Leontyev A. N., "Theory of activity": briefly on the main thing

A. N. Leontyev and S. L. Rubinstein are the creators of the Soviet school of psychology, which is based on the abstract concept of personality. It was based on the works of L. S. Vygotsky on the cultural-historical approach. This theory reveals the term "activity" and other related concepts.

The history of creation and the main provisions of the concept

S. L. Rubinstein and A. N. Leontyev the theory of activity was created in the 30s of the twentieth century. They developed this concept in parallel, without discussing or consulting with each other. Nevertheless, in their works there was much in common, since scientists used the same sources when developing a psychological theory. The founders relied on the work of the talented Soviet thinker L. S. Vygotsky, and the philosophical theory of Karl Marx was also used to create the concept.

The main thesis of the theory of activity of A. N. Leontyev briefly sounds like this: it is not consciousness that forms activity, but activity that forms consciousness.

In the 30s, on the basis of this position, Sergey Leonidovich determined the main position of the concept, which is based on the close relationship of consciousness and activity. This means that the human psyche is formed during activity and in the process of work, and it manifests itself in them. Scientists pointed out that it is important to understand the following: consciousness and activity form a unity that has an organic basis. Alexei Nikolaevich emphasized that this connection should in no case be confused with identity, otherwise all the provisions that take place in theory lose their force.

So, according to A. N. Leontyev, “activity is the consciousness of the personality” is the main logical relationship of the whole concept.

The main psychological phenomena of the theory of activity of A. N. Leontiev and S. L. Rubinstein

Each person unconsciously reacts to an external stimulus with a set of reflex reactions, but activity is not included in the number of these stimuli, since it is regulated by the mental work of the individual. Philosophers in their theory presented consider consciousness as a certain reality that is not intended for human self-observation. It can manifest itself only thanks to a system of subjective relations, in particular, through the activity of the individual, in the process of which he manages to develop.

Alexei Nikolaevich Leontiev clarifies the provisions voiced by his colleague. He says that the human psyche is built into his activity, it is formed thanks to it and manifests itself in activity, which, as a result, leads to a close connection between the two concepts.

The personality in the theory of activity of A. N. Leontyev is considered in unity with action, work, motive, goal, task, operation, need and emotions.

The concept of the activities of A. N. Leont'ev and S. L. Rubinstein is a whole system that includes methodological and theoretical principles that allow us to study the psychological phenomena of man. The concept of activity of A. N. Leontyev contains such a provision that the main subject helping to study the processes of consciousness is activity. This research approach began to take shape in the psychology of the Soviet Union in the 20s of the twentieth century. In the 1930s, two interpretations of activity were already proposed. The first position belongs to Sergey Leonidovich, who formulated the principle of unity cited above in the article. The second formulation was described by Aleksey Nikolaevich together with representatives of the Kharkov Psychological School, who determined the commonality of the structure, affecting external and internal activities.

The basic concept in the theory of activity of A. N. Leontyev

Activity is a system that is built on the basis of various forms of implementation, expressed in the attitude of the subject to material objects and the world as a whole. This concept was formulated by Alexei Nikolaevich, and Sergey Leonidovich Rubinstein defined activity as the totality of any actions that are aimed at achieving the goals. According to A. N. Leontyev, activity in the consciousness of the individual plays a paramount role.

Structure of activities

In the 30s of the twentieth century, A. N. Leontyev put forward the idea of ​​the need to build an activity structure in order to make the definition of this concept complete.

Activity structure:

This scheme is valid when reading from top to bottom, and vice versa.

There are two forms of activity:

• external;
• internal.

External activity

External activity includes various forms that are expressed in substantive and practical activity. In this form, the interaction of subjects and objects occurs, the latter are openly presented for external observation. Examples of this form of activity are:

• the work of mechanics with the help of tools - this can be hammering nails or tightening screws with a screwdriver;
• the manufacture of material objects by specialists on machines;
• games of children for the implementation of which extraneous things are required;
• room cleaning: sweeping floors with a broom, wiping windows with a rag, manipulating furniture;
• construction of houses by workers: laying bricks, laying the foundation, inserting windows and doors, etc.

Internal activities

Internal activity is characterized in that the interaction of the subject with any images of objects is hidden from direct observation. Examples of this type are:

• solving a mathematical problem for scientists using mental activity inaccessible to the eye;
• the actor’s internal work on a role that includes pondering, experiencing, anxiety, etc .;
• the process of creating a work by poets or writers;
• inventing a script for a school play;
• mental guessing riddles by a child;
• emotions caused by a person when watching a touching film or listening to his soulful music.

Motive

The general psychological theory of the activity of A. N. Leontyev and S. L. Rubinstein defines a motive as an object of human need; it turns out that in order to characterize this term, one needs to address the needs of the subject.

In psychology, the motive is the engine of any existing activity, that is, it is a push that brings the subject into an active state, or the goal for which a person is ready to do something.

Needs

The need for a general theory of activity A.N. Leontyev and S. L. Rubinstein has two deciphers:

1. Need is a kind of "internal condition", which is a prerequisite for any activity performed by the subject. But Aleksey Nikolaevich points out that this type of need is not capable of inducing directed activity in any case, because its main goal is orienting and research activity, which, as a rule, is aimed at searching for objects that would be able to save a person from the experienced desires. Sergey Leonidovich adds that this concept is a “virtual need”, which is expressed only within oneself, so a person experiences it in his condition or feeling of “incompleteness”.
2. Need is the engine of any activity of the subject, which directs and regulates it in the material world after a person meets an object. This term is characterized as “actual need”, that is, the need for a specific thing at a certain point in time.

"Metered" need

This concept can be traced on the example of a just-born caterpillar that has not yet encountered a specific object, but its properties are already fixed in the mind of the chick - they were transferred to it from the mother in the most general form at the genetic level, so he does not have a desire follow any thing that appears before his eyes at the time of hatching from the egg. This happens only during the meeting of the caterpillar, which has its own need, with the subject, because it does not yet have a formed idea of ​​the appearance of its desire in the material world. This thing in the nestling fits on the subconscious mind under the scheme of a genetically fixed approximate image, so it is able to satisfy the need of the gosling. Thus, this subject is captured, which fits the desired characteristics, as a subject that satisfies the corresponding needs, and the need takes on an “objective” form. That is how a suitable thing becomes a motive for a certain activity of a subject: in this case, afterwards, the chick will everywhere follow its “identified” need.

Thus, Alexey Nikolaevich and Sergey Leonidovich mean that the need at the very first stage of its formation is not such, it is at the beginning of its development the need of the body for something that is outside the body of the subject, despite the fact that it is reflected on his mental level.

goal

This concept describes that the goal is the directions to which a person realizes a certain activity in the form of appropriate actions that are motivated by the motive of the subject.

Differences in purpose and motive

Aleksei Nikolaevich introduces the concept of “goal” as the desired result arising in the process of planning a person by an activity. He emphasizes that the motive is different from the given term, because it is that for which some actions are performed. The goal is what is planned to be done to implement the motive.

As reality shows, in everyday life the terms given above in the article never coincide, but are complement each other. Also, it should be understood that there is a certain connection between the motive and the goal, so they are dependent on each other.

A person always understands what is the purpose of the actions that are performed or supposed by him, that is, his task is conscious. It turns out that a person always knows exactly what he is going to do. Example: submitting documents to the university, passing pre-selected entrance exams, etc.

The motive in almost all cases is unconscious or unconscious for the subject. That is, a person may not even guess about the main reasons for him to perform any activity. Example: an applicant very much wants to submit documents to a specific institution - he explains this by the fact that the profile of this institution coincides with his interests and the desired future profession, in fact, the main reason for choosing this university is the desire to be next to your girlfriend, who is studying at this university.

Emotions

Analysis of the emotional life of the subject is a direction that is considered leading in the theory of activity of A. N. Leontyev and S. L. Rubinstein.

Emotions are a person’s direct experience of the meaning of the goal (the motive can also be considered the subject of emotions, because at the subconscious level it is defined as the subjective form of the existing goal, for which it is manifested internally in the mind of the individual).

Emotions allow a person to understand what really are the true motives of his behavior and activities. If a person achieves his goal, but does not feel the desired satisfaction from it, that is, on the contrary, negative emotions arise, this means that the motive has not been realized. Consequently, the success that the individual has achieved is actually imaginary, because what for which all activity was undertaken was not achieved. Example: an applicant entered the institute where his lover is studying, but she was expelled a week before, which invalidates the success the young man achieved.