World of Psychology
FUNCTION
Function
(from Latin function - commission, execution) is a relationship of objects in which a change in the state and properties of one of them corresponds to a change in the other or others.
The function can be viewed from the perspective relationships between objects and phenomena within the boundaries of a holistic formation (structure, functioning). In a systems approach, the concept of Function is used to define a directed, selective influence, on the basis of which connections are established between objects, phenomena, their parts and properties. The problem of the relationship between physics and structure was identified by Aristotle; the concept of physics was introduced into scientific circulation by G.V. Leibniz and became widely used in research under the functional approach (see Functionalism ).
E. Cassirer used the concept of F. to characterize the movement of cognition, its focus on establishing dependencies between objects, their impact on each other. A function acts as a measure of connectivity between individual elements of a structure or between structures that are part of a hierarchical whole. Clearly expressed and stable F. appear, as a rule, only in highly integrated formations. A function acquires independent meaning within the framework of a functional system in which the elements are not objects (things), but processes, actions (for example, higher mental functions in the terms of L.S. Vygotsky) or operations. Function is also considered as a separate type of activity, as the impact of a structure—an integral structure with a fixed external form—on the environment. In this role, the concept of f. is closely related to the concept of the resulting structure, the form of which, for example, is acquired by organized types of activities. (V.M. Gordon)
Dictionary of a practical psychologist. S.Yu. Golovin
Function - in physiology - the specific activity of a living organism, its organs, etc.
Great encyclopedia of psychiatry. Zhmurov V.A.
Function (lat. functio – execution)
- in mathematics, a quantity that systematically changes with a change in some other quantity;
- often the term is used in other fields of knowledge with the meaning 1, but without the quantification contained in it with the connotation that one phenomenon is a function of another. For example, “belief is a function of the reliability of the source of information”;
- corresponding action or behavior of a person (organ, structure, etc.). For example, the function of a teacher, doctor, etc.;
- sometimes an indication of a task or goal is added to the value 3. For example, “the function of the adrenal gland is to produce adrenaline.”
Neurology. Complete explanatory dictionary. Nikiforov A.S.
no meaning or interpretation of the word
Oxford Dictionary of Psychology
Function
- In mathematics, a quantity that changes systematically with changes in some other quantity. In the formula y = f(x). changes in y are represented as a function of changes in x. These changes are not necessarily proportional, but are expressed by the nature of the function. When used in a psychological sense, x is the independent variable and y is the dependent variable. Such functional relationships can be represented graphically by plotting x values on one axis and y values on the other.
- Often the term is used in a similar way to this mathematical method, but without the quantification that the above usage reflects. Thus, one may come across an expression like “belief is a function of the credibility of the source,” where a mathematical meaning is implied with the connotation that one thing is dependent on something else, but the quantification of variables is either completely absent or is presented on a less powerful scale (see discussion of the term scale and related articles to clarify this usage).
- The appropriate action or appropriate behavior of a person, organ, structure, machine, or even a socially defined role. Thus, one can find references to the functions of a teacher, computer, liver, group, leader, etc. Compare here with structure (especially 1) and see functionalism and structuralism.
- There is also a variation of value 3, in which, along with behavior or action, some task or goal is defined; for example, “the function of the adrenal glands is the production of adrenaline.” There are other more subtle differences in the use of the term, but most of them can be related to these general meanings. When variations in meaning are implied, this is usually communicated using a qualifying word.
subject area of the term
MANAGEMENT FUNCTION is a coordinated system of qualitatively similar tasks “aimed at ensuring any critical aspect of management activity.
CONTRAST SENSITIVITY FUNCTION - a curve reflecting the sensitivity of the visual system to the range of spatial frequencies it perceives, namely the relationship between threshold contrast levels and spatial frequency.
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Table “Features of higher mental functions in mental retardation”:
| Mental function | Features of development in mental retardation |
| Perception | Perception processes are characterized by a violation of meaningfulness, purposefulness, integrity, selectivity, and are characterized by inaccuracy, poverty and superficiality, narrowness. |
| Attention | The attention of a child with an intellectual disability depends on the depth and originality of the defect. One can often notice a shift in attention from one object to another, from the whole to a part, from content to form, from a significant feature to an insignificant one. Due to the underdevelopment of volitional processes and weakness of intellectual regulation in a child with intellectual impairment, involuntary attention can be evoked more often and more easily, especially using bright and strong stimuli. |
| Memory | The memory of a child with intellectual disability, compared to the norm, is characterized by weaker development and a lower level of all processes. Recognition, memorization, and reproduction are impaired. A student with intellectual disabilities remembers material more slowly and forgets faster. |
| Thinking | The main shortcoming of the student’s thinking is the weakness of generalizations and abstractions. Its other serious shortcomings include its superficial nature, slowness, inertia, and low mobility. It should also be noted that the inflexibility and narrowness of the mind, stereotyping, stereotyped, uncritical and lack of independence of thinking of a child with an intellectual disability. In addition, it (thinking) is characterized by a violation of purposefulness, inconsistency of reasoning, slipping from one subject to another, and a weakness in the regulatory role of thinking in actions and deeds. The visual-effective, visual-figurative predominates. |
| Speech and communication | Deficiencies in thinking are associated with deficiencies in speech; these processes are mutually determined. Speech develops with a delay. She often suffers from impairments and disorders (especially pronunciation), and is characterized by poor intonation, inexpressiveness, and weak motivation. The vocabulary of children with intellectual disabilities is significantly poorer than that of a normal student. Passive vocabulary prevails over active one. Due to the underdevelopment of the generalizing function of speech, a child with an intellectual disability does not always understand the meaning of a word and finds it difficult to use terms of general meaning. The grammatical structure of the speech of an oligophrenic schoolchild is impoverished. He mostly speaks in simple sentences. Underdevelopment of speech limits the communication opportunities of children with intellectual disabilities, complicates their intellectual development and personal growth as a whole. |
| Emotions and feelings. Personality | All aspects of the personal sphere are also formed in children with intellectual disabilities slowly and with large deviations. Children are characterized by a pronounced lag in the development of emotions, undifferentiated and unstable feelings, a limited range of experiences, and extreme manifestations of joy, grief, and fun. Research has shown that the immaturity of the personality of a mentally retarded child is clearly revealed in the underdevelopment and specific features of his emotional-volitional sphere. Children with intellectual disabilities have a number of problems in the development of the emotional-volitional sphere: accentuation of character, increased aggressiveness. |
Techniques and materials for correction:
auditory perception;
“Who has the bell?”
Children stand in a circle. Unnoticed by the driver, they pass the bell behind each other's backs. The driver must guess and show which child the bell rang behind.
"Guess who's playing."
The teacher places two toy hares on the table - a large one and a small one. Explains and shows how a big hare, who has a lot of strength (loudly, strongly), and how a small one (quietly) plays a drum (triangle, tambourine, etc.). Then he covers the toys with a screen and behind it plays either loud or quiet beats on the drum. Children must guess and show which hare was just playing. The game can be diversified by replacing hares with dolls, bears and other toys of different sizes.
"Run to your house"
Goal: to develop an orientation towards environmental sounds (musical).
Material: tambourine, children's chair.
Progress of the game
An adult shows the tambourine, how it sounds, and says: “We will play. As soon as the tambourine starts playing, you can run and dance. If the tambourine stops talking, you run to the chair, to your house.” The game is played several times and attention is paid to the sound of the tambourine and the absence of sound.
visual perception;
"Overlay" images
5-7 contour images (objects, geometric shapes, letters, numbers) superimposed on each other are presented. All images must be named.
"Silhouette" images
5-7 silhouette images are presented. It is necessary to name them.
"Paired" images
We offer two subject images that are very similar in appearance, but have up to 5-7 minor differences. You need to find these differences.
tactile perception;
Game "What's in the bag?"
Place various toys and small objects (buttons, balls, pine cones, dolls, animals, acorns, etc.) in a bag.
Invite your child to play: “Look what I took out of the bag. Now you get something.” When the child takes out and names all the objects, put everything back and offer to do the same, but with closed eyes, by touch, and name each object. And then let the child take the object out of the bag at the request of the adult (by touch).
Game "Body figures"
The adult draws geometric shapes on the child’s palm or back, the child guesses what the adult drew, then the adult and child change places
voluntary attention;
1. “Don’t yawn - hurry up” The number is called, the ball is thrown to one of the students, who must name the next or previous number, depending on the team. The command is given at the moment when the ball is thrown, using the words: “don’t yawn” - name the previous number; “hurry up” - name the next number. 2. “Skip the number” The participants of the game are in a circle. They are asked to count in a circle from 1 to 30. Moreover, numbers containing 3 or divisible by 3 should not be pronounced. Instead of missing a number, you can clap your hands. The player who names the prohibited number is eliminated from the game.
mnestic activity;
Game “I put in a bag...”
The teacher starts the game and says: “I put apples in the bag.” The next player repeats what was said and adds something else: “I put apples and bananas in the bag.” The third player repeats the entire phrase and adds something of his own, etc.
- Place sticks on the table from which some simple figure is made (house, square, triangle, etc.). Ask the child to look carefully at this figure for 2 seconds, then close this figure and ask him to repeat, fold the same one.
You can complicate this exercise by making a shape from sticks of different colors. The child must remember the location of the sticks by color and then put the shape together independently.
"Pig in a poke"
The teacher invites the children to take items out of the magic bag. The child must feel what is in the bag by touch. If identified correctly, he takes out the item. If you make a mistake, the item remains in the bag. Then you need to remember these items in the order in which they were taken out of the bag. You can remember this by composing a story in which these objects participate in the required sequence (at the first stage, objects that are easy to recognize by touch are used).
visual and effective thinking;
“Who loves what” Pictures with images of animals and food for these animals are selected. Pictures of animals and separate pictures of food are laid out in front of the child, and they are offered to “feed” everyone.
"Classification". The child is given a set of pictures depicting various objects. The adult asks to consider them and put them into groups, i.e. suitable with suitable.
“Find the extra picture”: development of mental processes of generalization, abstraction, highlighting essential features. Select a series of pictures, among which three pictures can be combined into a group based on some common characteristic, and the fourth is redundant. Invite your child to find the extra picture. Ask why he thinks this way. How similar are the pictures he left?
visual-figurative thinking;
"Find the extra word"
A series of words are read to the children. Each series consists of 4 words. Three words in each series are homogeneous and can be combined based on a common feature, but one word is different from them and must be excluded.
Invite the children to identify the word that is redundant.
— OLD, decrepit, SMALL, dilapidated
- BRAVE, EVIL, BOLD, BRAVE.
For children with weak auditory memory, the teacher offers pictures. Be sure to seek an explanation from the children.
“Call it in one word”
Children are asked to name a series of specific concepts in one word. For example: table, chair, sofa, bed (furniture), wolf, fox, bear, boar (wild animals), fork, plate, cup, pan (dishes), etc.
verbal-logical thinking (2-3 for each mental process).
1. “Continue the row”
A number of words are proposed, and children must complete it:
- Plum, apple...
- Birch, pine...
- Doll, bear...
- Ilya, Masha...
2. Games and exercises for composing a story based on a series of pictures. First, children must arrange the proposed pictures in the correct sequence, and then compose a story based on them.
