Volition is the act of the will or voluntary action and, therefore, the term volitional refers to the phenomenon carried out by the intervention of the will. Regarding its etymology, the adjective volitional comes from Latin and literally means phenomenon and act of the will (volo in Latin means I want).
Volitional processes
Wanting to do something depends largely on our will. The will is equivalent to a series of processes, volitional processes.
The first step in any volitional process is determination, that is, the firmness of our will that impels us to action. In other words, we would be talking about a state of mind that predisposes us in a certain way. The second step is to determine the purpose and assess whether it is feasible and possible to carry it out. A third section is deliberation, in which you reflect on what you want to do. Consequently, human reason and, at the same time, will and sensitivity intervene in the volitional process.
Volitional behavior
When we decide to do something concrete, several factors are acting in our mind: our individual freedom or free will, the circumstances that surround us and the will to act. These factors combine and are translated into volitional behavior, which implies the concretion of thoughts into acts from the mediation of the will.
An act is considered volitional when we are fully aware of it, since we have chosen it that way. At the same time, the volitional act is associated with a specific purpose, a what for. On the other hand, for volitional behavior to be possible, the intervention of motivation is necessary.
The volitional act usually has some type of external resistance that acts as a counter force.
If I say "I want to study nuclear physics in California" this act of the will is accompanied by a series of material and non-material limitations (the possible support to achieve my purpose, my economic capacity to achieve the objective and other obstacles).
The volitional act is opposed to the instinctive act. The first is typical of humans and depends on the intelligence, education and values of each individual. Instead, the instinctive act is intended to satisfy a primary biological need. The volitional acts of humans allow us to go beyond the instinctive and rise in a moral and spiritual dimension very different from that of animals.
Photos: iStock - laflor / Zoran Zeremski
