Much in organics is in some ways "automated." So, we do not think about when we breathe, do not control the heartbeat and much more. And what is behind this specific behavior? The mechanism of formation of conditioned reflexes helps us in this. For the sake of justice, it should be noted that the topic is not easy, and all impressionable people need to be brave before reading the article.
general information
Let's talk about the physiological mechanisms of formation of conditioned reflexes. It should be noted that this topic is very extensive and to understand the mechanism of action, it is necessary to understand a significant number of its various components. You can not do without a significant theoretical background. So, let's get started. The most important for us in the article are the receptors. When the intensity of their stimulation exceeds a certain threshold of force, then excitation occurs. It begins to spread along sensitive processes and is transmitted to the central nervous system (CNS). After that, a response is formed - a reflex reaction. Excitation, which acts in a certain zone, is addressed to the centers of the sensory nerves not to the whole organism, but only to its small part. As a rule, certain effector centers receive information.
Features of the body
Interest for us is provided by the mechanism of formation of temporary links. The conditioned reflex has the peculiarity that each stimulus (sound, light and other) acquires a signal value under certain conditions. After they become an irritant, a special reaction is triggered. 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 a salivating reflex begins to act. Something similar happens when we are doing sports. So, the body understands that the number of loads does not decrease, and begins to closely monitor the heart rate, blood pressure, metabolic rate and so on. Some of these transformations we can feel on ourselves. So, it's worth running a few hundred meters quickly, as the heart will literally jump out of your chest. These are all conditioned reflexes.
Additional examples
Let's start with more reflexes. They can be not only physical, but mental. So, when a person leaves the room, he always turns off the light-reflex. He does not stop to think, but he automatically does all the necessary actions. Something similar can be cited by the example of a telephone number. So, unfamiliar, but the necessary seven figures to type from the first time few 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 reflexed. In such cases, it can be said that certain information was fixed in the long-term memory and extracted therefrom as an additional subprocess of brain activity.
How do they arise?
Let us consider the conditions and mechanism of formation of conditioned reflexes. The most important for this are:
- Repeated combinations of an indifferent stimulus with a previously developed reaction.
- A vigorous state of the body.
- A certain time period, which makes it possible to "recharge" the indifferent agent.
- Absence of other types of active activity of the nervous system.
- Sufficient degree of excitability.
- Supra-threshold intensity of the conditioned stimulus.
In fact, to "hook" the human body is quite difficult. This is due to the fact that a large number of bacteria live on the surface of our skin. And if we were too sensitive, we would not know peace. It should also be noted and the fact that in the same environment, subsequent reflexes are produced much faster. But still the speed varies.
Principle of operation
Let's analyze the mechanism of formation of the conditioned reflex by Pavlov. This surname is known to many. But what is this man famous for? He associated the formation of conditioned reflexes and the activity of the cerebral cortex. And it is not the entire sphere that is responsible for it, but its separate parts. So, they were found to be engaged in arcs of unconditioned and conditioned reflexes. Between them, with repeated combinations, a temporary connection arises. Why so? It was established that if there were no reinforcements, it would disappear. Each arc has its own peculiarity. So, for this, a conditional signal or unconditional reinforcement can be used. It should be noted that the emerging link operates on the principle of dominant relations. Over time, this translates into the emergence of a conditioned reflex response. Therefore, it is wrong to say "arcs of conditioned reflex". Cortical mechanisms of education involve the participation of two components.
A sample example
How did the scientist come up with this idea? Probably, many have heard such an expression - "dog (s) of Pavlov". This is a real standard in the world of examples of reflexes. The scientist once studied the digestive system. And he noticed that when the light bulb, signaling about feeding, lights up, then the dogs start to spit out. And even if they do not get food, salivation will still occur. The scientist was interested in this strange fact, and in 1903 he announced a reflex mechanism to the whole world. The scientific community was so impressed by this discovery that it awarded him the Nobel Prize. And in 1904. With regard to effectiveness, it was established that different animals develop reflexes in different ways. So, for dogs it was necessary to make 10-20 combinations. In the same environment, subsequent reflexes were formed more quickly. Concerning man, the result was obtained that we need only one combination of stimuli (hello to the British scientist).
Features of fixing
The mechanism of formation of the conditioned reflex consists in a skirmish with frequently repeated stimuli, which will support the emerging effects. In relation to dogs, it was found that the most optimal is the time range of 5-10 seconds. It should also be taken into account that in cases where the reinforcing stimuli begin to act before the indifferent ones, conditioned reflexes will not be developed. This is the peculiarity of biochemistry. It was also found that the best way to form bonds between arcs occurs in cases where the body is alert. When observing somnolence, it was noted that conditioned reflexes appeared slowly or their formation was not observed at all. The same can be said about the person. Here is what can be said about the mechanism of formation of conditioned reflexes.
Briefly presented information in the article gives an idea only of the general situation, and if the topic is of interest, then one can get acquainted with scientific works - they are very interesting and informative. Also, certain difficulties can be seen if the centers are dominant in the nervous system, which are not associated with conditioned reflexes. So, when they left the cat in front of the dogs and turned on the light bulb, they did not salivate. The same can be said about a man who is busy with his own affairs.
Interference
It should be noted that the formation of conditioned reflexes is possible only if the organism is ready for this process. So, if we consider the situation with the dog, then salivation only arose when the animal was in a hungry state. This is due to the fact that the food center was raised. It should be noted that the weaker the stimulus, the slower the formation of conditioned reflexes (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 ignore the fact that the presence of excessively strong stimuli can lead to the fact that the mechanism of the supreme (protective) inhibition will be launched. This also has a negative effect on the formation of conditioned reflexes.
Basis of formation
What is the mechanism of formation of conditioned reflexes, what is the alpha of this process? In this case, the physiological side of the question will not help us much. It is necessary to go deep into the molecular level. So, the fixation of information is largely carried out due to ribonucleic acid. If its amount falls in the body, then the effectiveness of training of experimental animals deteriorates. Also in this process, the cerebellum, the striatum and so on are also involved. But the above applies only to the lower animals. In mammals and man himself, for this, as already noted, the crust of the cerebral hemispheres is responsible. They take on the greatest role, but they are not the only formations that are adapted for this purpose. Alternatively, the reticular formation can be used . Thus, in experiments with dogs it was established that if they remove large hemispheres, they can form conditioned reflexes. But only the simplest.
Conclusion
Oh, our nervous system is wonderful! It would seem - such simplicity! And we can not recreate it or even just restart the disconnected one. But this is only a matter of time - more research, and we will eventually understand what and how it works. However, alas, they are not always pleasant, and for their carrying out it is necessary to find people with strong mentality and a good baggage of knowledge. For the sake of justice, it must be noted that this is still carried out in the interests of humanity. But, despite the usefulness, such manipulations still cause disgust for quite a large number of people.