**2.2 Petr Antonovich Rudik, Doctor of Psychology, Professor, representative of the Moscow School of Sports Psychology, one of the initiators of the development of the psychology of sports in Russia (1893–1983)**

He founded and headed the department of psychology at the GTSOLIFK (today the Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth, and Tourism),

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*Interhemispheric Asymmetries and Individual Features of Regulatory Functions in Sport…*

under his leadership, research was carried out in four main areas [6]. The first group includes studies of the characteristic features of various psychological processes, as essential components of physical exercises. The second includes experimental studies of some sensory processes and motor reactions in their relation to physical exercise. The third includes psychological studies on the problem of training exercise and sports training. And, the fourth includes research on the problem of education of the volitional qualities of the individual during exercise

P.A. Rudik considered will as the ability of a person to act in the direction of a goal, while overcoming external obstacles. In the minds of most people, the word "will" appears as a synonym for volitional regulation, that is, a person's ability to overcome difficulties that arise. About the will of man can be judged by how he is able to cope with difficulties. According to P. Rudik, will is the ability of a person to act to achieve a consciously set goal, while overcoming internal obstacles. Thus, the will is synonymous with volitional regulation, whose function is to overcome

Under the leadership of P.A. Rudik staff of the department of psychology, a number of scientific works on the problems of volitional regulation in physical education and sport were carried out. P.A. Rudik noted that studies of the problem of volitional training of athletes, conducted at the Department of Psychology, cover the following range of issues: (1) the psychological structure of voluntary actions; (2) the characteristic of volitional qualities of a person and the conditions of their formation; and (3) analysis of the process of education volitional qualities

In connection with these works in the 70s. the XX century Russian scientists have come to understand the fact that volitional training is part of psychological preparation, considered as a holistic reaction and as an integral part of the training process, does not cover the whole variety of mental functions. The incompleteness of this reaction in its scope, its attribution of teachers to the training process, the awareness of the need to take into account the various components of the psyche led to the separation of psychological preparation as a special education in the framework of training, and not the training process. It is within the framework of the preparation of the qualities required by an athlete that he can get his certainty; therefore, independence, acting as a training process, aimed at the formation of certain qualities, functions, and processes. Psychological training is carried out only by "improving" skills aimed at ensuring a certain state of fitness (or fitness). Training is always connected with the upbringing and development of moral and volitional qualities necessary for an athlete—willpower, will to victory, achievement of a goal, composure, perseverance, firmness in dealing with difficulties, decisiveness, courage, self-confidence, ability to manifest willpower, aimed at overcoming obstacles, discipline, etc. These volitional qualities are formed in the process of training, not as some abstract abilities but as related to the specific conditions

At present, due to the growth of professionalization of top-level sports and the revival of mass and youth sports, the study of the psychological basis for the development of strong-willed activity in sports, the basics of the process of strongwilled training of athletes in various sports taking into account their individuality

The neuropsychological approach turned out to be more promising in this regard [7, 8], including taking into account the individual features of interhemi-

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.87066*

and sports.

of an athlete.

of sports activity [6].

spheric asymmetry [2].

and sports specialization research challenge.

difficulties and obstacles [6].

### *Interhemispheric Asymmetries and Individual Features of Regulatory Functions in Sport… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.87066*

under his leadership, research was carried out in four main areas [6]. The first group includes studies of the characteristic features of various psychological processes, as essential components of physical exercises. The second includes experimental studies of some sensory processes and motor reactions in their relation to physical exercise. The third includes psychological studies on the problem of training exercise and sports training. And, the fourth includes research on the problem of education of the volitional qualities of the individual during exercise and sports.

P.A. Rudik considered will as the ability of a person to act in the direction of a goal, while overcoming external obstacles. In the minds of most people, the word "will" appears as a synonym for volitional regulation, that is, a person's ability to overcome difficulties that arise. About the will of man can be judged by how he is able to cope with difficulties. According to P. Rudik, will is the ability of a person to act to achieve a consciously set goal, while overcoming internal obstacles. Thus, the will is synonymous with volitional regulation, whose function is to overcome difficulties and obstacles [6].

Under the leadership of P.A. Rudik staff of the department of psychology, a number of scientific works on the problems of volitional regulation in physical education and sport were carried out. P.A. Rudik noted that studies of the problem of volitional training of athletes, conducted at the Department of Psychology, cover the following range of issues: (1) the psychological structure of voluntary actions; (2) the characteristic of volitional qualities of a person and the conditions of their formation; and (3) analysis of the process of education volitional qualities of an athlete.

In connection with these works in the 70s. the XX century Russian scientists have come to understand the fact that volitional training is part of psychological preparation, considered as a holistic reaction and as an integral part of the training process, does not cover the whole variety of mental functions. The incompleteness of this reaction in its scope, its attribution of teachers to the training process, the awareness of the need to take into account the various components of the psyche led to the separation of psychological preparation as a special education in the framework of training, and not the training process. It is within the framework of the preparation of the qualities required by an athlete that he can get his certainty; therefore, independence, acting as a training process, aimed at the formation of certain qualities, functions, and processes. Psychological training is carried out only by "improving" skills aimed at ensuring a certain state of fitness (or fitness). Training is always connected with the upbringing and development of moral and volitional qualities necessary for an athlete—willpower, will to victory, achievement of a goal, composure, perseverance, firmness in dealing with difficulties, decisiveness, courage, self-confidence, ability to manifest willpower, aimed at overcoming obstacles, discipline, etc. These volitional qualities are formed in the process of training, not as some abstract abilities but as related to the specific conditions of sports activity [6].

At present, due to the growth of professionalization of top-level sports and the revival of mass and youth sports, the study of the psychological basis for the development of strong-willed activity in sports, the basics of the process of strongwilled training of athletes in various sports taking into account their individuality and sports specialization research challenge.

The neuropsychological approach turned out to be more promising in this regard [7, 8], including taking into account the individual features of interhemispheric asymmetry [2].

*Sports, Health and Exercise Medicine*

However, it should be recognized that the problem of volitional regulation of human behavior still does not have an unambiguous interpretation both in general

In Russian psychology (in the Soviet period of development), the line of studying the volitional efforts of a person was successfully presented. Its representatives viewed effort as a central and specific sign of will. These studies began such scientists as A.F. Lazursky, M. Ya. Basov, further continued V.N. Myasishchev, V.S. Merlin in Russian psychology 50–80s of the twentieth century. It was also developed in the psychology of sports—A.C. Puni [5], P.A. Rudik [6], etc. trait of will. Despite the importance of these studies for their time, however, they can be considered obsolete due to the emergence of new areas of knowledge, such as neuropsychology [7, 8], as well as the neuropsychology of individual differences [9, 10]. Further studies have shown the possibility and prospects of applying this approach to the problem of arbitrary regulation in sports and sports psychology [3, 11–14]. This review presents the views of the leading representatives of Russian sports psychology on the problem of the will and new work in the field of differential sports psychophysiology regarding the possibility of studying the problem of volitional regulation of athletes taking into account the individual characteristics of hemispheric asymmetry [11].

psychology in general and in sports psychology in particular.

**2. Sport psychology about the problem of voluntary regulation**

**2.1 Avksentiy Caesarevich Pugni, Doctor of Psychology, Professor,** 

**representative of the Leningrad School of Sport Psychology (1898–1985)**

the right solution, self-assessment of the results of volitional actions); emotional (self-motivated, gain); and performing (physical regulation through conscious coercion) [5]. In the concept of Puni, the will is defined as "the active side of the mind and moral senses, allowing a person to control himself, especially in the conditions of overcoming obstacles of various degrees of difficulty." According to A. Puni, obstacles are a necessary condition for the actualization and development of the will. They arise as a result of the discrepancy between the capabilities of a person (his ideas, thoughts, feelings, and actions) objective conditions and characteristics of activity and are divided into external and internal. External obstacles were understood to mean any objective conditions and peculiarities of the external environment and activities that become an obstacle in achieving the goal, in solving particular problems; under internal obstacles—objective changes occurring under the influence of external conditions of human life and human activity and the state of the internal environment of his body, which serve as an obstacle to the achievement of goals. According to A. Puni, understanding of internal obstacles only as purely mental phenomena (adverse emotional and conflict mental states) is not always justified, since mental phenomena—secondary, derivatives, subjective side of objective changes, and the states of the internal environment of the body. External and internal obstacles interact, manifested in the difficulties of varying degrees [5].

**2.2 Petr Antonovich Rudik, Doctor of Psychology, Professor, representative of the Moscow School of Sports Psychology, one of the initiators of the** 

He founded and headed the department of psychology at the GTSOLIFK (today the Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth, and Tourism),

**development of the psychology of sports in Russia (1893–1983)**

A. Ts. Pugni singled out three components in the volitional act: cognitive (finding

**54**
