Human Behavior

Behavior is never random — it always reflects our needs.

From vital instincts to social bonds and higher ideals, our actions are a mirror of what drives us inside. Understanding behavior means seeing the tip of the iceberg, with deep processes beneath it.

We can judge mental phenomena by a person's behavior.

The term "behavior" may differ greatly in interpretation among scientists. However, three points are common in most definitions:

1. Behavior is movement.
2. Behavior is the satisfaction of needs.
3. Behavior implies management of one's body, the external environment, and other living beings.

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Thus, behavior is motor activity aimed at satisfying needs that arise due to changes in the environment (internal or external).

Its goal is either to return the environment to its previous state or to adapt to the new one.

Different forms of behavior are classified depending on the needs the person seeks to realize (e.g. nutritional, exploratory, aggressive).

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Needs are divided into three groups:

1. Vital
2. Social
3. Ideal

1. Vital (vitalis — life-related):

• Self-preservation: avoiding injuries, intake of water and nutrients.
• Reproduction.
• Self-maintenance: keeping functional integrity and efficiency.

Humans and animals constantly need sensory stimulation (sight, hearing, etc.).

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Constant inflow of sensory information is necessary for normal functioning.

The need for movement is also vital.

Experiments on mice (O. Vekovishcheva) showed:

• With free access to exercise wheels, alcohol consumption was zero.
• After removing the wheels, mice began to drink alcohol.

The need for emotions is vital too.

Emotions organize behavior. This need is less obvious when a person is constantly in society, but it becomes clear after relocation, retirement, or working from home.

Games satisfy the emotional need in both humans and animals.

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Another vital need is for pleasant sensations (hedonistic need):

• "Scratching where it itches.
• Eating sweets.
• Stimulation of erogenous zones.

Biological meaning is the same as with emotions.

Negative emotions → adjust behavior program.

Positive emotions → conditions are close to optimal.

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2. Social needs:

• Communication with others.
• Self-identification with groups (family, nation, religion, sports team, community).
• Friendships, expressed in pats, hugs, long eye contact (also in close inter-gender contact).

Each person has their own set of social needs.

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3. Ideal needs:

• Morality.
• Striving for self-knowledge.
• Self-realization (at the top of Maslow's pyramid).

The balance of needs changes constantly.

In real behavior, people usually satisfy several needs at once.

Only one dominates when in urgent cases (e.g. rushing to the toilet).

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Thus, by observing a person's behavior and understanding the correlation of neurophysiological, social, and even evolutionary processes, one can gain information about the person-like seeing the tip of an iceberg.

Based on materials by:

• D.A. Zhukov, Biology of Human Behavior and Others
• Z. Zorina, Games of Animals as They Are in Nature and in Human Understanding

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