Social behavior

In biology, psychology and sociology social behavior is behavior directed towards society, or taking place between, members of the same species. Behavior such as predation which involves members of different species is not social. While many social behaviors are communication (provoke a response, or change in behavior, without acting directly on the receiver) communication between members of different species is not social behavior.

In sociology, "behavior" itself means an animal-like activity devoid of social meaning or social context, in contrast to "social behavior" which has both. In a sociological hierarchy, social behavior is followed by social action, which is directed at other people and is designed to induce a response. Further along this ascending scale are social interaction and social relation. In conclusion, social behavior is a process of communicating.

Gender-oriented groups

See also clique.

Among members of certain species, such as apes (Superfamily Hominoidea), horses (more broadly, Family Equidae), dogs and whales, young non-dominant males can spontaneously form bachelor groups or bachelor bands.

See also

• anti-social behavior
• behavioral ecology
• behavioral economics
• dual inheritance theory
• ethology
• Forms of activity and interpersonal relations
• human behavioral ecology
• sociobiology
• peer group
• Evolutionary study of social behavior

External links

Find more about Psychology on Wikipedia's sister projects: Definitions from Wiktionary

Textbooks from Wikibooks
Quotations from Wikiquote
Source texts from Wikisource
Images and media from Commons
News stories from Wikinews

Learning resources from Wikiversity

social behavior from cognition origin

• Infoactivity