Kinesthetics - what is it in psychology?
Kinesthetics is one of the channels for a person to perceive information coming from the outside.
This area is responsible for awareness of one’s own body, facial expressions, and physical contacts with other people.
Stroking, hugging, kissing, touching - all this is the area of kinesthetics.
More often, such a perception of reality is characteristic of women who have an increased need for tactile sensations.
In childhood, physical contacts also play an important role, as they help the child gain self-confidence and build trust in the world around him.
The importance of tactile communication
Kinesthetic communication through touch is one of the most primitive ways of communicating with other people. Thus, it is also one of the most authentic and necessary. The first tactile contact we experience occurs during breastfeeding. In addition to having a way to eat, the child begins to form attachments. The same thing happens when a mother strokes her baby's skin.
Important! This type of tactile communication is so important that a large number of mammals, especially monkeys, engage in it. They groom, hug, and touch each other frequently.
People need this type of kinesthetic communication even more. A baby who is left alone will have a harder time surviving the first few months of life and is more likely to have emotional problems later. We need it throughout our lives, although less as we get older. But we do need it at certain times in our lives, such as grief or illness.
Sensations and feelings
A person of a kinesthetic type primarily experiences the world through sensations and feelings. Visual and auditory effects fade into the background for him .
In theoretical psychology, only proprioception . This is a set of signals coming from receptors in the skin, muscles, tendons, and joints.
They convey the basic sensations that arise during movement, contact with other objects, during changes in body position, etc.
Practical science considers this issue more broadly.
Kinesthetics includes the entire range of sensory experiences: touch, taste perception (sweet, salty, etc.), smells, thermoregulation, pain.
With the help of kinesthetic sensations, a person can analyze the position of his body or the movements performed by its individual parts, even with his eyes closed and the absence of sound signals.
During movements, signals are sent to the brain that are responsible for muscle tone and coordination.
Any movement is controlled by the brain. For this reason, loss of proprioceptive stimulation leads to motor disorders .
Kinesthetic cognition is directly related to vision. On the one hand, the individual visually determines distances using the sensations experienced.
On the other hand, in the absence of visual perception of reality, it is much easier to navigate in space if a familiar visual image is formed in the mind.
For example, when a person moves in a dark room, guided by the touch of his hands on surfaces, he unconsciously reproduces in his head a visual image of a familiar room.
Kinesthetic sensitivity plays a big role in skill development . The automated movements that people make are the result of the development of muscle memory.
Thus, in one’s own home, a person often does not use vision to turn on the light in the room. His hand automatically reaches for the switch, located in its usual place.
What is kinesthetic intelligence and what does it affect?
Kinesthetic intelligence is how a person perceives the world around him and himself in this world.
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Kinesthesia is sometimes called the “sixth sense.” The kinesthetic sense gives a sense of one’s body in space, the position of the limbs relative to each other, coordination, and balance. Kinesthesia helps you correctly interpret what is happening around you. The kinesthetic sense is responsible for many interoreceptors - sensitive nerve endings located in muscles, tendons and ligaments, internal organs - and exteroreceptors, which are responsible for auditory, tactile, olfactory and taste sensations.
If IQ reflects how we think, EQ reflects what emotions we experience, then KQ refers to the most primary thing, what we feel and sense.
Until very recently, humanity moved slowly. To get food, people had to hunt for several hours a day. When hunting was replaced by the domestication of animals and farming, even more actions had to be performed in order to feed ourselves.
Today everything is much simpler: if we are hungry, we go to the nearest supermarket, and sometimes we just need to click on the smartphone screen several times - and now the courier calls to inform us about the delivery of food.
The world is changing rapidly, but you and I are not evolving as quickly and still need a wide range of visual, auditory and tactile sensations.
Nowadays, urban people spend most of their time in the artificial environment. The wave of progress takes people further and further from the natural environment to the artificial one and deprives them of the opportunity to fully stimulate receptors and sensory systems. Without this stimulation, kinesthetic perception is dulled, or, more simply put, we lose the ability to feel.
Without the kinesthetic sense we lose touch with reality. It is like a foundation on which everything that is built above depends. Kinesthesia brings us back to the body and gives us a taste for life.
Who is a kinesthetic learner?
Kinesthetics are individuals who perceive reality through sensations. For them, touch becomes the main source of information.
During physical contact with other people or objects, the formation of a basic idea about them occurs. If for a visual learner to better assimilate information it is necessary to evaluate it with their eyes, and an auditory learner needs to listen, then it is important for kinesthetics to touch it.
It is a mistake to say that each person has only one channel of perception. As a rule, pure types are practically never found in nature. Kinesthetics may predominate in an individual, but this does not mean a complete absence of visual or auditory perception of reality.
In the early stages of life, kinesthetic sensations predominate in all people.
Kids constantly strive to touch, feel, stroke, and taste everything.
This is how they learn about the world around them. As they grow older, many people switch to other channels of perception. But there are also those for whom sensory knowledge remains in first place.
to recognize a kinesthetic person by his manner of expressing his own thoughts: “I feel that everything will be fine”, “I was very pleased at this moment”, “I have a feeling that I forgot something”, etc.
From these phrases it immediately becomes clear that the individual interprets even intangible phenomena from the point of view of physical sensations.
A kinesthetic person always strives to touch an object or person . During a conversation, he may periodically squeeze the interlocutor’s hand, pat him on the shoulder, touch his hair, etc. If he sees an interesting object, he will definitely come up to touch and stroke it.
In everyday communication, kinesthetics can be recognized by other signs:
- Always fiddling with something in his hands , moving objects from place to place.
- Tries to avoid eye contact, but at the same time strives to close the distance. A person has no desire to constantly look into the eyes of his interlocutor, since this makes him feel uncomfortable. Interest and sympathy are expressed precisely in the desire to get closer and make physical contact.
- During a conversation, he always touches his opponent . Often people perceive this behavior of a kinesthetic person as a manifestation of sympathy or even physical attraction, but in fact he is immersed in the conversation in this way and fully participates in it.
- At certain moments of communication, he may lose the thread of the conversation and “withdraw into himself . This is due to an uncontrolled switching to one’s own sensations and experiences. At such moments, the individual actually completely falls out of the conversation and becomes immersed in his own thoughts. Often such behavior is demonstrated by kinesthetic children, who during a lesson can daydream and completely disconnect from what is happening.
- He strives to begin solving a problem as quickly as possible and does not tolerate others discussing possible options for the development of events for a long time and carefully.
It’s easier for a kinesthetic learner to start acting right away and make several erroneous attempts to find the right path than to waste time on empty (from his point of view) reasoning. - He has good control over his own body and knows how to control it . For this reason, dancers, ballerinas, and athletes are usually people with a predominant sensory channel of perception.
- Loves and appreciates comfort . Comfort does not mean order and systematicity, but rather a feeling of comfort and tranquility. His house may be a complete mess, but it is in this chaos that he will feel most at home. For the same reason, people of this type can wear the same things for years, which have long lost their visual appeal, but are pleasant to the body and comfortable.
- Relies mainly on his intuition . You can often hear a phrase beginning with the words: “I have a feeling that...”. For this reason, many actions and decisions are the result of internal feelings.
Static and kinesthetic sensations
⇐ PreviousPage 11 of 43Next ⇒Static sensations
Indications about the state of our body in space, its posture, its passive and active movements, as well as the movements of its individual parts relative to each other, give a variety of sensations, mainly from the internal organs, from the muscular system and articular surfaces, and partly from the skin.
In assessing the position of the body in space, deep sensitivity plays a decisive role. The main organ for regulating the position of the body in space is the labyrinthine apparatus, namely its vestibular apparatus - the vestibule and semicircular canals. The labyrinth signals the position of the head in space, and therefore a redistribution of muscle tone occurs. A whole series of experimental dizziness from rotation, from the action of heat, cold, and galvanic current on the labyrinth apparatus shows how decisive the role the labyrinth apparatus plays in these conditions.
The central organ that regulates the maintenance of body balance in space is the vestibule of the labyrinth - the vestibular apparatus, innervated by the vestibular nerve, which transmits irritations from statocysts located in the labyrinth.
The highest controlling organ of balance is the cerebellum, with which the vestibular apparatus is connected through appropriate pathways.
While the vestibular apparatus serves to determine and regulate position in relation to the vertical, the semicircular canals serve to determine the rotational and accelerated translational movement of one's own body.
Kinesthetic sensations
Sensations of movement of individual parts of the body - kinesthetic sensations are caused by excitations coming from proprioceptors located in joints, ligaments and muscles. [Since the overwhelming majority of proprioceptive impulses are not conscious, I.M. Sechenov called - very successfully - the muscle sense “dark.”] Thanks to kinesthetic sensations, a person can determine the position and movement of his limbs even with his eyes closed. Impulses entering the central nervous system from proprioceptors as a result of changes that occur during muscle movement cause reflex reactions and play a significant role in muscle tone and coordination of movements. Every movement we perform is controlled by centripetal impulses from the proprioceptors. The loss of proprioceptive stimuli therefore entails a more or less significant disorder of motor coordination. This lack of coordination can be partially corrected by vision. Kinesthesia is generally in close interaction with vision. On the one hand, visual assessment of distances is developed under the control of kinesthetic sensations; on the other hand, the visual-motor coordination developed in our experience and in practice plays a very significant role in our movements performed under the control of vision. In combination with vision, touch, etc., kinesthetic sensations play a significant role in the development of our spatial perceptions and ideas.
The role of muscle sense in the education of vision, hearing and other senses was noted by one of the first by the outstanding Russian physiologist I.M. Sechenov. In a number of works, and especially in his famous article “Elements of Thought,” Sechenov showed that spatial vision and eye measurement are carried out, firstly, with the help of proprioceptors of the eye muscles, and secondly, through the repeated combination of assessing distances with the eyes and hands or feet. According to Sechenov, a muscle is an analyzer not only of space, but also of time: “Near, far and height of objects, the path and speed of their movements - all these are products of the muscular sense... Being fractional in periodic movements, the same muscular sense becomes a meter or fractional analyzer space and time." [AND. M. Sechenov, Elements of Thought. St. Petersburg, 1898. P. 187]
Kinesthetic sensations are always involved to some extent in the development of skills. An essential aspect of automating movements is the transition of control over their execution from exteroceptors to proprioceptors. Such a transition can occur when, for example, a pianist, having learned a piece of music, ceases to be guided by the visual perception of notes and keyboard, trusting the art of his hand.
Skin sensitivity
Cutaneous sensitivity is divided by classical physiology of the sensory organs into four different types. Usually there are receptions: 1) pain, 2) heat, 3) cold and 4) touch (and pressure). It is assumed that each of these four types of sensitivity has specific receptors and a special afferent system.
Anatomical analysis shows that on the surface of the skin there are many different peripheral receptor formations of various shapes, such as Meissner's, Pacinni's, Ruffini's corpuscles, Krause's cones, etc. It is assumed that Pacinni's corpuscles are irritated by touch (pressure); Krause cones - by temperature changes (cold); Meissner's corpuscles, found only in humans and monkeys, according to some assumptions are directly receptors for surface touch, according to others - only sensitizers that increase sensitivity to weak pressure in areas devoid of hair.
We have to admit that a truly precise connection between the types of skin sensitivity, the different quality of stimuli acting on them and the sensations resulting from this influence, on the one hand, and certain peripheral apparatuses, on the other, has not yet been established.
The diversity of the perceptive nervous apparatus in the periphery continues with the same, if not greater, diversity of nerve pathways carrying sensitivity from the periphery to the center. The nerve trunk, which makes up one or another peripheral nerve, contains sensory and motor nerve fibers going to the effector apparatus. In front of the spinal cord, sensory and motor fibers are separated; all motor fibers make up the anterior pair of roots of the spinal cord, and sensory fibers make up a pair of dorsal roots. The anterior roots leave the spinal cord, originating in the motor cells of the anterior horns of the spinal cord, and go to the periphery, forming a common nerve trunk with sensory fibers; the sensory fibers originate from the above-mentioned terminal sensory apparatuses and go to the spinal cord, passing through the posterior spinal ganglion. In this spinal node, the sensory fibers coming from the periphery have, as it were, the first switching substation, from which new sensory systems begin, constituting the dorsal roots and entering the spinal cord through the posterior columns of the spinal cord. In this case, some sensory fibers enter the posterior third of the spinal cord and form the Gaulle and Burdach pathways (named after the authors who described them); entering the spinal cord, they are divided into ascending and descending branches, which give collaterals to various nerve cells of the spinal cord. Descending fibers usually end in the same segment, and ascending fibers ascend to the medulla oblongata, where they end in the nuclei, from which second-order neurons extend to the thalamus optica.
The paths of Gaulle and Burdach lead from the periphery to the center deep sensitivity, that is, the muscular and vibrational sense and the sense of touch (tactile).
In addition to these pathways, the following conduction systems lie in the lateral columns of the spinal cord: Flexig's bundle, or direct cerebellar tract, which originates from the cells of Clarke's columns and on its side runs along the entire length of the spinal cord and enters the cerebellum. The Flexig bundle, together with the Gowers bundle, provides all the signaling to the balance organ about the static-dynamic position of the body in the external environment.
Another pathway, very important functionally, originates from the nerve cells of the dorsal horns of the spinal cord. Starting from the cells of the dorsal horns, which are like a second switching substation, and passing along the spinal cord and trunk, it enters the optic thalamus. This spinothalamic pathway transmits pain and temperature (cold and heat) and partly tactile sensitivity from the periphery.
Electrophysiological analysis of the receptor systems of skin sensitivity (Adrian) established that the impulse that occurs when applying tactile stimulation is characterized by a high frequency (up to 200 m
per second), fast conductivity (up to 80
m
per second) and rapid onset of adaptation to the stimulus.
Thermal irritations (cold, heat) and moderate pressure generate impulses of lower frequency and slower conduction. Painful stimuli generate slow impulses (with a frequency of maximum 40 m
per second) and with slow conductivity (of the order of 0.5 to 10
m
).
a) Pain
Pain is a biologically very important protective device. Occurring under the influence of irritations that are destructive in nature and strength, pain signals danger to the body, being a symptom of the pathological processes to which it is exposed.
Pain sensitivity is distributed unevenly on the surface of the skin and in the internal organs. There are areas that are slightly sensitive to pain and others that are much more sensitive. On average, according to M. Frey, per 1 sq. cm
there are 100 pain points; on the entire surface of the skin, therefore, there should be about 900 thousand pain points - more than points of any other type of sensitivity.
The latest experimental studies give reason to believe that the distribution of pain points is dynamic, mobile and that pain sensations are the result of a certain, exceeding a known limit, intensity, duration and frequency of impulses coming from a particular irritant (Nafe).
According to the prevailing theory of M. Frey, pain sensitivity has an independent not only peripheral, but also central nervous system. A. Goldscheider and A. Pieron deny this. Goldscheider recognizes the unity of receptors and peripheral nerve pathways for pain and tactile sensitivity, believing that the nature of the sensation depends on the nature of the irritation. Humoral factors increase pain sensitivity. The influence of these humoral factors, as well as vegetative ones, is revealed by the studies of L. A. Orbeli. [L. A. Orbeli, Pain and its physiological effects, “Physiological Journal of the USSR”, vol. XXI, no. 5-6, M. 1936 (report “Proceedings of the XV International Physiological Congress”).] According to his research, pain appears to be a complex state of the body, caused by the interaction of diverse nervous and humoral factors.
Pain sensitivity is characterized by low excitability. Impulses arising after painful stimulation are characterized by slow conduction. Adaptation to pain impulses occurs very slowly.
Psychologically, pain is most characterized by the affective nature of pain. No wonder they talk about the sensation of pain and the feeling of pain. The sensation of pain is usually associated with a feeling of displeasure or suffering.
The pain, further, is relatively poorly localized, it is often radiating, diffuse in nature. It is well known how often, for example, with toothache and pain in internal organs, patients make mistakes in localizing the source of their pain.
In psychological terms, some interpret pain as a specific sensation, while others consider it only as a particularly acute manifestation of the affective quality of the unpleasant. Pain is undoubtedly an affective reaction, but is associated with intense irritation of only certain sensory apparatus. There is, therefore, a basis to talk about the specific sensation of pain, without dissolving it in the affective-sensory tone of the unpleasant; pain is at the same time a vivid manifestation of the unity of sensory and affective sensitivity. The painful sensation may be in unity with the affective and cognitive moment. If with a burn only the affective moment of acute pain sensitivity appears, then with an injection, when the painful nature of the sensation is associated with tactile moments, the moment of sensory cognition—differentiation and localization of painful irritation—appears in the pain sensation in unity with the affective reaction.
Due to the relatively diffuse, ill-defined nature of the pain sensation (due to which G. Head attributed pain sensitivity to the lower protopathic sensitivity), it turns out to be very mobile and amenable to influence from higher mental processes associated with the activity of the cortex - ideas, direction of thoughts and etc. Thus, an exaggerated idea of the strength of the pain irritation awaiting a person can significantly increase pain sensitivity. This is evidenced by observations in both everyday and experimental situations. [Z. M. Berkenblit, Dynamics of pain sensations and ideas about pain, “Proceedings of the State Institute for Brain Research named after. V. M. Bekhterev,” ed. V. P. Osipova, vol. XIII, 1940. A. N. Davydova, On the psychological study of pain (ibid.).] This impact of ideas clearly depends on personal characteristics: in people who are fearful, cowardly, and intolerant, it will be especially great.
In life, one often observes how in a person who is focused on his painful sensations, they grow monstrously and become, apparently, completely unbearable, and at the same time - like a person complaining of excruciating pain, having become involved in an interesting and important for him conversation, busy with something that captivates him, he forgets about pain, almost ceasing to feel it. Pain sensitivity, obviously, is also amenable to cortical regulation. Because of this, higher conscious processes can, apparently, either “hyperesthetize” or “anesthetize” a person’s pain sensitivity. People who endured the torment of the Inquisition and all kinds of torture in the name of their convictions were, first of all, courageous people who, even experiencing the greatest torment, found the strength not to succumb to them, but to act, obeying other, more significant and deep motives for them; but at the same time, these very motives may have made them less sensitive to painful stimuli.
b) Temperature sensations
Temperature (thermal) sensitivity gives us sensations of heat and cold. Temperature sensitivity is of great importance for the reflex regulation of body temperature.
The relative constancy of internal body temperature maintained through this reflex thermoregulation, which appears on the evolutionary ladder in birds and mammals, is a major acquisition in terms of biological significance, ensuring relative independence with respect to temperature changes in the environment.
Traditional classical physiology of the sense organs (the foundations of which were laid by M. Blix and M. Frey) considers sensitivity to heat and cold as two different and independent types of sensitivity, each of which has its own peripheral receptor apparatus. The anatomical organs for sensing cold are considered to be Krause's flasks, and heat - the Ruffinian corpuscles. However, this is just a hypothesis.
When cold spots are irritated by an inappropriate stimulus, such as a hot point, they give a cold sensation. This is the so-called “paradoxical feeling of cold.” Recently, in the laboratory of K. M. Bykov, a paradoxical sensation of warmth from a cold stimulus was obtained (by A. A. Rogov).
Some authors believe that the sensation of hotness is a consequence of the complex relationship between the simultaneous sensation of heat and cold, due to the fact that in places where there are no cold points, hot objects cause only a sensation of warmth (and sometimes even pain), but no sensation of heat; on the contrary, where there are no points of heat, the sensation of strong thermal irritation gives only the sensation of cold. The traditional concept of fixed sensory points, on which the doctrine of the sensations of heat and cold (and all skin sensitivity) is usually based, has recently been subjected to serious experimental criticism. Data from the latest research suggest that there are no firmly fixed individual points of heat and cold (as well as pressure and pain) once and for all, since, as it turns out, the number of these points varies depending on the intensity of the stimulus. This explains the fact that different studies find different numbers of sensitive points on the same areas of the skin. It turned out further that depending on the intensity of the stimulus and the structural relationship of the stimulus to the perceiving apparatus, not only the number of sensitive points changes, but also the quality of the resulting sensation: the sensation of warmth is replaced by a sensation of pain, the sensation of pressure turns into a sensation of warmth, etc. (Nafe).
A significant role in thermal sensations is played by the ability of the skin to quickly adapt to different temperatures, and different parts of the skin have different speeds of adaptation.
The subjective thermal zero, which does not give any temperature sensations, is the average temperature, approximately equal to skin temperature. A higher temperature of an object gives us a feeling of warmth, a lower temperature gives us a feeling of cold. Thermal sensations are caused by a difference in temperature or thermal exchange that is established between an organ and an external object. The more active and faster the heat exchange occurs, the more intense the sensation it causes. Therefore, even at the same temperature, a good conductor (for example, metal) will seem colder or warmer than a bad conductor (for example, wool). Since each body has a certain conductivity, characterizing the specific properties of its surface, thermal sensitivity acquires a specific cognitive significance: in the sense of touch, it plays a significant role in recognizing the things we touch.
Thermal sensitivity is associated, as already indicated, with thermoregulation. The automatic regulation of internal body temperature, which is relatively independent of the environment, which first appeared in birds and mammals and persists in humans, is complemented by the ability to create an artificial environment - heated and cooled dwellings in which the most favorable temperature for the human body is maintained. This ability for dual temperature regulation - internal and external - is significant, because temperature conditions, reflected in thermal sensitivity, affect a person’s overall activity and performance.
c) Touch, pressure
The sensations of touch and pressure are closely related. Even the classical theory of cutaneous sensitivity (founded by M. Blix and M. Frey), which is based on the recognition of special sensitive points for each type of skin sensation, does not assume special receptor points for pressure and touch. The pressure feels like a strong touch.
A characteristic feature of the sensations of touch and pressure (unlike, for example, pain) is their relatively precise localization, which is developed as a result of experience with the participation of vision and muscle sense. Characteristic of pressure receptors is their rapid adaptation. Because of this, we usually feel not so much pressure as such, but rather a change in pressure.
Sensitivity to pressure and touch varies across different areas of the skin.
Sensitivity to touch, expressed in the subtlety of differentiation of two slightly distant touches (determined by the esthesiometer of E. G. Weber, M. Frey, Spearman or V. M. Bekhterev), is 1 mm
on the surface of the tongue, 2
mm
at the ends of the fingers and 67.7
mm
on the middle part of the back. If you specifically select touch points, the touch thresholds are significantly reduced, reaching 0.1 at the ends of the fingers and 0.4 on the back.
All these thresholds are not fixed values once and for all. They vary depending on different conditions. Fatigue clearly affects the fineness of skin sensitivity. It is no less obviously amenable to exercise. Convincing proof of this can be found in the results that blind people achieve in this regard through training.
Touch
The sensation of touch and pressure in such abstract isolation, in which they appear in the typical definition of thresholds of skin sensitivity for traditional psychophysiology, play only a subordinate role in the knowledge of objective reality. In practice, in reality, what is essential for understanding reality is not the passive touch of something on a person’s skin, but the active touch
, a person’s feeling of objects around him associated with the impact on them. We therefore distinguish the sense of touch from the sensations of the skin; this is a specifically human feeling of a working and knowing hand; it is particularly active in nature. With touch, cognition of the material world occurs in the process of movement, which turns into a consciously purposeful action of feeling, effective cognition of an object.
Touch includes sensations of touch and pressure in unity with kinesthetic, muscle-articular sensations. Touch is both extero- and proprioceptive sensitivity, the interaction and unity of one and the other. Proprioceptive components of touch come from receptors located in muscles, ligaments, and joint capsules (Pacinian corpuscles, muscle spindles). When moving, they are irritated by changes in tension. However, the sense of touch is not limited to kinesthetic sensations and sensations of touch or pressure.
Humans have a specific sense of touch - the hand
and, moreover, mainly
a moving hand
. Being an organ of labor, it is at the same time an organ of knowledge of objective reality.
[A number of subtle psychological remarks about the role of the hand as an organ of cognition of objective reality, mainly the right one, were given by I.M. Sechenov (“Physiological Essays,” pp. 267-268), who anticipated much of what D. Katz later developed. “The hand is not only a grasping instrument, - its free end, the hand, is a subtle organ of touch,” Sechenov wrote, “and this organ sits on the hand like on a rod, capable of not only shortening, lengthening and moving in all possible directions, but also to feel in a certain way each such movement.” “If the organ of vision, in terms of the effects it gives,” he wrote in another place, “could be likened to contractile tentacles protruding from the body with a visual apparatus at the end, then the hand, as an organ of touch, has nothing to liken; with its entire structure it is a tactile protruding from the body groped in reality.” (I.M. Sechenov, Physiological Sketches. P. 267-268) Recently in Soviet literature, the role of the hand as an organ of cognition and the problem of touch was devoted to the special work of L. A. Shifman: “On the problem of tactile perception of form” (“Proceedings State Institute for the Study of the Brain named after V. M. Bekhterev", vol. XIII, L. 1940. There is also his article "On the question of tactile perception of form"). L.A. Shifman experimentally shows that the hand as an organ of cognition is closer to the eye than to the skin, and reveals how the data of active touch are mediated by visual images and are included in the construction of the image of a thing.] The difference between the hand and other parts of the body lies not only in the quantitative fact that sensitivity to touch and pressure on the palm and fingertips is so many times greater than on the back or shoulder, but also in the fact that, being an organ formed in work and adapted for influencing objects of objective reality, the hand capable of active touch, and not just the reception of passive touch. Because of this, it gives us especially valuable knowledge of the most essential properties of the material world. Hardness, elasticity, impenetrability
- the main properties that define material bodies are known by a moving hand, reflected in the sensations that it gives us. The difference between hard and soft is recognized by the resistance that the hand encounters when in contact with the body, which is reflected in the degree of pressure of the articular surfaces on each other.
Tactile sensations (touch, pressure, together with muscular-articular, kinesthetic sensations), combined with diverse data of skin sensitivity, reflect many other properties through which we recognize objects in the world around us. The interaction of the sensations of pressure and temperature gives us the sensation of humidity. The combination of humidity with a certain pliability and permeability gives us the opportunity to recognize liquid
bodies as opposed to solids.
The interaction of sensations of deep pressure is characteristic of the sensation of softness: in interaction with the thermal sensation of cold, they give rise to a feeling of stickiness
. The interaction of various types of skin sensitivity, mainly again of a moving hand, also reflects a number of other properties of material bodies, such as
viscosity, oiliness, smoothness
and
roughness
, etc. We recognize the roughness and smoothness of a surface as a result of vibrations that are produced when the hand moves over a more or less rough surface, and differences in pressure on adjacent areas of the skin.
During individual development, from early childhood, already in an infant, the hand is one of the most important organs of cognition of the environment. Already in the mother's arms, the baby reaches out with his little hands to all objects that attract his attention. Preschoolers and often younger schoolchildren, too, when they first become acquainted with an object, grab it with their hands, actively turn it, move it, and lift it. These same moments of effective familiarization in the process of active cognition of an object also take place in an experimental situation.
Contrary to the subjective idealistic tendencies of a number of psychologists (J. Volkelt, R. Gippius, etc.), who, emphasizing in every possible way the moment of subjective emotional experience in the sense of touch, sought to nullify the objective-cognitive meaning, our research [S. N. Shabalin, Subject-cognitive aspects in the perception of form by a preschooler // Scientific notes of the Department of Psychology of the Pedagogical Institute named after. Herzen, vol. XVIII, ed. prof. S. L. Rubinshteina, L. 1939; F. S. Rosenfeld, The relationship between perception and memory in the recognition of objects] show that even among schoolchildren, the sense of touch is a process of effective cognition of the surrounding reality. Numerous data from the protocols of F. S. Rosenfeld and S. N. Shabalina clearly reveal the child’s cognitive attitudes in the process of touching: he does not simply surrender to the experience of a subjective impression of one or another tangible quality, but strives, through the qualities that the process of touch reveals, to identify object and its properties.
Typically, the sense of touch functions in humans in connection with vision and under its control. In those cases where, as is the case with the blind, the sense of touch acts independently of vision, its distinctive features, its strengths and weaknesses, clearly emerge.
Sculpture of a man born blind, depicting despair (after G. Reves)
Sculpture of the blind man “Conversation” (after G. Reves)
The weakest point in the isolated sense of touch is the knowledge of the relationships of spatial quantities, the strongest is the reflection of dynamics, movement, and effectiveness. Both points are very clearly illustrated by the sculptures of the blind (see the figures above, which we borrow from the work of Revesz [Revesz, Die Formenwelt des Tastsinns, Bd. II, 1939.]). Even more instructive, perhaps, are the sculptures of blind-deaf-mute children from the Leningrad Institute of Hearing and Speech, in particular the dynamism-filled sculptures we reproduced of Ardalyon K., a young man perhaps no less remarkable than Elena Keller, whose life and achievements deserve no less careful description . Looking at the sculptures of these children, deprived not only of sight, but also of hearing, one cannot help but be amazed at how much can be achieved in displaying the surrounding reality based on the sense of touch.
"The Fisherman and the Fish." Sculpture of Ardalyon K., 20 years old (blind for about 2 years)
"Ruslan and Ludmila". Sculpture of Ardallon K.
"Troika". Sculpture of Ardallon K.
The entire process of teaching the blind, and to an even greater extent the blind-deaf-mute, is based on touch, on the activity of the moving hand, since learning to read and, therefore, mastering one of the main means of mental and general cultural development is accomplished through palpation - finger perception of raised font (Braille).
Palpation is also used in the perception of speech by the blind and deaf-mute. “Listening” to speech by the blind-deaf-mute using the method of “reading from the voice” consists in the fact that the blind-deaf-mute puts his hand with the back of the hand to the speaker’s neck in the area of the vocal apparatus and, through tactile-vibrational perception, catches the speech.
The life and work of many blind people who have reached a high level of intellectual development and work as teachers, sculptors, writers, etc., in particular the striking biography of the blind-deaf-mute Elena Keller and a number of others, serve as a fairly clear indicator of the capabilities of the tactile-motor learning system.
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Channel of perception
Since people with a kinesthetic channel of perception experience the world through feelings and tactile contacts, it is important for others to properly communicate with them.
To win over such an individual and attract his attention to the conversation, you need to put your hand on the shoulder, touch the wrist, hug, etc.
Often such people in a conversation make the same movements with a certain frequency: they rub their eyes, twirl some trinket between their fingers, tap a pen on the table, etc.
Positive emotions in kinesthetics are caused by any pleasant experiences : warmth, softness, pleasant taste, unobtrusive movements.
The sense of smell also plays an important role. Such individuals always feel more comfortable in a room that smells delicious.
Experts recommend that parents and teachers identify the predominant channel of perception in children at an early stage and transmit information to them accordingly.
A kinesthetic child will understand well an adult who periodically strokes his hand, hugs him, etc. A student only needs an approving tap on the shoulder to experience positive emotions and gain self-confidence.
At the same time, it is important not to forget that adequate knowledge of reality is possible only by using all channels. Therefore, sensory sensations must always be supplemented by visual and auditory perception.
Kinesthetic learning
Are you one of those people who hate lectures, sitting at your desk, reading a difficult book, feeling like your head is about to explode? Do you perform best when it comes to physical activities, such as games, sports, laboratory experiments? Then perhaps you are a kinesthetic learner.
Kinesthetic (tactile) learning is a learning style in which students learn through physical activity, rather than listening to lectures or watching instructional videos.
Neil Fleming, a New Zealand educator and educational theorist, developed the VARK (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and reading and writing) model. According to her, kinesthetic learners prefer physical interaction, which makes them better able to learn information through experience. They thrive in specific circumstances: on-the-job training, internships, solving business cases.
If you are a teacher, you should pay attention to the characteristics of such students. And if you yourself are a kinesthetic learner, you can use the information from this article to learn most effectively.
When learning, kinesthetic learners prefer:
- Role-playing games: information is better absorbed if some kind of scene is played out.
- Competitions: the sports component plays a big role in motivation.
- Excursions: for kinesthetic learners, it is better to see and touch than to read and hear.
- Projects: with the help of physical activity, such people learn much faster.
- Laboratory studies, charades, gymnastics and games that involve the whole body will also be useful.
This is due to the fact that kinesthetic learners cannot fully absorb knowledge if their bodies are not involved in the process. In this case, the information remains in short-term memory, but is not transferred to long-term memory, that is, it is immediately “dissipated.”
Tips for Kinesthetic Learning
1
Develop your range of tactile actions
Start by making a list of skills you want to master. For example, it could be:
- English language learning
- Oratory
- Time management
- Acting
Acting is definitely best suited for kinesthetic learners. But what if you want to learn English? Then, perhaps, you should spend less time on grammar textbooks (although this also needs to be done), and more time on practice and communication with other people. Also use flash cards, thanks to which you can learn new words, entire phrases and even rules.
In short, when mastering a skill, look for a variety of ways to use tactile sensations.
2
Focus on immersion and interactivity
If we continue the example with learning English, you can:
- Find apps for your smartphone that use gamification and interactivity.
- Include photographs and sound effects in training.
- Simulate the desired environment: decorate your room in such a way that it feels like an English-speaking person lives here.
3
Make learning emotional
Use:
- Colors that evoke strong positive emotions.
- Biographies of people you admire. Also look for interesting examples from the lives of prominent personalities.
- Words that spark enthusiasm and motivation.
Remember that disappointment, anxiety and stress are conditions in which the quality of memorizing information drops several times.
4
Apply different kinesthetic learning styles
Kinesthetic learners can be divided into four groups:
- Those who prefer practical tasks.
- Those who like to use their entire body when mastering a skill.
- Those who prefer to learn through artistic abilities.
- Those that learn best when emotions are involved.
Of course, every person combines these abilities to one degree or another. So mix and match and experiment by expressing yourself creatively, sculpting and drawing (including doodles), and taking notes and visual notes.
5
Get out into the real world
As a kinesthetic learner, you don’t need to pore over books for long. Therefore, if you want to learn how to communicate with people, go out in public. Apply different techniques, get feedback, draw conclusions and learn from your mistakes.
6
Create collaborative group projects
Kinesthetic learners love teamwork more than other people. In it they show their best abilities.
Therefore, if possible, stop working alone and come up with a team project where you have a chance to realize your potential through interaction with other people.
7
Conduct experiments
This is the most interesting thing not only for kinesthetic learners, but also for many other people. What is an experiment in our case? You come up with some kind of game for yourself that has a goal. For example, to instill some habits in yourself, you can completely change your daily routine for an entire month. At the same time, keep a diary, describe your emotions and physical sensations.
We wish you good luck!
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We also recommend reading:
- Storytelling
- 7 competencies for learning
- Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory and Learning Styles
- Lifelong learning: 5 recommendations
- 9 levels of training according to Gagne
- Flash cards
- Learning styles
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Characteristics of the thinking system
Kinesthetic learners primarily trust their senses. They view any events, objects and people through the prism of emotions that arise as a result of interaction .
If, during communication with a kinesthetic learner, the interlocutor demonstrates openness and goodwill, uses handshakes, touches, and claps, then the likelihood of consolidating a positive impression is quite high .
Since information is perceived by individuals in a tactile manner, all thoughts about the issue under discussion are expressed in a similar way: “I can’t accept this,” “I was touched by this topic,” “I feel what the conversation will be about,” etc.
The greatest attention of a kinesthetic learner is attracted to the topic that captures his attention as much as possible. In this case, the risk of being distracted by your own thoughts and experiences is reduced.
So, when presenting information exclusively out loud (for example, during a lecture), you cannot count on good concentration.
But if the same material is supplemented with colorful illustrations that add emotional coloring to the process, the kinesthetic learner is more likely to focus on the topic.
Kinesthetic and kinetic development
⇐ PreviousPage 28 of 47Next ⇒Formation of sensations from various postures and movements of the body, upper and lower extremities, and head. Carrying out exercises as instructed by the teacher, using words to indicate the positions of various parts of your body. Expressiveness of movements (imitation of animal habits, playing various musical instruments).
Perception of shape, size, color; designing objects
Formation of sensory standards of planar geometric shapes (circle, square, rectangle, triangle) on an empirical level during the exercises. Isolation of the form feature; naming basic geometric figures. Classification of objects and their images by form according to display. Working with a geometric constructor. Comparison of two objects of contrasting sizes in height, length, width, thickness; designation by word (high - low, higher - lower, identical, etc.). Distinguishing and highlighting primary colors (red, yellow, green, blue, black, white). Construction of geometric shapes and objects from component parts (2-3 parts). Compiling a whole from parts using cut-out visual material (2-3 parts with diagonal cuts).
Development of visual perception
Formation of skills of visual analysis and synthesis (examination of objects consisting of 2-3 parts, according to the instructions of the teacher). Differentiated visual perception of two objects: finding distinctive and common features. Determination of changes in the presented series. Finding an extra toy or picture. Exercises for the prevention and correction of vision
Perception of special properties of objects (development of touch, smell, taste, baric sensations)
Contrasting temperature sensations (cold - hot). Discrimination by taste (sour, sweet, bitter, salty). Describing one’s own feelings with a word. The smell is pleasant and unpleasant. Distinguishing and comparing different objects based on weight (heavy - light).
Development of auditory perception
Distinguishing between environmental sounds (knocking, groaning, ringing, humming, buzzing) and musical sounds. Distinguishing between speech and non-speech sounds. Imitation of non-speech and speech sounds
Perception of space
Orientation on one’s own body: differentiation of the right (left) arm (leg), right (left) part of the body. Determining the location of objects in space (above - below, above - below, right - left). Movement in a given direction in space (forward, backward, etc.). Orientation in the room according to the instructions of the teacher. Orientation in a linear series (sequence order). Spatial orientation on a sheet of paper (center, top (bottom), right (left) side).
Perception of time
Day. Parts of the day. Working with the “Day” graphic model. Designation of temporary representations in speech. Sequence of events (change of time of day). Yesterday Today Tomorrow. Days of the week.
The personal results of studying the course “Development of psychomotor and sensory processes” is the formation of the following skills (with guiding assistance):
Class
Define and express a positive attitude towards school discipline aimed at maintaining standards of behavior in school.
In situations proposed by the teacher, make a choice about what to do, based on generally accepted moral rules, primarily in relationships with peers in the practice of joint activities.
Evaluate simple situations and unambiguous actions as “good” or “bad” from the standpoint of the importance of playing the role of a “good student.”
- Express your emotional state, mood.
Main subject results
Class
— Purposefully carry out actions according to the teacher’s instructions.
— Use writing instruments correctly and copy simple images.
— Analyze and compare objects according to one of the specified characteristics: shape, size, color.
- Distinguish and name primary colors.
— Classify geometric shapes.
- Compose an object from 2-3 parts.
- Determine the size of familiar objects by touch.
— Visually identify and name the distinctive and common features of two objects.
— Classify objects and their images based on their correspondence to familiar sensory standards, make simple generalizations.
- Distinguish between speech and non-speech sounds.
- Focus on your own body and the plane of the sheet of paper.
- Identify parts of the day and determine the order of the days of the week.
Requirements for student skills Level 1 (sufficient) with organizing and activating assistance
· Distinguish, correlate and name primary colors: orange, purple. Be able to classify and group objects according to this criterion.
· Recognize, show and name geometric shapes and bodies: square, circle, rectangle, triangle, oval, ball, cube.
· Be able to compare objects according to one of the characteristics.
· Be able to compare two objects by contrasting values, arrange two or three objects (by superimposition, application “by eye”).
· Be guided by the body diagram on a sheet of paper.
· Identify parts of the day, days: yesterday, today, tomorrow, determine the order of the days of the week.
· Perform actions and movements as shown and instructed by an adult.
· Be able to perform correct, long exhalation, relax the muscles of the hand and fingers, autonomous movements, stimulating exercises with organizing help after verbal instructions.
· Use writing instruments.
Requirements for student skills Level 2 (minimum) with various types of assistance (organizing, activating and controlling)
· Distinguish and correlate primary colors: orange, purple, brown. Name the primary colors.
· Recognize, show and name geometric shapes and bodies: square, circle, rectangle, triangle, oval, ball, cube... Name circle, square, rectangle, triangle with controlling help.
· Compare objects according to the most pronounced, characteristic values (by superimposition, application “by eye”). Give answers to the questions “where is the shortest?”
· Compare objects according to one of the characteristics.
· Orient yourself in the body diagram using a marker, after organizing help.
· Have an idea of the day, days of the week.
· Be able to reproduce breathing exercises, exercises for the development of fine and gross motor skills, stimulating exercises after demonstration and according to instructions (simple exercises and movements)
CALENDAR AND THEMATIC PLANNING
Thematic planning additional 1st grade.
| № | Section title | Col. hour | Main activities of students |
| I | 1st quarter Diagnostics | 4h | Answer questions, perform diagnostic tasks |
| II | Sensory development: -Color perception | 6h | - compare, distinguish primary colors; - highlight the studied color in surrounding objects; - alternate colored elements - called the word color; - answer the questions asked; - use the names of primary colors in speech |
| III | Psychomotor development: I LEVEL Activation and energy supply of mental processes: - practicing proper breathing - stimulating exercises - relaxation techniques - muscle clamps Total 18 hours | 8h | - perform breathing, stimulating exercises. according to the demonstration - relax and tense the muscles of different parts of the body according to the demonstration - perform the exercise. to remove muscle tension with simultaneous work of arms and legs - they perceive simple verbal instructions on the movement. ex. - use the concepts of tension and relaxation in speech - pay attention to the teacher’s speech |
| I | 2nd quarter Sensory development: -Perception of geometric shapes and bodies | 7h | -examine figures and bodies -make them from threads, matches, wire -correlate, compare, name, group figures call the word the studied names geom. Figures and bodies - answer the questions posed; |
| II | Psychomotor development: I LEVEL Activation and energy supply of mental processes: - development of fine motor skills - balance - rigid bodily attitudes Total 14 hours | 7h 2.5 3.5 | -perform exercise for warming up and relaxing the arms and hands (squeezing, unclenching, shading..) - exercise. “grounding” on two legs with different positions of the arms, walking along the corridor (40 cm), ex. to resolve synkinesis - understand and follow instructions, match the names of body parts |
| I | 3rd quarter Sensory development: -Perception of geometric shapes and bodies. — Perception of quantities | 8.5h 1.5 | -Make geometric drawings according to instructions. - compare, compare 2-3 objects by size, use words to name the studied names of quantities when comparing 2 objects - understand and follow instructions, |
| II | Psychomotor development: LEVEL II Operational support for sensorimotor interaction with external space: - rhythm - visual perception - auditory perception - tactile sensitivity - smell - taste sensations Total 18 hours | 9.5 hours 1.5 1.5 1.5 | - reproduce external rhythm based on visual perception and patterns - Examine objects made of 2-3 parts according to instructions. - distinguish between non-speech hearing and the sounds of the surrounding reality. - pronounce a simple rhythmic pattern - find sounds and sound combinations in words - name simple characteristics of the surface of objects, characteristics of taste (tasty, tasteless), smell (pleasant, unpleasant) |
| I | 4th quarter Sensory development: -Spatial orientation. -Temporary performances. | 14.5h 11.5 | -are oriented in the body diagram using a marker and a sheet of paper. - compare depth, distance - construct images from figures according to diagrams. - perform tasks to perceive the time of day, their sequences are guided by the verbal designation of spatial designation of objects - name the studied spatial and temporal concepts by word - enter into a game, conversation, answer questions |
| II | Psychomotor development: LEVEL II Operational support for sensorimotor interaction with external space: (consolidation) Total 18 hours 66 hours per year. | 1.5h | - Move in different zones of space - Construct objects from 2-3 parts. - understand and follow instructions, |
Thematic planning 1st grade.
| № | Section title | Col. hour | Main activities of students |
| I | 1st quarter Diagnostics | 4h | Answer questions, perform diagnostic tasks |
| II | Sensory development: -Color perception | 6.5h | - compare, distinguish primary colors, green, orange, purple; - identify the studied color in surrounding objects, compare, classify; - alternate color elements - call the studied colors by words; - answer the questions asked; - use the names of the studied colors in speech |
| III | Psychomotor development: I LEVEL Activation and energy supply of mental processes: - practicing proper breathing - stimulating exercises - relaxation techniques - muscle clamps Total 18 hours | 7.5h 1.5 | - perform breathing exercises. through the nose and mouth with singing sounds and syllables, stimulating exercise. according to the demonstration and instructions - relax and tense the muscles of different parts of the body according to the demonstration and instructions - perform the exercise. to remove muscle clamps with simultaneous work of arms and legs according to instructions and instructions, they perceive simple verbal instructions on the movement. ex. - use the concepts of tension, relaxation in speech, name sensations from one’s own body - pay attention to the teacher’s speech |
| I | 2nd quarter Sensory development: -Perception of geometric shapes and bodies | 6h | - examine, identify figures and bodies by touch - create a geometric pattern - correlate, compare, name, group, classify figures, recognize objects - name the studied figures (circle, oval, square, rectangle, triangle) and bodies with their properties, build phrases - understand and follow instructions, - answer the questions posed; -engage in conversation |
| II | Psychomotor development: I LEVEL Activation and energy supply of mental processes: - balance - rigid bodily attitudes II LEVEL Operational support for sensorimotor interaction with external space: - rhythm - tactile sensitivity only 14 hours | 8h 1.5 1.5 | -perform exercise for warming up and relaxing the arms and hands (squeezing, unclenching, shading..) - exercise. “grounding” on two and one legs with different positions of the hands, exercises for the decoupling of synkinesis by demonstration with further automation - they reproduce the external rhythm according to the demonstration, visual schemes, external control - they identify plane figures by touch - they understand and follow instructions, correlate the names of parts bodies - pronounce a simple rhythmic pattern - name simple characteristics of the surface of objects |
| I | 3rd quarter Sensory development: . Perception of quantities - Spatial orientation. | 13h | -Compare objects by size -Orientate themselves in the diagram - bodies, differentiate right, left arms and legs. - determine the location of objects in space - are oriented in a linear series, - designate with a word the studied characteristics of quantities when comparing them - focus on the verbal designation of the spatial designation of objects - call the studied spatial concepts with a word |
| II | Psychomotor development: LEVEL II Operational support for sensorimotor interaction with external space: -visual perception -auditory perception -smell -taste -perception of postures and movements Total 18 hours | 5h 1.5 0.5 | - Examine objects according to instructions, differentiate visual perception of 2 objects - distinguish between non-speech hearing, environmental sounds and music. Sounds, phonemes. - compare smells (pleasant, unpleasant), tastes (sour - sweet, bitter - salty). - Perform exercises for parts of the body according to instructions, find sounds and sound combinations in words - name the characteristics of taste (tasty, tasteless), smell (pleasant, unpleasant) - perceive instructions by ear |
| I | 4th quarter Sensory development: -Spatial orientation. -Temporary performances. | 5.5h 4.5 | -Make a whole from parts. They construct simple composite pictures - complete tasks on the concepts of parts of the day, days of the week, seasons, and establish a sequence. - take part in simple games to find common and different descriptions - name the studied spatial and temporal concepts with words |
| II | Psychomotor development: LEVEL II Operational support for sensorimotor interaction with external space: - dynamic organization - sensorimotor interactions Level III Voluntary regulation: - coordination and dexterity - game rules and roles. Total 16 hours 66 hours per year. | 10.5h 2.5 | -perform graphic exercises consisting of 2 repeating elements. - perform the exercise. with simultaneous movements of the arms and legs of the same name according to demonstration and instructions, games with rules and roles. understand and follow instructions - hear the spoken word - understand the rules of the game |
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TRAINING, METHODOLOGICAL AND MATERIAL AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT
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