Festus Asikhia Festrut Leads University Professor 02/04/2021
Introduction
Functionality of the Mind
Many scientific endeavors over the years have focused on the desire to learn and understand the functionality of the mind. This has resulted in the development of new experiments and theories to explain the mechanics of the functionality of the mind (Badcock, 2019). The mind is the most functional capability of the human body. It allows the passing of sensory-motor contacts via the nervous system. It also perceives and interprets the information passed. Although most of the interpretations and detection are experiential and subjective, they are solely based on most neurocognitive processes that the brain gets as it responds to sequential changes and external events (Badcock, 2019). Subjective or experiential interpretations depend on the choices and cognitive judgments that individuals make. Therefore, the human mind plays a crucial role in transmitting information through sensors and motors of the nervous system.
The human mind is perceived as the most complex machinery and human organ in the world as it facilitates the process of comprehending the universe itself. According to modern neuroscientists, the mind results from the dynamic interactions among nerves and sensory motors in the nervous system that form the large-scale part of the brain’s networks (Mukundan et al., 2019). The mind is made up of cognition and its influence on the drive towards motivation and other emotional impacts of expressions and impacts. Neuroscience research and psychological literature define drive as the emotional impacts essential for conducting actions and responses (Mukundan et al., 2019). According to the religious point of view, drive is the spiritual force needed for individuals to engage in different high-level activities such as self-sacrifice to enhance the welfare of other people. This paper deeply explores and discusses the human mind and its major functionalities in ensuring that the human body runs smoothly.
2
Background
The human mind is a set of the mental or intellectual faculties of an individual. It involves numerous psychiatric processes such as perception, reasoning, and memory (Cognifit, 2020). The efficiency of an individual’s mental skills depends on the connection and activation of neurons in the brain. The major cognitive skills that make up the human mind include perception, reasoning, attention, memory, and coordination (Cognifit, 2020). Attention refers to the ability to select and concentrate on specific and relevant stimuli. Attention allows people to position themselves towards the selected stimuli and even respond consequently to it.
Perception allows an individual to capture and actively process information that senses receive. Perception allows individuals to interpret their surroundings based on the stimuli they receive through their sensory organs (Cognifit, 2020). Memory refers to the ability of the human brain to retain information obtained and even voluntarily recover it when required. Memory helps people to remember facts, feelings, concepts, and ideas (Cognifit, 2020). Reasoning is one of the superior cognitive functions of the human mind and relates to the information individuals perceive using the information stored in mind. This helps them resolve and hypothesize any problems that may arise in their daily lives (Cognifit, 2020). Coordination allows people to move precisely and efficiently. It is the function of the mind that makes people interact efficiently with others and the environment in general.
The human mind runs various mental processes. Mental processes can be divided into two major groups: conscious and subconscious processes. Conscious processes refer to the mental processes that individuals know when they are doing them. An example of a conscious process is when one remembers information that they studied for an exam. This is a conscious process because one has to consciously and voluntarily work towards remembering the stored memory
3
(Cognifit, 2020). Subconscious processes are mental processes that take place without one realizing. Some studies show that the human body usually experiences psychological changes such as body temperature, especially when one is exposed to particular emotional stimuli within a short period (Cognifit, 2020). This implies that even though people are not aware of these stimuli, the mind is always able to react to all of them. An example of a subconscious process is when individuals are exposed to subliminal advertising (Cognifit, 2020). They always have the urge to buy the advertised products even when they are not conscious of what they saw in the advertisements over the short period.
Mental representation is a major function of the human mind. Mental representation includes mental image and the passing of references to the mind’s hierarchical and memory structures of information (Winn & Snyder, 1996). It also incorporates the input, output, and processing functions of the human mind, especially the cognitive system. There are numerous cognitive theories of mental representation. Researchers have focused on storing information by individuals in the memory, the representation of that information in the mind, and its manipulation through reasoning (Winn & Snyder, 1996). The way people represent information mentally shows a direct mapping of what they hear and see about themselves and others in the universe. Over the years, educational technology research has primarily focused on how different video presentations with different abstraction levels affect an individual’s ability to reason analogically and literally.
Sequential and active processing of signals in the mind across nerves and sensors helps one understand various scientific correlations and relationships and uncover nature laws. It also helps an individual operate effectively in the social and physical environment. This allows them to apply this knowledge in creating new realities in their physical and social environments (Mukundan et al., 2019). Cognitive simultaneous processing on different time and space domains also helps
4
people conceptualize numerous functional systems which the mind could have created to lay the basis of their functional and physical existence roles across space and time. Cognitive processes carried out by the mind produce a drive that acts as a motivation to an individual. This drive is created by the mind while determining the negative and positive effects of actions and responses executed (Mukundan et al., 2019). The drive is experienced by an individual in the form of negative or positive emotions. These emotions almost have an automatic generation due to the outcomes of the person’s expressions and experiences. Sometimes, emotions arise as one tries to react to cognitive judgments that others make about their behavior and try to emulate other people and their experiences.
It is difficult but essential to learn how to control cognitive judgments and also make objective decisions. Learning these concepts may take an individual a long period. However, it is usually easier to follow the instances of others to learn how to make cognitive judgments for the facilitation of either negative or positive emotions (Mukundan et al., 2019). The molding and modulation of the arousal or drive to have a negative or positive outcome through cognitive judgment requires an immense self-control level. Also, gaining new experiences through learning and expressing negative or positive emotions has proven to be easy to acquire, especially when social conditioning is applied and when one uses cognitive judgments that facilitate such aspects of social conditioning. The mind helps an individual in acquiring proper cognitive judgments (Mukundan et al., 2019). In return, this allows individuals to learn and master their behavior and thought processes, which help them augment their personal gains and mitigate losses. This can also be achieved by the human mind by molding and modulating one’s drive through such cognitive judgments.
Description
5
The primary aim of this study was to explore the functionality of the mind. This was achieved by studying the mental processes of individuals and their behavior through observation. On observation, the research would then interpret and record the relevant data for the research. The mental processes and behaviors were mainly about how people relate to each other and their relationship with other living organisms such as animals, plants, and the environment. This research also sought to explain how the mind takes part in an individual’s thought process, emotions, and feelings. The findings of the research would help people understand the reasons they behave the way they do. They will understand numerous concepts and happenings, such as how the mind takes part in personality development, cognitive judgment, manipulation, bias, and inference. The insights that the results of the study will provide will give people a better understanding of their behaviors and those of other people in relation to the functionalities of the mind.
Like other studies by scientists, this study will form hypotheses that the researcher will have to analyze using the data collected. The hypotheses are usually possible explanations of the observations of the research during the study. Different research studies use different methods to carry out the studies. Some of the major techniques used in such studies include observation, experimentation, and assessment. Some psychological studies gather data and use it to evaluate human behavior through controlled laboratory experiments, psychoanalysis, hypnosis, psychotherapy, and biofeedback, or through the administration of personality, aptitude, intelligence, and performance tests. However, in this study, the methods used will include interviews and questionnaires to collect data. Observation and assessment will also be significantly used to determine the major functionalities of the mind.
Methodology
6
In this study, qualitative research was used to conduct the entire study. Qualitative research involves the collection of non-numerical data. It involves systematically collecting, organizing, describing, and interpreting textual, visual, and verbal data (Hammarberg et al., 2016). Qualitative methods are mainly based on the experiences, perspectives, and meanings of concepts based on the standpoints of the respondents of the study (Hammarberg et al., 2016). Therefore, this study was based on qualitative research because it employed numerous qualitative research methods and techniques in the data collection and analysis process.
In this study, purposeful sampling was used to identify the study’s sample from the entire population. Purposeful sampling is a widely used qualitative research method that helps identify and select information-rich cases even when the resources are limited (Palinkas et al., 2013). Purposeful sampling involves identifying and selecting individuals or groups with experience and knowledge of the given phenomenon or problem of the study (Palinkas et al., 2013). Apart from knowledge and experience, the participants in purposeful sampling should be willing and available to participate in the study. They should also communicate their opinions and experiences effectively in an expressive, reflective, and articulate manner (Palinkas et al., 2013). Therefore, in this study, the researcher used purposeful sampling to select the study’s participants. In the study, a sample size of 30 participants was used. The study used a small sample size because of the nature of the research methods used in both data collection and analysis. When choosing the sample size, the researcher followed a systematic procedure that ensured that all the study selection criteria and requirements were followed. The researcher did not use a large sample size to avoid saturation and repetition of responses from the participants.
In this study, qualitative data collection methods were used to collect data. Such data collection methods include questionnaires and interviews. The questionnaires included open-
7
ended questions so that participants can give detailed responses and information on the questions asked. This provided the researcher with more detailed information on the study’s problem, which is likely to give more detailed results after data analysis. The data collected were analyzed using qualitative methods of data analysis. The main method that was used to analyze the data was thematic analysis. Thematic analysis is a qualitative data analysis method usually used on a set of given texts such as responses to questionnaires and interview transcripts. In thematic analysis, the researcher closely examines the obtained data to develop common themes, such as ideas, topics, and patterns that come up repeatedly (Nowell et al., 2017). Thematic analysis helps identify, analyze, organize, describe, and report themes found in the given data set (Nowell et al., 2017).
The participants of this study were solicited through emails, posters, and phone calls. Those who responded to these emails and phone calls and agreed to participate in the study were invited to fill an informed consent. Half of the participants were invited for interviews about the functionality of the mind. The researcher chose to observe 7 of the participants regarding their behaviors and relationship with others in the environment to understand and interpret the mind’s functionality. The remaining eight participants were issued questionnaires about their general relationship with other people, animals, and the environment in general. From the responses, the researcher would interpret and assess the data obtained and relate it to the functionality of the mind.
Results
Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data collected through the different data collection methods mentioned. Six steps were followed during this process. The first step involved familiarization. The researcher had to comprehend the data collected from the participants. This helped the researcher get an overview of the entire data before starting the analysis of individual
8
items. In this step, the researcher was required to transcribe audios, take notes, and read through the text responses that the participants gave. The next step of analysis involved coding. In this step, the researcher was required to highlight different sections of the text, such as phrases and sentences, and come up with labels and codes describing the highlighted content.
The third step of the analysis process involved the generation of themes. In this step, the researcher was required to go through all the codes that had been created in the previous stuff and identify any emerging patterns from those codes. The researcher was then required to come up with themes according to the patterns generated. The researcher was allowed to combine several codes into one theme. Irrelevant and vague codes could also be disregarded. The next step involved the reviewing of the themes. In this step, the researcher was supposed to go through the themes created and ensure that they represented the data accurately. The researcher was allowed to split, discard or combine the themes to make them more useful and accurate. The fifth step involved the definition and naming of the themes. The last step involved the writing of the entire data analysis process. In this study, different patterns emerged that led to the generation of numerous themes. The themes generated and related to the mind’s functionality include cognitive judgment, memory, reasoning, manipulation of concepts and ideas, perception, coordination, attention, mental representation, and the facilitation of mental processes.
Discussion
The themes identified in the data analysis process represent the major functionalities of the mind. Perception is a major function of the mind that involves ascribing various mental capacities to others (Gray et al., 2012). Perception generally involves the five senses. It is also referred to as proprioception, a set of senses that facilitate the ability to detect any body movements and positions (Kendra Cherry, 2019). All these changes are detected by the senses with the help of the mind.
9
The mind also facilitates memory, which helps in encoding information, storage, and recovery of the information when needed (Jonides et al., 2008). This functionality of the mind allows individuals to remember things they may have forgotten and even complete complex tasks. The mind also helps an individual reason. This involves thinking about things and concepts logically and sensibly. Reasoning is an essential concept in people’s lives as it helps them carry out their daily tasks.
The most important function of the mind involves cognition and action. The mind helps an individual make a cognitive judgment about a particular concept and take the appropriate action. Cognition helps people acquire knowledge and use it to reason and apply it practically in their daily lives. Cognition also helps individuals construct mental categories and processes for facilitating different tasks. Cognitive processes and structures help individuals improve their observation, description, replication, and analysis skills (Council et al., 2010). Therefore, the mind plays a crucial role in ensuring that people can make a cognitive judgment and take the appropriate actions in given situations. This helps in improving their interactions with one another and other living organisms within their surroundings.
Conclusion
The mind has various functionalities that help people carry out their daily activities. The mind conducts different activities such as perception, memory, cognition, attention, reasoning, and coordination. It also conducts various mental processes, which may be conscious or subconscious. The human mind also participates in the mental representation of an individual. Thinking is also a major functionality of the human mind. The mind creates different ideas and concepts through which people define their situations, problems, and relationships. The mind continually tells an individual what is happening within the surrounding. Through cognition, the mind brings out
10
people’s desires and feelings regardless of whether they are positive or negative. The human mind also acts as a memory for information. It allows one to encode, store, and retrieve the information as needed. Through memory, people can carry out their tasks conveniently and effectively. Memory allows an individual to perform even complex tasks using minimal effort. Therefore, memory is a key functionality of the mind that allows people to store and even recover information whenever they need it.
Recommendation
Although the study was conducted successfully and detailed results explained, various modifications and aspects should be considered for future studies. First, the researcher should not use qualitative research methods only. In future studies, the researcher can employ other research methods such as quantitative and mixed methods research to produce more detailed and diversified results. Second, the researcher should employ various validity and reliability tests to ensure that the results obtained are valid and reliable. Such reliability and validity tests may include processes such as triangulation and member checks. Also, the researcher should focus on minimizing bias to improve the accuracy of the results obtained. Methods such as triangulation and member checks can help the researcher minimize bias. Lastly, the researcher should consider using a larger sample size to diversify the study’s data.
11
References
Badcock, P. (2019, November 15). Explaining how the mind works: A new theory. Research
Outreach. https://researchoutreach.org/articles/explaining-how-the-mind-works-new-
theory/
Cognifit. (2020). CogniFit. What Y ou Should Know about Y our Mind.
https://www.cognifit.com/mind
Council, N. R., Education, D. of B. and S. S. and, Education, C. on B. and S. S. and, Sciences, C.
on B. R. in the B. and S., Gerstein, D. R., Luce, R. D., Smelser, N. J., & Sperlich, S. (2010). Behavior, Mind, and Brain. In www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Academies Press (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546486/
Gray, K., Young, L., & Waytz, A. (2012). Mind Perception Is the Essence of Morality. Psychological Inquiry, 23(2), 101–124. https://doi.org/10.1080/1047840x.2012.651387
Hammarberg, K., Kirkman, M., & De Lacey, S. (2016). Qualitative research methods: when to use them and how to judge them. Human Reproduction, 31(3), 498–501. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dev334
Jonides, J., Lewis, R. L., Nee, D. E., Lustig, C. A., Berman, M. G., & Moore, K. S. (2008). The Mind and Brain of Short-Term Memory. Annual Review of Psychology, 59(1), 193–224. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.59.103006.093615
Kendra Cherry. (2019). How the Perceptual Process Works with Our Environment. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/perception-and-the-perceptual-process-2795839
Mukundan, C., Kamarajan, C., & Ajayan, P. (2019). Mind in the brain – creation of the greatest virtual world. J Psychol Clin Psychiatry, 10(2), 83–90. https://doi.org/10.15406/jpcpy.2019.10.00633
12
Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1– 13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847
Palinkas, L. A., Horwitz, S. M., Green, C. A., Wisdom, J. P., Duan, N., & Hoagwood, K. (2013). Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 42(5), 533–544. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-013-0528-y
Winn, W., & Snyder, D. (1996). 5.1 INTRODUCTION 5. COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVES IN PSYCHOLOGY. http://members.aect.org/edtech/ed1/pdf/05.pdf
13
Leave a Reply