Why is the study of human behavior considered as science?

As a science, behavior can be observed and repeated. We can study it

without bias and collect data. Research over time has shown us that we can
observe patterns in behavior in most people. Once this data is collected, we
can therefore make predictions as to outcomes.

Science is the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the
structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.

a systematically organized body of knowledge on a particular subject.

What is the significant role of science in the study of human behavior?

The scientific method is absolutely the bedrock of how people in the academic world
study human behavior,” says Jenkins, adding that scientific approaches can take many forms
and can interrogate many facets of human behavior. “We study human behavior through many
different fields in the social sciences.

Human behaviour refers to the way humans act and interact. It is based on and influenced by
several factors, such as genetic make-up, culture and individual values and attitudes.

Characteristics of the nature of science

Science education has defined tenets (characteristics) of the nature of

science that are understandable by students and important for all
citizens to know. William McComas and Joanne Olson analysed recent
science education curriculum documents worldwide and identified 14
statements about the nature of science that are common to most

curricula:

Science is an attempt to explain natural phenomena.

People from all cultures contribute to science.

Scientific knowledge, while durable, has a tentative character.

 Scientific knowledge relies heavily, but not entirely, on
observation, experimental evidence, rational arguments and
scepticism.

There is no one way to do science – therefore, there is no

universal step-by-step scientific method

New knowledge must be reported clearly and openly.

Scientists require accurate record-keeping, peer review and

reproducibility.

Observations are theory laden.

Scientists are creative.

Over the centuries, science builds in both an evolutionary and a

revolutionary way.

Science is part of social and cultural traditions.

Science and technology impact each other.

Scientific ideas are affected by the social and historical setting.

Laws and theories serve different roles in science – therefore,

students should note that theories do not become laws even with
additional evidence.

Simpler still some researchers have refined this list to the

following five tenets:

Scientific knowledge is tentative (subject to change).

Science is empirically based (based on or derived from

observation of the natural world).
 Science is inferential, imaginative and creative.

Science is subjective and theory laden.

Science is socially and culturally embedded.

WHY STUDY HUMAN BEHAVIOR

The study of human behavior centers on the relationship between

individuals and groups.

It combines elements of psychology and sociology, and provides

insights into leadership and management. Specializations include child
and adolescent development, family life, aging, eating disorders, and
addictions.

1. To make our relationships better.

As a very logical thinker, it was often very confusing trying to

communicate with my wife. She knew why she wanted to do things. But
I couldn’t understand her motivations. As I started studying human
behavior and different personality types I started understanding her in
a much better way. Our relationship (even though it was good before)

is much better as a result.

2. To understand ourselves better.

When you study other people and you start to see trends,
weaknesses and strengths etc. Eventually you start to apply these
things to your own life. You learn why you may be more naturally gifted
in something then the general population. And you may learn why
certain things “rub you the wrong way”.
 3. To help us in our careers

The best example of this may be in sales. There are quite a few
differ

ent ways that a sales person can word things so that you are more
likely to buy something from them. (hopefully still considered ethical)

An example is at a real estate agency. If a secretary answers the

phone and instead of saying something like “Yes, I will pass you through
to Bob, he is one of our agents” if he/she says “Yes, I will pass you
through to Bob, he has over 20 years of experience with housing in that
area.” The percentage of sales goes up dramatically (I can’t remember
the exact percentage but I think it was about a 20% increase).

If you understand your employer/manager’s motivations you can

much easier help them accomplish their goals. While also not doing
things they may see as a negative. (This is close to the same as reason
1, but different because of the use)

4. To not repeat history

In a larger type of societal view, humans repeat history over and

over. Studying history and what happened to people in the past can
give us the knowledge to avoid mistakes they have made.

The opposite of this is also true, in that we can learn to repeat

good decisions that have been made in the past.

In a smaller sense, we can see mistakes our parents or other

ancestors make/have made and attempt to correct our lives to not
make the same mistakes.
 5. As we grew, we watched people.
As a baby you learned almost everything from watching
people. Even things like when a baby sees a bug or mouse etc.,
they often look at a parent’s face to see what reactions the
parent has to this new “object”. I think this continues into
adulthood. As we look around at other people to see how they
react to something new to us. So the idea of studying human
behavior starts at a subconscious level. But bringing some of
those things into the conscious world can be incredible. Thus
the study of human behavior.

DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR

What is the scientific study of human behavior?

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior, according to

the American Psychological Association. Psychology is a multifaceted
discipline and includes many sub-fields of study such areas as human
development, sports, health, clinical, social behavior and cognitive
processes.

The Beginnings of Psychology as a Discipline

In the early days of psychology there were two dominant theoretical

perspectives regarding how the brain worked, structuralism and
functionalism.

Structuralism proposes that the structure of conscious experience could

be understood by analyzing the basic elements of thoughts and
sensations.
Structuralism is considered the first school of thought in psychology,
and was established in Germany by Wilhelm Wundt, and mainly
associated with Edward B. Titchener.

Structuralism looked to examine the adult mind in terms of analyzing

the basic elements of thoughts and sensations, and afterward to
discover the manner by which these segments fit together in complex
structures

Introspection is the process by which a person looks inward at their

own mental processes to gain insight into how they work. It is the self-
observation of one's consciousness. STRUCTURALISM MAIN
TECHNIQUE

FUNCTIONALISM

An American psychologist named William James (1842-1910) developed

an approach which came to be known as functionalism that disagreed
with the focus of Structuralism.

James argued that the mind is constantly changing and it is pointless to

look for the structure of conscious experience. Rather, he proposed the
focus should be on how and why an organism does something, i.e. the
functions or purpose of the brain.

James suggested that psychologists should look for the underlying

cause of behavior and the mental processes involved. This emphasis on
the causes and consequences of behavior has influenced contemporary
psychology.

The five major perspectives in psychology are biological,

psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive and humanistic.
 1. Behaviorism, also known as behavioral psychology, is a theory of
learning which states all behaviors are learned through
interaction with the environment through a process called
conditioning. Thus, behavior is simply a response to
environmental stimuli.

Behaviorism is only concerned with observable stimulus-response

behaviors, as they can be studied in a systematic and observable
manner.

The behaviorist movement began in 1913 when John Watson

The behaviorist perspective proposes two main processes whereby

people learn from their environment: namely classical conditioning and
operant conditioning. Classical conditioning involves learning by
association, and operant conditioning involves learning from the
consequences of behavior.

Classical conditioning (CC) was studied by the Russian psychologist Ivan

Pavlov. Though looking into natural reflexes and neutral stimuli he
managed to condition dogs to salivate to the sound of a bell through
repeated associated with the sound of the bell and food.

B.F. Skinner investigated operant conditioning of voluntary and

involuntary behavior. Skinner felt that some behavior could be
explained by the person's motive. Therefore behavior occurs for a
reason, and the three main behavior shaping techniques are positive
reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and punishment.

In positive reinforcement, a response or behavior is strengthened by

rewards, leading to the repetition of desired behavior. The reward is a
reinforcing stimulus.
Negative reinforcement is the termination of an unpleasant state
following a response. This is known as negative reinforcement because
it is the removal of an adverse stimulus which is ‘rewarding’ to the
animal or person. Negative reinforcement strengthens behavior
because it stops or removes an unpleasant experience.

Punishment is defined as the opposite of reinforcement since it is

designed to weaken or eliminate a response rather than increase it. It is
an aversive event that decreases the behavior that it follows.

2. Psychodynamic Perspective
The psychodynamic theory is a psychological theory Sigmund
Freud (1856-1939) and his later followers applied to explain the
origins of human behavior.

The psychodynamic approach includes all the theories in psychology

that see human functioning based upon the interaction of drives and
forces within the person, particularly unconscious, and between the
different structures of the personality.

Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, explained the human mind as like

an iceberg, with only a small amount of it being visible, that is our
observable behavior, but it is the unconscious, submerged mind that
has the most, underlying influence on our behavior. Freud used three
main methods of accessing the unconscious mind: free association,
dream analysis and slips of the tongue.

He believed that the unconscious mind consisted of three components:

the 'id' the 'ego' and the 'superego.' The 'id' contains two main
instincts: 'Eros', which is the life instinct, which involves self-
preservation and sex which is fuelled by the 'libido' energy force.
'Thanatos' is the death instinct, whose energies, because they are less
powerful than those of 'Eros' are channeled away from ourselves and
into aggression towards others.

The 'id' and the 'superego' are constantly in conflict with each other,
and the 'ego' tries to resolve the discord. If this conflict is not resolved,
we tend to use defense mechanisms to reduce our anxiety.
Psychoanalysis attempts to help patients resolve their inner conflicts.

An aspect of psychoanalysis is Freud's theory of psychosexual

development. It shows how early experiences affect adult personality.
Stimulation of different areas of the body is important as the child
progresses through the important developmental stages. Too much or
too little can have bad consequences later.

The most important stage is the phallic stage where the focus of the
libido is on the genitals. During this stage little boys experience the
'Oedipus complex', and little girls experience the 'Electra complex.'
These complexes result in children identifying with their same-sex
parent, which enables them to learn sex-appropriate behavior and a
moral code of conduct.

Freud (1905) believed that life was built round tension and pleasure.
Freud also believed that all tension was due to the build-up of libido
(sexual energy) and that all pleasure came from its discharge.
Oral Stage (Birth to 1 year)

In the first stage of psychosexual development, the libido is centered in

a baby's mouth. During the oral stages, the baby gets much satisfaction
from putting all sorts of things in its mouth to satisfy the libido, and
thus its id demands. Which at this stage in life are oral, or mouth
orientated, such as sucking, biting, and breastfeeding.

Anal Stage (1 to 3 years)

During the anal stage of psychosexual development the libido becomes

focused on the anus, and the child derives great pleasure from
defecating. The child is now fully aware that they are a person in their
own right and that their wishes can bring them into conflict with the
demands of the outside world (i.e., their ego has developed).
Phallic Stage (3 to 6 years)

The phallic stage is the third stage of psychosexual development,

spanning the ages of three to six years, wherein the infant's libido
(desire) centers upon their genitalia as the erogenous zone.

The child becomes aware of anatomical sex differences, which sets in

motion the conflict between erotic attraction, resentment, rivalry,
jealousy and fear which Freud called the Oedipus complex (in boys) and
the Electra complex (in girls).

Latency Stage (6 years to puberty)

The latency stage is the forth stage of psychosexual development,

spanning the period of six years to puberty. During this stage the libido
is dormant and no further psychosexual development takes place
(latent means hidden).

Freud thought that most sexual impulses are repressed during the
latent stage, and sexual energy can be sublimated towards school work,
hobbies, and friendships.

Genital Stage (puberty to adult)

The genital stage is the last stage of Freud's psychosexual theory of

personality development, and begins in puberty. It is a time of
adolescent sexual experimentation, the successful resolution of which
is settling down in a loving one-to-one relationship with another person
in our 20's.
Sexual instinct is directed to heterosexual pleasure, rather than self-
pleasure like during the phallic stage.

3. Humanistic Perspective

Humanistic psychology is a psychological perspective that emphasizes

the study of the whole person (known as holism). Humanistic
psychologists look at human behavior, not only through the eyes of the
observer, but through the eyes of the person doing the behaving.

Humanistic psychologists believe that an individual's behavior is

connected to his inner feelings and self-image. The humanistic
perspective centers on the view that each person is unique and
individual, and has the free will to change at any time in his or her life.

The humanistic perspective suggests that we are each responsible for

our own happiness and well-being as humans. We have the innate (i.e.,
inborn) capacity for self-actualization, which is our unique desire to
achieve our highest potential as people.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in psychology

comprising a five-tier model of human needs, often depicted as
hierarchical levels within a pyramid.
Rogers (1959) added that for a person to "grow", they need an
environment that provides them with genuineness (openness and self-
disclosure), acceptance (being seen with unconditional positive regard),
and empathy (being listened to and understood). Carl Rogers'
Humanistic Theory of Personality Development -Rogers' personality
theory is the notion of self or self-concept. This is defined as "the
organized, consistent set of perceptions and beliefs ab

out oneself."

4. COGNOTIVE PERSPECTIVE Cognitive Psychology revolves around

the notion that if we want to know what makes people tick then
the way to do it is to figure out what processes are actually going
on in their minds. In other words, psychologists from this
perspective study cognition which is ‘the mental act or process by
which knowledge is acquired.’
The cognitive perspective is concerned with “mental” functions such as
memory, perception, attention, etc. It views people as being similar to
computers in the way we process information (e.g., input-process-
output). For example, both human brains and computers process
information, store data and have input an output procedure

This had led cognitive psychologists to explain that memory comprises

of three stages: encoding (where information is received and attended
to), storage (where the information is retained) and retrieval (where
the information is recalled).

5. BIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE The biological perspective states that

all thoughts, feeling & behavior ultimately have a biological cause.
It is one of the major perspectives in psychology and involves such
 things as studying the brain, genetics, hormones, and the immune
and nervous systems
Theorists in the biological perspective who study behavioral
genomics consider how genes affect behavior. Now that the
human genome is mapped, perhaps, we will someday understand
more precisely how behavior is affected by the DNA we inherit.
Biological factors such as chromosomes, hormones and the brain
all have a significant influence on human behavior, for example,
gender.

6. Evolutionary Psychology

A central claim of evolutionary psychology is that the brain (and

therefore the mind) evolved to solve problems encountered by our
hunter-gatherer ancestors during the upper Pleistocene period over
10,000 years ago.

The Evolutionary approach explains behavior in terms of the selective

pressures that shape behavior. Most behaviors that we see/display are
believed to have developed during our EEA (environment of
evolutionary adaptation) to help us survive.

Observed behavior is likely to have developed because it is adaptive. It

has been naturally selected, i.e., individuals who are best adapted to
survive and reproduce. behaviors may even be sexually selected, i.e.,
individuals who are most successful in gaining access to mates leave
behind more offspring.

DEVELOPMENT OF BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE

Behavioral Development applies a behavior analytic approach to the

field of human development and behavior change across the lifespan,
by examining both the acquisition of basic skills and the development
of more complex behaviors.

How are behaviors developed?

Image result for development of behavioral science behavioral

development is thought to result from the interplay among genetic
inheritance, congenital characteristics, cultural contexts, and parental
practices as they directly impact the individual…

WHO IS THE FATHER OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE

John B. Watson

John B. Watson is known as the father of behaviorism within

psychology. John B. Watson (1878–1958) was an influential American
psychologist whose most famous work occurred during the early 20th
century at Johns Hopkins University.

What are the 3 behavioural sciences?

Several disciplines fall under the broad label of behavioral science,
including: Anthropology. Behavioral economics. Cognitive psychology.

How is development important in human Behaviour?

The top reasons for studying human development are to gain an

understanding of your own life experience, help others understand
what they're going through, understand the relationship of society and
individual growth, lead more effectively, and support the physical and
mental health of others.