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Types of sensory deprivation. sensory deprivation

20.03.2022

Deprivation is a psycho-emotional state that is described in psychology as arising from a limitation or prolonged deprivation of the ability to meet the basic needs of an individual.

There are many types of deprivation in psychology, but they all have similar manifestations. A person who does not have the opportunity to fully satisfy his needs becomes anxious, fears begin to disturb her. She becomes passive, loses interest in life. This state may be accompanied by unexpected outbursts of aggression.

The level of deprivation for each individual may be different. The "degree of damage" depends on several factors:

  1. A variant of the impact of a deprivation stimulus, the degree of its "rigidity".
  2. The stability of a particular individual, the experience of overcoming similar conditions.

A partial restriction of a basic need does not have such a negative impact on a person as its complete absence. How quickly a person copes with this condition also depends on the extent to which his other needs are satisfied.

Deprivation and frustration are 2 related concepts. Their main difference is the level of influence on the individual. Deprivation causes more harm to it, often leads to complete destruction.

With deprivation, a person is deprived of what he was not yet familiar with: material values, communication experience, etc. But with frustration, a person is deprived of what she had, what she is well acquainted with and what she urgently needs: food, social benefits, physical health, etc.

Causes of deprivation

Deprivation doesn't just happen. Moreover, it can appear only in people who are internally predisposed to it. First of all, it manifests itself in people with an internal "vacuum" of values. In psychology, this is described as follows. If a person has been deprived of something for a long time, then over time he loses the ability to follow the rules, norms and values ​​that take place in society. In order to exist normally, an individual must be able to adapt to the conditions of the environment in which he finds himself. If he does not know how to do this, he feels inner discomfort. The way out of the situation is the formation of new ideals and values.

Types of deprivation

There are several criteria for classifying the concept of “deprivation”. According to the degree of damage, 2 types of deprivation are distinguished:

  1. Absolute deprivation. This is a complete lack of access to various benefits and the ability to meet basic needs.
  2. Relative deprivation. By this concept, a subjective experience of a discrepancy between value possibilities and personal expectations is implied.

According to the nature of the unmet need, the following types of deprivation are distinguished:

  1. sensory deprivation. With this type of deprivation, a person is deprived of the opportunity to satisfy his needs associated with the senses. Sensory deprivation is also divided into visual, auditory, tactile, tactile. Scientists also distinguish sexual deprivation when a person has no intimate relationship for a long time.
  2. paternal. Deprivation is typical for children who grow up in an inferior family.
  3. Social. This type of deprivation is typical for people who are in places of deprivation of liberty, are on treatment for a long time, orphans, etc.
  4. Motor. Deprivation develops as a result of restriction of movements. This may be due to disability, illness, specific living conditions. Motor deprivation leads not only to mental, but also to physical disorders.

Sensory and social deprivation requires separate consideration.

sensory deprivation

This concept means the complete or partial deprivation of the sense organs of the ability to respond to external influences. The easiest option is to use a blindfold or earplugs, which limit the capabilities of the visual and auditory analyzer. In complex cases of this deprivation, several analyzers are “switched off” at once. For example, gustatory, olfactory, visual and tactile.

Sensory deprivation brings the body not only harm, but also benefits. It is often used in alternative medicine, psychological experiments, in psychology. Short periods of deprivation improve the work of the subconscious, stabilize the work of the psyche.

Prolonged restriction of the work of sensory analyzers often provokes anxiety, anxiety, hallucinations, antisocial behavior, depression - these are the consequences of deprivation.

Touch camera experiment

In the last century, scientists decided to conduct an interesting experiment to study sensory deprivation. They invented a special chamber that protected the subjects from the effects of the external environment. The participants of the experiment were placed horizontally in the chamber. After being placed, they were blocked from access to all sounds. This was done with the help of a kind of the same type of noise. The eyes were covered with a dark bandage, and the hands were placed in cardboard sleeves. The duration of the experiment was not predetermined, but after conducting a series of studies, scientists found that a person cannot be in such conditions for more than three days. Such restrictions provoke hallucinations, reduce mental abilities.

food deprivation

A special type of sensory deprivation is food deprivation. Unlike other disorders of this kind, it does not always cause negative emotions and experiences. Unpleasant sensations appear only in those who are deprived of food against their will. People who practice therapeutic fasting feel better every day, they have lightness in the body, and their vital activity increases.

Sensory deprivation in children

In childhood, sensory deprivation manifests itself in the form of restriction or deprivation of the possibility of emotional contact with loved ones. If the baby is in a hospital or boarding school, he often experiences sensory hunger. Such changes adversely affect any child, but young children are especially sensitive to them. Kids should receive enough bright and positive impressions. This contributes to the formation of the ability to analyze information coming from outside, the training of the corresponding structures of the brain, development in psychology.

social deprivation

If a person is deprived of the opportunity to fully contact with society, this provokes a certain state of mind, which later can cause the development of pathogenic symptoms and syndromes. Social deprivation can be caused by various factors. In psychology, there are several forms of this condition:

  • voluntary deprivation;
  • forced deprivation;
  • forced deprivation;
  • voluntary-forced deprivation.

Forced deprivation occurs when a person or group of people finds themselves in conditions that are cut off from society. These circumstances do not depend on the will or desire of the individual. An example of such deprivation can be a tragedy at sea, after which the ship's crew finds themselves on a desert island.

Forced deprivation occurs when a person is isolated against his wishes. An example of such a situation is people who are in places of deprivation of liberty, pupils of boarding schools, conscripts. Voluntary deprivation occurs in those cases when a person limits the satisfaction of the need for communication at his own request. These people include sectarians, monks. An example of voluntary-forced deprivation is the pupils of a sports school.

For an adult, the consequences of social deprivation are not as catastrophic as for children. Restriction in communication negatively affects the effectiveness of the child's life and his mental development.

In a separate group, scientists distinguish emotional, maternal, paternal deprivation and sleep deprivation. Let's consider them in more detail.

emotional deprivation

Emotions and feelings play an important role in human life. Under their influence, the formation of personality occurs. The emotional sphere helps a person to adapt to various life changes. Thanks to emotions, a person realizes his place in life. They influence the cognitive sphere, form perception, thinking, memory, develop consciousness.

If a person is deprived of the opportunity to satisfy the emotional sphere, then his cognitive area becomes poor and limited as a result of deprivation. This negatively affects normal mental development. Thanks to psychological research, it was revealed that the desire of parents to have a baby in the family has a significant impact on the child's attitude to life.

The next important stage in the development of the personal sphere is early childhood. If at this time the baby is surrounded by attention, receives a sufficient amount of positive emotions, then he is unlikely to experience emotional deprivation, and there will be no changes in psychology. But if the opposite is true, then the child is prone to deprivation disorders. There is a risk of such deviations in the event that the baby is constantly in an emotionally volatile environment.

A person who was deprived of positive emotions in childhood, in adulthood often experiences a feeling of loneliness, longing, she develops an inferiority complex in psychology.

The lack of emotions also affects physical development - the baby develops late, his medical indicators do not reach the norm. But if the child enters a normal environment, the indicators change dramatically in a positive direction. A vivid example of such “healing” is children from orphanages who are brought up in full-fledged families.

Normal, full sleep is the key to good health and health. If for some reason a person is deprived of the opportunity to get enough sleep, this affects his physical and mental state. When it comes to a single case, it will not have a negative impact on health. But when a person is deprived of proper sleep regularly, then he develops deprivation disorders.

During the night's rest, the hormone of joy is produced. If a person does not get enough sleep, the work of his endocrine system is disrupted, metabolic processes slow down. This type of deprivation leads to weight gain, depression, headaches.

What else happens to a person who is deprived of proper sleep?

  • 1 day without sleep - deterioration of reaction, loss of strength;
  • 2 days without sleep - impaired motor activity, decreased mental reactions;
  • 3 days without sleep - the appearance of unbearable headaches;
  • 4 days without sleep - suppression of the will, the occurrence of hallucinations. This is the most dangerous form of deprivation, after which serious and irreversible processes occur in the body. There is a threat to human life.

Interesting fact. Scientists have proven that sleep deprivation can bring him not only harm, but also benefit. As a result of numerous studies, it was found that depriving a person of a certain phase of sleep helps him get rid of a protracted depressive state. Although paradoxical, this phenomenon has a simple explanation.

Sleep deprivation is stressful for the body. In this state, the production of catecholamines begins - special hormones responsible for emotional tone. Thanks to shock psychotherapy, an interest in life appears, a person begins to be active. Doctors do not recommend resorting to such methods of treatment on their own. It must be under the supervision of a physician.

maternal deprivation

The loss of a mother or prolonged deprivation of communication with her leads to the emergence of maternal deprivation, which negatively affects the personal development of the baby. Negatively affect the mental development of the child and such situations:

  1. Woman goes to work too early
  2. Mother leaves for a long business trip, session
  3. Separation from mother after difficult birth
  4. The child is sent to kindergarten very early
  5. Mother and child are separated due to illness

These situations are related to open deprivation. There is also a hidden form, in which, in fact, the mother is with her child, but there is psychological tension between them. What are the reasons for this deprivation? In psychology, there are such reasons:

  1. Mother's excessive enthusiasm for scientific literature and "correct" methods of education. A woman absolutely does not pay attention to the individual characteristics of the baby, does not listen to her intuition.
  2. Hostile or tense relationship between father and mother.
  3. The mother has health problems, as a result of which she cannot allocate sufficient time and fully care for the baby.
  4. The birth of children in the family. The mother is in constant tension, so she cannot provide full-fledged care for the baby.

The risk group includes children born as a result of unwanted pregnancy. This negatively affects the mother's attitude towards the child, who always subconsciously feels it. An important period in the development of the baby is an early age - from 0 to 3 years. At this time, contact with the mother is important for the full development of the child's psyche. Otherwise, there is internal aggression, a depressive state. In adulthood, such a child will not be able to build normal relationships with people around him. There is a theory that maternal mental deprivation is the cause of autism.

paternal deprivation

The father should take care of the upbringing of the child no less than the mother. Depriving the baby of emotional contact with the father leads to the emergence of paternal deprivation. What situations can lead to its occurrence?

  • the absence of a positive emotional relationship between father and child, despite the physical presence of a man in the house;
  • father's departure from the family;
  • realization of ambitions by the father of the child;
  • violation of role positions in the family. In this case, the father takes over maternal functions and vice versa.

How does paternal deprivation affect child development? The child incorrectly identifies his gender, becomes insolvent and emotionally vulnerable. This also affects the ability to properly build relationships with people, the inability to correctly and competently build relationships with their own children.

Depriving a child of the opportunity to satisfy basic needs negatively affects the development of the brain, the formation of cognitive functions. The kid grows unassembled, unsure of himself. He rarely smiles, expresses his emotions. His physical and mental development slows down, dissatisfaction with himself and his own life is formed.

As a result of psychological research, it was revealed that for the normal, full development of the baby, you need to hug and kiss at least 8 times a day.

In adults, deprivation occurs against the background of a deprivation state experienced in childhood, this leaves an imprint in psychology. He feels unnecessary, cannot find his place in life, experiences depression, a constant feeling of anxiety. It is possible to get out of this state, but long-term psychotherapeutic work with specialists is necessary.

Help for people who have suffered deprivation

Correctional and psychotherapeutic work has several stages and directions. Only a thorough and consistent study of each stage will help to cope with the negative consequences that arise as a result of deprivation.

Areas of work:

  1. Working with self-esteem, improving relationships with people. A person learns to see the positive aspects of life situations, carefully analyze them and adequately evaluate them.
  2. Dealing with personal vulnerability. A person learns to perceive the situation without unnecessary emotions, learns to be reasonable, to see cause-and-effect relationships.
  3. Working with the identification of feelings. A person learns to interact with other people, to express emotions, to understand the feelings of other people.

Working with a person who has experienced deprivation can take place individually or in a group. The psychotherapist selects techniques and methods of work, focusing on what kind of deprivation took place in a person's life, its duration and the degree of influence on the psyche. It is undesirable to correct the consequences on your own so that the situation does not worsen even more.

For full-fledged mental development and functioning, a person needs an influx of various stimuli: sensory, emotional, cognitive, etc. Their deficiency leads to adverse consequences for the psyche.

The problem of deprivation has historically been studied in relation to children brought up in boarding schools. The lag in the development of such children, observed in a number of parameters, was associated primarily with the impoverishment of the emotional environment due to a lack of communication with a close adult. Such emotional deprivation was considered a negative factor. Today, this phenomenon is considered much more widely.

Almost all people experience deprivation, and much more often than it might seem at first glance. Depression, neuroses, somatic diseases, overweight... Often the roots of such problems are associated with a lack of bright colors in a person's life, a lack of emotional communication, information, etc. But the true causes of violations often remain unidentified.

It is known that the condition for normal mental development is communication with people. Examples of "children of Mowgli" confirm this. But what are the consequences of social isolation for the psyche of an already adult person? Is deprivation always associated with specific, extreme situations? Studies show that this phenomenon is much more common than it seems, especially in today's society. Social deprivation can be experienced by people who live in a big city and have many social contacts.

The difficulty of recognizing deprivation is that it is often hidden and appears under different masks. In such cases, even a special term is used - “masked deprivation”. Against the background of externally favorable living conditions, a person may experience internal discomfort associated with the impossibility of satisfying needs that are significant to him. Such a prolonged psychotraumatic situation can lead to neurosis, etc. Moreover, the true causes of violations often remain hidden not only from the environment, but also from the person himself.

Understanding the phenomenon of deprivation allows you to better see the sources of many psychological problems and, therefore, ways to solve them.

The concept of sensory deprivation

Sensory deprivation is a long-term partial deprivation of a person's auditory, visual sensations, as well as deprivation of mobility, communication, and emotional outbursts. Several types of deprivation are known:

1) touch;
2) emotional;
3) social.

Sensory deprivation causes a state of temporary psychosis, various mental disorders, and prolonged depression in a person. Prolonged sensory deprivation leads to organic changes or degenerative changes in nerve cells.

It has been empirically proven that the conditions of sensory deprivation cause disinhibition of the cerebral cortex, hallucinations that do not correspond to reality, but are perceived by the brain as such in a variety of forms (tactile sensations, visual, sound, tangible, etc.). Such visions of certain images and sensations lead to lateral inhibition of the cerebral cortex.

Psychologists have been studying the processes of sensory deprivation for a long time. The practical purposeful study of the neuropsychic activity of a person began in the second half of the 20th century, the main works in applied experimental psychology were those carried out under the direction of D.N. Biryukov. He established the dependence of an increase in the need for strong sensations and experiences in conditions of sensory deprivation, when imagination and figurative memory are activated. Such processes begin to take place only as a result of sensory hunger, isolation, that is, as a protective mechanism against forced isolation in an effort to keep in memory all existing reactions and functions of thinking.

Prolonged exposure to sensory deprivation causes a gradual development of apathy, depression, inhibition of mental processes, as well as frequent changes in mood (irritability, euphoria). Memory impairment may also occur, a person may experience hypnotic and trance states. If the impact of sensory deprivation does not stop, then the destructive processes in the psyche and logical thinking of a person become irreversible. There is a direct dependence of the rate of destruction of the human psyche on the time and conditions of sensory deprivation.

The concept of deprivation in special psychology means a certain state of a person in which this person or group of people has a feeling of loneliness, lack of attention and misunderstanding by the surrounding society. There are two types of deprivation.

The first type of deprivation describes the state of people who understand and are aware of the causes of the situation.

The second type of deprivation implies an unconscious state of people who do not understand and are not aware of the reasons for their loneliness.

Both types of deprivation are accompanied by a strong desire to overcome the state of isolation.

The concept of "social deprivation" reveals the desire of any society to distinguish and evaluate the abilities of each person or certain social groups. Belonging to a certain social group allows you to solve many issues related to human activities. In addition, this concept can restrict the freedom or rights of people under certain conditions.

Social deprivation is expressed in various kinds of incentives, positions, prestige, status, the possibility of moving up the social ladder, and other advantages in society.

Most often, the principles for determining social deprivation are the law of society, for example, caste in India. Thus, the rights and desires of young people are valued more highly than the elderly, with the generally accepted equality of men and women, men still have more rights and powers than women. More people have more rights and privileges compared to ordinary people.

Social deprivation is an addition to a person's economic status. This relationship is expressed in direct proportion: the better a person is financially secure, the higher his social status, and vice versa.

A change in social deprivation can occur as a result of education, promotion, etc.

In children in a state of social deprivation, the development of all mental processes and speech activity may be delayed. All these restrictions lead to the suspension of thinking, the main instrument of which is speech.

Conclusion

Under conditions of sensory deprivation, the organization of cognitive activity is often disrupted. In this case, first of all, higher mental functions suffer: verbal-logical thinking, mediated memorization, speech.

Thus, there is evidence that after several years of complete isolation, prisoners forgot how to speak or spoke with great difficulty; in sailors who were alone for a long time on uninhabited islands, the level of abstract thinking decreased, speech function weakened, and memory deteriorated.

The main reason for this violation is the lack of organized and purposeful cognitive activity.

According to L. S. Vygotsky, genetically earlier types of consciousness are preserved in a person as an adjustment, in a “removed” form in leading forms and can, under certain circumstances, come to the fore. This phenomenon is likely to be observed under conditions of sensory deprivation.

As you understand, the state of deprivation should not be allowed. This is easy enough to do, just be more active, move more, visit new places, communicate with people live, etc. Then your mental state will be normal and you will be able to successfully develop and fulfill yourself.

Bibliography

1. Psychology of personality in the works of domestic psychologists / Comp. L. V. Kulikov. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2011.

2. Psychology. Textbook for economic universities / Ed. V. N. Druzhinina. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2012.

3. Rubinshtein S. L. Fundamentals of general psychology. - M.: Pedagogy, 1989; St. Petersburg: Peter, 2012

Sincerely,
Sergey Marchenko

Creator of "CyRiOS" and website
Coach for conscious self-realization
Life coach, consultant, systems engineer

In psychology, the phenomena of sensory, emotional, motor, psychosocial and maternal deprivation are distinguished, which describe the factors. Speaking of deprivation, we mean a certain state that occurs as a result of dissatisfaction with needs and has detrimental consequences. The most important is the psychological side of these very consequences.

All manifestations of systematic oppression have a psychological similarity. They can cover a huge range of violations: from small oddities to deep lesions of the personality and intellect. For example, isolation, severe trauma or disability that causes immobility, not only entail physiological problems, but are also very difficult to overcome.

Sensory deprivation (deprivation of sensations) is characterized by information hunger caused by the limitation of auditory, tactile, visual, gustatory, olfactory stimuli. It is caused by both physical disorders and poor environmental conditions. Numerous experiments on recognizing human reactions have shown that the majority of the subjects could not spend more than three days in a small closed room.

Sensory deprivation is difficult for almost every person to perceive. Similar experiments can be carried out at home: blindfold, insert earplugs into the ears, limit the mobility of the body. In moderate dosage, sensory deprivation even helps to relax the body and has a beneficial effect on internal functioning: the incoming information from the outside is processed faster, perception is sharpened.

This state is used in yoga, psychological practice (trainings), alternative medicine, meditation. The main goal of these classes is the correction of personality, inner "I" and self-development. The most complex device that restricts a person from external stimuli is a sound- and light-tight chamber invented in 1954 by a scientist. This is a container filled with salt water, into which the subject is immersed. Thanks to warm water, a person experiences a state of weightlessness and feels complete isolation from the outside world.

Scientists have proven that with a lack of a person there is a need for strong experiences and sensations, as a result, emotional hunger develops. Therefore, sensory and emotional deprivation are directly interconnected. The lack of sensory experiences is informational hunger and generates similar consequences. It should be noted that emotional hunger is much more difficult to identify than physical hunger.

Often depressive states, the development of complexes, a feeling of loneliness have emotional deprivation. Here lies the creation of psychological dependence, the technique of programming the psyche, a huge opportunity for psychological coercion, which a person can be subjected to in interpersonal relationships and society.

Along with emotional and sensory, there is social deprivation - this is a decrease or deprivation of communication between an individual and society. It affects people of absolutely all age categories. But most of all, pensioners and mothers on maternity leave. It speaks of a wide rupture of social ties. Therefore, people with this syndrome often show unreasonable aggression, irritability, anxiety - at such moments, the right way out is to call loved ones, go shopping, do what you love, i.e. get rid of negative thoughts.

Sensory deprivation, as you understand, can manifest itself in various variations, in other words, it is a lack of certain impressions or information. It is very important to timely recognize and satisfy the channel of systematic oppression, through which there is a lack of necessary emotions.

INTRODUCTION

Altered states of consciousness arise when a person who is in a normal state of consciousness is exposed to various factors: stressful, affective situations; sensory deprivation or prolonged isolation; intoxication (psychedelic phenomena, hallucinations on the background of high temperature, etc.); hyperventilation of the lungs or, conversely, prolonged breath holding; acute neurotic and psychotic diseases; cognitive-conflict situations that knock out the consciousness of the subject from the usual forms of categorization (for example, the unusual behavior of a mentor in Chan Buddhism, the use of koans, i.e., paradoxical sayings used by Buddhism), paradoxical instructions that are not feasible in the logic of an ordinary state of consciousness and acquire meaning for the subject only in the "logic of ISS"; in hypnosis and meditation, etc.

In studies of consciousness in foreign (American, British and Canadian) psychology, much attention is paid to the topic of altered states of consciousness (ASC). At the same time, attempts to classify and streamline the diverse phenomenology of these states are mainly guided by the way they are produced. Sensory deprivation (SD) is considered one of these methods. Foreign colleagues interpret SD as an extremely pronounced degree of reduction of stimulation received by the sense organs. In the present work, the term SD will refer to various - from very high to insignificant - degrees of the mentioned reduction. This will allow us to more widely compare the data of foreign scientists with the data of domestic researchers who studied the features of human mental activity in conditions of monotony, social isolation, complete silence, immobilization, a general decrease in afferentation, limited information, etc.

The relevance of research: There is currently no generally accepted definition of ISS. This is due to the fact that neither in domestic nor in foreign psychology this problem has received sufficient theoretical development. Therefore, this topic is relevant.

Purpose of the study: to study psychological changes in a person under conditions of sensory deprivation.

Research objectives:

Give a general description of sensory deprivation;

· Consider the change of time;

Consider disorders of voluntary attention and goal-directed thinking;

Consider the features of emotional response;

· Consider the transformation of semantic systems.

Subject of study: psychological changes in humans under conditions of sensory deprivation.

Object of study: altered states of consciousness.

Research method: theoretical analysis of literature.

SENSOR DEPRIVATION

General characteristics of sensory deprivation

SENSORY DEPRIVATION, SENSITIVITY DECREASE (sensory deprivation) - a condition characterized by a significant decrease in the perception of incoming sensory information. Prolonged sensory deprivation can cause significant harm to a person's health, since the state and normal functioning of his body largely depend on a constant reaction to environmental stimuli. The main input sensory channels through which various information enters the human body are the sense organs. If these channels are blocked, then the person loses the sense of reality, ceases to feel himself in time and space, he has various hallucinations, strange thoughts, and sometimes manifestations of dysfunction of the nervous system. Even a minor sensory deprivation that occurs in a child in early childhood can have serious consequences in the future. If you close one eye of a baby for several months, then this eye will not see throughout the life of a person. Early deprivation of normal hearing can lead to severe intellectual retardation and greatly hinder the child's learning. Deprivation of the normal contact and stimulus that occurs between mother and child can lead to serious deviations in personality development at an older age.

The impossibility of imprinting adequate to the type of animal leads to early sensory deprivation (deprivation - deprivation, absence of something), often causing irreversible changes in the structural and functional organization of the central nervous system and its analyzers.

It is customary to distinguish three types of conditions for keeping animals. Depleted conditions of detention (depleted environment) - when the sensory effects of the external environment or contacts with individuals of their own species are limited (keeping in a closed area with a limited influx of new stimuli). Normal or ordinary conditions of detention (normal environment) are the conditions that best correspond to the ecological characteristics of the species or the conditions where the animals will exist. Under enriched conditions of detention (enriched environment), they mean the additional presence of contacts with individuals of their own and other species, various game items, regular changes in walking places, conducting game and special classes.

The "kennel syndrome" is understood as a whole complex of qualities inherent in dogs born and raised in a kennel - increased alertness, cowardice, a pronounced orienting reaction to new and complex stimuli. But now, many owners are postponing the start of their puppy's walks until all vaccinations are done, the period of which is determined not only by age, but also by the change of teeth, and even cropping of the ears. As a result, the puppy is often taken outside for the first time at the age of 5-7 months.

During extended housing, firstly, the puppy's motor activity is limited, which leads to hypodynamia, and consequently to a weakening of the body's defenses and conformation disorders; secondly, there is social isolation, which in the future will affect what is common with their own kind; and, thirdly, the body experiences the same sensory deprivation.

Morphological changes in the central nervous system, which are expressed in a decrease in the volume of the gray matter of the brain compared to animals kept under normal conditions (in animals grown in an enriched environment, there is an increase in the body of nerve cells, the number of dendritic spines and synapses, new processes of axons and an increase in the diameter capillaries of the brain);

Inhibition of the formation (maturation) of analyzers, which further leads to a deterioration in learning with their use;

Contributes to the preservation of the alertness reflex characteristic of young animals (if this reflex is not extinguished in early childhood, it can persist for life);

It leads to a slowdown in the extinction of orienting-exploratory behavior and getting used to a new environment;

Causes a deterioration in the sensory-motor coordination of animals, which is further expressed in the difficulty of mastering motor skills;

Causes activation of nerve formations of negative reinforcement, as a result of which animals tend to exclude the possibility of receiving negative reinforcement even at the expense of refusing to receive positive reinforcement;

Reduces stress resistance and worsens the state of constitutional (natural) immunity.

The complex negative impact of early sensory deprivation ultimately negatively affects the process of more advanced forms of learning. For example, raising puppies under conditions of social deprivation (in isolation) up to 9-12 months causes significant deviations in their food-producing, orienting-exploratory, aggressive-defensive, sexual and social forms of activity. At the same time, simple exercises with the dog (braking training) on ​​the 4th-6th; 8-10th and 16-18th weeks of life showed that in the future, those animals in which training began at an earlier period are better trained.

In recent years, it is often necessary to correct the behavior of dogs insecure or cowardly behaving in ordinary urban conditions, afraid of new places and loud sounds. The physiological basis of such behavior is that as the anatomical and functional maturation of the analyzers determines not only the threshold of their sensitivity and adaptive capabilities, but also the most complex mechanisms of perception and recognition of stimuli are formed. It has been observed that the severity of the animal's reaction to a stimulus depends on the degree of novelty, strength, and partly on the unexpectedness of the stimulus. It is believed that the degree of novelty is inversely proportional to the following factors: a) the frequency of occurrence of similar stimuli; b) the degree of prescription (meaning the time elapsed between the appearance of similar stimuli); c) the degree of similarity of stimuli.

There is also a distinction between absolute novelty (the stimulus has never been encountered by the animal) and relative novelty (an unusual combination of stimuli familiar to the animal). The degree of novelty also depends on the degree of surprise of the stimulus, which is determined by how much the acting stimulus differs from the expected animal. The repetition of stimuli leads to a decrease in the degree of novelty and extinction of the orienting reaction.

Animals are known to prefer stimuli of moderate intensity and avoid those that are too strong, novel, or unusual. The more unusual and complex the situation, the more often the uncertainty, timidity and even the avoidance reaction are manifested - the animal's unwillingness to be in this environment, disobedience, escape.

You can feel lonely in the crowd, and at work, and in the family, and even alone with your loved one ... This feeling does not depend on the environment, not on the number of friends or enemies, but first of all on the personality structure. Different assessments of loneliness are most easily illustrated by the example of the so-called introvert and extrovert. Of course, this is a rather simplified scale, but in principle one can say this: an introvert is a thing in itself, he is turned inside his own personality, and an extrovert constantly strives to be in public (for such people, as they say, the world and death is red). So. Loneliness in a crowd is actually possible only for an introvert: an extrovert will quickly get along with almost everyone, and, importantly, he will be quite satisfied with a rather superficial acquaintance. It is the extrovert who most often talks with strangers in transport, it is the easiest way for the extrovert to get acquainted on the street - because he does not at all pretend to deep and long communication. A change of impressions is important to him, and as long as there are people around him, he will not suffer from loneliness. Moreover, by and large, he doesn’t even have to start a conversation - it’s enough that so many people are just looking at him!

But it is important for an introvert to have one or two "true friends", preferably the same in character as he is. For such "friends" the very process of communication is sometimes quite interesting: they sit in the same room (or breathe from both ends of the wire into the telephone receiver) - and are silent. This is what they communicate. And such communication is quite enough for them - after all, it is not the conversation itself that is important for them, but the feeling that a friend is nearby. It is important to know that there is the very opportunity to call a friend - but actually calling is not necessary. That is why introverts begin to feel lonely when they lose their trusted friend for one reason or another - and it is very difficult for them to make a new acquaintance, just as close, quickly, and sometimes it doesn’t work at all. Indeed, unlike an extrovert, who will find communication wherever there are at least some people, it is difficult for an introvert to establish mutual understanding.

But as you know, there are no pure extroverts and introverts. We are all mixed to some extent. That is why almost all people in one situation or another have felt their loneliness at least once ...

But loneliness is not always evil. There are situations when people (some less often, others more often) just need to be alone with themselves. And you can talk about the problem of loneliness when this state is delayed contrary to your desire - in other words, when a person begins to suffer from loneliness. In psychology, there is the concept of "sensory deprivation" (or emotional-informational hunger). If a person is deprived of the amount of communication necessary for him according to the structure of his personality, the necessary life impressions, he may have problems of a psychological, psychiatric, and somatic nature. All because he most naturally starves for communication, for information.

And suffering from loneliness is nothing more than a manifestation of sensory deprivation in one form or another (in other words, a lack of one or another type of information or impressions). Whatever - visual, verbal (verbal) and even tactile (touch). And here we come to the answer to the question of how to get rid of loneliness: first you need to determine exactly WHAT information, WHAT impressions you lack, and it is this lack that needs to be filled. That is why it is useless to advise a single person to go to some club or get a new girlfriend. It is important to correctly identify and satisfy exactly the channel of sensory deprivation through which there is a lack of impressions - because acting in the wrong direction can further increase unpleasant feelings and lead to even more deplorable consequences.

It happens that a person himself is not able to immediately determine what exactly in life he lacks. Here is the most common example: a complaint of loneliness due to the absence of a sexual partner (and it does not matter if it comes from a man or a woman). It seems that one might think that a person needs to satisfy his physiological needs. And if you dig deeper - the search for a sexual partner can be due to a lack of ordinary touch, and the need for a sense of security, and the fear of sleeping alone, and the thirst for vivid love emotions - but not sex in its physiological sense. Say, often a man who needs tactile impressions (as they say, “mother didn’t get such impressions” in childhood), drags almost every lady she meets into bed, is known as a don Juan and a libertine - and he just needs caresses and hugs (by the way, in this case, he may have problems with sexual function - only because he does not really need sex in its purest form). As a result, the ladies begin to shy away from him - they say, a libertine, and even an unimportant lover ... As a result, a man begins to complex, and his stormy personal life, of course, does not bring him relief from loneliness.

In general, when a person is looking for something completely different from what he lacks, trying to fill the wrong niche in life, it is not surprising that his searches do not give him the desired result. And the feeling of loneliness becomes even stronger. And all you need is to follow the right path and find adequate ways to solve the "problem of loneliness." For example, if you have a tactile hunger, you can, for example, get into a dance club or take massage courses (where cadets almost without fail practice on each other). A sense of security can be acquired by installing a secure door and bars on the windows, or even better, by getting a dog. If you do not have enough bright, strong experiences - maybe you just need to go to the theater or cinema more often (do not watch a videotape or a performance on TV, but watch the action with others - so your experiences will become even brighter). But these are only approximate recommendations: each individual case needs to be analyzed in more detail.

It is better not to trigger a state of sensory deprivation, not to exacerbate the feeling of loneliness. Indeed, in a state of neglect, any problem is more difficult to solve. A person begins to show destruction of behavior, the ability to establish interpersonal relationships worsens (in other words, he becomes completely non-contact and becomes difficult). People suffering from sensory deprivation often have problems in business just because he talks to a business partner about anything but business. Businessmen who make a deal in a restaurant, accompanied by alcohol, as a rule, both experience difficulties in communication - as they say, two loneliness met. If they don’t drink, they won’t be able to talk about anything at all ... By the way, people often start drinking in general in order to “fill in” their feeling of loneliness. Or join as an equal in some warm drunken company.

Therefore, it is important to correctly determine, if you like, EXACTLY WHAT LONELINESS, what lack of impressions you need to get rid of. And it is wrong to think that the best salvation from loneliness is to get acquainted on the street or go to a disco. Moreover, before acquiring any new acquaintances, it is important to satisfy the existing "psychological hunger" - otherwise all other communication will be subordinated to this hunger.

The problems of social isolation and sensory deprivation are of great importance in connection with their role in the development of mental disorders, up to suicidal ones. The purpose of this study was to study the impact of sensory deprivation and social isolation on the psyche of healthy adults and children. In accordance with the set goal, we analyzed the literature on this problem for the period from 1960 to 1989, as well as cases from practice (the author's own observations). As a result of the analysis of literature data, it was revealed that the consequences of sensory deprivation and social isolation can be very different: from impaired personality formation to deep psychotic disorders. Sensory deprivation in childhood slows down the formation of neuro-psychic functions: thinking, emotional-volitional sphere (Kuznetsov ON, 1964). With long-term geographic isolation in closed small groups (long-term sailors, astronauts), emotional disturbances occur due to the uniformity of sensory and emotional stimuli (Bombart A., 1960; Richards M., 1989). In conditions of complete isolation (speleologists, polar explorers and yachtsmen - loners, prisoners of solitary confinement) disorders of varying severity arise: from compensatory reactive mental disorders (illusions, hallucinations, and others) to deep prolonged psychotic disorders (hallucinosis, psychosis, suicide) (Mayer M I., 1984). Similar states under experimental conditions of artificial sensory deprivation are also described in healthy people. In solitary isolation chambers, cosmonauts were also found to have compensatory perceptual disorders, delusional ideas, the phenomenon of "claustroxenophobia" (Lebedev V.I., 1976). Of particular interest is social isolation and its self-destructive consequences - alcoholism, drug addiction, suicides (Mayer M.I., 1984). Thus, both sensory deprivation and social isolation have a significant impact on the mental development and functioning of the individual.

Deprivation is a state close in characteristics to a state. Occurs with a prolonged impossibility or limited satisfaction of those 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, masked. Outwardly, the conditions of her life may look prosperous, but at the same time inside a person is raging, discomfort is felt. Prolonged 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 personality itself 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, then he will experience frustration. And if you completely ban playing, then this is deprivation.

Most often we are talking about psychological deprivation, for example, when deprived of love, attention, care, social contacts. Although biological deprivation occurs. It can be threatening to the physical and mental (her self-actualization,) and non-threatening. The latter is more like frustration. For example, if a child is not bought ice cream, then he will experience non-threatening deprivation, but if he systematically starves, 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 get 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 can perceive and endure social isolation in different ways, depending on the value of society for each and the severity of the need for social contacts. Thus, deprivation is a subjective state that does not repeat in the same way in different people.

Types of deprivation

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

  1. Sensory deprivation. It 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. A person does not have time to assimilate them, which means that 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 broken. A person builds false relationships, has erroneous ideas about causes and effects.
  3. Emotional deprivation. Assumes a break in emotional interpersonal communication or intimate-personal communication, or the impossibility of establishing close social relationships. In childhood, this type of deprivation is identified with maternal deprivation, which means the coldness of a woman in relations with a child. It is dangerous mental disorders.
  4. Social deprivation, or deprivation of identity. We are talking about limited conditions for the assimilation of any role, the passage of identity. For example, pensioners, prisoners, pupils of closed schools are exposed to social deprivation.
  5. In addition, there is motor deprivation (for example, bed rest due to trauma), educational, economic, ethical and other options.

This is theory. In practice, one type of deprivation can transform into another, several types can appear simultaneously, one type can arise as a result of the previous one.

Deprivations and their consequences

sensory deprivation

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

Perhaps the most films have been made about sensory deprivation. For some reason, the story with a lonely man surviving on the island is very loved by the writers. Take, for example, the movie Cast Away, starring Tom Hanks. The picture very accurately conveys the psychological changes of a person left for a long period in solitude and limited conditions. One ball friend is worth something.

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

The main effects of sensory deprivation include:

  • change of direction and reduced ability to focus;
  • retreat into dreams and fantasies;
  • loss of sense of time, disturbed orientation in time;
  • illusions, deceptions of perception, hallucinations (in this case, this is an option that helps maintain mental balance);
  • nervous restlessness, excessive excitement and motor activity;
  • somatic changes (often headaches, muscle aches, flies in the eyes);
  • delirium and paranoia;
  • anxiety and fears;
  • other personality changes.

In general, 2 groups of reactions can be identified: increased excitability against the background of general depression, that is, an acute response 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 response. A third variant of reactions is possible - a change in taste preferences and emotional relationships to the opposite (annoying what you liked).

This is with regard to changes in the emotional sphere, but violations due to deprivation also apply to the cognitive sphere:

  • Deterioration and disorders in the field of verbal-logical thinking, mediated memorization, voluntary attention and speech.
  • Disturbances in perceptual processes. For example, a person may lose the ability to see in three dimensions. It may seem to him that the walls are moving or narrowing. A person mistakenly perceives colors, shapes, sizes.
  • Increased suggestibility.

As we understand it, 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 activity encourages creativity, which is useful in finding ways out of a difficult situation. Recall the same films about survivors on a desert island. And in principle, any output of awakened creativity will reduce the risk of mental disorders.

Due to the innate need for external stimuli, sensory deprivation will cause greater impairment than in. Also, people with a stable type of psyche will more easily survive this type of deprivation. It will be more difficult for people with hysterical and demonstrative to survive sensory deprivation.

Knowledge of individual personality characteristics of people and assumptions about their reaction to sensory deprivation is important for professional selection. So, work on 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), there is:

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

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

cognitive deprivation

The lack of information, its randomness and disorder cause:

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

Ignorance (information hunger) awakens fears and anxieties, thoughts about an incredible and unpleasant development of events in the future or inaccessible present. There are signs of depression and sleep disturbances, loss of vigilance, decreased performance, impaired attention. No wonder 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 make up for it with excessive sociability and 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, and so on) 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 a group of people) nor society wanted or expected this isolation. It depends only on objective conditions. Example: the crash of an airplane or ship.
  • Forced isolation. Society is the initiator. Example: prisons, army, orphanages, military camps.
  • Voluntary isolation. The initiator is a person or a group of people. Example: hermits.
  • Voluntary-compulsory isolation. The personality itself limits social contacts in order to achieve the goal. Example: a school for gifted children, the Suvorov School.

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

  • anxiety;
  • fear;
  • depression;
  • psychoses;
  • feeling of 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 persons) are somewhat different:

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

At the cognitive level, with social deprivation, there is deterioration, slowing down and speech disorders, 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, an employee on long sick leave. The consequences of social deprivation are individual, as well as the period of their preservation after the return of a person to the usual conditions of life.

Existential deprivation

It is connected with the need to find oneself and one's place in the world, to know, to understand the 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 due to the search for a profession and the creation of a family. Loneliness and social isolation are the causes of existential deprivation in this case.
  • At the age of 30, it is important that life conforms to internal plans and personality.
  • At 40, a person evaluates the correctness of his life, self-realization, fulfillment of his personal destiny.

Existential deprivation can occur regardless of age, for personal reasons:

  • change of social status (in a positive or negative direction);
  • destruction of meanings, the impossibility of achieving the goal;
  • a quick change in living conditions (longing for the old order);
  • longing 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 for learning is lost, interest falls, and there is a reluctance to attend classes. An aversion to educational activity in the broad sense of the word is formed.

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

Educational deprivation often transforms into cultural deprivation or serves as its precondition. Cultural deprivation originates in a family where education has no value.

Deprivation in the modern world

Deprivation can be obvious and hidden. With the first form, everything is simple: physical separation, imprisonment 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 the sake of children).

In the modern world, no one is immune from deprivation. This or that form and type of it can be provoked by the economic and social instability of society, information war or information control. Deprivation makes itself felt the more the person's expectations (level of claims) diverge from reality.

Unemployment, poverty (largely a subjective indicator), urbanization can negatively affect the psyche of people. Very often, the beginning deprivations and the state of frustration are compensated by a protective mechanism - an escape from reality. This is why virtual reality and computers are so popular.

Learned helplessness is another disease of modern society. It also has its roots in deprivation. People are passive and in many ways infantile, but for some this is the only way to maintain balance in an unstable environment or limited opportunities. 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, leaving for religion, passion and psychology, development is popular. No less popular is going into the world of the Internet and fantasy, books, films.

With a conscious and professional approach, the 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 saturation of the environment with events and impressions. With cognitive - the search for information, its assimilation, correction of existing images and stereotypes. Emotional deprivation is eliminated by establishing communication with people, building relationships.

Working with deprivations requires a strictly individual psychotherapeutic approach. The term of deprivation is important, as well as individual and personal characteristics of a person, his age, type of deprivation and form, external conditions. The consequences of some deprivations can be corrected more easily, while others take a long 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 application helps to know oneself, to achieve a state of altered consciousness. Remember the techniques of yoga, relaxation, meditation: close your eyes, do not move, listen to music. All these are elements of deprivation. In small and controlled doses, with skillful use, deprivation improves the psychophysiological state.

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