Pattern is a term that denotes a repeating pattern; it can also be called a sample, model, diagram or image. The concept comes from the English “pattern” and is translated, as an example, form. Thanks to the pattern, a mediating representation is created, with the help of which, in the mode of synchronicity of the processes of perception and thinking, patterns appear, as well as the way they exist in the surrounding world, nature, and society.
A pattern is a repeating pattern or template whose components repeat in a predictable manner. Patterns may be perceived differently, depending on the sensory organ with which they are felt.
There are various patterns of behavior. Examples of them can be seen in various areas of life: from early washing to special professional ones.
Pattern is...
The word “pattern” is of English origin and translated into Russian means “form”, “template”, “example”.
That is, a pattern is a kind of repeating pattern, the elements of which are also patterns and are in predictable interaction.
An example from life: every morning you perform the same behavioral pattern - exercise, which includes the toilet, shower, brushing your teeth, combing your hair, and for women, also makeup.
You repeat these actions every day, so they become automatic and require no mental effort. They are like a pattern, a pattern, a pattern according to which you act.
In a broad sense, all our life activities are permeated with patterns: they surround us literally everywhere.
This term is used in psychology, mathematics, art, design and other fields.
You can recognize the pattern by the following signs:
- It is distinguished by its consistency - for example, most Russian people have a New Year's pattern : a decorated Christmas tree, a laid table and the release of fireworks immediately after the chimes.
No one even thinks about why we do all this, is it possible to do something differently (for example, buy not a spruce, but a palm tree)? This is a habit passed down from generation to generation, and few people dare to break this tradition; - It is constantly repeated - “Every year on December 31, the men and I go to the bathhouse” (from the film “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath”);
- It is formed unconsciously (the New Year's pattern described above. We simply began to repeat after our parents what they did from year to year);
- It is difficult to correct, as it is a stable phenomenon. Those who have at least once decided to change something in their lives, for example, quit smoking or start running in the morning, know this very well.
Meaning of the word pattern
To understand how capacious this word is, let’s look in the dictionary to clarify the translation. So what do we see? The English word pattern is translated into our native language as:
- model or template;
- sample or example;
- drawing or pattern;
- system or structure.
That's how many meanings this concept has! There are patterns in programming, in psychology, in design and, finally, in nature itself. This is where we will now look for patterns.
Pattern in psychology
Psychological patterns are either innate or acquired.
Innate ones are those with which we are born, the most primitive of them are swallowing, blinking, sucking, grasping, crying. Subsequently, we acquire character (a certain set of qualities) and assimilate moral values.
On their basis, a model of behavior is formed that is unique to us. Along with the development and improvement of personality, its patterns also change.
For example, the teenager Petya has an increased level of aggressiveness and when there is the slightest conflict, he rushes into a fight. And his friend Misha grew up to be an insecure guy, so he avoids any conflict situations when communicating with people and agrees with them in everything.
In this case, the habit of resolving disputes with fists is specifically Petin’s pattern, and running away from troubles is Mishin’s pattern. Thus, each of them has its own style, signature in behavior.
But 10 years have passed, during which time Peter has become a respected professor, and Misha has become a master of wrestling: the first has become more restrained and tactful, the second has believed in himself and fearlessly defends his point of view. Together with the circumstances of life, the patterns of both changed (became acquired).
Knowing about the existence of a pattern, you can successfully predict certain behaviors and actions of people.
To do this, you just need to observe the behavioral reactions of others, to see patterns of thinking and action repeated in the same circumstances.
Seeing your patterns is an equally useful skill.
It often happens that a person’s habits begin to interfere : he notices that he gets into the same troubles, but does not understand why.
When analyzing his actions (independently or with the help of a psychologist), it turns out that the individual in specific situations acts in the same way, bringing problems upon himself.
The task arises - to get used to the existing pattern and replace it with a new one, which will allow you to be more effective in society.
What is it, definition
A pattern in modern psychology is an ingrained model of human behavior that has been worked out to the point of automaticity and is also regularly used in everyday life. These action patterns are present in every behavioral domain.
Daily oral hygiene, strong coffee before going to work, shaking hands with colleagues as a greeting, using a certain method of chopping vegetables to make soup. These are the patterns that a person needs to perform the tasks of daily life. These patterns ensure stable functioning of the body and prevent brain overwork.
Patterns are formed based on previously established habits. A special program is formed in the structure of the central nervous system, which functions as a single instruction for performing certain actions. During the implementation of a behavioral pattern, a person interacts with the world around him almost automatically.
Pattern in psychology
It is believed that patterns are not simply reflexive reactions to external and internal stimuli. The organizational level of actions that are regulated by behavioral patterns is much higher than acquired instincts.
Pattern as a stereotype of thinking
Among our thoughts there are those that we reproduce mechanically, automatically. They are called stereotypes - as a rule, these are not very useful attitudes that are firmly “hardwired” into the brain. also be called patterns - the habit of thinking in a certain way in a specific situation.
A thought pattern, on the one hand, simplifies our existence: there is no need to waste time and look for options for action, just follow the pattern in your head. On the other hand, such predictability makes a person boring and uninteresting even to himself.
Examples of thinking patterns are the following thought forms: they insulted me - I insult in return, they said something nice - I’m happy, they didn’t call back - it means I’m uninteresting, a drunkard is a bad person, fat people are good-natured, etc.
In architecture and design
Repeating components for decoration purposes are widely used:
- in architecture, design patterns can be seen on any house: balconies, windows, porches, columns - all these are patterns that are reproduced when the building is laid out. They are best seen in ancient buildings, when various monograms, stucco moldings and other delights were especially popular;
- in design: if you look at your patterned wallpaper, you will most likely notice that the pattern is constantly repeated. Patterns can also be observed on clothes, blankets, bed linen, dishes, printed materials, sidewalks, tiles, parquet, etc.
Psychological theories and schools
The most in-depth study of the importance of patterns in people's lives was carried out by the American professor of social psychology, Dr. Walter Mischel.
Walter Michel's theory
According to the scientific theory of this specialist, every baby at the time of birth already has basic behavioral patterns. This information is inherited by the newborn along with genes from the parents. As a child grows up, his innate behavior algorithms are superimposed by acquired habits, stereotypes and patterns dictated by society. The quality of education plays an important role in the formation of new patterns of action in life situations.
All of the above factors form the basis of a person’s character in the future. The child's psyche is a very flexible structure. From early childhood, the prerequisites begin to be laid for the formation of basic patterns that remain in the consciousness of every person throughout his adult life.
If, while raising a child, parents closely monitor his behavioral habits, then they can promptly remove negative patterns from the life of their daughter or son. To support his theory, Dr. Walter Mischel developed the “marshmallow test.”
The Marshmallow Experiment, also known as the marshmallow test, is conducted for children aged 4 to 6 years. The size of the group ranges from 5 to 15 children.
Dr. Walter Mischel conducted a psychological pattern study that looks like this:
- Each child is taken one by one into an empty room with only a chair and a table.
- There is a plate with 1 marshmallow on the table.
- The leader of the experiment tells the child that if within 15 minutes. If he resists not to eat this delicacy, he will receive 2 marshmallows as a reward.
- The person conducting the test leaves the room, leaving the child alone with the sweets.
The results of this experiment, dedicated to the study of patterns, are such that 20% of children were able to last 15 minutes without eating a marshmallow. The rest of the test participants consumed the confectionery product within the first minutes. The social psychology experiment did not end there.
Walter Mischel observed the lives of an entire group of children at different stages of their personality development. It turned out that the participants in the experiment who refrained from eating sweets, having received a reward of 2 marshmallows for this, achieved much more in life than other children.
With this study, Dr. Walter Mischel showed that a sufficiently developed pattern of self-control allows a person to withstand temptation, life's trials, show willpower and perseverance in order to ultimately get much more. People with a similar behavioral pattern have strategic planning skills and reject the philosophy of living today.
Parents who want to develop a pattern of self-control in their child should teach him order and discipline from early childhood. For example, regularly brush your teeth in the morning and evening, talking about the importance of oral hygiene. After completing the game, the child must independently collect the toys, placing them in a pre-prepared box.
Sequential Pattern Repetition Theory
Of particular interest is the theory of sequential repetition of patterns at different stages of an individual’s life. There is a natural feature that knowing how a person behaved previously in certain situations, one can identify his main behavioral patterns with maximum accuracy.
Before drawing appropriate conclusions, psychologists recommend carefully studying the individual’s personality. The simplest example is that if a friend easily makes various promises to others, but almost never fulfills them, then you can be sure that such behavior is the norm for this person.
Similar situations arise with people who borrow money, but constantly ask for the next postponement of the loan repayment period. Patterns developed in childhood are practically impossible to correct. There is a psychological theory for predicting the quality of personal relationships between future spouses.
A woman who is getting married should pay attention to how her beloved man treats his mother. 2-3 years after marriage, the stage of falling in love is completely completed. At this stage, the behavioral algorithms that the man has formed in relation to his own mother are activated.
Theory of the pattern implementation mechanism
There is another interesting psychological theory that concerns the mechanism for implementing patterns. It is believed that most people choose partners with similar behavior patterns for close communication and pleasant pastime.
This choice is made at the subconscious level. This explains the pattern when the same girl constantly finds boyfriends with a reputation for scoundrels. In fact, there is a choice of a loved one whose personal qualities best suit the realization of the girl’s own patterns.
Similar situations occur with men who are always looking for their only and faithful life partner, but focus their attention on girls with a dubious reputation. After another unsuccessful relationship, the guy is sure that the next lover will not be the same as the previous ones, but again chooses a girl with negative patterns. This is due to the fact that the behavioral patterns of loved ones are a mirror image of their positive and negative patterns.
Patterns are behavioral models pre-formed by the human brain, the implementation of which occurs in compliance with a strict algorithm of actions. There are negative and positive psychological schemes.
Patterns that have formed in the mind of an individual based on negative practical experience are destructive in nature, reducing a person’s quality of life. Positive patterns are a mechanism for interaction of the individual with the outside world and representatives of society.
Patterns in nature
What a pattern is can also be understood by observing natural phenomena, for example:
- water bubbles, sea foam;
- sand dunes in the desert;
- waves on the water;
- symmetrical snowflake pattern;
- web;
- fractals on leaves (for example, a fern leaf consists of identical “leaves” of different sizes;
- spiral on shells;
