Orientation (mental)
The mental orientation is a cognitive skill that enables the subject to time, space and respect his person - in his environment - to orient. Portions of the orientation assets are
Lack the ability to orient partially or completely, temporarily or in the longer term, it is called disorientation, disorientation, confusion ( see below).
Perception, orientation and action planning
Information of perception are based on an awareness for orientation and update them. Learned the orientation constants are stored as part of world knowledge in memory. In her planning and space temporal conclusion is in the imagination, resorted to. Orientation arises as a power of the subject. It is a realization that the subject is active, acting wins in dealing with the environment and also only in this context has its function.
Orientation is the action and meaning -related, human view of the world. It is characteristic of subjects that for her perception as a mapping relationship of the world of meaning is not, but perception regarding conditions for action and action do. World is not " per se ", but the world " for me " (and others) as the subject interesting. It's not about "features", surfaces and structures, objects and people, etc. per se, but about relationships as offers for human action.
Involved brain areas
The exact regions in the brain that are involved in the orientation, are still unknown, but both lesions of the brain stem as well as a brain halves were moored as a cause of disorientation. It is concluded that these two areas work together to maintain awareness. It is believed that the ability to recognize spatial- geometric relationships are predominantly located in the right hemisphere.
Development of mental orientation
In adult healthy people all sub skills of orientation assets are available. Infants have perception, but still not a complete orientation, it must be learned in many areas.
Impairment of orientation, disorientation
An inconstant orientation is referred to as disorientation, lack of orientation as disorientation. They concern mainly the first time, then the situational and local, and finally the auto psychological orientation. Disorientation can be found for example in connection with consciousness disorders, memory disorders, psychosis, organic brain syndrome, dementia or cognitive disorders (ICD -10 code R41 - Other symptoms that affect the detection capability and awareness ). Severe disorientation as sleepwalking and other psychogenic disorder orientation are the Symptomkomlex attributed F44 Dissociative (conversion disorder). Disorientation occurs as acute and transient psychotic disorder (ICD -10 F23 ) or as a reaction to severe stress and adjustment disorders on ( F43 ).
The loss of orientation is a part of the confusion and occurs in the diseases in which the memory function has failed, for example, the Korsakoff's syndrome, a carbon monoxide poisoning or Alzheimer's disease. Impairment and temporary loss of orientation can be caused by toxins in the body. These states are referred to as intoxication and delirium. Other causes include sleep deprivation, regulation of body temperature problems, malnutrition, increased intracranial pressure. It can also occur as a byproduct of other mental illnesses. Loss of orientation is typically found only in time, then in the room and end up in the identity instead. People with Alzheimer's disease lose their orientation, among others. Neglect the part of the physical identity is lost.
Animal kingdom
Sociobiology describes features of the orientation behavior of animals that helps them to find their way in their environment.
In some animals will be discussed in professional circles, whether they have an orientation to identity: the so-called mirror test passed test individual animals of all great apes, magpies and also among other Asian elephants.