A person's special ability for something is called. The concept of abilities. Social abilities of the individual

Capabilities

Capabilities- these are individual personality traits that are subjective conditions for the successful implementation of a certain type of activity. Abilities are not limited to the knowledge, skills and abilities an individual has. They are revealed in the speed, depth and strength of mastering the methods and techniques of certain activities and are internal mental regulators that determine the possibility of their acquisition. In Russian psychology, the greatest contribution to experimental studies of special (musical) abilities was made by B. M. Teplov. Artistic (visual) abilities are reflected to one degree or another in the works of A.A. Melik-Pashayeva and Yu.A. Poluyanov, literary ones - in the works of E.M. Torshilova, Z.N. Novlyanskaya, A.A. Adaskina and others. Athletic ability studied by A.V. Rodionov, V.M. Volkov, O.A. Sirotin and others. Information on general abilities is most fully presented in the works of V.N. Druzhinina, M.A. Kholodnoy, E.A. Sergienko.

On the question of definition

The definition of abilities discussed at the beginning of the article is generally accepted. This definition abilities can be clarified and expanded in the part “Abilities are not limited to the knowledge, skills and abilities that an individual has.” These signs (ZUN) undoubtedly characterize abilities, but do not fully define them. What turns knowledge, skills and abilities into abilities? ON THE. Reinwald believes that abilities are, in fact, a continuation of the development of character traits and relate to the highest levels of personality organization, which acts as a condition for success, putting knowledge, skills and abilities at the service of activity.

There is a need to separate abilities also from mental processes (functions). For example, it is obvious that memory is expressed to different degrees in different people; memory is necessary for the successful performance of certain types of activities, but memory is not considered an ability in itself. To distinguish between mental function and ability, the following point of view is most appropriate: if we're talking about about the level of development, about the success of activity, which is ensured by the degree of expression of a given quality (intensity and adequacy of the course of a mental process), then we mean ability, and if only the specifics of the course and purpose are described, then processes (functions) are usually characterized in this way. Therefore, memory, attention, thinking, imagination are mental processes. And their special organization(cognitive styles, cognitive schemes), specificity (focus on the type of activity) and mobilization of forces (the role of the individual) to perform certain activities, which together ensure the achievement required result at the cost of minimal costs, we ultimately perceive it as ability (intelligence).

The semantic relationships of the concepts “temperament” and “ability” are constructed differently. People differ in the type of temperament, and the severity of one or another temperament can facilitate or hinder the performance of certain activities (for example, a choleric person will find it difficult to engage in activities that require perseverance), temperament is not knowledge, ability or skill. It is obvious that temperament is not an ability in itself, but acts as the psychophysiological basis of most abilities, both special and general, that is, temperament is part of the structure of inclinations. At the same time, it is also known that strength, as a characteristic of temperament, is an important condition for performing most types of activity.

Conditions for the formation of abilities

B. M. Teplov points out some conditions for the formation of abilities. Abilities themselves cannot be innate. Only inclinations can be innate. Teplov understood his inclinations as certain anatomical and physiological features. Inclinations underlie the development of abilities, and abilities are the result of development. If the ability itself is not innate, therefore, it is formed in postnatal ontogenesis (it is important to pay attention to the fact that Teplov separates the terms “innate” and “hereditary”; “innate” - manifested from the moment of birth and formed under the influence of both hereditary and and environmental factors, “hereditary” - formed under the influence of hereditary factors and manifesting itself both immediately after birth and at any other time in a person’s life). Abilities are formed through activity. Teplov writes that “...an ability cannot arise outside of the corresponding specific objective activity.” Thus, ability includes what arises in the activity corresponding to it. It also influences the success of this activity. Ability begins to exist only together with activity. It cannot appear before the activity corresponding to it has begun. Moreover, abilities are not only manifested in activities. They are created in it./

Abilities and Individual Differences

Each person has a different “set” of abilities. An individually unique combination of abilities is formed throughout life and determines the uniqueness of the individual. The success of the activity is also ensured by the presence of one or another combination of abilities that works for the result. In activity, some abilities can be replaced by others - similar in manifestations, but different in origin. The success of the same activity can be ensured by different abilities, so the absence of one ability can be compensated by the presence of another or even a whole complex. Therefore, the individual uniqueness of the complex of individual abilities that ensure the successful implementation of an activity is usually called “individual style of activity.” In modern psychology, people often talk about competencies as integrative qualities (abilities) that are aimed at achieving results. We can say that competencies are abilities through the eyes of employers. In fact, the employer does not care what the internal composition of the abilities that ensure the completion of the task is, what is important for them is the fact of its implementation. Therefore, competencies are even named by task: “the ability to perform such and such a task.” And at the expense of what internal resources it will be fulfilled - this is the problem of the applicant (or the psychologist studying the activity).

Abilities and aptitudes

Another term used by Teplov is inclinations. Propensities represent certain attitudes of a person towards an activity. “...Abilities do not exist outside of a person’s certain relationships to reality, just as relationships are realized only through certain inclinations.” The above quote indicates that aptitudes and abilities are closely interrelated. Inclinations represent the motivational component of activity. Therefore, without the presence of an inclination, a certain activity may not begin, and the ability, accordingly, will not be formed. On the other hand, if there is no successful activity, a person’s inclinations will not be objectified.

Abilities and giftedness

Giftedness is a complex phenomenon. It is associated with a person’s performance of a certain activity, that is, talent consists of various abilities. Giftedness is “a qualitatively unique combination of abilities on which the possibility of achieving greater or lesser success in performing one or another activity depends.” Giftedness does not ensure success in any activity, but only the opportunity to achieve this success.

Types of abilities

Abilities are divided into general and special. The following types of special abilities are distinguished:

1. educational and creative
2. mental and special
3. mathematical
4. constructive and technical
5. musical
6. literary
7. artistic and visual
8. physical abilities

Educational and creative abilities differ from each other in that the former determine the success of training and education, a person’s assimilation of knowledge, abilities, skills, and the formation of personal qualities, while the latter determines the creation of objects of material and spiritual culture, the production of new ideas, discoveries and works , in a word - individual creativity in various fields of human activity.

The nature of general abilities (intelligence, creativity and search activity) is determined by the special organization of cognitive functions and individual experience (including knowledge, skills and abilities). These abilities are called general because they are necessary to perform all types of activities, regardless of their degree of complexity. At the same time, different variants are observed in intelligence (see the works of M.A. Kholodnaya).

The nature of special abilities. By studying specifically the psychological characteristics of abilities, we can also highlight more general qualities, which meet the requirements of not one, but many types of activities, and special qualities that meet a narrower range of requirements of this activity. In the structure of the abilities of some individuals, these general qualities can be extremely pronounced, which indicates that people have versatile abilities, general abilities for a wide range of different activities, specialties and occupations. On the other hand, for everyone a separate type activity, it is possible to identify a common basis that will unite individual private skills into whole system, and without which this ability will not take place at all. Specific examples: For a mathematician, it is not enough to have a good memory and attention. People who are capable of mathematics are distinguished by the ability to grasp the order in which the elements necessary for a mathematical proof should be arranged. The presence of intuition of this kind is the main element of mathematical creativity, and it is based not only on knowledge and experience, but on spatial imagination, as the main condition for mathematical thinking (this means not only geometry and stereometry, but all mathematics as a whole). For an athlete, such a common basis is the will to win, the desire to be first at all costs. For an artist (in any field of art) this is an aesthetic attitude towards the world. Musical ability in existing general psychological classification belong to special ones, that is, those that are necessary for successful studies and are determined by the very nature of music as such. Their basis, as the basis of abilities for any type of art, is an aesthetic attitude to the world, the ability to aesthetically perceive reality, but in the case of music it will be sound or auditory reality, or the ability to transform the aesthetic experience of reality into sound reality (thanks to synesthesia). The technological component of musical abilities can be divided into two groups:

1. actually technical (technique of playing on a given musical instrument or voice control in singing);
2. compositional (for composing music);
3. controlling, auditory (musical ear - pitch, timbre or intonation, etc.).

IN extreme conditions, when the need arises to solve a super task, a person’s stress response can restore or sharply enhance certain abilities.

It is customary to distinguish levels of development of abilities, which are sometimes mistakenly mistaken for stages:

1. Capabilities

Separately, we should consider the concept of Giftedness. The origin of this term is based on the idea of ​​a “gift” - high inclinations that nature rewards certain people. The inclinations are based on heredity or on the characteristics of intrauterine development. Therefore, giftedness should be understood as an indicator of a high level of abilities based on natural predisposition. However, N.S. Leites notes that in reality it can be difficult to track whether abilities are largely the result of targeted education (self-development) or whether they are predominantly the embodiment of inclinations. Therefore, in science, to a greater extent, an understanding of this term has been established, which simply indicates a higher level of development of some abilities than most people, especially when it comes to children. And the actual levels of this giftedness are talent and genius. Co-authors I. Akimov and V. Klimenko spoke very successfully and imaginatively about the difference between talent and genius. They examined these options for giftedness in detail, emphasizing that the difference between talent and genius is not a quantitative, but a qualitative difference. They have a different sense of the world. The product of talent is originality; the product of genius is simplicity. However, I. Akimov and V. Klimenko believe that genius does not appear suddenly; it is born from talent; is born as a result of many years of talent’s work on quality. According to another point of view, talent and genius are not stages, they are quite different psychological qualities, and if a talented person can use his talent, or may not use it, then a brilliant person is actually a hostage of his genius, he may not work in the direction in which he is gifted, for him the punishment is deprivation of his opportunity to create. It is no coincidence that giftedness is called a “deviation,” albeit a positive one.

It is traditional to distinguish also the levels of development of abilities:

• reproductive
• reconstructive
• creative

However, practice (results empirical research) shows that creative abilities and reproductive abilities are of a rather different nature, therefore they develop independently of each other, and in each of them independent levels of development can be identified.

Notes

see also

Links

• Methodology for studying the inclinations of abilities “Verbal portrait” online
• Igor Akimov, Victor Klimenko. About the boy who could fly, or THE PATH TO FREEDOM

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

See what “Abilities” are in other dictionaries:

capabilities- individual psychological characteristics of a person, which are a condition for the successful implementation of one or another productive activity. S. became the subject of special psychological study in the 19th century, when the work of F. Galton laid the foundation... ... Great psychological encyclopedia

Individually expressed capabilities for the successful implementation of a particular activity. They include both individual knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as readiness to learn new ways and techniques of activity. To classify abilities... ... Psychological Dictionary

Data, talent, talent; parenka, couples Dictionary of Russian synonyms. abilities data see also talent, talent Dictionary sinon ... Synonym dictionary

Individual personality characteristics, which are subjective conditions for the successful implementation of a definition. type of activity. S. are not reduced to the knowledge, skills, and abilities that an individual has. They are revealed primarily in speed,... ... Philosophical Encyclopedia

Modern encyclopedia

Individual personality characteristics, which are subjective conditions for the successful implementation of a certain type of activity. They are not reduced to knowledge, skills and abilities; are revealed in the speed, depth and strength of mastery of methods and... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

CAPABILITIES- CAPABILITIES. Individual psychological characteristics of people, on which their acquisition of knowledge, skills and abilities depends. C. determine the success of a particular activity. There are S. for language, mathematical, musical, ... ... New dictionary methodological terms and concepts (theory and practice of language teaching)

Capabilities- ABILITIES, individual personality characteristics, which are subjective conditions for the successful implementation of a certain type of activity. They are not reduced to knowledge, skills and abilities; are revealed in the speed, depth and strength of mastery... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

capabilities- outstanding abilities exceptional abilities remarkable abilities extraordinary abilities extraordinary abilities enormous abilities amazing abilities amazing abilities fantastic abilities ... ... Dictionary of Russian Idioms

CAPABILITIES- individual psychological characteristics of a person, which are the conditions for the successful implementation of a certain activity. There are general and special C. General C are the properties of the mind, which underlie a variety of special. C, allocated in accordance with those ... Russian Pedagogical Encyclopedia Read more

People have different types abilities that are acquired from birth or develop throughout life. Known a large number of classifications by different signs, for example, differing in their source of origin, focus, level of development, presence of conditions and other criteria.

Types of abilities in psychology

A person can develop different abilities, and these include personal and psychological qualities that separate one person from another and the fruitfulness of actions depends on them. In addition, abilities cannot be attributed to knowledge, skills and abilities that have already been developed in people. Abilities, their types, structure and other parameters are carefully studied in psychology, which help to better understand a person, his possible paths of development in life and prospects.

Classification of types of abilities in psychology

There are several classifications that focus on different criteria. For example, according to origin, natural and social abilities are distinguished. The first include skills that are formed on the basis of innate cognitive processes of perception, memory, thinking, and so on. As for social abilities, they are determined by the system of training and education, and they manifest themselves in different areas. There are other types of human abilities: theoretical and practical, educational and creative, communicative and others.

General Abilities

This category of abilities is understood as a system of individual-volitional qualities of a person, which he uses to master knowledge and carry out various activities. They can be obtained from nature and developed throughout life. When describing what types of abilities there are, it is worth noting that they can be elementary and complex. The first include skills that are inherent to all people, but they are expressed to varying degrees, for example, to think, experience, remember, and so on. The second includes the ability to general types activities: learning, playing, working, communicating, and so on.

Intellectual abilities

Let's start with the term intelligence, which refers to the general abilities to cognition, understanding and solving various problems. It unites all types of individual abilities aimed at studying the world around us: feelings, memory, imagination, and so on. It has been proven that the development of intelligence has a direct connection with the amount of information processed. Interestingly, the first signal that the intellect is not fully involved is memory deterioration.

There are certain types of intellectual abilities:

1. Mental. Includes the ability to quickly answer questions, make calculations, determine the essence of a question, and so on.
2. Emotional. Ability to understand and manage with your own feelings and the feelings of others.
3. Social. This includes the ability to take on different roles throughout life.
4. Spiritual. This type of intelligence ability determines the harmony of the inner world and understanding of the meaning of life.
5. Physical. This refers to the ability to control your body and bodily desires.

Organizational skills

The presented phrase is used to describe a certain set of qualities that help to effectively organize work, both your own and that of other people. A person can develop types of business and organizational skills throughout his life. The required set of qualities contains:

1. Authority, which implies unconditional trust, professionalism, charisma, and so on.
2. Insight is based on a person’s ability to notice and correctly interpret the emotional state of people, and also determine their psychological compatibility, sense of tact, measures, and so on.
3. Emotional-volitional qualities, which include activity, exactingness, adequacy, prudence and many others.

Communication skills

A person's success largely depends on his ability to interact with and connect with people around him. mutual language. Each person’s communication abilities are formed individually, and this is influenced by interaction with parents, peers, work colleagues, and so on. Eat different exercises for their development. The following types of communication abilities are distinguished:

1. Information and communication skills imply a person’s ability to start, maintain and end a conversation. This includes the ability to use verbal and nonverbal communication.
2. Affective-communicative skills include the ability to notice the emotional state of the interlocutor and the ability to respond correctly to it, as well as to show respect and empathy for other people.
3. Regulatory-communicative ones imply a person’s ability to accept help from others, to decide conflict situations appropriate methods and support others.

Teaching abilities

This is understood as a set of certain psychological characteristics that are important for teachers who want to achieve success in raising and teaching children. The concept and types of abilities include:

1. Didactic. This includes the ability to clearly present information, properly organize a lesson, arouse the interest of children and properly motivate them.
2. Academic. This ability means the teacher’s competence in a specialized subject, that is, he must have deep knowledge and a desire to constantly develop, reaching new heights.
3. Perceptual. The teacher's ability to perceive, that is, he must be able to recognize the child's potential, his temperament and propensity for empathy.
4. Speech. This type of ability describes the teacher’s ability to express his thoughts correctly and clearly. Rich is important for this lexicon, eloquence and so on.
5. Organizational. The teacher must be able to correctly draw up a curriculum, calculate the time to study each topic, and so on.
6. Authoritarian. The teacher must enjoy authority among students, for which the following traits are important: exactingness, ability to control emotions, responsibility, and so on.
7. Communication. The teacher must be able to find a common language with different people, and not only with children, but also with parents and other teachers.

Special Abilities

Such abilities are understood as a certain system of personality properties, thanks to which one can obtain excellent results in a specific field of activity. There are different types and levels of special abilities, and the process of their development is complex and long. There is a certain classification of them: educational and creative, mental and physical.

Physical abilities

This is understood as the willingness of people to implement motor activity. The functional capabilities of organs and structures of the body can be congenital and acquired. When figuring out what types of abilities there are, it is worth noting that physical qualities differ from others in that they appear exclusively when solving motor problems. Each person expresses them differently, for example, some have a high pace of completing a task, while others can for a long time perform an action.

There are certain types of physical abilities and these qualities are five: speed, strength, endurance, agility and flexibility. With their help, you can characterize a person’s motor talent. The development of such skills occurs under the influence of two factors: an individual program, inherited, and socio-ecological adaptation.

Creative skills

This type of ability refers to a person’s ability to make creative decisions and create new ideas. IN ordinary life they manifest themselves as ingenuity used to achieve goals and get out of difficult situations. There are different types of creative abilities that manifest themselves in numerous life situations:

1. The ability to see what other people cannot see.
2. The ability to apply skills that were acquired for another to solve a problem.
3. Introducing creative types abilities, it is worth mentioning the ability to fully perceive reality without splitting it into parts.
4. Easy idea generation and strong creative imagination.

Mathematical ability

Everyone has an innate mathematical ability that allows a person to estimate and compare quantities of items without making an exact count, such as automatically selecting the shortest line at the checkout counter. All types of mental abilities, including mathematical ones, can be developed using various practices and training. In addition, it is worth noting that by improving a person’s mathematical skills, elements of abilities for other related activities are also formed.

Musical ability

Individual human skills that determine the ability to perceive, perform and compose music, as well as learn, are called musical abilities. It is worth noting that they manifest themselves to one degree or another in all people, and if they are pronounced, then this indicates musical talent. There are certain types of musical abilities:

1. Fret feeling. This refers to a person’s ability to sense the emotionality of a composition. Using this sense, the individual recognizes the melody and reacts to the intonation of the sound.
2. Auditory performance. It refers to the ability to reproduce melodies by ear. With its help you can develop musical memory and imagination. Together with the modal sense, auditory perception forms the basis of harmonic hearing.
3. Sense of rhythm. When describing the types and types of abilities in music, one cannot ignore the sense of rhythm, thanks to which one can actively feel the emotional component of a melody and accurately reproduce it by ear.

Each of us has abilities for certain activities. How to recognize them and then develop them? At what age do they begin to appear? What types of them are there? Is it possible that there is only one ability, or is there usually several of them? Can we say that abilities are innate qualities, or can they still appear throughout life? How do they differ from inclinations and inclinations? The article contains answers to the questions posed.

What are abilities

Abilities are personality traits that allow one to successfully engage in a certain type of activity. They develop from inclinations in the process of training and practice. Abilities and inclinations are not the same thing. Abilities are the result of the development of inclinations, which are determined by heredity. These are innate features of anatomy or physiology that contribute to best results, than ordinary people. Inclinations are determined by genes that are passed on from generation to generation.

In a family of athletes, a child can easily be born who will also devote himself to sports. The son of a famous chef is likely to follow in his father's footsteps. And the actress’s daughter will eventually try herself on the big stage. And, most likely, she will also be able to make her way into this profession. Although the child's genotype is formed under the influence of the genes of both parents. Even a real genius may not have the most developed heir if he inherits less “genius” genes from his mother.

Abilities and inclinations are interconnected, but have a different nature. We receive inclinations even before birth, but skills need to be developed. For example, someone has the makings of mountain climbing. They will not turn into abilities if this person lives his whole life in the steppe or desert. The task of adults is to identify their child’s inclinations as quickly as possible in order to help him realize them.

On the basis of abilities, inclinations develop - preferences regarding certain types activities. That is, what is more interesting to do. Inclinations are an important motivating factor for personal development.

The next important concept is giftedness., which depends on the combination of different abilities that allow one to reach the top in a certain profession. Giftedness does not guarantee success, but it does provide opportunities to achieve it.

Abilities in psychology occupy a basic level at which talents, and in some cases even genius, can develop. A person’s abilities are the foundation for his self-realization.

What types of abilities are there?

Answering the question of what abilities are, psychology, as a science, identifies several classifications. According to one of them, abilities are general and special. In the first case, we are talking about personality traits that allow her to achieve success in many types of activities. For example, developed intelligence, creativity and inquisitiveness are equally useful in science, journalism, politics and other professions. In the second case, a predisposition to a specific activity is implied. This may be the ability to clearly distinguish sounds or keys, which helps in music, or the ability of a person to visualize his thoughts on a canvas.

Most often, general and special skills are interrelated. For example, someone has the talent of an artist, but in this he is helped by developed spatial and figurative thinking, which are broader concepts.

Also, human abilities are of the following types:

• Intelligent;
• Structural and technical;
• Logical-mathematical;
• Creative;
• Literary;
• Musical;
• Physical;
• Interpersonal-communicative.

Intelligent determine the ability to assimilate new information and reproduce it in a specific situation. They play a particularly significant role for pupils, students and scientists.

Structural and technical allow you to create new mechanisms or improve existing ones. Inherent in people whose hands are not only “golden”, but also grow from where they need to be.

Logical-mathematical relevant not only for mathematicians, but also for economists, accountants, programmers, as well as people who are fond of gambling.

Creative depend on the level of development of fantasy, the ability to visualize one’s thoughts or emotions. They turn out to be useful even at the everyday level, when you have to come out of various non-standard situations in an original way.

Next come literary, which, although they are also creative, cover purely the writer’s paraphry, from original SMS messages to prose or poetry.

Musical as ancient as humanity itself. The ability to feel the rhythm and reproduce melodies yourself has always been equally valued.

Physical allow you to make the most of your body's capabilities. They are applicable in many areas, from dance to sports or military training.

Interpersonal-communicative characterize the level of development of empathy and the ability to establish connections. They are especially effective for businessmen, politicians, public figures, journalists, psychologists.

How to develop abilities?

Since skills emerge from inclinations only through the process of learning and practice, their development requires regular training or exercises.

Firstly, you should understand what they are for. As mentioned earlier, inclinations can come in handy in this. You need to understand what you like and what you would like to do. When it comes to children, it is not always easy for them to form their thoughts. Therefore, adults need to carefully monitor their child’s behavior. Pay attention to those activities that cause him the greatest interest.

Secondly, it is important to collect as much as possible more information. For example, it is obvious that he has the makings of boxing. It is necessary to learn as much as possible about this area of ​​sport, to understand its prospects and dangers. After weighing all the pros and cons, think further. Find out if there are sections nearby, ask for reviews about trainers, etc.

Third, of course, start studying and practicing. After all, without theory, practice does not know where to go, and without practice, theory is an empty phrase. This is true both for sports and literature, science or any other discipline. The theoretical part helps to gain the necessary knowledge, and practice gives invaluable experience.

Abilities are a good foundation for further success, but not a guarantee of it. Their implementation requires long-term dedicated work. It is one thing to discover an ability for something, and another to develop and improve it. But it is in work that worthy people appear who have managed to raise their abilities to the level of talent or even genius. So, even myself capable person It’s worth rolling up your sleeves first so you can enjoy the fruits of your labors.

These individual psychological characteristics are called personality abilities, and only those abilities are distinguished that, firstly, have a psychological nature, Secondly, vary individually. All people are capable of walking upright and mastering speech, but they do not belong to the actual abilities: the first - because of non-psychology, the second - because of generality.

Capabilities- these are individual psychological characteristics related to the success of performing any activity, not reducible to the knowledge, skills and abilities of an individual, but explaining the speed and ease of their acquisition.

However, the development of ability must have some kind of “beginning”, a starting point. Makings of- this is a natural prerequisite for ability, anatomical and physiological characteristics that underlie the development of abilities. There are no abilities, both outside of activity and outside of inclinations. The inclinations are innate and static, unlike dynamic abilities. The deposit itself is not defined, is not aimed at anything, and is ambiguous. It receives its certainty only by being included in the structure of activity, in dynamics of ability.

Perhaps, from some natural inclination, a person will develop, for example, mathematical abilities, and perhaps others. The problem is that, contrary to popular and simplified everyday ideas, there is no unambiguous and clear localization of higher mental functions in the human brain. From the same physiological “material” different psychopaths can develop. logical abilities. This is definitely the orientation of the individual and the effectiveness of the activity.

A person has many different abilities: elementary and complex, general and special, theoretical and practical, communicative and subject-related.

A person’s abilities not only jointly determine the success of activity and communication, but also interact with each other, exerting a certain influence on each other. Depending on the presence and degree of development of individual abilities, they acquire a specific character.

Ability and activity

In psychology, there are two main approaches to understanding abilities, their origin and place in the system of activity, psyche and personality.

Activity approach

The first approach can be called active, and behind it are the works of many domestic researchers, starting with B. M. Teplov. The second approach is no less developed, combined with the first, but is referred to as knowledge-based. Problems of abilities were also studied by A. R. Luria (1902-1977), P. K. Anokhin (1898-1974), V. D. Nebylitsin (1930-1972), etc.

Let's start from the position of B. M. Teplov, whose work on the psychology of musical abilities, carried out in the 1940s, has not lost its scientific significance even today.

Emphasizing the connection between abilities and successful activity, one should limit the range of individually varying characteristics only to those that provide an effective result of the activity. Capable people are distinguished from incapable people by more quickly mastering activities and achieving greater efficiency in them. Although outwardly abilities are manifested in activity: in the skills, abilities and knowledge of the individual, at the same time abilities and activities are not identical to each other. So, a person can be well technically trained and educated, but have little ability for any activity. For example, during the exam at the Academy of Arts, V.I. Surikov was denied training, since, according to the examiners, he completely lacked the ability to perform visual activities. The inspector of the Academy, having looked at the drawings presented to him, said: “For such drawings you should be prohibited from even walking past the Academy.” The mistake of the Academy teachers was that in the exam they did not evaluate abilities at all, but only the presence of certain skills and drawing abilities. Subsequently, Surikov refuted this mistake with action, having mastered the necessary skills and abilities within 3 months, as a result of which the same teachers considered him worthy of enrollment in the Academy this time. Thus, we can say that abilities are manifested not in the knowledge, skills and abilities themselves, but in the dynamics of their acquisition, in how quickly and easily a person masters a specific activity. The quality of the activity, its success and level of achievement, as well as how this activity is performed, depend on abilities.

As A.V. Petrovsky notes, in relation to a person’s skills, abilities and knowledge, abilities act as a certain opportunity. Here we can draw an analogy with a grain thrown into the ground, the transformation of which into an ear is possible only under many conditions favorable to its development. Abilities are only the possibility of certain mastery knowledge, skills and abilities, but whether it becomes reality depends on various conditions. For example, a child’s demonstrated mathematical abilities are in no way a guarantee that the child will become a great mathematician. Without appropriate conditions ( special training, creatively working teachers, family opportunities, etc.) abilities will die out without developing. It is unknown how many geniuses were never recognized by society. The life story of Albert Einstein, who high school was a very ordinary student.

However, knowledge, skills and abilities remain external to abilities only until they are mastered. Revealed in activity as the individual masters it, abilities develop further, forming their own structure and originality in the activity. A person’s mathematical abilities will not be revealed in any way if he has never studied mathematics: they can only be established in the process of mastering numbers, rules for operating with them, solving problems, etc. For example, phenomenal calculators are known - individuals who perform complex calculations in their heads with extreme speed, while possessing very average mathematical abilities.

Knowledge approach

Let us turn to the second psychological approach, to understanding the connections between ability and activity. Its main difference from the previous concept is the actual equation of abilities to the current level of knowledge, skills and abilities. This position was held by the Soviet psychologist V. A. Krutetsky (1917-1989). The knowledge approach focuses on the operational aspect of abilities, while the activity approach emphasizes the dynamic aspect. But the speed and ease of developing abilities is ensured only by appropriate operations and knowledge. Since formation does not begin “from scratch,” it is not predetermined by innate inclinations. The corresponding knowledge, skills and abilities of an individual are in fact inseparable from the understanding, functioning and development of abilities. Therefore, numerous works of the “knowledge” approach, devoted to mathematical, mental, and pedagogical abilities, are, as a rule, widely known and promising.

Hierarchy of abilities

Abilities exist and develop or die in exactly the same way as psychologically “initial” needs and motives for activity. A personality has its own dynamic hierarchy of abilities. This structure also distinguishes special personal formations called giftedness.

Giftedness- a qualitatively unique, personal combination of abilities.

According to the position of B. M. Teplov, giftedness, like ability, is not innate, but exists in development. It is very important that this concept, first of all, quality. In this regard, the author decisively contrasted his interpretation of giftedness with the widespread Western psychology the concept of “intelligence quotient” as a universal quantitative measure of talent.

Any giftedness is complex, i.e. includes some general and special points. Under general talent refers to the development of relatively broad and universally involved psychological components, such as memory and intelligence. However, ability and talent can only exist in relation to a specific activity. Therefore, general talent must be attributed to a certain universal activity. This is the entire human psyche, or life itself.

Special talent has a narrower conceptual content, since it relates to some special, i.e. regarding a specific activity. But such a gradation of activity is conditional. Thus, the structure of artistic activity includes perception, drawing, composition, imagination, and much more, which requires the corresponding development of special abilities. Therefore, general and special abilities really exist in personal, active unity.

A high degree of giftedness is called talent, and many expressive epithets are used to describe the qualities of it. These are, for example, outstanding excellence, significance, passion, high performance, originality, variety. B. M. Teplov wrote that talent as such is multifaceted. According to the laws of probability theory, not everyone can be “outstanding,” so in reality there are few talented people.

Genius- this is the qualitatively highest degree of development and manifestation of giftedness and talent.

A genius is characterized by uniqueness, the highest creativity, the discovery of something previously unknown to humanity. A genius is unique, unlike other people, and sometimes so much so that it seems incomprehensible, even superfluous. It is extremely difficult to unambiguously determine whether to recognize someone as a genius. That is why there are many more “unrecognized geniuses” than they really are. However, geniuses have always been, are and will manifest themselves because they are necessary for society. Geniuses are as diverse as the abilities, talents, circumstances, and activities that form them. That's why they are geniuses.

Problems of diagnosing abilities

The problems of diagnosing abilities have never lost their relevance. They are especially acute in today’s Russia in the context of modernization of education. Let us outline only some controversial, unresolved issues, for example, the problem of creating elite schools and other educational institutions for gifted children. The talent of young generations is the key to a worthy future for any country. But the main question is whether reliable objective criteria for giftedness exist in science. It should be said that for large-scale measurements of such valid criteria in modern scientific psychology No. But then their place will be taken by semi-professional, status, financial and other criteria of children's giftedness. Perhaps it would be more expedient and more humane to invest appropriate efforts and resources in working with “ordinary” children?

Abilities and inclinations are identified as one of the parameters of the holistic mental appearance of a person. They give a psychological description of a person from some specific aspect that is vitally significant. The words “capable” or “incapable” are widely used in everyday life, especially in teaching practice. The concept of ability is debatable and contains difficult universal, psychological, including ethical, moral issues. This concept intersects with many other psychological categories and phenomena. Let us consider the actual psychological interpretation of abilities, which often differs from their everyday understanding.

In the modern Russian school, the trend of earlier diagnosis of “special” abilities and inclinations of students is becoming more widespread and imposed. Almost from the first year of study, it is determined what the student is capable of: the humanities or the natural sciences. Not only does such a diagnosis lack the proper scientific validity, it is simply unethical and causes direct harm to the entire education, the entire mental and personal development of the child.

However, from current problems The ongoing modernization of education in Russia is the profiling of school education. Someone has already allegedly proven that the earlier a student chooses an educational profile, the better for him and for society. Some people believe that a teenager is already capable of making an unmistakable choice of a future profession and, in most cases, seems to do so.

Any person has no more direct and reliable path to the development of his abilities and personality as a whole than public, competently organized, but not facilitated and simplified, but optimally intense, developmental and creative training.

Personal abilities are features of the subject’s psyche that affect the success of acquiring skills, knowledge, and abilities. However, the abilities themselves are not limited to the presence of such abilities, signs and skills. In other words, a person’s ability is a unique opportunity for acquiring skills and knowledge. Abilities are manifested only in such activities, the implementation of which is impossible without their presence. They are not found in skills, knowledge and abilities, but in the process of their acquisition and are part of the personality structure. Every person has abilities. They are formed in the process of the subject’s life activity and change together with changes in life’s objective circumstances.

Development of personality abilities

Abilities in the personality structure are its potential. The structural structure of abilities depends on the development of personality. There are two degrees of ability formation: creative and reproductive. At the reproductive stage of development, the individual shows significant ability to master knowledge, activities and implement them according to an explicit model. At the creative stage, an individual is able to create something new and unique. The combination of outstanding abilities that determine the very successful, original and independent performance of various activities is called talent. Genius is the highest level of talent. Geniuses are those who can create something new in society, literature, science, art, etc. The abilities of subjects are inextricably linked with inclinations.

A person’s abilities for mechanical memorization, sensation, emotional excitability, temperament, and psychomotor skills are formed on the basis of inclinations. The possibilities for the development of anatomical and physiological properties of the psyche, which are determined by heredity, are called inclinations. The development of inclinations depends on close interaction with surrounding circumstances, conditions and the environment as a whole.

Absolutely no use capable people can not be. The main thing is to help the individual find his calling, discover opportunities and develop abilities. Every healthy person has all the necessary general abilities for learning and those abilities that develop during certain activities - special ones. So, the main factor influencing the development of abilities is activity. But in order for abilities to develop, activity in itself is not enough; certain conditions are also needed.

Abilities need to be developed from childhood. In children, engaging in any particular type of activity should evoke positive, constant and strong emotions. Those. such activities should bring joy. Children should feel satisfaction from their activities, which will lead to the formation of a desire to continue to engage in further activities without coercion from adults.

Creative expression of activity is important in the development of children’s abilities. So, for example, if a child is passionate about literature, then in order to develop his abilities, it is necessary that he constantly writes essays, works, albeit small ones, with their subsequent analysis. A huge role in the development of abilities junior schoolchildren plays visiting various circles and sections. A child should not be forced to do things that were interesting to parents in their childhood.

The child’s activities should be organized so that they pursue goals that are slightly beyond his capabilities. If children have already shown abilities for something, then the tasks given to them should gradually be made more difficult. It is imperative to develop in children, along with abilities, self-demandingness, determination, perseverance in the desire to overcome difficulties and criticality in judging their actions and themselves. At the same time, it is necessary to form in children the right attitude towards their abilities, achievements and successes.

The most important thing in developing abilities at an early age is a sincere interest in your baby. It is necessary to pay as much attention to your child as possible and do some work with him.

The decisive criterion for the development of society is the embodiment of the abilities of individuals.

Each subject is individual, and his abilities reflect the individual’s character, passion and inclination towards something. However, the realization of abilities directly depends on desire, regular training and continuous improvement in any specific areas. If an individual lacks passion or desire for something, then it is impossible to develop abilities.

Creative abilities of the individual

Many people mistakenly believe that creative abilities include only drawing, writing and music. However, this is absolutely false. Since the development of an individual’s creative abilities is closely interconnected with the individual’s perception of the world as a whole and his sense of himself in it.

The highest function of the psyche, reflecting reality, is creativity. With the help of such abilities, an image of an object that does not exist at that moment or that never existed at all is developed. At an early age, the foundations of creativity are laid in a child, which can manifest themselves in the formation of the ability to conceive and implement it, in the ability to combine their ideas and knowledge, in the sincerity of conveying feelings. The development of children's creative abilities occurs in the process of various activities, for example, games, drawing, modeling, etc.

Individual characteristics of the subject that determine the individual’s success in performing any task creative activity called creativity. They represent a combination of many qualities.

Many famous scientific figures in psychology combine creativity with thinking characteristics. Guilford (an American psychologist) believes that creative individuals are characterized by divergent thinking.

People with divergent thinking, when searching for a solution to a problem, do not focus all their efforts on establishing a single correct answer, but look for various solutions in accordance with all possible directions and consider many options. The basis of creative thinking is divergent thinking. Creative thinking is characterized by speed, flexibility, originality and completeness.

A. Luk identifies several types of creative abilities: finding a problem where others do not notice it; collapsing mental activity, while transforming several concepts into one; using the skills that have been acquired in finding solutions from one problem to another; perception of reality as a whole, and not splitting it into parts; ease of finding associations with distant concepts, as well as the ability to provide the necessary information at a certain moment; choose one of the alternative solutions to the problem before checking it; show flexibility of thinking; enter new information into existing existing system knowledge; see things and objects as they really are; highlight what is noticed from what the interpretation offers; creative imagination; easy to generate ideas; refining specific details to optimize and improve the original idea.

Sinelnikov and Kudryavtsev identified two universal creative abilities that developed in the process historical development society: realism of imagination and the ability to see the integrity of a picture before its components. Figurative, objective grasping of some significant, general pattern or the tendency to form an integral object, before the individual has a clear idea of ​​it and can introduce it into a system of clear categories of logic, is called realism of the imagination.

The creative abilities of an individual are a set of character traits and properties that characterize the level of their compliance with certain requirements of any type of educational and creative activity, which determine the degree of effectiveness of such activity.

Abilities must necessarily find support in natural qualities personality (skills). They are present in the process of constant personal improvement. Creativity alone cannot guarantee creative achievement. To achieve, you need a kind of “engine” that can put mental mechanisms into action. Creative success requires will, desire and motivation. Therefore, eight components of the creative abilities of subjects are distinguished: personality orientation and creative motivational activity; intellectual and logical abilities; intuitive abilities; ideological properties of the psyche, moral qualities, contributing to successful creative and educational activities; aesthetic qualities; communication skills; the individual’s ability to self-manage his educational and creative activities.

Individual abilities of the individual

Individual abilities of a person are general abilities that ensure the success of mastering general knowledge and implementing various types activities.

Each individual has a different “set” of individual abilities. Their combination is formed throughout life and determines the originality and uniqueness of the individual. Also, the success of any type of activity is ensured by the presence of various combinations of individual abilities that work towards the result of such activity.

In the process of activity, some abilities have the opportunity to be replaced by others, similar in properties and manifestations, but having differences in their origin. The success of similar types of activities can be ensured by different abilities, so the absence of any ability is compensated by another or a set of such abilities. Therefore, the subjectivity of a complex or combination of certain abilities that ensure the successful performance of work is called an individual style of activity.

Now modern psychologists identify such a concept as competence, which means integrative abilities aimed at achieving results. In other words, this is a necessary set of qualities that employers need.

Today, individual abilities of a person are considered in 2 aspects. One is based on the unity of activity and consciousness, which was formulated by Rubinstein. The second considers individual properties as the genesis of natural abilities, which are associated with the inclinations and typological and individual characteristics of the subject. Despite the existing differences in these approaches, they are connected by the fact that individual characteristics are discovered and formed in real, practical social activities individual. Such skills are manifested in the subject’s performance, activity, and self-regulation of mental activity.

Activity is a parameter of individual characteristics; it is based on the speed of prognostic processes and the variability of the speed of mental processes. So, in turn, self-regulation is described by the influence of a combination of three circumstances: sensitivity, a specific rhythm of installation and plasticity.

Golubeva connects various types of activity with the predominance of one of the brain hemispheres. People with a dominant right hemisphere are characterized by high lability and activity of the nervous system, the formation of non-verbal cognitive processes. Such individuals study more successfully, solve assigned tasks well under conditions of lack of time, and prefer intensive forms of training. People with a predominant left hemisphere are characterized by weakness and inertia of the nervous system, they master humanitarian subjects more successfully, they can plan activities more successfully, and they have a more developed self-regulatory voluntary sphere. From this we can conclude that a person’s individual abilities have a relationship with his temperament. In addition to temperament, there is a certain relationship between the abilities and orientation of a person, his character.

Shadrikov believed that ability is a functional feature that manifests itself in the process of interaction and functioning of systems. For example, a knife can cut. It follows that the abilities themselves, as properties of an object, are determined by its structure and the properties of individual elements of the structure. In other words, individual mental ability is a property of the nervous system in which the function of reflecting the objective world is carried out. These include: the ability to perceive, feel, think, etc.

This approach of Shadrikov made it possible to find the correct relationship between abilities and inclinations. Since abilities are some properties of functional systems, therefore, the elements of such systems will be neural circuits and individual neurons that specialize according to their purpose. Those. properties of circuits and individual neurons are special inclinations.

Social abilities of the individual

Social abilities of an individual are those properties of an individual that are acquired in the process of his development and meet the requirements of significant social activity. They change in the process of education and in accordance with existing social norms.

In progress social communication social properties are more expressed in conjunction with the cultural environment. One cannot be excluded from the other. Since it is socio-cultural qualities that play the main role in the formation of the subject as an individual.

In the processes of interpersonal interaction, socio-cultural value is lost, and social abilities cannot be fully demonstrated. The use of social abilities by an individual allows him to enrich his socio-cultural development and improve the culture of communication. Also, their use significantly affects the socialization of the subject.

So, the social abilities of an individual are the individual psychological characteristics of an individual that can allow him to live in society, among people, and are subjective circumstances of successful communicative interaction and relationships with them in any type of activity. They have a complex structure. The basis of such a structure is: communicative, social-moral, social-perceptual properties and ways of their manifestation in society.

Social-perceptual abilities are the individual psychological properties of an individual that arise in the process of his interaction and relationships with other individuals, providing an adequate reflection of their characteristics, behavior, states and relationships. This type of ability also includes emotional and perceptual ones.

Social-perceptual abilities constitute a complex set of communication abilities of an individual. Because it is communication properties that allow subjects to understand and feel another, to establish relationships and contacts, without which effective and complete interaction, communication and fulfillment collaboration impossible.

Professional abilities of the individual

The main psychological resource that a person invests in the process of work and activity is professional abilities.

So, a person’s professional abilities are the individual psychological properties of an individual that distinguish him from others and meet the requirements of labor and professional activities, and are also the main condition for the performance of such activities. Such abilities are not limited to specific abilities, knowledge, techniques and skills. They are formed in the subject based on his anatomical and physiological characteristics and inclinations, however, in most specialties they are not strictly determined by them. More successful performance of a particular type of activity is often associated not with one specific ability, but with a certain combination of them. That is why professional skills are determined through successful specialized activity and are formed in it, but they also depend on the maturity of the individual and his relationship systems.

Activities and abilities of a person regularly change places throughout an individual’s life, being either a consequence or a cause. In the process of carrying out any type of activity, mental new formations are formed in the personality and abilities that stimulate further development abilities. When the circumstances of an activity become more stringent or when the conditions of the tasks or the tasks themselves change, the inclusion of different systems of abilities in such activities may occur. Probable (potential) abilities are the basis newest types activities. Since the activity is always adjusted to the level of ability. So, professional abilities are both a result and a condition for successful work activity.

Universal human abilities are those psychological properties that are necessary for an individual to be involved in any professional and labor activity: viability; ability to work; the ability for self-regulation and activity, which includes prognosis, anticipation of the outcome, goal setting; ability for spiritual enrichment, cooperation and communication; ability to take responsibility for the social outcome of labor and to professional ethics; the ability to overcome obstacles, immunity to interference, and withstand unpleasant circumstances and conditions.

Against the background of the above abilities, special ones are also formed: humanitarian, technical, musical, artistic, etc. These are individual psychological characteristics, which ensure the success of an individual in performing certain types of activities.

Professional abilities of an individual are formed based on universal human abilities, but later than them. They also rely on special abilities, if they arose simultaneously with professional ones or earlier.

Professional skills, in turn, are divided into general, which are determined by the subject of activity in the profession (technology, people, nature) and special, which are determined by specific working conditions (lack of time, overload).

Also, abilities can be potential and actual. Potential - appear when new tasks arise for the individual, which require new approaches to solution, as well as under the condition of the individual’s support from the outside, which creates an incentive to actualize potential. Relevant – already today they are carried out in a procession of activities.

Personal communication abilities

In the success of an individual, the determining factor is relationships and interaction with surrounding entities. Namely, communication skills. The success of the subject in professional activities and in other areas of life depends on the degree of their development. The development of such abilities in an individual begins almost from birth. The sooner a baby can learn to speak, the easier it will be for him to interact with others. The communicative abilities of subjects are formed individually for each person. The determining factor in the early development of these abilities is parents and relationships with them; later, peers become influencing factors, and even later, colleagues and one’s own role in society.

If in early childhood an individual does not receive the necessary support from parents and other relatives, then he will not be able to acquire the necessary communication skills in the future. Such a child may grow up insecure and withdrawn. Consequently, his communication abilities will be at a low level of development. The way out of this situation can be the development of communication skills in society.

Communication abilities have a certain structure. They include the following abilities: information-communicative, affective-communicative and regulatory-communicative.

The ability to start and maintain a conversation, complete it competently, attract the interest of the interlocutor, and use non-verbal and verbal means for communication are called information and communication abilities.

The ability to perceive the emotional state of a communication partner, respond correctly to such a state, and demonstrate responsiveness and respect for the interlocutor is an affective-communicative ability.

The ability to help the interlocutor in the process of communication and to accept support and help from others, the ability to resolve conflicts using adequate methods is called regulatory-communicative abilities.

Intellectual abilities of the individual

In psychology, there are two opinions about the nature of intelligence. One of them argues that there are general conditions of intellectual ability by which intelligence in general is judged. The object of study in this case will be the mental mechanisms that determine the intellectual behavior of the individual, his ability to adapt to the environment, and the interaction of his external and internal worlds. The other presupposes the presence of many structural components intelligence, independent of each other.

G. Gardner proposed his theory of the plurality of intellectual abilities. These include linguistic; logical-mathematical; creating in your mind a model of the location of an object in space and its application; naturalistic; corpus-kinesthetic; musical; the ability to understand the motivation for the actions of other subjects, the ability to form the correct model of oneself and the use of such a model for more successful implementation yourself in everyday life.

So, intelligence is the level of development of an individual’s thought processes, which provide the opportunity to acquire new knowledge and optimally apply it throughout life and in the process of life.

According to most modern scientists, general intelligence is realized as a universal ability of the psyche.

Intellectual abilities are features that distinguish one individual from another, arising on the basis of inclinations.

Intellectual abilities are grouped into broader areas and can manifest themselves in various spheres of an individual’s life, his social role and status, moral and ethical qualities.

Thus, it should be concluded that intellectual abilities have sufficient complex structure. The intelligence of a person is manifested in the individual’s ability to think, make decisions, the appropriateness of their application and use for the successful implementation of a specific type of activity.

The intellectual abilities of an individual contain a huge number of different components that are closely interrelated. They are realized by subjects in the process of playing various social roles.