Cognitive deprivation in children. Deprivation - what is this concept? Disorders of social perception

The term "cognitive deprivation" is used to describe information hunger. In addition, this term is often used to characterize the chaos and variability of information, which makes it difficult to build an adequate model of the human environment. Such obstacles to productive interaction with the outside world can cause many different psychological disorders. Lack of necessary information in professional field, can cause various errors that will affect the achievement of your goals. If we consider information hunger in Everyday life, then we can say that cognitive deprivation can become a “false link” in the logical chain of perception of various events occurring in a person’s life.

Cognitive deprivation is understood as a lack of information

To begin with, you should pay attention to the fact that truthful, but insufficiently detailed information received by a person can lead to the creation of an incorrect picture of the world around him. The reason for the development of this situation is explained by the fact that it is human nature to interpret various events based on their own personal qualities. That is why all incoming information is viewed through the lens of personal interests, which leads to a subjective assessment of various facts. Such features of human perception are the main reason for the development of misunderstandings between people.

According to experts, a lack of adequate analysis of incoming information can cause both personal conflicts and professional troubles.

According to psychologists, information deprivation is most pronounced in extreme situations. Experts divide the information that a person receives from environment, into three conditional groups:

  1. Personal– having a close relationship with a specific individual, his relatives or close friends.
  2. Special– information that has a certain meaning within a social group.
  3. Mass- spread through the media.

Examples of cognitive deprivation

Information hunger is clearly manifested in certain living conditions. Employees of space and Antarctic stations, as well as crews of cruise ships, experience a pronounced hunger for information. Since communication with the “big” world has certain restrictions and implies only a professional conversation, a person feels an ever-increasing need to obtain various information.

Many people who are away from their family perceive various events negatively. Their minds are often overwhelmed by thoughts about possible adultery, the death of close relatives and other problems. The presence of negative thoughts that are not supported by evidence leads to decreased activity, anxiety, depression and insomnia. Under the influence of their own feelings, people begin to experience problems concentrating, which significantly reduces productivity.


Lack of information in professional activities leads to mistakes and interferes with making productive decisions

According to published data, in extreme conditions information hunger can lead to the development of mental disorders requiring therapeutic intervention. Obtaining information of interest (even negative character), allows you to partially eliminate neurotic symptoms, and sometimes completely eliminate them.

Many long-distance sailors write in their diaries that they feel a need to know how their family spends their evenings, what friends and relatives do, as well as about events happening in the world. Representatives of such professions say that they are interested even in various petty situations that happen to people they know.

Cognitive deprivation can also occur in interpersonal relationships. These violations manifest themselves in the form of information depletion of interlocutors. With prolonged contact alone with each other, people cease to arouse interest in the second participant in the conversation. This phenomenon is especially pronounced in extreme conditions. As an example, researchers cite the fact from professional life submarine personnel.

At the stage of team formation, sailors, getting to know each other, exchange various information. Most often at this stage people exchange biographical information. A little later, the conversations cover many areas of life. People begin to discuss events that happened in their personal lives, books they read and films they watched. At a certain stage of communication, information exchange decreases, as people simply exhaust the topics for conversation. This fact is also talked about by many travelers who travel the world with a small group of like-minded people. Each of the participants in such a campaign gets the opportunity and time to speak out, but at a certain stage people simply lose the desire to talk with others.

There are special techniques for combating cognitive deprivation in conditions extreme situations. One example of eliminating the need for various information is reading special lectures. It should also be noted that a group of people separated from the outside world experiences a spontaneous change of interlocutors. Most often, this situation occurs during the first three months of forced isolation. In special cases, the Internet can be a solution to this problem. Thanks to this type of obtaining information, many people have the opportunity to receive information about current events, even while at a distance from other people.


In everyday life, lack of information not only causes boredom, but also leads to more serious consequences

Conclusion

In conclusion, it must be said that the cognitive form of deprivation has a close relationship with the sensory one, since both types of “hunger” have common causes. In addition, these forms of the disorder have similar consequences for the human psyche.

1

The article presents a rationale for the problem of insufficient knowledge of the phenomenology of deprivation and the concept of information as the main, key, crystallizing factor in the holistic picture of its development. A definition of information deprivation is put forward as a mental formation formed in conditions of information deficiency in an impoverished environment, manifested in a deprivation symptom complex. The results of a content analytical study of scientific sources are described. In accordance with the hypotheses under consideration, based on the results of deductive and inductive content analysis, the idea of informational nature deprivation and the presence of a unifying basis between its various types. According to the results empirical research, where the existence of an inverse correlation between information and other elements of deprivation in its structure is demonstrated and interpreted, information is presented as the main, key, crystallizing factor in the holistic picture of the development of deprivation.

deprivation symptom complex.

lack of information

mental education

information deprivation

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3. Kibalchenko I.A. Integration of educational and cognitive experience students: structure, dynamics, technology. dis. d.psych. n. – R/n D., 2011.

4. Kurovsky V.N., Pyatkina G.N. Maternal deprivation and its structural components // Vestn. Tomsk State ped. University (Tomsk State Pedagogical University Bulletin). – 2010. – Issue. 10. pp. 141–144.

5. Langmeier J., Matejczyk Z. Mental deprivation in childhood. [Text]. – Prague, 1984.

6. Fedorova N.V. Deprivation in the family as a factor in delinquent behavior of adolescents. dis. k. pskh. n. – Omsk, 2007.

7. Shabalina S.A. The influence of maternal deprivation on the life activity of children // Bulletin of the Chuvash State. Ped. University named after I.Ya. Yakovleva - 2011. - No. 4. – Part 2. – pp. 203-208.

8. Shabalina S. A. Causes of developmental disorders in children brought up in boarding schools in conditions of maternal deprivation // Bulletin of the Chuvash State. Ped. University named after I.Ya. Yakovleva. – 2012. - No. 1. – Part 1. – P. 176-181.

9. Yaroslavtseva I.V. Mental deprivation: causes, manifestations and mechanism of development // Siberian psychological journal. – 2013. - No. 47. – P. 33-40.

Introduction

The relevance of studying the problem of deprivation in its psychological aspect as a state of consciousness of an individual and the result of deprivation, loss, loss or lack of something lies in the insufficient knowledge of the phenomenology of this state, which follows from the most famous publications that describe its individual aspects, while almost all authors note the multifaceted impact of deprivation on personal development, mental health and personality socialization. At the same time, it is obvious that different kinds and aspects of deprivation do not occur at different times. This fact is noted by researchers J. Langmeier, N.B. Fedorova, S.A. Shabalina, M.S. Astroyants, I.V. Yaroslavtseva, M.I. Buyanov, N.B. Kurovsky, G.N. Pyatkina and others.

In the process of content analysis, we discovered about 30 different terms that describe the concept of deprivation: sensory, emotional, information deficit, impoverished emotional environment, lack of external stimuli, lack of care, affection, understanding, impoverished living conditions, rejection by parents, limited opportunities for learning social role, dissatisfaction of vital needs, lack of maternal care, etc. Based on a theoretical analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature, we made assumptions that:

1. The phenomenon of deprivation has an informational nature

Information deprivation can be presented as a mental formation formed under conditions of information deficiency in an impoverished environment, manifested in a deprivation symptom complex.

By information we mean: a set of real (objective) stimuli (stimuli); the result of information interactions at the level of subject-subject relations; knowledge that a subject must have in order to develop and achieve life goals.

The deprivation symptom complex is understood as a set of personal problems of subjects, manifested in the form of: low self-esteem (A.N. Pronina, S.A. Shabalina, K.V. Soloed, I.O. Spesivtseva, etc.); negative self-acceptance (U.V. Ulienkova, M. Murray); propensity to psychosomatic diseases (N.B. Rimashevskaya, L.F. Kremneva); the use of non-adaptive defense mechanisms (A.S. Tysyachnyuk); difficulties in the socialization of the individual (I.V. Yaroslavtseva) and others.

2. Information is the main, key, crystallizing factor in the holistic picture of the development of deprivation.

3. Exists Feedback between information and other elements of deprivation in its structure.

We attempted a content analytical study of scientific sources in order to generalize the idea of ​​the phenomenon of deprivation and to find a unifying basis between different types of deprivation. The sample was made up full texts and articles describing this phenomenon in various aspects. When conducting content analysis, 2 stages were used based on instructions and hypotheses.

During the deductive version of the content analysis of publications, the following procedures were performed:

  • 384 cards were compiled with indicators characterizing different sides deprivation;
  • “cleaning” of cards with repeating content, as a result of which, out of 384 original cards, 250 initially remained.
  • education on this basis by generalizing and enlarging 7 key (semantic) units and generalizing them into three summary groups of categories of analysis.

A total of 75 sources by 63 authors were analyzed.

In accordance with the content of the deprivation hypothesis, key (semantic) units and 7 categories of analysis were a priori identified (Table 1).

Table No. 1.

Frequencies of occurrence of key (total) categories based on the results of the deductive version of content analysis

Key (semantic) units as categories of analysis

Deductive Analysis

Frequencies of occurrence

General information about deprivation

Prerequisites for the formation of deprivation in children

Interaction of various types of deprivation, systemic nature of deprivation

Uniting grounds that unite different types of deprivation

Development of deprivation

Structure of deprivation

Information in the structure of deprivation

Phenomenology of the phenomenon of deprivation (1, 3, 4, 6)

Dynamics and factors of deprivation formation (2, 5)

Information in the structure of deprivation (7)

The categories of analysis were determined by 17 fractional elements - subcategories (particular concepts that reveal the semantic content of key units), on the basis of which the text was directly encoded.

Checking the validity and validity of the identification and grouping of semantic units and categories of analysis was carried out using the method of competent judges (4 specialists from the Department of Psychology and Life Safety of TTI SFU). Participants in the procedure were asked, using a single instruction, to independently evaluate selected indicators grouped into three groups on the problem of the content of the concept of information deprivation, which correspond to the hypothesis we put forward. As a result, the experts assessed the grouping using a 3-point system.

The degree of agreement between their estimates ranges from 75% (for group C), 83.33% (for group B) to 91.6% (for group A). On average, the experts' assessment coincided with the proposed option by 83.33%. This exceeds minimum required in 75% of matches.

Deductive content analysis revealed the most general trends in the views of various authors regarding the phenomenon of deprivation.

The next stage of the work was to conduct an inductive content analysis on an expanded list of sources (113 sources, of which 38 were new) and conduct an analysis of “links” between categories.

The main goals of conducting inductive analysis:

  • verification and clarification of initial hypotheses, since it is possible that new semantic units may appear during the analysis process;
  • analysis of the structure of the relationship between categories;

The task of analyzing the structure of relationships between categories was carried out using correlation and factor analysis. The study determined the degree and nature of statistical connectivity of 7 primary key units. Taking into account the connections between categories allows us to move on to a systematic representation of the components of deprivation and check the presence of theoretical justification in research on the problem of deprivation for the proposed hypothesis about the informational nature of deprivation.

Factor analysis results:

In the course of factor analysis of the intersection of “links” of categories using the principal components method with subsequent Varimax-normalized rotation, 2 significant factors with a community of 86.757% were obtained. Factor loadings are presented in Table 2.

Table No. 2

Factor structure of relationships between key units of deprivation into components

Key units

Components

1.General information about deprivation

4.Unifying bases

5. Development of deprivation

6.Structure of deprivation

Thus, factor analysis of the structure of key (semantic) units and summary categories based on 113 sources demonstrates that in the study of the content of the concept of “information deprivation” the tendencies reflected in the factors prevail.

The first factor interconnects categories characterizing:

No. 2 “Prerequisites for the formation of deprivation in children”;

No. 3 “Interaction of various types of deprivation, systemic nature of deprivation”;

No. 6 “Structure of deprivation”;

No. 7 “Information in the structure of deprivation.”

This factor can be called “information mediation of deprivation.” It is the most loaded, as it includes 4 elements. In the total explanatory variance table, this factor accounts for 48.244% of the 86.757% cumulative percentage of rotation loads, thus it can be characterized as a key, crystallizing, main factor, which reflects the second assumption (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Correlation of factor analysis components

The second factor combines the following categories:

No. 1 “General information about deprivation”;

No. 4 “Unifying grounds that unite different types of deprivation”;

No. 5 “Development of deprivation.”

The second factor can be described as the “holistic development of deprivation.” This factor accounts for 40.513% of the cumulative percentage of rotational loads. In the matrix of rotated components 3 and 4, elements (the systemic nature of deprivation and the unifying grounds that unite different types of deprivation) have a significant load in terms of value in both factors and, at the level of trends, are a “bridge” between two factors, ensuring the transition from one factor to another . In other words, informational mediation of deprivation ensures its holistic development. Which confirms the second hypothesis. As a result of factor analysis, all categories were included in the factors, none of them “dropped out,” which confirms the significance of the selected categories.

2. In the correlation matrix (Table 3), the highest correlation indicator (-0.925) corresponds to the inverse relationship between the category “information” and “preconditions for the occurrence of deprivation.” There is a significant direct correlation between the 2, 3, 4 and 6 elements of deprivation in its structure and the “information” category, which reflects the formation of the deprivation structure based on prerequisites. An inverse significant correlation with variable No. 7 (Information in the structure of deprivation) proves the dependence of the formation of the deprivation structure on its crystallizing basis - information, when its deficiency enhances the formation of deprivation and vice versa.

The factor structure confirms our assumptions about the informational nature of deprivation and reflects the determining function of information in the structure of deprivation.

Table No. 3

Matrix of correlations between elements of deprivation

Names of elements of deprivation

1.General information about deprivation

2. Prerequisites for the formation of deprivation in children

3. Systemic nature of deprivation

4.Unifying bases

5. Development of deprivation

6.Structure of deprivation

7. Information in the structure of deprivation

Thus, the following conclusions can be drawn:

1. The conducted deductive and inductive content analysis confirms the assumption about the informational nature of deprivation.

2. As a working definition, it has been put forward that information deprivation is a mental formation formed in conditions of information deficiency in an impoverished environment, manifested in a deprivation symptom complex in the form of: low self-esteem; negative self-acceptance; propensity to psychosomatic diseases; use of maladaptive defense mechanisms; difficulties in the socialization of the individual.

3. Information is the main, key, crystallizing factor in the holistic picture of the development of deprivation.

4. The prospect of the study is the study of the deprivation symptom complex.

Reviewers:

Nepomnyashchiy A.V., Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Department of Psychology and Life Safety, Southern Engineering and Technology Academy federal university» in Taganrog.

Kibalchenko I.A., Doctor of Psychology, Associate Professor, Professor of the Department of Psychology and Life Safety, Academy of Engineering and Technology of the Southern Federal University" in Taganrog.

Bibliographic link

Ten L.G., Kibalchenko I.A. ON THE PROBLEM OF THE INFORMATIONAL NATURE OF DEPRIVATION // Contemporary issues science and education. – 2014. – No. 2.;
URL: http://science-education.ru/ru/article/view?id=12337 (access date: 06/27/2019). We bring to your attention magazines published by the publishing house "Academy of Natural Sciences"

The term “deprivation” is actively used in psychological literature recent years. However, there is no unity in defining the content of this concept.

The word "deprivation" (from English. deprivation) means deprivation, loss. It is based on the Latin root private, What does it mean to "separate"? Prefix de V English word conveys the strengthening of the meaning of the root (can be compared: lat. pressare– “press”, “press” and English. depression– “depression”, “suppression”).

In English-language literature, the concept of “deprivation” (deprivation, or resp. privilege) means the loss of something, deprivation due to insufficient satisfaction of any important need. In this case, we are not talking about physical deprivation, but about insufficient satisfaction of mental needs (mental deprivation).

J. Langmeyer and Z. Matejcek give the following definition:

“Mental deprivation is a mental state that arises as a result of such life situations where the subject is not given the opportunity to satisfy some of his basic (life) mental needs in sufficient measure and for a sufficiently long time.”

At the same time, among the “basic (vital)” needs, the authors include:

1) the need for a certain quantity, variability and type (modality) of stimuli;

2) the need for basic conditions for effective teaching;

3) the need for primary social ties (especially with the mother), ensuring the possibility of effective basic integration of the individual;

4) the need for social self-realization, which provides the opportunity to master various social roles and value goals.

When defining deprivation, an analogy is often drawn between mental and biological impairment. Just as serious disorders arise as a result of nutritional deficiency, lack of vitamins, oxygen, etc., serious disorders can also arise in the case of mental deficiency - deficiency of love, stimulation, social contacts. Thus, D. Hebb defines deprivation as a biologically adequate, but psychologically limited environment.

The concept of deprivation is close to the concept frustration. However, they are not identical.

Frustration is defined as mental condition, caused by failure to satisfy a need and accompanied by various negative experiences: disappointment, irritation, anxiety, despair, etc.

Thus, frustration, firstly, concerns the need actualized in this moment and already directed towards the goal, and secondly, it is characterized by the subject’s awareness of the impossibility of satisfying it.

Deprivation may be partially or even completely unrecognized for some time. Her Negative consequences may be associated with a variety of reasons. Thus, a person may not associate, for example, depression with a deficit of sensory stimuli.

Thus, unlike frustration, deprivation operates more covertly, but often has more serious consequences.

J. Langmeyer and Z. Matejcek draw the following analogy: frustration occurs if a child is taken away from his favorite toy and he is forced to play with what he likes less, and deprivation occurs if the child is deprived of the opportunity to play at all.

A. Maslow, in the context of comparing these concepts, identifies two types of deprivation: deprivation of non-basic needs And threatening deprivation. The first is easily replaced and does not cause serious consequences for the body. The second is seen as a threat to the individual, that is, as deprivation that threatens life goals of the individual, his self-esteem, prevents self-actualization - in a word, prevents the satisfaction of basic needs.

Outwardly, the same situation, Maslow continues, can have different consequences and lead to deprivation of either one or another type. So, if a child who was not bought ice cream feels first of all disappointment that he has lost the pleasure of eating it, then such deprivation can hardly be considered threatening and have serious consequences. If the refusal is perceived by the child as a refusal of love, that is, ice cream is a carrier of certain psychological values, then such deprivation is considered as frustrating. Thus, deprivation can have serious consequences for the individual when the target object is a symbol of love, prestige, respect, or another basic need.

Children who constantly feel the love and care of their parents, children who have formed a basic sense of trust in the world, can quite easily endure cases of deprivation, a disciplinary regime, etc., they do not perceive them as a fundamental threat, as a threat to their main, basic needs

The concepts of “separation” and “isolation” are close to the concept of “deprivation”. The latter rather denote a deprivation situation, a condition of deprivation. Mental deprivation is characterized by a special condition that arises in a deprivation situation. In this regard, we can say that under the same conditions of isolation, the nature of mental deprivation of each person will largely be determined individual characteristics personality, in particular the significance of those needs that are suppressed. People who find themselves isolated from society will experience differently this situation, and its consequences for their psyche will also be different.

2. Types of deprivation

Types of deprivation are usually distinguished depending on what need is not satisfied.

J. Langmeyer and Z. Matejcek analyze four types of mental deprivation.

1. Stimulus(sensory) deprivation: reduced number of sensory stimuli or their limited variability and modality.

2. Deprivation of meanings(cognitive): too changeable, chaotic structure of the external world without clear ordering and meaning, which does not make it possible to understand, anticipate and regulate what is happening from the outside.

3. Deprivation of emotional attitude(emotional): insufficient opportunity to establish an intimate emotional relationship with a person or the severance of such an emotional connection, if one has already been created.

4. Identity deprivation(social): limited opportunity to acquire an autonomous social role.

Sensory deprivation sometimes described by the concept of “impoverished environment”, that is, an environment in which a person does not receive sufficient quantity visual, auditory, tactile and other stimuli. Such an environment can accompany the child’s development and also be included in life situations adult.

Cognitive(informational) deprivation prevents the creation of adequate models of the surrounding world. If there is no necessary information, ideas about the connections between objects and phenomena, a person creates “imaginary connections” (according to I.P. Pavlov), he develops false beliefs.

WITH emotional deprivation Both children and adults can experience this. In relation to children, the concept of “maternal deprivation” is sometimes used, emphasizing the important role of the emotional connection between the child and mother; disruption or deficiency of this connection leads to a number of mental health problems in the child.

Social deprivation is interpreted quite widely in the literature. It is faced by children living or studying in closed institutions, adults who, for one reason or another, are isolated from society or have limited contact with other people, elderly people after retirement, etc.

In life different types deprivations are intricately intertwined. Some of them may be combined, one may be a consequence of the other, etc.

In addition to those mentioned above, there are other types of deprivation. For example, with motor A person experiences deprivation when there are restrictions in movement (as a result of injury, illness or in other cases). Such deprivation, although not directly mental, nevertheless has a strong impact on the mental state of a person. This fact has been repeatedly recorded during relevant experiments. Motor deprivation also affects mental development. In particular, in developmental psychology Evidence has been obtained that the development of movements in childhood is one of the factors in the formation of the “self-image”.

In modern psychology and related humanities, there are some types of deprivation that are of a generalized nature or associated with individual aspects of human existence in society: educational, economic, ethical deprivation, etc.

In addition to types, there are various forms manifestations of deprivation, which in form can be obvious or hidden.

Explicit deprivation is obvious: a person’s stay in conditions of social isolation, prolonged loneliness, raising a child in orphanage etc. This is a visible deviation from the norm (in the cultural understanding).

Hidden deprivation(also partial, according to J. Bowlby; masked, according to G. Harlow) is not so obvious. It occurs when externally favorable conditions, which, however, do not provide an opportunity to satisfy human needs that are significant. Thus, J. Bowlby writes that partial deprivation can be observed where there is no direct separation of mother and child, but their relationship for some reason is unsatisfactory for the child.

Hidden deprivation in given time causes Special attention researchers. Its source may be in the family, school, various social institutions, or society as a whole.

Thus, deprivation is a complex, multidimensional phenomenon related to various areas human life.

Deprivation is a condition similar in characteristics. Occurs when there is a long-term impossibility or limitation of satisfaction that is relevant to the individual. The state of deprivation refers to. It can create irreversible mental changes. Deprivation differs in forms, types, manifestations and consequences.

Deprivation is often hidden or not realized by a person, it is masked. Outwardly, her living conditions may look prosperous, but at the same time, a person is raging inside and feels discomfort. Long-term deprivation creates chronic stress. The result is prolonged stress.

Deprivation is similar to frustration, but there are 2 main differences between them:

  • deprivation is not as noticeable to the individual as frustration;
  • deprivation occurs with prolonged and complete deprivation, frustration is a reaction to a specific failure, an unsatisfied need.

For example, if a child’s favorite toy is taken away but given another, he will experience frustration. And if you completely forbid playing, then this is deprivation.

Most often we are talking about psychological deprivation, for example, when deprived of love, attention, care, and social contacts. Although biological deprivation also occurs. It can be threatening physically and mentally (her self-actualization,) and non-threatening. The latter is more like frustration. For example, if a child is not bought ice cream, he will experience non-threatening deprivation, but if he systematically goes hungry, he will experience threatening deprivation. But if the same ice cream is a symbol of something for a child, for example, parental love, and he suddenly does not receive it, then this will cause serious personality changes.

The appearance and severity of deprivation largely depend on the individual personality characteristics of a person. For example, two people may perceive and endure social isolation differently, depending on the value of society for each and the severity of the need for social contacts. Thus, deprivation is a subjective state that is not repeated in the same way in different people.

Types of deprivation

Deprivation is considered and classified according to needs. It is customary to distinguish the following types:

  1. Sensory deprivation. Implies such conditions of development of a child or life situations of an adult in which the environment has a limited or extremely variable set of external stimuli (sounds, light, smells, and so on).
  2. Cognitive deprivation. The environment has excessively variable or chaotic external conditions. The individual does not have time to assimilate them, which means he cannot predict events. Due to the lack, variability and inadequacy of incoming information, a person develops an erroneous idea of ​​the outside world. The understanding of connections between things is disrupted. A person builds false relationships and has erroneous ideas about causes and effects.
  3. Emotional deprivation. It involves a rupture of emotional interpersonal connection or intimate-personal communication or the inability to establish close social relationships. In childhood, this type of deprivation is identified with maternal deprivation, which means the woman’s coldness in her relationship with the child. This is dangerous for mental disorders.
  4. Social deprivation, or identity deprivation. It's about about limited conditions for mastering any role, passing through identity. For example, pensioners, prisoners, and students of closed schools are subject to social deprivation.
  5. In addition, there are motor deprivation (for example, bed rest due to injury), educational, economic, ethical and other options.

This is a theory. In practice, one type of deprivation can transform into another; several types can manifest themselves simultaneously; one type can arise as a consequence of the previous one.

Deprivations and their consequences

Sensory deprivation

One of the most studied forms. For example, changes in the consciousness of pilots on long flights have long been confirmed. The monotony of days and loneliness are depressing.

Perhaps the most films have been made about sensory deprivation. For some reason, the story of a man surviving alone on an island is very beloved by screenwriters. For example, remember the film "Cast Away" with Tom Hanks in leading role. The picture very accurately conveys the psychological changes of a person left for a long period alone and in limited conditions. One ball friend is worth something.

A simpler example: every person knows how monotonous and identical work depresses. The same “Groundhog Day” that many people like to talk about.

The main consequences of sensory deprivation include:

  • change in focus and decreased ability to concentrate;
  • escape into dreams and fantasies;
  • loss of sense of time, impaired orientation in time;
  • illusions, deceptions of perception, hallucinations (in this case, this is an option that helps maintain mental balance);
  • nervous restlessness, excessive agitation and physical activity;
  • somatic changes (often headaches, muscle aches, spots in the eyes);
  • delusions and paranoia;
  • anxiety and fears;
  • other personality changes.

In general, two groups of reactions can be identified: increased excitability against a background of general depression, that is, an acute reaction to situations (under normal conditions the same events did not cause such a violent reaction) and a decrease in craving for previously interesting things, an overly calm and apathetic reaction. A third reaction option is possible - a change in taste preferences and emotional relationships to the opposite (one gets irritated by what one liked).

This applies to changes in the emotional sphere, but disturbances due to deprivation also affect the cognitive sphere:

  • Deterioration and disorders in the area of ​​verbal-logical thinking, indirect memorization, voluntary attention and speech.
  • Disturbances in perceptual processes. For example, a person may lose the ability to see in three dimensions. He may feel like the walls are moving or narrowing. A person mistakenly perceives colors, shapes, sizes.
  • Increased suggestibility.

As we understand, sensory hunger can easily arise in everyday life. Very often it is sensory hunger that is confused with ordinary hunger; the lack of impressions is compensated by food. Overeating and obesity are another consequence of sensory deprivation.

Not all changes are strictly negative. For example, increased activeness encourages creativity, which is useful in finding ways out of difficult situation. Let's remember the same films about survivors on a desert island. And in principle, any outlet for awakened creativity will reduce the risk of mental disorders.

Due to the innate need for external stimuli, sensory deprivation will cause greater disturbances than in. Also, people with a stable type of psyche will more easily survive this type of deprivation. People with hysterical and demonstrative symptoms will have a more difficult time surviving sensory deprivation.

Knowledge of the individual personal characteristics of people and assumptions about their reaction to sensory deprivation is important for professional selection. Thus, working in expeditions or flight conditions, that is, sensory deprivation, is not suitable for everyone.

Motor deprivation

With prolonged limitation in movement (from 15 days to 4 months) the following is observed:

  • hypochondria;
  • depression;
  • unreasonable fears;
  • unstable emotional states.

Cognitive changes also occur: attention decreases, speech slows down and is disrupted, and memorization becomes difficult. A person becomes lazy and avoids mental activity.

Cognitive deprivation

Lack of information, its chaos and disorder cause:

  • boredom;
  • inadequate ideas of the individual about the world and his possibilities of life in it;
  • erroneous conclusions about world events and people around them;
  • inability to act productively.

Ignorance (information hunger) awakens fears and anxieties, thoughts about incredible and unpleasant developments in the future or the inaccessible present. There are signs of depression and sleep disturbances, loss of vigilance, decreased performance, and deterioration of attention. It’s not for nothing that they say that there is nothing worse than ignorance.

Emotional deprivation

Recognizing emotional deprivation is more difficult than others. At a minimum, because it can manifest itself in different ways: someone experiences fears, suffers from depression, withdraws into himself; others compensate by being overly sociable and having superficial relationships.

The consequences of emotional deprivation are especially acute in childhood. There is a delay in cognitive, emotional and social development. In adulthood, the emotional sphere of communication (handshakes, hugs, smiles, approval, admiration, praise, compliments, etc.) is needed for psychological health and balance.

Social deprivation

We are talking about the complete isolation of an individual or group of people from society. There are several options for social deprivation:

  • Forced isolation. Neither the individual (or group of people) nor society wanted or expected this isolation. It depends only on objective conditions. Example: plane or ship crash.
  • Forced isolation. The initiator is society. Example: prisons, army, orphanages, military camps.
  • Voluntary isolation. The initiator is an individual or a group of people. Example: hermits.
  • Voluntary-forced isolation. The individual himself limits social contacts in order to achieve his goal. Example: school for gifted children, Suvorov Military School.

The consequences of social deprivation largely depend on age. In adults, the following consequences are observed:

  • anxiety;
  • fear;
  • depression;
  • psychoses;
  • feeling like an outsider;
  • emotional stress;
  • euphoria, similar to the effect of taking drugs.

In general, the effects of social deprivation are similar to those of sensory deprivation. However, the consequences of social deprivation in a group (a person gradually gets used to the same people) are somewhat different:

  • irritability;
  • incontinence;
  • fatigue, inadequate assessment of events;
  • withdrawal;
  • conflicts;
  • neuroses;
  • depression and suicide.

At the cognitive level, with social deprivation, there is deterioration, slowing and disturbance of speech, loss of civilized habits (manners, norms of behavior, tastes), deterioration of abstract thinking.

Social deprivation is experienced by outcasts and hermits, mothers on maternity leave, old people who have just retired, and an employee on long-term sick leave. The consequences of social deprivation are individual, as is the period of their persistence after a person returns to normal living conditions.

Existential deprivation

Associated with the need to find oneself and one’s place in the world, to know, understand issues of death, and so on. Accordingly, existential deprivation differs by age:

  • IN adolescence Existential deprivation occurs in a situation where the environment does not allow a teenager to realize the need for adulthood.
  • Youth is determined by finding a profession and starting a family. Loneliness and social isolation are the causes of existential deprivation in this case.
  • At 30, life consistency is important internal plans and personality.
  • At the age of 40, a person evaluates the correctness of his life, self-realization, and the fulfillment of personal purpose.

Existential deprivation can occur regardless of age, due to personal reasons:

  • change in social status (positive or negative side);
  • destruction of meanings, inability to achieve goals;
  • quick change living conditions(longing for the old order);
  • melancholy due to the gray monotony of life (excessive stability);
  • a feeling of loss and sadness when achieving such a desired goal after a long and difficult journey (and what to do next, how to live without a dream).

Educational deprivation

We are talking not only about complete pedagogical neglect, but also about learning conditions that do not correspond to the individual and personal characteristics of the child, the impossibility of full disclosure of potential and self-realization. As a result, motivation to learn is lost, interest drops, and there is a reluctance to attend classes. An aversion to educational activities V in a broad sense words.

Within the framework of educational deprivation, we can distinguish emotional (ignoring the needs and characteristics of the child, suppression of individuality) and cognitive (formal presentation of knowledge).

Educational deprivation often turns into cultural deprivation or serves as its prerequisite. Cultural deprivation starts in the home where education is not valued.

Deprivation in the modern world

Deprivation can be obvious or hidden. With the first form, everything is simple: physical separation, confinement in a cell, and so on. An example of hidden deprivation is isolation in a crowd (loneliness in a crowd) or emotional coldness in a relationship (marriage for children).

IN modern world No one is immune from deprivation. One or another of its forms and types can be provoked by economic and social instability of society, information war or information control. Deprivation makes itself felt the more strongly the more a person’s expectations (level of aspirations) diverge from reality.

Unemployment, poverty (largely a subjective indicator), urbanization can have a negative impact on the psyche of people. Very often, the onset of deprivation and a state of frustration are compensated by a defense mechanism - an escape from reality. That’s why virtual reality and computers are so popular.

Learned helplessness is another disease modern society. It also has its roots in deprivation. People are passive and in many ways infantile, but for some this is the only option to maintain balance in an unstable environment or disabilities. Pessimism is another reaction to long-term deprivation.

Overcoming deprivation

Deprivation can be overcome in different ways: destructive and constructive, social and asocial. For example, it is popular to go into religion, hobby and psychology, mastering. No less popular is going into the world of the Internet and fantasies, books, films.

With a conscious and professional approach, correction of deprivation involves a detailed study of a particular case and the creation of anti-deprivation conditions. That is, for example, with sensory deprivation, the environment is saturated with events and impressions. With cognitive – searching for information, assimilating it, correcting existing images and stereotypes. Emotional deprivation is eliminated by establishing communication with people and building relationships.

Working with deprivations requires a strictly individual psychotherapeutic approach. What is important is the period of deprivation, the individual personal characteristics of a person, his age, the type of deprivation and form, and external conditions. The consequences of some deprivations are easier to correct, while others take a lot of time to correct, or the irreversibility of mental changes is stated.

Afterword

By the way, the phenomenon of deprivation is closer than we think, and it has not only a negative side. Its skillful use helps to know oneself and achieve a state of altered consciousness. Remember the techniques of yoga, relaxation, meditation: close your eyes, don’t move, listen to music. All these are elements of deprivation. In small and controlled doses, when used skillfully, deprivation can improve the psychophysiological state.

This feature is used in some psychotechnics. With the help of perception management (can only be done under the supervision of a psychotherapist), new horizons become available to the individual: previously unknown resources, increased adaptive abilities.

Types of deprivation are usually distinguished depending on what need is not satisfied.

J. Langmeyer and Z. Matejcek analyze four types of mental deprivation.

1. Stimulus (sensory) deprivation: reduced number of sensory stimuli or their limited variability and modality.

2. Deprivation of meaning (cognitive): too changeable, chaotic structure of the external world without clear ordering and meaning, which does not make it possible to understand, anticipate and regulate what is happening from the outside.

3. Deprivation of emotional relationship (emotional): insufficient opportunity to establish an intimate emotional relationship with a person or the severance of such an emotional connection, if one has already been created.

4. Identity deprivation (social): limited opportunity to acquire an autonomous social role.

Sensory deprivation sometimes described by the concept of “depleted environment,” that is, an environment in which a person does not receive a sufficient amount of visual, auditory, tactile and other stimuli. Such an environment can accompany the development of a child and also be included in the life situations of an adult.

Cognitive(informational) deprivation prevents the creation of adequate models of the surrounding world. If there is no necessary information, ideas about the connections between objects and phenomena, a person creates “imaginary connections” (according to I.P. Pavlov), he develops false beliefs.

WITH emotional deprivation Both children and adults can experience this. In relation to children, the concept of “maternal deprivation” is sometimes used, emphasizing the important role of the emotional connection between the child and mother; disruption or deficiency of this connection leads to a number of mental health problems in the child.

Social deprivation is interpreted quite widely in the literature. It is faced by children living or studying in closed institutions, adults who, for one reason or another, are isolated from society or have limited contact with other people, elderly people after retirement, etc.

In life, different types of deprivation are intricately intertwined. Some of them may be combined, one may be a consequence of the other, etc.

In addition to those mentioned above, there are other types of deprivation. For example, with motor A person experiences deprivation when there are restrictions in movement (as a result of injury, illness or in other cases). Such deprivation, although not directly mental, nevertheless has a strong impact on the mental state of a person. This fact has been repeatedly recorded during relevant experiments. Motor deprivation also affects mental development. In particular, in developmental psychology, evidence has been obtained that the development of movements in childhood is one of the factors in the formation of the “image of the self.”

In modern psychology and related humanities, there are some types of deprivation that are of a generalized nature or associated with individual aspects of human existence in society: educational, economic, ethical deprivation, etc.

In addition to types, there are various forms manifestations of deprivation, which in form can be obvious or hidden.

Explicit deprivation is of an obvious nature: a person’s stay in conditions of social isolation, prolonged loneliness, raising a child in an orphanage, etc. This is a visible deviation from the norm (in the cultural understanding).

Hidden deprivation(also partial, according to J. Bowlby; masked, according to G. Harlow) is not so obvious. It occurs under externally favorable conditions, which, however, do not provide the opportunity to satisfy the needs that are significant to a person. Thus, J. Bowlby writes that partial deprivation can be observed where there is no direct separation of mother and child, but their relationship for some reason is unsatisfactory for the child.

Hidden deprivation is currently attracting special attention from researchers. Its source may be in the family, school, various social institutions, or society as a whole.

Thus, deprivation is a complex, multidimensional phenomenon that relates to various spheres of human life.