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This article will help you to differentiate between Voluntary and Non-Voluntary Actions.
The nature of random action, reflex action, instinctive act, and ideomotor action, which are non-voluntary actions, have been discussed already. Reflex actions are either physiological reflexes or sensation reflexes. The former are determined by physiological conditions, while the latter are attended with sensations.
Instinctive acts are aroused by the perception of a specific object or situation. Ideomotor actions are evoked by the ideas of movements. Desires are excited by the memory and imagination of objects.
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Voluntary actions are excited by the thought of ends or goals, or incentives. They are preceded by single desires, summation of desires, or conflict of desires. Thus, sensation reflexes, instinctive acts, ideomotor actions, desires, and voluntary actions are the different levels of human behaviour.
Voluntary actions emerge out of non-voluntary actions. There is a divergence of views as to the origin of voluntary actions. Herbert Spencer traces the origin of voluntary actions to reflex actions. Angell traces their origin to random actions. Sully traces them to instinctive act.
Ward traces them to expressive movements—expressions of feelings and emotions, especially the feeling of pain. The discussion of these doctrines is outside the scope of this book.
There is a difference between non-voluntary actions and voluntary actions. Non-voluntary actions are not determined by thought and self-consciousness, while voluntary actions are performed by the subject deliberately to realize an end or goal, and determined by thought and self-consciousness.
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Hence, some psychologists maintain that voluntary actions are unique and different in kind from non-voluntary actions, though they presuppose the latter. Only human beings are capable to performing voluntary actions as they are capable of reasoning and acquiring self-consciousness through social intercourse.