Difference from Reflex Theory
Classical reflex theory posits that an organism's response is organized along the reflex principle, terminating in a reaction to an external stimulus—namely, the reflected action itself. Analysis stops there.
The theory of functional systems goes fundamentally further: it does not stop at the action. For survival and adaptation, the organism cares not about motor acts per se, but about achieving a useful adaptive result. The system extends its analysis precisely to the point of need satisfaction.
Need and Motivation as the Basis of the System
Biological and social needs lie at the core of any behavioral activity. They act as system-forming and system-mobilizing factors that:
- Give an active vector to behavioral acts.
- Unite previously chaotic elements into coordinated working ensembles—constellations.
However, as I.M. Sechenov noted, needs and motivations alone cannot fully form a functional system. Hunger may drive an animal to get up and search passionately for food, but this motivation alone contains no ready-made instruction on how exactly to acquire that food. Interaction with the external environment is required.
Result as the Leading Factor of Behavior
Behavioral-level system formation relies on two components: the result itself and the action result acceptor (the apparatus of prediction and evaluation).
Features of a behavioral result:
- Requires active interaction with the environment.
- Changes system dynamics: homeostatic and behavioral processes are restructured depending on the parameters of the achieved goal.
- Divided into biologically significant (thirst, aggression, reproduction) and socially significant (education, profession, ethics).
Fixation mechanism: As soon as the subject achieves the goal, a useful integration of physiological processes forms and is immediately consolidated. Example: A newborn calf spends a few minutes in chaotic trials trying to stand. But as soon as it manages to maintain an upright posture (achieving the result), the successful muscle integration is fixed. The second attempt to stand will take only a matter of seconds.
Experimental Evidence for the Role of the Result
Behavior is determined not by a set of external stimuli, but by the internal need for an adaptive result.
- Predator-prey model: A hungry cat actively catches a mouse to satisfy its feeding need. If the cat is fed (or lacks hunting experience), it will not react to the exact same stimuli. Without a need, external stimuli do not trigger behavior.
- Porter's canary experiment: A bird with clipped wings needs to reach suspended food. Initially, it makes unsuccessful attempts (purely reflex stage). Then it reorganizes its behavior: it uses children's blocks lying in the room, builds a pyramid, and climbs to the food. Hunger, past experience, motor skills, and environmental assessment merged into a unified system.
- Social interactions: In a game of chess, the hand movements themselves are less important than the intermediate and final results leading to a socially significant goal—victory.
Behavior in a Social Environment and Extreme Situations
The significance of the result is clearly seen in zoosocial and human activity.
Chimpanzee example (Jane Goodall): A low-ranking monkey, running away from a dominant individual, accidentally hits an empty barrel, producing a loud bang that frightens the herd. The animal assesses the situation and subsequently uses the barrel purposefully for intimidation. Achieving this new result changes the structure of the entire colony: the outcast becomes the leader.
Extreme situations (confined space, hypoxia): Group human behavior dynamics always obey a single law:
- Primary (reflex) stage: Chaotic vocal and motor reactions and panic occur. They do not lead to salvation.
- Secondary (goal-directed) stage: A strict functional system is formed. Efforts are concentrated on achieving a useful result (breaking down a door, finding a key).
This same principle explains the evolution of tools: the needle or wheel changed shape over centuries, but survived in history because they invariably provided the required adaptive result.