Understanding Human Behavior and Psychology: A Comprehensive Guide
What is a Biopsychosocial Being?
A person is a multidimensional, comprehensive being, consisting of:
- A physical structure (biological dimension)
- A series of psychic functions, behaviors, and emotions (psychological dimension)
- Immersion in different social spheres: family, friends, work, and community (social dimension)
These three indivisible and interrelated dimensions together define a person as a biopsychosocial being.
Psychosocial Needs and Professional Performance
Psychosocial Care and Educational Intervention
Psychosocial care involves professional actions taken to help individuals meet their social and psychological needs. Educational intervention, on the other hand, utilizes information campaigns and instructive methods to empower individuals to learn and fulfill their needs according to their capabilities.
Understanding Psychology
What is Psychology?
Psychology is the study of human behavior and mental processes. In essence, it explores what people do, feel, and think.
What is Behavior?
Behavior refers to the actions and reactions of individuals.
What are Mental Processes?
Mental processes encompass the thoughts, feelings, and cognitive activities occurring within an individual’s mind.
What are Emotions and Feelings?
Feelings and emotions represent the subjective experiences and affective states of individuals.
What is Personality?
Personality encompasses the enduring patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that define an individual’s characteristic way of being.
What Influences Behavior?
External Stimuli
External stimuli are changes in the environment that influence an individual’s reactions.
Internal Stimuli
Internal stimuli are bodily sensations or physiological states that can trigger certain behaviors.
Physiological Stimuli
Physiological stimuli involve physical functions and bodily processes.
Psychological Stimuli
Psychological stimuli are mental or emotional factors that influence behavior.
Components of Behavior
Behavior can be broken down into several components:
- Physiological Component: Refers to the internal bodily responses associated with behavior.
- Cognitive Component: Represents the thoughts, beliefs, and interpretations that contribute to a particular behavior.
Classifying Behavior
Based on Consequences
- Appropriate Behavior: Actions that have positive consequences for oneself and others.
Based on Preparation
- Stereotyped Behavior: Repetitive or mechanical responses that occur unconsciously.
- Learned Behavior: Intentional actions acquired through learning and experience.
- Complex Behavior: Responses resulting from human reasoning and decision-making processes.
Based on Manifestation
- Aggressive Behavior: Actions involving verbal, physical, or psychological violence.
- Passive or Inhibited Behavior: Submissive actions that prioritize the needs of others over one’s own.
- Assertive Behavior: Actions based on respect for oneself and others, allowing for the clear expression of thoughts and feelings.
Cognitive Functions
Perception
Perception is the process of receiving, interpreting, and making sense of sensory information from the environment.
Attention
Attention is the cognitive ability to focus on specific stimuli while filtering out distractions.
Memory
Memory is the capacity to encode, store, retrieve, and utilize information from past experiences.
How Memory Works
Memory operates through three main processes: acquisition (encoding), storage, and retrieval.
Types of Memory
- Immediate or Sensory Memory: Brief storage of sensory information immediately following exposure.
- Short-Term Memory: Limited-capacity memory system that holds information for a short duration.
- Long-Term Memory: Relatively permanent memory store with a vast capacity for holding information over extended periods.
Space-Time Orientation
Space-time orientation refers to an individual’s awareness of their position in relation to other objects, places, and time.
Thought
Thought is a complex cognitive function involving the processing, organization, and manipulation of ideas and concepts.
Reasoning
Reasoning is the mental process of drawing conclusions from given information or premises.
Creativity
Creativity is the ability to generate novel, original, and valuable ideas or solutions.
Types of Thinking
- Convergent Thinking: Finding a single, well-established solution to a problem.
- Divergent Thinking: Generating multiple, creative solutions to a problem.
Language
Language is a symbolic system of communication using oral and written signs with shared meanings within a linguistic community.
Promoting Language Development
- Maintain eye contact during conversations.
- Seek quiet environments for communication.
Feelings and Emotions
Feelings
Feelings are subjective experiences of emotions, typically less intense and longer-lasting than emotions themselves.
Emotions
Emotions are intense, short-lived affective responses to specific stimuli or situations.
Examples of Feelings and Emotions
- Feelings: Happiness, love, hate, pain.
- Emotions: Joy, sadness, fear, panic, anger.
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, manage, and effectively utilize one’s own emotions and the emotions of others.
Social Competence
Social competence encompasses empathy, social skills, and the ability to build and maintain positive relationships with others.
Personal Fitness
Personal fitness includes self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, and the ability to manage one’s own emotions and behaviors effectively.
Skills of Emotional Intelligence
- Accurate perception of emotions.
- Using emotions to enhance thinking and decision-making.
- Understanding emotional complexity.
- Managing one’s own emotions and influencing the emotions of others.
Personality and Self
Personality
Personality refers to the unique and enduring patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that characterize an individual.
Temperament
Temperament is the innate, biological component of personality that remains relatively stable throughout life.
Character
Character encompasses the acquired and changeable aspects of personality, shaped by experiences, learning, and environmental influences.
Personality Traits
Examples of personality traits include extraversion-introversion, emotionality-stability, agreeableness-antagonism, conscientiousness-carelessness, and openness to experience-closedness to experience.
Self-Concept
Self-concept is the overall perception and beliefs an individual holds about themselves.
Self-Esteem
Self-esteem is the subjective evaluation of one’s own worth and value.
Characteristics of Low Self-Esteem
- Insecurity
- Lack of self-confidence
- Difficulty achieving goals
- Poor social skills
- Fear of judgment
- Susceptibility to influence
Characteristics of Positive Self-Esteem
- Strong sense of self-worth
- Confidence in abilities
- Resilience in the face of setbacks
- Healthy relationships
- Assertiveness
- Independence
Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive dissonance is the psychological discomfort experienced when holding conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes.
Reducing Cognitive Dissonance
- Changing beliefs or behaviors to align with each other.
- Seeking out new information to support existing beliefs.
- Rationalizing or justifying inconsistencies.
Defense Mechanisms
Defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological strategies used to protect oneself from anxiety, stress, or threats to self-esteem.
Adaptive Defense Mechanisms
- Affiliation: Seeking support and connection with others.
- Altruism: Finding fulfillment in helping others.
- Humor: Using humor to cope with difficult situations.
- Anticipation: Mentally preparing for potential challenges.
- Sublimation: Channeling unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable activities.
Avoidance or Denial Defense Mechanisms
- Denial: Refusing to acknowledge or accept reality.
- Projection: Attributing one’s own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to others.
- Regression: Reverting to childlike behaviors or coping mechanisms.
- Rationalization: Creating false but plausible excuses for one’s behavior.
Personality Disorders
Personality disorders are characterized by inflexible and maladaptive personality traits that cause significant impairment in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning.
Types of Personality Disorders
- Paranoid Personality Disorder: Characterized by pervasive distrust and suspicion of others.
- Schizoid Personality Disorder: Marked by detachment from social relationships and restricted emotional expression.
- Antisocial Personality Disorder: Involves a disregard for the rights of others and a lack of remorse for wrongdoing.
- Histrionic Personality Disorder: Characterized by excessive emotionality, attention-seeking behavior, and a need for approval.
- Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Involves a grandiose sense of self-importance, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy.