Human behavior

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It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Human ethology. (Discuss) Proposed since April 2011.

Human behavior refers to the range of behaviors exhibited by humans and which are influenced by culture, attitudes, emotions, values, ethics, authority, rapport, hypnosis, persuasion, coercion and/or genetics.

The behavior of people (and other organisms or even mechanisms) falls within a range with some behavior being common, some unusual, some acceptable, and some outside acceptable limits. In sociology, behavior in general is considered as having no meaning, being not directed at other people, and thus is the most basic human action. Behavior in this general sense should not be mistaken with social behavior, which is a more advanced action, as social behavior is behavior specifically directed at other people. The acceptability of behavior is evaluated relative to social norms and regulated by various means of social control.

The behavior of people is studied by the academic disciplines of psychiatry, psychology, social work, sociology, economics, and anthropology.

Factors affecting human behavior and actions

• Genetics (see also evolutionary psychology) – affects and governs the individual's tendencies toward certain directions.
• Attitude – the degree to which the person has a favorable or unfavorable evaluation of the behavior in question.
• Social norms – the influence of social pressure that is perceived by the individual (normative beliefs) to perform or not perform a certain behavior.
• Perceived behavioral control – the individual's belief concerning how easy or difficult performing the behavior will be.
• Core faith – The person's set of beliefs, like religion, philosophy, etc. Provided, sometimes subconsciously, by his or her family, peers, social media, and the society where he or she lives.
• Survivor instinct - engaging in certain behaviors may abate fear and become habitual, as in addiction.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Human behavior

References

• Ardrey, Robert. (1970). The Social Contract: A Personal Inquiry into the Evolutionary Sources of Order and Disorder [1]. Published by Atheneum. ISBN 0689103476
• Frederick Edwords, 1989, What is humanism?, American Humanist Association

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