension of reality.

A.N. Leontiev in his work defines perception as a means of constructing an image of reality (building an image, but not reality itself), an image more or less adequate to the latter. An important point, on which the scientist focuses attention, is the inadmissibility of being limited in research to an analytical approach. With regard to the psychology of perception, this problem consists in returning to that integral image of reality, which is built in the mind of the subject, in the process of perceiving the latter. In other words, the image of the world cannot be reduced to a set of individual phenomena, characteristics and relationships abstracted from the real process of its functioning in the mind of the subject. Based on this provision, A.N. Leontiev expresses the idea of ​​the amodality of the real world in its separation from the subject. Putting forward this thesis, the author proceeds from the distinction of all information that can be acquired about an object into two types of property:

1. properties of inanimate objects that can be discovered in the process of their interaction with other inanimate objects;
2. properties of inanimate objects that can be detected only in the process of their interaction with living organisms that have sense organs arranged in a certain way.

Properties of the second kind are manifested in specific effects perceived by specially adapted sense organs and depending on the structure of the latter; it is in this sense that, according to A.N. Leontiev, are subjective or modal. It is essential that the same characteristics of objects can evoke impressions of different modalities in the subject. In addition, such a property of perception as the integrity of the image is empirically substantiated, that is, the data of different sense organs are organized in a certain way into a single image, and contradictions are resolved during this process. Which may occur between information coming from different sources.

Important, from our point of view, is the position discussed by A.N. Leontiev that any influence fits into the image of the world, i.e. into some whole. As an empirical justification, the scientist cites the following established facts:

1. not everything given in sensations reduces to a subjective image of the situation;
2. there is a phenomenon of "completing" the image, that is, attributing to the situation actually missing, but subjectively necessary elements.

Thus, the image of the world is a certain model, which is built on the basis of subjective experience, and in the future it mediates the perception of this experience.

Summarizing the above, I would like to highlight the most fundamental ideas of A.N. Leontiev regarding the category “image of the world” introduced by him into scientific circulation:

1. The image of the world is not the sum of perceptual images, the image is not a sensory picture.
2. The image of the world mediates the interaction of the subject with reality.
3. The world outside the subject is amoral, the modalities of sensations appear as a result of the subject-object relationship of the individual with reality.
4. Information from different sense organs in a certain way is consistent in the image of the world into a single representation, that is, contradictory data in a certain way are consistent in a consistent image.
5. The modal characteristics of the sensations caused by the objects of reality depend on which biological species the perceiving subject belongs to.
6. The image of the world represents not only objects that are actually present in the thesaurus of perception of the subject, it is a relatively stable representation of reality.

These provisions, from our point of view, are very significant in the context of studying the image of the world. Particularly noteworthy is the formulation of the problem of the existence of a certain formation that acts as an intermediary between objective reality and the perceiving subject, functioning as a prism, which arouses the subject's interest in some of its elements and makes him completely ignore others. In addition, the thesis of A.N. Leontiev about the amodality of the surrounding reality outside the subject, that is, the world acquires modal characteristics only in the process of interaction between the subject and reality.

In the context of the study of the phenomenon of the image of the world, the idea of ​​A.N. Leontiev that this formation is not a simple summation of perceptual data, that is, it is a relatively stable formation resulting from the processing of perceptual data. This understanding of the image of the world is connected with the fact that any incoming information is embedded in some existing structure of the subject, which results in his ability and ability to take into account those objects in the environment. Which in this moment not in the actual field of perception.

In conclusion, I would like to note that the statements made by A.N. Leontiev's provisions were not duly appreciated by a wide range of researchers, and the phenomenon of the image of the world still remains practically little studied in domestic psychology. Probably, this situation is associated with certain methodological difficulties, overcoming which will allow us to consider the image of the world as an object of psychological science in the broadest sense.

Bibliography:

1. Baksansky O.E., Kucher E.N. Cognitive image of the world: scientific monograph / O.E. Baksansky, E.N. Coachman. M.: "Kanon +" ROOI "Rehabilitation", 2010. - 224 p.
2. Leontiev A.N. Selected psychological works: in 2 vols. Vol. 2 - M. Pedagogy, 1983. 320 p.
3. Leontiev A.N. Image of the world // World of psychology. 2003. No. 4. S. 11-18.

In 1979, an article by A.N. Leontiev "Psychology of the image", in which the author introduced the concept of "image of the world", which today has a very large descriptive potential for all areas of psychology. The concept was introduced to summarize the empirical data accumulated in the study of perception. As the concept of "image" is integrating for describing the process of perception, so the concept of "image of the world" is integrating for describing all cognitive activity.

For an adequate perception of an object, it is necessary both to perceive the whole world as a whole, and to “inscribe” the perceived object (in the broad sense of the word) into the image of the world as a whole. Analyzing the texts of A.N. Leontiev, the following properties of the image of the world can be distinguished:

1) the image of the world is “predetermined” by a specific act of perception;

2) combines individual and social experience;

3) the image of the world fills the perceived object with meaning, that is, it causes the transition from sensory modalities to the amodal world. Meaning of A.N. Leontiev called the fifth quasi-dimension (except for space-time) the image of the world.

In our works, it has been experimentally proved that the subjective meaning of events, objects, and actions with them structures (and generates) the image of the world is not at all analogous to the structuring of metric spaces, affectively “pulls and stretches” space and time, places accents of significance, violates their sequence and inverts . Just as two points that are far apart on a flat sheet can touch if the sheet is folded in three-dimensional space, objects, events and actions that are far apart in time and space coordinates can touch in meaning, turn out to be “before”, although they happened “after” according to space-time coordinates. This is possible because "the space and time of the image of the world" are subjective.

Generating functions of the image of the world provide the construction of many subjective "variants of reality". The mechanism for generating and choosing the possible (forecast) is not only and not so much logical thinking, but "semantics possible worlds”, directed by the nuclear layer (goal-motivational complex) of the image of the world.

For further use, here are five definitions of the concept “image of the world” that we compiled earlier:

1. The image of the world (as a structure) is an integral system of human meanings. The image of the world is built on the basis of highlighting what is significant (essential, functional) for the system of activities implemented by the subject). The image of the world, presenting the cognized connections of the objective world, determines, in turn, the perception of the world.

2. The image of the world (as a process) is an integral ideal product of consciousness, obtained by constantly transforming the sensual fabric of consciousness into meanings.

3. The image of the world is an individualized cultural and historical basis of perception.

4. The image of the world is an individual predictive model of the world.

5. The image of the world is an integrated image of all images.

A.N. Leontiev and many of his followers described a two-layer model of the image of the world (Fig. 1), which can be represented as two concentric circles: the central one is the core of the image of the world (amodal, structures), the peripheral one (sensory design) is the picture of the world.

Rice. 1. Two-layer model of the image of the world

Due to the difficulties of operationalizing the study of the image of the world on the basis of a two-layer model, a three-layer model was used in our works - in the form of three concentric circles: the core inner layer (amodal goal-motivational complex), the middle semantic layer and the outer layer - the perceptual world (Fig. 2).

Rice. 2. Three-layer model of the image of the world

The perceptual world is the most mobile and changeable layer of the image of the world. The images of actual perception are components of the perceptual world. The perceptual world is modal, but it is also a representation (attitude, foresight and completion of the image of an object based on the prognostic function of the image of the world as a whole), regulated by deeper layers. The perceptual world is perceived as a set of moving objects ordered in space and time (including one's own body) and an attitude towards them. It is possible that one's own body defines one of the leading systems of space-time coordinates.

The semantic layer is transitional between surface and core structures. The semantic world is not amodal, but, unlike the perceptual world, it is integral. At the level of the semantic layer, E.Yu. Artemyeva singles out the actual meanings as the relationship of the subject to the objects of the perceptual world. This integrity is already determined by the meaningfulness, signifi- cance of the semantic world.

The deep layer (nuclear) is amodal. Its structures are formed in the process of processing the "semantic layer", however, there is still not enough data to reason about the "language" of this layer of the image of the world and its structure. The components of the nuclear layer are personal meanings. In the three-layer model, the authors characterize the nuclear layer as a goal-motivational complex, which includes not only motivation, but also the most generalized principles, attitude criteria, and values.

Developing a three-layer model of the image of the world, we can assume that the perceptual world has areas of perception and apperception (zones of clear consciousness according to G. Leibniz), similar to Wundt's zones. The term "areas of apperception" and not "zones of apperception" was chosen by us not by chance. This term emphasizes both the continuity of the ideas of Leibniz and Wundt, and the difference in the content of the term. Unlike W. Wundt, today one can point not to associative and arbitrary, but to motivational, target and anticipatory determinants of the allocation of areas of apperception. In addition, taking into account the proven S.D. Smirnov's position that perception is a subjective activity, one can say that the allocation of areas of apperception is determined not only by actual stimulation, but also by all the previous experience of the subject, is directed by the goals of actions of practical activity and, of course, by the determinants of cognitive activity proper. The areas of apperception are not at all continuous, as was the case with Wundt. For example, in the experiments of W. Neisser, it is clearly shown that when perceiving two superimposed video images, the subjects easily select any of them on the task, which is due to the anticipatory influence of the prognostic functions of the image of the world.

Similar areas exist in the deep layers of the image of the world. It is possible that psychological mechanism changes in the perceptual world, and behind it - the deeper layers is precisely the dynamics of the actualization of areas of apperception, the content of which, in turn, is determined by the motive (subject) of human activity. The parts of the perceptual world that are most often found in areas of intense perception, that is, associated with the subject of activity, are the most well structured and developed. If we imagine the model of the three-layer structure of the image of the world as a sphere, in the center of which there are nuclear structures, the middle layer is the semantic layer, and the outer layer is the perceptual world, then the professional functional substructure is modeled as a cone growing at the top from the center of such a sphere (Fig. 3).

Rice. 3. Functional (activity) apperceptive subsystem of the image of the world

Stable activity functional subsystems of the image of the world are formed in any activity, but they are especially clearly “manifested” in the study of professional activity: a professional often demonstrates that he “sees”, “hears”, “feels” the features of his subject area (engine knock, wallpaper joints, shades of color or sound, surface irregularities, etc.) is better than non-professionals, not at all because he has better developed sense organs, but because the functional apperceptive system of the image of the world is “tuned” in a certain way.

Professional attitude to subjects and means of professional activity E.Yu. Artemyeva called the world of the profession. At the heart of the proposed E.A. Klimov of the multifaceted structure of the image of the professional world lies the thesis that professional activity- one of the factors of typification of individual images of the world: 1. Images of the surrounding world among representatives of different types of professions differ significantly. 2. The society is quantized into various objects in different ways in the descriptions of professions of different types. 3. There are specific differences in the picture of the subject relatedness of the gnosis of different types of professionals. 4. Different professionals live in different subjective worlds(highlighted by me - V.S.).

E.A. Klimov proposed the following structure of the image of the world of a professional (Table 1):

Table 1: The structure of the image of the world of a professional

The seventh plane is the most dynamic under normal conditions, the first the least. The image of the world of a professional consists of well-defined systemic integrity, the disintegration of which leads to the loss of the professional usefulness of ideas.

The concept of "image" is a significant category of psychology (A.N. Leontiev, S.D. Smirnov, S.L. Rubinshtey, etc.). The image is the initial link and at the same time the result of any cognitive act. Modern researchers understand the image as a cognitive hypothesis comparable to objective reality. The image of the world is functionally and genetically primary in relation to any specific image or separate sensory experience. Hence, the result of any cognitive act will not be a separate image, but a changed image of the world, enriched with new elements. This means that the idea of ​​integrity and continuity in the origin, development and functioning of the cognitive sphere of the personality is embodied in the concept of the image of the world. And the image of the world acts as a multi-level integral system of a person's ideas about the world, other people, about himself and his activities.

The image of the world is the subject of study of many sciences interested in human knowledge. For centuries, the image of the world has been built, revealed and discussed by thinkers, philosophers, scientists from various points of view. The picture of the image of the world allows a better understanding of a person in all his connections and dependencies on the world around him. The category of the image of the world is significant for revealing the features of human consciousness through the context of ethnic groups, cultures, mentalities, etc. Different approaches to understanding the image of the world reveal its dependence on various external and internal variables.

The world-view concept was formulated by Robert Redfield and is associated primarily with his name. According to Redfield’s definition, “an image or picture of the world” is a vision of the universe, characteristic of a particular people, these are the ideas of members of society about themselves and about their actions, their activity in the world, it studies a person’s view of the outside world.

Redfield argues that there is no single national picture of the world. Within a single culture, there are several cultural traditions: in particular, the cultural tradition of "schools and temples" (as Redfield calls it - a large tradition) and the tradition of the village community (a small tradition). Accordingly, the traditions (“pictures of the world”) of different communities are different. Based on this, we can say that the “picture of the world” studies the view of a member of the culture on the outside world.

The image and/or picture of the world are quite developed categories of Russian psychology. Research in this direction was carried out by E.Yu. Artemyeva, G.A. Berulava, B.M. Velichkovsky, V.P. Zinchenko, E.A. Klimov, A.N. Leontiev, V.S. Mukhina, V.F. Petrenko, V.V. Petukhov, S.D. Smirnov and many others.

The image of the world is a holistic, multi-level system of a person's ideas about the world, about other people, about himself and his activities. This concept embodies the idea of ​​integrity and continuity in the origin, development and functioning of the sphere of cognitive personality. Defining the content of the concept of "image of the world", we mean a set of human ideas about the world, reflecting the subject-object relations of the material and ideal substances (visible and assumed) inhabiting this world in time and space.

According to Rubinstein, the image of the world is a specific human activity, superimposed on the life, theoretical and practical experience of a person, forming a special psychological integrity.

The image of the world forms the content side of human consciousness and together with it has an emotional-cognitive unity. The cognitive-emotional plan of consciousness is determined by the adequacy of the picture of the world to the needs, interests and values ​​of a person, that is, by the system of his subjective evaluation criteria. In other words, cognitive processes are necessarily integrated with emotional ones.

Possession of a complete and accurate image of the world is the main wealth of a person, a fixed capital that can neither be bought for all the wealth of the world, nor conquered by defeating other peoples and states. The complete image of the world includes such personal characteristics as:

1. Friendship - personal relationships between people, due to spiritual closeness, common interests. Due to the fact that emotional experiences play a very important role in friendship, its formation and development depends on the frequency of contacts, belonging to the same group, and joint activities. If youth friendship, characterized by emotional attachment, is based primarily on joint activities, then with age, a genuine need for another person as a person is formed, based on the development of the need to realize oneself, to correlate one's experiences with the experiences of another person. On this basis, an intensified search for a friend is carried out, and the possibility of his idealization arises. For an adult, the grounds for friendship are more differentiated, since friendly feelings can be localized in love, family or parental relationships.

2. Aspiration - a motive that is not presented to the subject in its subject content, due to which the dynamic side of activity comes to the fore.

3. Initiative - a person's manifestation of activity, not stimulated from the outside and not determined by circumstances beyond his control.

5. Will - the ability of a person to achieve his goals in the face of overcoming obstacles. The basis for the implementation of volitional processes is the mediation of human behavior characteristic of a person through the use of socially developed tools or means. It is based on a process that has significant individual variations, conscious control over certain emotional states or motives. Due to this control, one acquires the ability to act contrary to strong motivation or to ignore strong emotional experiences. The development of the child's will, which begins in early childhood, is carried out through the formation of conscious control over direct behavior during the assimilation of certain rules of behavior.

6. Aspiration - the desire and readiness to act in a certain way.

As well as functional mechanisms such as:

7. Decisiveness - readiness to move on to practical actions, the formed intention to commit a certain act.

8. Self-confidence - a person's willingness to solve rather difficult tasks, when the level of claims does not decrease only because of fear of failure. If the level of ability is significantly below those required for the intended action, then there is overconfidence.

9. Persistence is a personal quality. Characterized by the ability to overcome external and internal obstacles in achieving the task.

10. Attention - the process of ordering information coming from outside in terms of the priority of the tasks facing the subject. They distinguish voluntary attention, due to the setting of a conscious goal, and involuntary, represented by an orienting reflex that occurs when exposed to unexpected and new stimuli. The effectiveness of attention can be determined by the level of attention (intensity, concentration), volume (breadth, distribution of attention), switching speed and stability.

11. Concentration - the concentration of a person's attention.

An important role is played in compiling a complete picture of the world by such vital signs as:

12. Activity is a concept that indicates the ability of living beings to make spontaneous movements and change under the influence of external or internal stimuli - stimuli.

13. Escapism is a person's departure from reality into the world of fantasies and dreams.

14. Interest - an emotional state associated with the implementation of cognitive activity and is characterized by the motivation of this activity.

The picture of the world is built according to the type of model - A person does not capture element by element and passively the "material inventory" of the external world and does not use those primitive ways of dividing the world into elements that first come to mind, but imposes on him those operators that model this world, "casting "model into successively refined and deepened "forms". This process of mental modeling of the world, under all conditions, is actively implemented. At the same time, action is possible only when the subject, by means of his picture of the world and its simultaneous transformation, singles out discrete problem situations from continuous reality. Yu.M. Lotman connects the meaning and purpose of actions with the dismemberment of continuous reality into some conditional segments (situations). "What has no end has no meaning. The meaningful is connected with the segmentation of a non-discrete space."

The image of the World (the model of the world), therefore, must have "... the space of internal excess." This excess is a condition for an adequate articulation of reality, a source of meaning and purpose. The image of the world, due to the uniqueness of the life of any person, is always individual. It is, of course, constantly adjusted in accordance with new information, but at the same time, the main features remain unchanged for a long time.

The structure of the image of the world includes meanings, meanings and a system of spatio-temporal coordinates. It is customary to consider the image of the world as a static formation, as a passive repository of knowledge. How can the temporal be preserved in concepts, representations? The concepts of birth and death, beginning and end, emergence and disappearance, creation and destruction are formed in a person gradually, starting from early childhood. Together with the concepts of rhythm, movement, speed, acceleration, expectation and immobility, and many others, they are part of the arsenal of temporary concepts that allow the subject to grasp and understand the picture of the world.

It is important to consider the living functioning of the image of the world in the course of performing an action in a situation. The image of the world is carried out in action. The projection of the image of the world on perception gives emotional accentuations, semantic, motivational differentiations in grasping the current situation. Each situation has its own changes.

It is necessary to remember the influence of the image of the world on the mental work of the subject.

""We oppose the one-dimensionality, linearity and homogeneity of time in the model of the image of the world. It is necessary to find a way to combine the spatial, temporal and semantic. The idea of ​​heterogeneity of time and semantic differentiations in cognitive maps of time"".

The image of the world can be considered as an organized system of personal cognitions of an organism that constitute a model or image of reality (that is, “the image in which things exist”). This suggests that personality cognitions are directly based on cognitive structure, and indirectly based on mental and psychological structures. This further suggests that the images of the world tend to be "encapsulated", that is, they are smaller than all of reality. The image of the world has the property of openness, that is, it is capable of changes as the subject develops and self-develops.

The work of A. Leontiev emphasizes "the image of the human world is a universal form of organization of his knowledge, which determines the possibilities of cognition and behavior control."

In the theory of activity, the integrity of the image of the world is derived from the unity of the objective world reflected in it and the systemic nature of human activity. The activity nature of the image of the world is manifested in the presence, along with the coordinates of space and time inherent in the physical world, of the fifth quasi-dimension: a system of meanings that embodies the results of cumulative social practice. Their inclusion in the individual act of cognition is ensured by the participation of a holistic image of the world in the generation of cognitive hypotheses, which act as the initial link in the construction of new images.

The continuous generation of an interconnected system of cognitive hypotheses that go towards external stimuli is an expression of the active nature of the image of the world - as opposed to traditional ideas about cognitive images as arising as a result of reflex processes - reactive, unfolding in response to external influences.

The image of the world and concepts close to it - a picture of the world, a model of the universe, a scheme of reality, a cognitive map, etc. - have different content in the context of various psychological theories.

The image of the world as a cognitive map

Studies of the model of the world, as a reflection of the subjective experience of a person, were undertaken primarily in the framework of the cognitive direction, in connection with the problem of perception, storage and processing of information in the human mind. The main function of consciousness is defined as the knowledge of the world, which is expressed in cognitive activity. At the same time, the volume and type of processing of active information coming from the external environment depends on the assumption of the subject regarding the nature of the perceived object, on the choice of the method of its description. The collection of information and its further processing is determined by the cognitive structures existing in the mind of the subject - "maps" or "schemes", with the help of which a person structures the perceived stimuli.

The term "cognitive map" was first proposed by E. Tolman, who defined it as an indicative scheme - an active structure aimed at finding information. W. Neisser noted that cognitive maps and schemes can manifest themselves as images, since the experience of an image also represents a certain internal aspect of readiness to perceive an imaginary object. Images, according to W. Neisser, are “not pictures in the head, but plans for collecting information from a potentially accessible environment.” Cognitive maps exist not only in the field of perception of the physical world, but also at the level of social behavior; any choice of action involves anticipation of a future situation.

The image of the world as a semantic memory

The issue of representation of the world to a person was also considered in studies of the processes of memorization and storage of information, the structure of memory. So, episodic memory is opposed to semantic memory, understood as a kind of subjective thesaurus that a person possesses, organized knowledge about verbal symbols, their meanings and relationships between them, as well as the rules and procedures for their use. The semantic memory stores the generalized and structured experience of the subject, which has two levels of organization: categorical (pragmatic), which allows you to determine whether a concept of an object belongs to a certain semantic class and its relation to other objects of the same class, and syntagmatic (schematic), describing simultaneously existing relationships of objects or a sequence of actions.

The image of the world as a system of meanings and a field of meaning

The concept of "image of the world" in Russian psychology began to be actively discussed by A.N. Leontiev, who defined it as a complex multi-level formation with a system of meanings and a field of meaning. “The function of the image: self-reflection of the world. This function of "intervention" of nature in itself through the activity of subjects, mediated by the image of nature, that is, the image of subjectivity, that is, the image of the world<…>. The world that opens through man to himself.

A.N. Leontiev noted that the problem of the mental should be posed from the perspective of building in the mind of the individual a multidimensional image of the world as an image of reality. Based on the theoretical views of A.N. Leontiev, three layers of consciousness can be distinguished in the conscious picture of the world: 1 - sensual images; 2 - values, the carriers of which are sign systems, formed on the basis of internalization of subject and operational meanings; 3 - personal meaning.

The first layer is the sensory fabric of consciousness - these are sensory experiences that "form the obligatory texture of the image of the world." The second layer of consciousness is meanings. The bearers of meanings are the objects of material and spiritual culture, norms and patterns of behavior, enshrined in rituals and traditions, sign systems and, above all, language. In meaning, socially developed ways of acting with reality and in reality are fixed. The internalization of objective and operational meanings on the basis of sign systems leads to the emergence of concepts. The third layer of consciousness forms personal meanings. That is, what an individual puts into specific events, phenomena or concepts, the awareness of which may not significantly coincide with the objective meaning. Personal meaning expresses the "meaning-for-me" of life objects and phenomena, reflects a person's biased attitude towards the world.

A person not only reflects the objective content of certain events and phenomena, but at the same time fixes his attitude towards them, experienced in the form of interest, emotions. The system of meanings is constantly changing and developing, ultimately determining the meaning of any individual activity and life as a whole.

image of the world as a whole

A.N. Leontiev revealed the differences between the image of the world and the sensory image: the first is amodal, integrative and generalized, and the second is modal and always concrete. He emphasized that the basis of the individual image of the world is not only sensual, but the entire socio-cultural experience of the subject. The psychological image of the world is dynamic and dialectical; it is constantly being changed by new sensory representations and incoming information. At the same time, it is noted that the main contribution to the process of constructing the image of an object or situation is made not by individual sensory impressions, but by the image of the world as a whole. That is, the image of the world is a background that anticipates any sensory impression and realizes it as a sensory image of an external object through its content.

Image of the world and existential consciousness

V.P. Zinchenko developed the idea of ​​A.N. Leontiev about the reflective function of consciousness, including the construction of emotionally colored relationships to the world, to oneself, to people. V.P. Zinchenko singled out two layers of consciousness: existential, including the experience of movements, actions, as well as sensual images; and reflective, uniting meanings and meanings. Thus, worldly and scientific knowledge correlates with meanings, and the world of human values, experiences, emotions correlates with meaning.

The image of the world and human activity

According to S.D. Smirnov, the image of the world is primary in relation to sensory impressions from the perceived stimulus, any emerging image, being a part, an element of the image of the world as a whole, not only forms, but confirms, clarifies it. "This is a system of expectations (expectations) that confirms the object - hypotheses, on the basis of which the structuring and subject identification of individual sensory impressions take place." S.D. Smirnov notes that a sensual image taken out of context in itself does not carry any information, since "it orients not the image, but the contribution of this image to the picture of the world." Moreover, to build an image of external reality, the primary is the actualization of a certain part of the already existing image of the world, and the refinement, correction or enrichment of the actualized part of the image of the world occurs in the second turn. Thus, it is not the world of images, but the image of the world that regulates and directs human activity.

The image of the world is a fundamental condition for the mental life of the subject

However, many researchers offer a broader understanding of the image of the world; its representation at all levels of a person's mental organization. So, V.V. Petukhov singles out in the image of the world the basic, "nuclear" structures that reflect the deep connections between man and the world, not dependent on reflection, and the "superficial" ones, associated with a conscious, purposeful knowledge of the world. The idea of ​​the world is defined as a fundamental condition for the mental life of the subject.

The image of the world as an "integrator" of human interaction with reality

E.Yu. Artemyeva understands the image of the world as an "integrator" of traces of human interaction with objective reality. It builds a three-level systemic model of the image of the world.

The first level - the "perceptual world" - is characterized by a system of meanings and modal perceptual, sensual objectivity.

The second level - the "picture of the world" - is represented by relations, and not by sensory images, which retain their modal specificity.

The third level - "the image of the world" - is a layer of amodal structures that are formed during the processing of the previous level.

image of the world and life path personalities

In the works of S.L. Rubinstein, B.G. Anan'eva, K.A. Abulkhanova-Slavskaya and others, the image of the world is considered in the context of a person's life path, through the system of cognition of being in the world. It is revealed that the formation of the image of the world occurs in the process of a person's knowledge of the world around him, comprehension of significant events in his life. The world for a person appears in the specifics of the reality of being and becoming one's own "I" of a person.

The image of the world and the way of life

S.L. Rubinstein characterizes man as a subject of life, in his own existence and in relation to the world and another person, emphasizing the integrity, unity of man and the world. The world, in his understanding, is “a set of people and things communicating with each other, more precisely, a set of things and phenomena correlated with people,<…>an organized hierarchy of different modes of existence”; "a set of things and people, which includes what relates to a person and what he relates to by virtue of his essence, what can be significant for him, what he is directed to." That is, a person as an integrity is included in the relationship with the world, acting, on the one hand, as a part of it, and on the other, as a subject that cognizes and transforms it. It is through a person that consciousness enters the world, being becomes conscious, acquires meaning, becoming the world - a part and product of human development. At the same time, not only human activity plays an important role, but also contemplation as an activity for understanding the world.

As a proper human mode of existence, a person singles out “life”, which manifests itself in two forms: “as the real causality of the other, expressing the transition into another ... and, secondly, as an ideal intentional “projection” of oneself - already inherent only in a specifically human way of life” .

S.L. Rubinstein singled out two layers, levels of life: involvement in direct relationships and reflection, comprehension of life. S.L. Rubinstein emphasized the importance of not only the relationship "man - the world", but also the relationship of a person with other people, in which the formation of consciousness and self-consciousness takes place. “In reality, we always have two interrelated relationships - a person and being, a person and another person.<…>These two relationships are interconnected and interdependent.

In correlating the content of one's life with the life of other people, a person discovers the meaning of life. The world in the works of S.L. Rubinstein is considered in its infinity and continuous variability, which is reflected in the understanding of the specifics of his knowledge and human interaction with him. “The property of the world appears in their dynamic, changing attitude towards a person, and in this respect, not the last, but the main, decisive role is played by the worldview, the person’s own spiritual image.” Ideas S.L. Rubinshtein are significant for understanding the problem of a person's life path through the context of understanding her image of the world and herself in the world.

The image of the world is a person's worldview in the context of the realities of being

A special place for understanding the phenomenon of the image of the world for us is occupied by the concept of development and being of the personality by V.S. Mukhina. The problem of the image of the world is considered here, on the one hand, when discussing the development of the internal position of the individual and its self-consciousness, and on the other hand, when considering the ethnic features of the picture of the world. In any case, this problem is discussed in the context of the correlation of the internal space and self-awareness of the individual with the features of the realities of being.

According to the concept of V.S. Mukhina, a person builds his worldview, his ideology on the basis of his inner position, through the formation of a system of personal meanings in the context of the characteristics of the realities of his life. Historically and culturally conditioned realities of human existence are divided into:

1 - the reality of the objective world;

2 - the reality of figurative-sign systems;

3 - the reality of social space;

4 - natural reality.

The worldview in this regard is presented as a generalized system of a person's views on the world as a whole, on the place of mankind in the world and on his individual place in it. Worldview according to V.S. Mukhina is defined as a person's understanding of the meaning of his behavior, activity, position, as well as the history and development prospects of the human race. The meaningful filling of the image of the world in the process of development of the personality and its self-consciousness is mediated by a single mechanism of identification and isolation. The idea of ​​the world is formed in the context of a certain culture in which a person was born and grew up. It is noted that "the picture of the world is built in the child's mind, primarily under the influence of those positions that are characteristic of adults that influence the mind of the child." Thus, consideration of the features of the image of the world must be carried out in conjunction with the realities of the development and existence of man.

The structure of self-consciousness - the image of oneself in the world

V.S. Mukhina revealed that in the inner psychological space of a person born into this world, through identification, self-consciousness is built, which has a structure that is universal for all cultures and social communities. "The structure of a person's self-consciousness is built within the system that generates it - the human community to which this person belongs." In the process of growing up, the structural links of self-consciousness, thanks to a single mechanism of personality development, identification and isolation, acquire a unique content, which at the same time carries the specifics of a particular socio-cultural community. Structural links of self-consciousness, the content of which is specific in various ethnic, cultural, social and other conditions, in fact, are the image of oneself in the world and act as the basis for the vision of the world as a whole.

It can be concluded that the image of the world forms the content side of human consciousness and, together with it, has an emotional-cognitive unity. Changes taking place in the world, transformations of the realities of human existence meaningfully change the content of the structural links of a person’s self-consciousness and modify the image of the world. At the same time, the structure of self-consciousness and the image of the world act as a stable system of connections between a person and the world, allowing him to maintain integrity and identity to himself and the world around.

Psychological Dictionary

Image of the World

The image of the world (author A.N. Leontiev -) is a methodological setting that prescribes the study of the cognitive processes of an individual in the context of his subjective picture of the world, as it develops in this individual during the development of cognitive activity. This is a multidimensional image of the world, an image of reality.
Literature.
Leontiev A.N. Psychology of the image // Vestnik Mosk. un - that. Ser. 14. Psychology. 1979, No. 2, p. 3 - 13.

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"Image of the World" in books

"IMAGE OF A BEAUTIFUL WORLD"