Modality is ... Modality: types, definition

This concept, as a rule, refers both to sensations and to other mental processes that describe the qualitative components of cognitive images of any complexity and level.

According to existing modalities, one can classify both sensations, and representations, and perceptions.

The interpretation of the term in question

Modality is a form of manifestation of an irritant in the existing sensory system of a person (auditory, visual, tactile). In Latin, this term means "way".

Leading modality is the individual's preference for "sensory food", through which a person is most aware of what is happening.

Unlike the spatial, intensity and temporal characteristics of sensations, the characteristics in question reflect certain properties of reality by means of their specifically encoded form. For example, the length of a light wave is perceived as light, and the frequency of sound waves is reflected as a tone.

Modality in psychology is a common name and channels of primary perception, and channels of internal processing of information material.

Types of modality

A well-known fact is that the nervous system of a single person is individual and unique. Also the situation is with the so-called information food for her.

The following types of modality are distinguished:

1. Visual - visual (pictures, color, visual images and light).
2. Audial - auditory (sounds, music, auditory images and intonations).
3. Kinesthetic - tactile (touch, muscular and skin feeling, inner sensations).
4. Logical - semantic, abstract, discrete (terms, reasoning, generalized concepts).

This channel of perception is optional. Its peculiarity is the use of information obtained not from primary sensations. The logical form of the modality acts as a secondary sensory channel. But the information received through primary channels can be processed by a person so that she loses all connections with them (the semantic channel). It reflects the process of understanding information using abstract knowledge.

According to the Russian scientist I.P. Pavlova, logical modality is the second signal system. This channel is most often used by scientists as communication, it is trying to activate it among schoolchildren.

For communication, the first three channels are the most important. Almost every person has a channel of perception of existing information that prevails over others.

In this connection, there is a need to satisfy sensory hunger, but not any information, but exclusively one that is required by the leading modality of the individual.

For greater clarity, it is worthwhile to give an illustrative example: to solve the task, one person will disassemble the possible answers by means of sketching on paper, and the other - pronouncing them out loud, the third - will connect the improvised items.

Kinesthetic perception channel

This is the modality of sensations, that is, bodily perception, which is referred to as "somatic sensations." They, in turn, are divided into internal (pain, relaxation and tension, muscular feeling, sensation of movement and postures, work of internal organs) and external (temperature (cold and heat), vibration, pressure).

Kinesthetic channels of perception are closely intertwined with emotions that reflect the same inner sensations, and are verbally described in the same way as they are. For example, "easy on the heart."

There is also an osmic modality of sensations (olfactory - taste and smell). Most often this channel of perception is combined together with kinesthetic. However, the smell and taste refer to very different systems of perception, but still a person analyzes them simultaneously, and in this connection they are grouped together. An example can be the expression: "delicate taste", "sweet smell," and so on.

Without a smell, the whole taste palette is lost. In practice, this can be confirmed by a widespread phenomenon, when a person with an impaired sense of smell (nasal congestion) takes food that seems to him tasteless and fresh, although the organ responsible for the taste functions normally.

Modality of judgments

This is, to some extent, expressed in the relevant judgment, additional information regarding the logical or actual status thereof, as well as evaluative, regulatory, temporal and other characteristics.

Modality of judgments is represented by such important and most common varieties as:

• An athletic;
• Epistemic;
• Deontic;
• Axiological.

The essence of the aletic modality

It is represented in judgment, which is expressed through such contrasting terms as necessity - chance, possibility - impossibility of its logical or actual determinism of information. To be precise, the words "accidentally" and "possibly", as well as their synonyms, are considered modal in this situation in our language.

Types of aletic modality

They are represented by the following restrictions:

1. Problematic (judgment on the possibility of an event). Now the above example takes the following form: In Russia, reforms can be conducted in relation to the Armed Forces. Assertory (judgments about the actual fact). For example: In Russia, the Armed Forces are currently undergoing reform. As can be seen from the example, there is no expression of modality, but only the fact of what is happening is ascertained.
2. Apodictic (judgments about the necessity of the event). Example: In Russia, it is necessary to carry out a number of reforms in relation to the Armed Forces.

Deontic form of modality

It applies exclusively to human activities, legal and ethical norms of their behavior within the society.

Deontic modality is a request expressed through judgment, an order, a prescription or advice that encourages certain actions. These prescriptions may be normative (including legal norms). The expression of the deontical modality of perception is realized with the help of words: "allowed", "mandatory", "forbidden", etc.

Classification of the deontic modality depending on the existing nature of the norms

In this regard, judgments are:

1. On the presence or absence of law. They are expressed through words such as "right", "allowed", "prohibited", etc.
2. On the presence or absence of a duty. The words forming the judgments are: "must", "must", etc.

The definition of epistemic modality

It characterizes the degree of truthfulness of knowledge. Epistemic modality - this is expressed through the judgment of information regarding the grounds for its adoption and the degree of validity. That is, in the process of information exchange in the course of people's communication, a clear understanding of the grounds for accepting or not accepting evaluations, opinions, factual data expressed through utterances, etc., is assumed.

Many objective and subjective, external and internal factors influence the decision to take an opinion, the most important of which are recognized as logical (judgments that express beliefs) and extralogical (judgments that are logically grounded and express knowledge). The manifestation of this modality of perception occurs through words: "unprovable," "disproved," "proven," etc.

Varieties of epistemic modality

They are represented by two judgments:

1. The basis is faith. Example: I believe that everything will be fine.
2. The basis is knowledge. Example: According to testimony of witnesses, Ivanov did not take part in the commission of this theft.

Axiological modality

It is represented by the relation of a person to spiritual and material values and is expressed through words such as "bad", "good", etc. An example of this modality is the proposition: It's good that the rain started.

The linguistic sphere of application of this concept

Modality in the language (English) is a specific characteristic, which denotes probability, necessity, opportunity.

Five basic modal verbs are distinguished , four of which have the form of past tense (indicated below through the corresponding sign "/").

So, you should list them:

• Can / could;
• May / might;
• Shall / should;
• Will / would;
• Must / is missing.

However, this concept is expressed not only through modal verbs, but also with the help of modal adverbs, such as:

• Likely (most likely);
• Surely (probably);
• Possibly (maybe) etc.