ABSTRACT
In Section 3.2, we considered orienting activity, which can be external and internal. In some cases, internal orienting activity is not sufficient to understand the situation. In such cases, the person also uses external orienting activity. Moreover, the subject must find ways to achieve the formulated goal of work activity in a not clearly defined or a little familiar situation. In cases where such activity becomes complex, with clearly identified external and internal components, such activity may also be called exploratory. Thus, in exploratory activity, the goal has not only cognitive functions. It is also connected with the achievement of a certain goal of work activity that requires the transformation of the situation. It should be noted that between the exploratory and orienting activity, there are no clear boundaries and they can be transformed into each other. If the subject is not sufficiently aware of the situation and does not know how to achieve the required goal of exploratory activity, such type of activity becomes important in the analysis of the situation, its reevaluation, and finding ways to achieve a required goal. The more complex and unfamiliar the situation is for the subject, the more important the external exploratory components of activity are. Exploratory activity has its roots in animals’ behavior. All animals displayed an inborn exploratory reflex as orienting reactions to unfamiliar situations (Pavlov, 1927). Such reactions are often triggered almost automatically. For example, animals that entered the experimental room started walking around the room sniffing objects, etc. They perform various irregular movements before paying attention to the food. Human exploratory activity, which is much more complex and includes a conscious goal, also can be triggered almost automatically. In a stressful and difficult situation, such activity may acquire a chaotic character and be conducted in a wrong direction in accordance to the required goal of activity. It is therefore important that such activity be based on adequate hypotheses and move the subject to the established goal of activity. Orienting and exploratory activity includes cognitive and behavioral actions that can be redundant or erroneous.
