Higher nervous activity (GNI) is a neurophysiological process that occurs in the cortex and the nearest subcortex of the brain during various processes associated with conditioned reflexes. These processes include the formation, functioning and extinction of reflexes, not only in humans, but also in animals. The features of higher human nervous activity were studied and singled out by IP Pavlov.
The higher nervous activity of man is the basis
First of all, the basic notions of higher nervous activity include a temporary connection and a conditioned reflex. It is proved that, in its essence, the activity of each of the departments of the human CNS is reflex and performs signal functions, which allows the body to respond to conditioned stimuli, which is the physiology of higher nervous activity.
As the doctrine of higher nervous activity says, it consists entirely of two processes: excitation and inhibition. The first of them gives the basis for the formation of some temporary connections and conditioned reflexes, but in the event that the conditioned reflex eventually remains unconditioned, its fading occurs. This fading is the process of inhibition.
Regularities of higher nervous activity
Allocate only five laws, which form the features of higher nervous activity. These include the following statements:
- when the neutral stimulus is reinforced unconditionally, new temporary connections are formed;
- if the conditioned stimulus is not reinforced by the unconditioned, the temporary connections will inevitably die out;
- in any case irradiation and concentration of nervous processes are mandatory;
- Nerve processes are necessarily connected by mutual induction;
- the formation of dynamic stereotypes, which are complex dynamic systems of reflexes.
The higher nervous activity is always subject to these laws, and this is true not only for humans, but also for animals, as Pavlov proved with his famous dog Pavlov.
Types of higher nervous activity
Behavior and higher nervous activity are inextricably linked. This is confirmed by the theory of types of GNI, which are the full amount of congenital and acquired properties of the nervous system. Depending on the course of the processes of excitation and inhibition, Pavlov singled out four main types, which differ in their ability to adapt to the situation and stress resistance.
- The type of GNI is a strong unbalanced (choleric). Strongly excited, weakly inhibited, in difficult situations prone to various kinds of nervous disorders. If desired, it is possible to develop higher nervous activity, exercise inhibition and significantly improve it.
- Type GNI is a balanced inert (phlegmatic). This type is characterized by strong processes of both excitation and inhibition, although in this case they are very immobile, and switching from one process to another is quite difficult.
- Type GNI strong balanced mobile (sanguine). This type is characterized by uniformly strong processes of excitation and inhibition, provided they have excellent mobility and dynamism, which allows a person to easily switch, adapt to different types of environments and exhibit stability in false situations.
- Type of GNI is weak (melancholic). In this case, both nervous processes are weak, which makes a person with difficulty adapt to the environment and is prone to a wide range of nervous disorders.
The doctrine of the types of nervous activity makes it possible to study more deeply the mental processes and plays an important role in the development of modern sciences.