Gregory Bedny
Systemic-Structural Theory of
Activity
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According to the definition from the textbook
General Psychology by Petrovsky (1986) activity is
a combination of internal (cognitive) and external
(behavioral) processes regulated by conscious goal.
From systemic-structural perspective activity can
be define as a goal-directed system where
cognition, behavior and motivation are integrated
and organized by the mechanism of self-regulation
to achieving a conscious goal.
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In Vygotsky’s view internalization involves social
processes and semiotic mechanisms – language in
particular.
According to Vygotsky, human higher mental
functions are products of mediated activity. The
role of mediator is played by psychological tools
and means of interpersonal communication. Tools
are the result of social-cultural and historical
development. Tools socially determined practical
actions and mental operations. This is how
Vygotsky connected consciousness with human
labor and practical activity.
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Leont’ev stated that structure of cognitive processes
more or less replicates the structure of external
motor activity. Only at the end of his life he
gradually changed his opinion. He wrote at this time
“the process of internalization is not transfer of an
external activity into internal plane of consciousness
but it is the process in which this plane is formed.”
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In opposition to Vygotsky Rubinshtein (1935)
further stated that intellect can not be reduced
merely to theoretical operations of conceptual
thought. Practice and intellect are interconnected.
Rubinshtein introduced basic principle of activity
“the unity of consciousness and practical activity”.
Rubinshtein did not agree with Leont’ev idea of
internalization. Rubinshtein emphasized the role of
independent exploration and interaction with
objective world as the source of our reflection and
mental development. He stated that external
influences always interact with internal mental
conditions. Therefore external can not be directly
transfered into internal.
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Motor activity always contains cognitive
components. Over the course of human
development, the cognitive components of activity
are gradually differentiated from external activity.
At the first stage, mental activity can be performed
only with the support of external activity. Only later
mental activity can be performed independently.
Thus, one can talk not about transformation of the
external activity onto internal plane, but about the
formation of internal components that at the first
step can be performed in combination with external
activity and later can be performed independently.
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Action emerges as a major unit of analysis of
activity. In contrast to notions of “processing” that
emphasizes what happens strictly in the
psychological domain, the concept of “action”
connects theory to the practical domain in
ergonomics and other applications.
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Subject  Tools  Object
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Subject   Tools   Subject
Systemic – Structural theory of activity
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A system is a set of elements that is organized and
mobilized around a specific purpose or goal.
In order to represent activity as a system it is
necessary to outline its elements and describe their
relationship. Activity as a system consists of smaller
units such as cognitive and behavioral actions and
operations and function blocks. Relationship
between these units of activity presents structure
of activity.
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Activity is a multi-dimensional system.
Consequently, we have different systemic
representation of the same activity. This means that
we have single object of study and several subjects
of study. It is also important to distinguish object of
activity and object of study, or subject of activity
and subject of study.
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Adequate descriptions of the same object of study
can be represented by multiple, interrelated and
supplemental models and languages of description.
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Interdependent and supplemental presentations of the
same object
A
X
C
B
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Stages of systemic – structural analysis of activity
Qualitative
descriptive analysis
Algorithmic analysis
Analysis of time
structure
Quantitative analysis
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Activity can be studied through individual-psychological
and cultural-historic perspectives. The first approach
considers Activity as an attribute of individual under which
the individual is an agent of Activity. The second approach
points toward a formulation of Activity, not only as an
individual traits, but as normative standards of Activity that
transcends separate individuals.
Within the systemic-structural theory of activity we can
isolate different more narrow theoretical approaches: the
cognitive approach, where the concept of process is
central; the morphological approach, where mental and
motor actions are the most important concept; and the
functional approach, where the major concepts are selfregulation and function blocks.
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Methods of activity study can be classified
according to different criteria. Systemic-structural
theory of activity outlines parametric and systemic
methods of study.
Parametric method of study is concentrated on the
study of different parameters of activity that are
treated as relatively independent. For example
cognitive task analysis can be considered as a
parametric method because it is concentrated on
study of separate cognitive processes.
There are also macro-structural and microstructural analysis that determine the level of
analysis.
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Basic concepts
The logically organized system of motor and mental actions
forms the structure of activity during task performance.
Actions can be divided into operations. Therefore activity can
be represented as hierarchically organized system.
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Actions have a temporal dimension that begins when an
individual accepts the goal of the action and is completed
when the individual achieves the conscious goal of the action
and evaluates the result of the action in terms of the
established goal.
Acceptance
Input →
Information
Evaluation of
or formation → processing & → Response → result and
of Goal
decision making (execution)
correction
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Subject is the individual or group of individuals that are
engaged in activity.
Object of activity is a physical or mental product (image,
mental sign) that is transformed or changed according to
the goal of activity or action.
Goal of activity or action is cognitive representation of
future desired result of actions or activity associated with
motive. (I can imagine future result of events which do
not depend on my own actions. This is not a goal).
Result of activity or actions is real activity accomplishment
that can be compared with goal.
Standard style of performance is understood as methods of
work activity that are prescribed by instructions.
Individual style of performance is the method of work
activity which depends on individual features of personality
and past experience.
Comparative analysis
Engestrom Schema
Mediated Artifacts
Subject
Object
Outcome
Triangular Schema
Schema according to Systemic-Structural
Theory of Activity
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In activity theory concept of goal differs from its
understanding in the West.
A goal is conscious mental representation of
humans’ own activity in conjunction with a motive.
Goals are considered as cognitive, informational
components of activity. In contrast, motives or
motivation in general, are treated as energetic
components of activity.
Motive → Goal
Components of activity
Motive → Method → Goal → Result
Activity → Task → Action → Operation → Function
Block
Gregory Bedny
Systemic-Structural Theory of
Activity