Free Action and its Psychophysiological Correlates

The concept of "free action" was introduced by L.S. Vygotsky to explain the driving forces of mental development. Using the method of reconstruction, we determined that the trinity of awareness (awareness - logicality - arbitrariness) in each mental function is transformed in the process of development into the trinity of reflection - motive - will, which represents "free action". We investigated three properties of free action: reflection of the whole psyche in itself (permeation of triangular connections of mental functions); fulfillment of a dynamic function as a way of development; connection with neuropsychic and vegetative structures of the organism. Results: the contradictions between L.S.Vygotsky's methodological reflection and our reconstruction of his ideas about psyche as a dynamic triangular network are highlighted; the regulatory function of free action is substantiated; the connection of free action with electrophysiological and vegetative parameters of the organism is established; the age limit of qualitative changes in free action is marked.

1. Bobkov G.S. Otsenka funktsional'nogo sostoyaniya serdechno-sosudistoi sistemy u lits yunosheskogo vozrasta na fone raznykh form obucheniya [Assessment of the functional state of the cardiovascular system in adolescents on the background of different forms of training]. Sovremennye voprosy biomeditsiny [Modern issues of biomedicine], 2023. Vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 31-36. DOI:10.51871/2588—0500_2023_07_01_3 (In Russ.).
2. Voronkova G. Rol' emotsii v obshchenii podrostkov [Role of emotions in Adolescents' communication]. Psikhologiya razvitiya i stagnatsii lichnosti v ramkakh sovremennogo obshchestva [Psychology of development and stagnation of personality within the framework of modern society], 2014, pp. 43-47. (In Russ.).
3. Voronova, N.V., Klimova, N.M., Mendzherickii, A.M. Anatomiya TsNS: Uchebnoe posobie dlya studentov vuzov [Anatomy of the CNS: Textbook for university students]. Moskva: Publ. Aspects Press, 2005. (In Russ.).
4. Vygotskii L.S. Problema kul'turnogo razvitiya rebenka [Problem of cultural development of the child]. Mosk. un-ta. Ser. 14, Psihologiya [Vestn. Mosk. un-sta. Ser. 14, Psychology], 1991, no. 4, pp. 5-18. (In Russ.).
5. Vygotskii S. Razvitie vysshikh psikhicheskikh funktsii [Development of higher mental functions]. Moscow: APN RSFSR, 1960. 500 p. (In Russ.).
6. Vygotskii L.S. Myshlenie i rech'. Sobranie sochinenii: V 6-ti t. Vol. 2. Problemy obshchei psikhologii [Thinking and speech. Collected Works. Problems of General Psychology]. Davydov V.V. (ed.). Moscow: Pedagogika, 1982. 504 p. (In Russ.).
7. Vygotskii L.S. Osnovy defektologii. Sobranie sochinenii: v 6 t. Vol. 5. Osnovy defektologii [Fundamentals of defectology]. Vlasova T.A. (ed.). Moscow: Pedagogika, 1983. 368 p. (In Russ.).
8. Vygotskii L.S. Pamyat' i ee razvitie v detskom vozraste. Sobranie sochinenii: V 6-ti t. T. 2. Problemy obshchei psikhologii [Memory and its development in childhood. Collected Works: In 6 vol. Vol. 2. Problems of General Psychology]. Davydova V.V. (ed.). Moscow: Pedagogika, 1982. 504 p. (In Russ.).
9. Vygotskii L.S. Pedologiya podrostka. Sobranie sochinenii. V 6-ti t. Vol. 4. Detskaya psikhologiya [Pedology of the adolescent. Collected Works]. V 6-ti t. Vol. 4. Detskaya psihologiya [Child psychology]. El'konina D.B. (ed.). Moscow: Pedagogika, 1984. 432 p. (In Russ.).
10. Vygotskii L.S. Problema vozrasta. Sobranie sochinenii [The problem of age. Collected Works]. V 6-ti t. Vol. 4. Detskaya psihologiya [Child psychology]/ El'konina D.B. (ed.). Moscow: Pedagogika, 1984. 432 p. (In Russ.).
11. Vygotskii L.S. Problema voli i ee razvitie v detskom vozraste. Sobranie sochinenii [The problem of will and its development in childhood. Collected Works]: V 6-ti t. Vol. 2. Problemy obshchej psihologii [Problems of General Psychology]. Davydova V. V. (ed.). Moscow: Pedagogika, 1982. 504 p. (In Russ.).
12. Dubrovinskaya N.V. Psihofiziologicheskaya harakteristika podrostkovogo vozrasta [Psychophysiological characteristics of adolescence]. Fiziologiya cheloveka [Human Physiology], 2015. Vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 113-122. DOI:10.7868/S013116461502006X. (In Russ.).
13. Zaharova N.Yu., Mikhailov V.P. Fiziologicheskie osobennosti variabel'nosti ritma serdca v raznyh vozrastnyh gruppah [Physiological features of heart rate variability in different age groups]. Vestnik aritmologii [Vestnik arrhythmologii], 2003, no. 31, pp. 37-40. (In Russ.).
14. Kravtsov G.G., Kravtsova E. E. Kul'turno-istoricheskii podkhod k voprosam obrazovaniya [Cultural-historical approach to the issues of education]. Kul'turno-istoricheskaya psikhologiya = Cultural-historical psychology, 2020. Vol.16, no. 4, pp. 4-13. DOI:17759/chp.2020160401. (In Russ.).
15. Polikanova I.S., Leonov S.V., Semenov Yu.I., Yakushina A.A., Klimenko V.A. Psihologicheskie i psihofiziologicheskie mekhanizmy obucheniya dvigatel'nym navykam [Psychological and psychophysiological mechanisms of learning motor skills]. Sibirskii psikhologicheskii zhurnal [Siberian Psychological Journal], 2021, no. 82, pp. 54-81, DOI:10.17223/17267080/82/4. (In Russ.).
16. Pervichko E.I. Strategii regulyatsii emotsii: protsessual'naya model' Dzh. Grossa i kul'turno-deyatel'nostnyi podkhod [Strategies of emotion regulation: the procedural model of J. Gross and cultural-activity approach]. Natsional'nyi psikhologicheskii zhurnal [National Psychological Journal], 2014, no. 4 (16), pp. 13-22. DOI: 10.11621/npj.2014.0402. (In Russ.).
17. Polikanova I.S., Sizikova T.E. Vliyanie refleksii na dinamiku pokazatelei variabel'nosti serdechnogo ritma v period vzroslosti [Influence of reflexion on the dynamics of heart rate variability in adulthood]. Sibirskii psikhologicheskii zhurnal [Siberian Psychological Journal] (v pechati). (In Russ.).
18. Rahimkulova A.S. Neiropsikhologicheskie osobennosti podrostkovogo vozrasta, vliyayushchie na sklonnost' k riskovomu i suitsidal'nomu povedeniyu [Neuropsychological features of adolescence, affecting the propensity to risky and suicidal behavior]. Suitsidologiya [Suicidology], 2017. Vol. 8, no. 1 (26), pp. 52-61. (In Russ.).
19. Rubtsov V.V., Lektorskii V.A., El'konin B.D., Asmolov A.G., Kudryavtsev V.T., Frumin I.D., Gromyko Yu.V., Bolotov V.A., Lazarev V.S., Kravtsov G.G., Kravtsova E.E., Tsukerman G.A., Urazalieva G.K., Kovaleva T.M. Ot sovmestnogo deistviya — k konstruirovaniyu novykh sotsial'nykh obshchnostei: Sovmestnost'. Tvorchestvo. Obrazovanie. Shkola (Kruglyi stol metodologicheskogo seminara pod rukovodstvom V.V. Rubtsova, B.D. El'konina) [From joint action - to the construction of new social communities: Jointness. Creativity. Education. School (Round table of the methodological seminar under the leadership of V.V. Rubtsov, B.D. Elkonin)]. Kul'turno-istoricheskaya psikhologiya = Cultural-historical psychology, 2018. Vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 5—30. DOI:10.17759/chp.2018140301. (In Russ.).
20. Sizikova T.E. «Edinica analiza» L. S. Vygotskogo i «modal'nost'» N. Gartmana ["Unit of analysis" by L. S. Vygotsky and "modality" by N. Hartmann]. Sibirskii psikhologicheskii zhurnal [Siberian Psychological Journal], 2022, no. 85, pp. 6—34. (In Russ.).
21. Sizikova T.E. Refleksivnoe psikhologicheskoe konsul'tirovanie [Reflexive psychological counseling]: [v 3 ch. monografiya]. CH. 3. Praktika refleksivnogo psikhologicheskogo konsul'tirovaniya. Novosib. gos. ped. un-t. Novosibirsk: NGPU, 2018. 518 p. (In Russ.).
22. Sizikova T.E., Durachenko O.A. Psikhodiagnosticheskie metody refleksii kak metod razvitiya refleksii. Chast' 1 [Psychodiagnostic methods of reflexion as a method of reflexion development. Part 1]. Vestnik Yaroslavskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta im. P. G. Demidova. Seriya Gumanitarnye nauki [Bulletin of P. G. Demidov Yaroslavl State University. Series Humanities], 2018. Vol. 46, no. 3, pp. 81—86. (In Russ.).
23. Sizikova T.E., Durachenko O.A. Psikhodiagnosticheskie metody refleksii kak metod razvitiya refleksii. Chast' 2 [Psychodiagnostic methods of reflexion as a method of reflexion development. Part 2]. Vestnik Yaroslavskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta im. P. G. Demidova. Seriya Gumanitarnye nauki [Bulletin of P. G. Demidov Yaroslavl State University. Series Humanities], 2018. Vol. 46, no. 4, pp. 86—91. (In Russ.).
24. Sizikova T.E., Kudryavtsev V.T. Priroda svobodnogo deistviya i refleksiya [Nature of free action and reflexion]. V sbornike: L. S. Vygotskii i A. R. Luriya: kul'turno — istoricheskaya psikhologiya i voprosy tsifrovizatsii v sotsial'nykh praktikakh. Mezhdunarodnyj Kongress, 15—17 noyabrya 2022 g. Pod red. T. E. Sizikovoi, G. S. CHesnakovoi, Ministerstvo prosveshcheniya Rossiiskoi Federatsii, Novosibirsk: NGPU, 2022, pp. 275—289. (In Russ.).
25. Sizikova T.E., Kudryavcev V.T. Skhema teorii L'va Vygotskogo. Chast' I [Scheme of Lev Vygotsky's theory. Part I]. Kul'turno-istoricheskaya psikhologiya = Cultural-historical psychology, 2023. Vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 9—17. DOI:10.17759/chp.2023190202. (In Russ.).
26. Sizikova T.E., Kudryavcev V.T. Skhema teorii L'va Vygotskogo. Chast' 2 [Scheme of Lev Vygotsky's theory. Part 2]. Kul'turno-istoricheskaya psikhologiya = Cultural-historical psychology, 2023. Vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 23—29. (In Russ.). DOI:10.17759/chp.2023190303
27. El'konin B.D. Sootnoshenie motiva i sposoba v aktakh razvitiya deistviya [Correlation of motive and method in acts of action development]. Kul'turno-istoricheskaya psikhologiya = Cultural-historical psychology, 2024. Vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 10-15. DOI:10.17759/chp.2024200103
28. Heatherton T.F., Wyland C.L., Macrae C.N., Demos K.E., Denny B.T., Kelley W.M. Medial prefrontal activity differentiates self from close others. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 2006. Vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 18-25. DOI:10.1093/scan/nsl001
29. Pfeifer J.H., Masten C.L., Borofsky L.A., Dapretto M., Fuligni A.J., Lieberman M.D. Neural correlates of direct and reflected self‐appraisals in adolescents and adults: When social perspective‐taking informs self‐perception. Child development, 2009. Vol. 80, no. 4, pp. 1016-1038, DOI:10.1111/j.1467— 8624.2009.01314.x
30. Sebastian C., Burnett S., Blakemore S.J. Development of the self-concept during adolescence. Trends in cognitive sciences, Vol. 12, no. 11, pp. 441-446, DOI:10.1016/j.tics.2008.07.008
31. Sizikova T.E., Polikanova I.S. L.S. Vygotsky's understanding of reflection and a study of its influence on the electrophysiological activity of the brain. Culture and Education (in the press)
32. Spreng R.N., Grady C.L. Patterns of brain activity supporting autobiographical memory, prospection, and theory of mind, and their relationship to the default mode network. Journal of cognitive neuroscience, Vol. 22, no. 6, pp. 1112-1123. DOI:10.1162/jocn.2009.21282