Human behavior

Human behavior is the

potential and expressed
capacity (mentally, physically,
and socially) of human
individuals or groups to
respond to internal and external
stimuli throughout their life.[1]
[2][3] While specific traits of
one's personality, temperament,
and genetics may be more
consistent, other behaviors
change as one moves between
life stages—i.e., from birth
through adolescence,
adulthood, and, for example,
parenthood and retirement.[2]

Homo Sapiens (humans) often display

different types of behavior

Behavior is also driven, in part,

by thoughts and feelings, which
provide insight into individual
psyche, revealing such things
as attitudes and values. Human
behavior is shaped by
psychological traits, as
personality types vary from
person to person, producing
different actions and behavior.
Extraverted people, for
instance, are more likely than
introverted people to
participate in social activities
like parties.[4]

The behavior of humans (just

as of other organisms) falls
upon a spectrum, whereby
some behaviors are common
while others unusual, and some
are acceptable while others
beyond acceptable limits. The
acceptability of behavior
depends heavily upon social
norms and is regulated by
various means of social
control, partly due to the
inherently conformist nature of
human society in general. Thus,
social norms also condition
behavior, whereby humans are
pressured into following certain
rules and displaying certain
behaviors that are deemed
acceptable or unacceptable
depending on the given society
or culture.

Human behavior is studied by

the social sciences, which
include psychology, sociology,
economics, and anthropology.
In sociology, behavior may
broadly refer to all basic human
actions, including those that
possess no meaning—actions
directed at no person. Behavior
in this general sense should not
be mistaken with social
behavior. Social behavior, a
subset of human behavior that
accounts for actions directed
at others, is concerned with the
considerable influence of social
interaction and culture, as well
as ethics, social environment,
authority, persuasion, and
coercion.

Factors

Genetics Edit

Long before Charles Darwin

published On the Origin of
Species in 1858, animal
breeders knew that patterns of
behavior are somehow
influenced by inheritance from
parents. Studies of identical
twins as compared to less-
closely-related human beings,
and of children brought up in
adoptive homes, have helped
scientists understand the
influence of genetics on human
behavior. The study of human
behavioral genetics is still
developing steadily with new
methods such as genome-wide
association studies.[5][6]

Evolutionary psychology
studies behavior as the product
of natural selection, whereby
both human behavior and
psychology are shaped by our
evolutionary past. According to
this field, humans attempt to
increase their social status as
much as possible, which
increases their chances of
reproductive success. They
may do this by fighting,
amassing wealth, or helping
others with their problems.
Social norms Edit

Social norms, the often

unspoken rules of a group,
shape not only our behaviors
but also our attitudes. An
individual’s behavior varies
depending on the group(s) they
are a part of, a characteristic of
society that allows their norms
to heavily impact society.
Without social norms, human
society would not function as it
currently does. Humans would
have to be more abstract in
their behavior, as there would
not be a pre-tested 'normal'
standardized lifestyle, and
individuals would have to make
many more choices for
themselves. The
institutionalization of norms is,
however, inherent in human
society perhaps as a direct
result of the desire to be
accepted by others, which
leads humans to manipulate
their own behavior to 'fit in' with
others. Depending on their
nature and upon one's
perspective, norms can impact
different sections of society
both positively (e.g. attending
birthday celebrations, dressing
warm in the winter) and
negatively (e.g. racism, drug
use).

Creativity Edit

Creativity is a fundamental
human trait. It can be seen in
tribes' adaptation of natural
objects to make tools, and in
the uniquely human pursuits of
art and music. This creative
impulse explains the constant
change in fashion, technology,
and food in modern society.
People use creative endeavors,
like art and literature, to
distinguish themselves within
their social group. They also
use their creativity to make
money and persuade others of
the value of their ideas.

Religion and spirituality Edit

Another important aspect of

human behavior is religion and
spirituality. According to a Pew
Research Center report, 54% of
adults around the world state
that religion is very important in
their lives.[7] Religion plays a
large role in the lives of many
people around the world, and it
affects their behavior towards
others.[8] For example, one of
the five pillars of Islam is zakat.
This is the practice whereby
Muslims who can afford to are
required to donate 2.5% of their
wealth to those in need.[9] Many
religious people regularly
attend services with other
members of their religion. They
may take part in religious
rituals, and festivals like Diwali
and Easter.

Attitude Edit

An attitude is an expression of
favor or disfavor toward a
person, place, thing, or
event.[10] It alters between each
individual, as everyone holds
different attitudes towards
different things. A main factor
that determines attitude is likes
and dislikes: the more one likes
something or someone, the
more one is willing to open up
and accept what they have to
offer; one dislikes something,
they are more likely to get
defensive and shut down.

An example of how one's

attitude affects one's human
behavior could be as simple as
taking a child to the park or to
the doctor. Children know they
have fun at the park so their
attitude becomes willing and
positive, but when a doctor is
mentioned, they shut down and
become upset with the thought
of pain. Attitudes can sculpt
personalities and the way
people view who we are.
People with similar attitudes
tend to stick together as
interests and hobbies are
common. This does not mean
that people with different
attitudes do not interact, the
fact is they do. What it means
is that specific attitudes can
bring people together (e.g.,
religious groups). The way a
human behaves depends a lot
on how they look at the
situation and what they expect
to gain from it.[11]
Weather and climate Edit

The weather and climate have a

significant influence on human
behavior. The average
temperature of a country
affects its traditions and
people's everyday routines. For
example, Spain was once a
primarily agrarian country, with
much of its labour force
working in the fields. Spaniards
developed the tradition of the
siesta, an after-lunch nap, to
cope with the intense midday
heat. The siesta persists
despite the increased use of air
conditioning and the move
from farming to office jobs.
However, it is less common
today than in the past.[12]
Norway is a northern country
with cold average temperatures
and short hours of daylight in
winter. This has shaped its
lunchtime habits. Norwegians
have a fixed half an hour lunch
break. This enables them to go
home earlier, with many leaving
work at three o'clock in the
afternoon. This allows them to
make the most of the
remaining daylight.[13] There is
a correlation between higher
temperatures and increased
levels of violent crime. There
are a number of theories for
why this is. One theory is that
people are more inclined to go
outside during warmer weather,
and this increases the number
of opportunities for criminals.
Another is that high
temperatures cause a
physiological response that
increases people's irritability,
and therefore their likeliness to
escalate perceived slights into
violence.[14][15] There is some
research detailing that changes
in the weather can affect the
behavior of children. One study
suggests that classroom
misbehavior peaked during the
period of "calm before the
storm."[16]

See also
Behavioral modernity
Behaviorism
Behavioral economics
Feminine psychology
Human behavioral ecology
 Human communication
Human ethology
Human sexual behavior
Mathematical principles of
reinforcement
Motivation
Nature versus nurture

References
1. Hemakumara, GPTS. and
Rainis, R. 2018. Spatial
behaviour modelling of
unauthorised housing in
Colombo, Sri Lanka.
KEMANUSIAAN the Asian
 Journal of Humanities
25(2): 91–107,
https://doi.org/10.21315
/kajh2018.25.2.5
2. Kagan, Jerome, Marc H.
Bornstein, and Richard M.
Lerner. "Human
Behaviour ." Encyclopædia
Britannica. 2020. Retrieved
5 June 2020.
3. Farnsworth, Bryn. 4 July
2019. "Human Behavior:
The Complete Pocket
Guide ." iMotions.
Copenhagen. So What
Exactly is Behavior?
4. Argyle, Michael, and Luo
Lu. 1990. "The happiness
of extraverts." Personality
and Individual Differences
11(10):1011–17.
doi:10.1016/0191-8869(9
0)90128-E .
5. Anholt, Robert R. H., and
Trudy Mackay. 2010.
Principles of behavioral
genetics. Academic Press.
ISBN 978-0-12-372575-2.
Lay summary .
6. Purcell, Shaun. 2012.
"Statistical Methods in
Behavioral Genetics"
Appendix in Behavioral
Genetics (6th ed.), edited
by R. Plomin, J. C. DeFries,
V. S. Knopik, and J. M.
Neiderhiser. Worth
Publishers.
ISBN 978-1-4292-4215-8.
Retrieved 5 June 2020.
Lay summary .
7. " 'How religious
commitment varies by
country among people of
all ages" . Pew Forum on
Religion & Public Life. 13
June 2018. Retrieved
9 March 2019.
8. Spilka, B., and D. N.
McIntosh. 1996. The
psychology of religion.
Westview Press.
 9. Noor, Zainulbahar; Pickup,
Francine (2017). "Zakat
requires Muslims to
donate 2.5% of their
wealth: could this end
poverty?" . The Guardian.
10. Wyer, R. S. J. 1965. "Effect
of child-rearing attitudes
and behavior on childrens
responses to hypothetical
social situations." Journal
of Personality and Social
Psychology 2(4):480–86.
ProQuest 60622726 .
11. Kechmanovic, D. 1969.
"The paranoid attitude as
the common form of social
behavior." Sociologija
11(4):573–85.
ProQuest 60877639 .
12. Yardley, Jim (2014).
"Spain, Land of 10 P.M.
Dinners, Asks if It's Time
to Reset Clock" . The New
York Times.
13. Gorvett, Zaria (2019). "The
Norwegian art of the
packed lunch" . BBC News.
14. "Heatwave: Is there more
crime in hot weather?" .
BBC News. 2018.
15. Rath, Arun (2018). "Heat
And Aggression: How Hot
Weather Makes It Easy For
Us To Offend" . WGBH.
16. Dabb, C (May 1997). The
relationship between
weather and children's
behavior: a study of
teacher perceptions . USU
Thesis.

Further reading
Ardrey, Robert. 1970. The
 Social Contract: A Personal
Inquiry into the Evolutionary
Sources of Order and
Disorder. Atheneum.
ISBN 0-689-10347-6.
Edwords, Frederick. 1989.
"What is humanism? ."
American Humanist
Association.

External links
Media related to Human
behavior at Wikimedia
Commons
Quotations related to
Human behavior at Wikiquote
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