Light And Dark Sides Of Reflection And Areflection: Splitting Effect

Abstract

The objectives of this study are to analyze the phenomenology of reflection, taking into account the relationship of the level of reflection with various intellectual and personal properties and the success of the activity. Along with this, the objectives of the study are to substantiate the role of metacognitive abilities as the basis of positive and negative manifestations of a high and low level of reflection, allowing us to talk about the light and dark sides of reflection and areflection. The results of the analysis describe the manifestations of the “splitting effects” of high and low reflection indicators. The pole of high reflection can hide both productive forms of self-regulation with positive consequences (such as increasing the success of activities, self-efficacy, systemic reflection), and maladaptive forms of self-regulation with negative consequences (decreased success in activities, rumination, hyperpersonal control, illusory control, introspection, quasi-reflection). In turn, the pole of low reflection also “splits” into two different components: productive forms of self-regulation with positive consequences (implicit learning, intellectual behavior of experts, secondary control, selective meaningfulness, creative process) and maladaptive forms of self-regulation with negative consequences (decreased success, learned helplessness, psychological encapsulation). In addition, the mechanism that provides the effect of splitting high and low indicators of reflection is metacognitive abilities (the ability to involuntarily and voluntarily control one's mental activity). The results of the study allow us to conclude the multidimensional (nonlinear) nature of reflection.