A lot of organic stuff is "automated" in some way. So, we do not think when we breathe, we do not control the heartbeat and much more. But what is the basis of such specific behavior? The mechanism of formation of conditioned reflexes helps us in this. To be fair, the topic is not easy, and all impressionable people need to take courage before reading the article.
General information
Let's talk about the physiological mechanisms of the formation of conditioned reflexes. It should be noted that this topic is very extensive and in order to understand the mechanism of action, one should understand a significant number of its various components. We cannot do without significant theoretical background here. So let's get started. The receptors are of the greatest importance for us within the framework of the article. When the intensity of their irritation exceeds a certain threshold of force, then arousal occurs. It begins to spread along the sensitive processes and is transmitted to the central nervous system (central nervous system). After that, a response is formed - a reflex reaction. Excitation that acts in a certain zone is addressed by the centerssensory nerves not to the whole body, but only to a small part of it. As a rule, certain effector centers receive information.
Features of the body
For us, interest is provided by the mechanism of formation of temporary connections. The conditioned reflex has the peculiarity that each stimulus (sound, light, and others) under certain conditions acquires a signal value. After they have become an irritant, a special response is evoked. It can be motor, secretory, food, defensive, and so on. Consider this example: as soon as we hear that we are called to eat, an indifferent stimulus is activated and the salivary reflex begins to act. Something similar happens when we play sports. So, the body understands that the number of loads is not decreasing, and begins to closely monitor the heart rate, blood pressure, metabolic rate, and so on. Some of these transformations we can feel for ourselves. So, it is worth quickly running a few hundred meters, as the heart will literally jump out of the chest. These are all conditioned reflexes.
More examples
Let's start with some more reflexes. They can be not only physical, but also mental. So, when a person leaves the room, he always turns off the light - a reflex. He does not think, but automatically does all the necessary actions. Something similar can be cited in the example of the numberphone. So, unfamiliar, but the necessary seven digits to dial the first time, few people will be able to. But if an important subscriber is assigned to the number (for example, a family member), then this will happen even without the presence of attention from the person. That is, the numbers will be typed reflexively. In such cases, we can say that certain information has been fixed in long-term memory and is retrieved from there as an additional subprocess of brain activity.
How do they arise?
Let's consider the conditions and the mechanism of formation of conditioned reflexes. The most important for this are:
- Repeated combinations of an indifferent stimulus with a previously developed reaction.
- Cheerful state of the body.
- A certain period of time, giving an opportunity to "recharge" an indifferent agent.
- The absence of other types of vigorous activity of the nervous system.
- Sufficient degree of excitability.
- Above threshold intensity of the conditioned stimulus.
In fact, "hooking" the human body is quite difficult. This is due to the fact that a significant number of bacteria live on the surface of our skin. And if we were overly sensitive, then we would not know peace. It should also be noted that in the same environment, subsequent reflexes are developed much faster. But still the speed varies.
Working principle
Let's analyze the mechanism of the formation of a conditioned reflex according toPavlov. This surname is known to many. But what made this man famous? He connected the formation of conditioned reflexes and the activity of the cerebral cortex. And not the whole ball is responsible for this, but its individual parts. So, he found that this is done by the arcs of the unconditioned and conditioned reflexes. Between them, with repeated combinations, a temporary connection arises. Why exactly? It was determined that if there were no reinforcements, she would disappear. Moreover, each arc has its own peculiarity. So, for this, a conditioned signal or unconditional reinforcement can be used. It should be noted that the emerging relationship works on the principle of dominant relationships. Over time, this results in the emergence of a conditioned reflex response. Therefore, it is incorrect to say "arcs of a conditioned reflex." Cortical formation mechanisms involve two components.
Sample example
How did the scientist think of this before? Probably, many have heard such an expression - "Pavlov's dogs (a)." This is a real benchmark in the world of examples regarding reflexes. The scientist once studied the digestive system. And he noticed that when the light comes on, signaling that food is being served, the dogs begin to salivate. And even if they do not receive food, salivation will still occur. The scientist was interested in this strange fact, and in 1903 he announced the reflex mechanism to the whole world. The scientific community was so amazed by this discovery that they awarded him the Nobel Prize. And in 1904. Regarding effectiveness, it was found that different animals develop reflexes in different ways. So, for dogs it was necessary to make 10-20 combinations. In the same setting, subsequent reflexes formed faster. Regarding a person, the result was obtained that one combination of stimuli is enough for us (hello British scientists).
Pinning features
The mechanism for the formation of a conditioned reflex is a skirmish with frequently repeated stimuli that will reinforce the resulting effects. In relation to dogs, it was found that the most optimal time range is 5-10 seconds. It is also necessary to take into account that in cases where reinforcing stimuli begin to act before indifferent ones, conditioned reflexes will not be developed. Such is the nature of biochemistry. It was also found that the best formation of connections between the arcs occurs in cases where the body is alert. When observing drowsiness, it was noted that conditioned reflexes arise slowly or their formation was not noted at all. The same can be said about a person. Here is what can be said about the mechanism of formation of conditioned reflexes.
The brief information in the article gives an idea only about the general situation, and if you are interested in the topic, you can read the scientific works - they are very interesting and informative. Also, certain difficulties can be noticed if the nervous system is dominated by centers that do notassociated with conditioned reflexes. So, when a cat was left in front of the dogs and a light was turned on, they did not salivate. The same can be said about a person who is busy with his own business.
Interference
It should be noted that the formation of conditioned reflexes is possible only when the body is ready for this process. So, if we consider the situation with the dog, then salivation occurred only in those cases when the animal was in a hungry state. This is due to the fact that the food center was excited. It should be noted that the weaker the stimulus, the slower the conditioned reflexes will form (or they will not be created at all). And the result obtained in this case is not stable. At the same time, one should not disregard the fact that the presence of excessively strong stimuli can lead to the triggering of the mechanism of transcendental (protective) inhibition. This will also negatively affect the formation of conditioned reflexes.
Formation basis
What is the mechanism of formation of conditioned reflexes, what is the alpha of this process? In this case, the physiological side of the issue will not help us much. Here it is necessary to delve already into the molecular level. So, the fixation of information is largely due to ribonucleic acid. If its amount in the body falls, then the effectiveness of training of experimental animals deteriorates. The cerebellum is also involved in this process,striatum and so on. But the above applies exclusively to the lower animals. In mammals and man himself, as noted earlier, the cortex of the cerebral hemispheres is responsible for this. They take on the greatest role, but are not the only formations that are adapted for this purpose. Alternatively, a reticular formation may be used. So, in experiments on dogs, it was found that if they remove the large hemispheres, then they can form conditioned reflexes. But only the simplest.
Conclusion
Oh, our nervous system is wonderful! It would seem - such simplicity! And we still cannot recreate it or even simply restart the disconnected one. But it's only a matter of time - more research, and over time we will understand what works and how. True, alas, they are not always pleasant, and for their implementation you will have to find people with a strong psyche and a good store of knowledge. For the sake of justice, it should be noted that this is still carried out in the interests of mankind. But, despite the usefulness, such manipulations still disgust a fairly large number of people.
