Reflexive Foundations of Cognitive Mental States

One of the most important topics studied in cognitive psychology is cognitive activity associated with the acquisition, organization and use of knowledge. The question of qualitative and quantitative features of the relationship between reflection and cognitive states remains open. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that for more successful assimilation of new information, an individual, regardless of one's age, must experience certain mental cognitive states in the process of cognition. In particular, attention is drawn to the states of interest, reflection, passion for the object of cognition. This is one of the cognitive states that perform preliminary motivational function. Reflexivity has an impact on various characteristics of the subject (behavior, activity, personality). Reflection allows to realize, evaluate, compare actual state with the desired one, to predict the state in different situations of life, to rebuild the ways of action, etc. that is, the regulation of mental states, their alignment in the desired direction is provided by reflection. Reflection interacting with mental states creates a new quality – awareness and experience of states. It allows students to predict the results obtained, adjust their cognitive activity. As the level of reflection increases, the intensity of mental states increases in persons with high levels of courage and determination, while the intensity of “timid” states decreases as the level of reflection increases. The productivity and success of the development of educational material by students, self-management of their behavior and activities, as well as their own state largely depend on the inclusion of reflection in the educational process. The aim of our research is to identify the specifics of the relationships between the level of reflection and the intensity of cognitive states, determining the intensity of cognitive states depending on the level of reflection. Students of Kazan Federal University (Volga region) were used as the subjects of the research. Students retrospectively evaluated the cognitive states of interest, reflection, enthusiasm. Three methods were used to measure reflexive processes: the technique for diagnosing reflexivity (A. V. Karpov, V. V. Ponomareva), M. Grant's technique and the original technique for diagnosing reflexive processes which reveals the features of recognition, awareness and identification (A. O. Prokhorov, A. V. Chernov). The research data analysis revealed that different characteristics of reflection form significant connections with characteristics of cognitive states. Retrospective reflection seriously determines behavioral reactions in the process of cognition. Reflection of the actual activities, consideration of future activities, identification of the experiences contribute to cognitive characteristics such as emotions, physiological and behavioral responses.