Behavioral Science (HS-102) Introduction to Behavioral Sciences

What is Behavioral Science? It is an interdisciplinary field and is less mature than the biological and physical sciences. Although each of these disciplines is concerned with human behavior and nature, there are few commonly accepted theories among them. The behavioral scientist worked diligently at improving the predictability of behavior. This discipline focuses on attempting to predict how most people are likely to behave in a given set of circumstances and conditions. The emphasis here is on the word attempt, and there is no certainty that the prediction will be perfectly accurate. Behavioral science has an effective solution to the complex human problems confronting society. Behavioral science is a systematic, controlled, empirical and critical investigation of human and animal behavior through controlled and naturalistic experimental observations and rigorous formulations. It encompasses the activities of and interactions among organisms in the natural world. At the very outset, decision-makers feel that behavioral science research is unnecessary because they have on the basis of their day t day experience in dealing with people have already acquired understanding, while behavioral researchers use scientific methods to study human behavior. The core disciplines of Behavioral Science 1. Psychology 2. Sociology 3. Anthropology 1. Psychology: Psychology perhaps has the most influence in the field of behavioral science, because it is a science of behavior. Almost all the aspects of behavior are studied by psychologists. Psychologists from all areas definitely agree that learning is the major determining factor of behavior. Learning is important in understanding behavior because of the concepts and generalizations that have developed from it. All the organizations are associated wit learning which occurs throughout a persons life. One of the most important attributes of psychology is the emphasis on scientific study of human behavior. Psychologists attempt to study the behavior on the basis of rational, demonstrable-causeeffect relationship. 2. Sociology: Sociology has to do with human interaction in social settings. Second, sociology is the study of plural behavior which means two or more interacting persons constitute a plurality pattern of behavior. Third, sociology is the study of social systems which means an operational social unit that is structured to serve a purpose. It consists of two or more persons of different status, with different roles, playing a part in pattern that is sustained by physical and cultural base.

3. Anthropology: The aim of anthropology is to acquire a better understanding of the relationship between the human being and the environment. Adaptation to surroundings constitutes culture. Culture includes these ideas shared by groups of individuals and the languages by which these ideas are communicated. In essence, culture is the system of learned behavior. To study the relationship people and culture, it is necessary to collect and record data pertaining to both, and like the other behavioral sciences, anthropology has borrowed its methods from older sciences. Anthropologists studied all kinds of human beings. The whole world is the laboratory of anthropologists and human beings must be studied in their natural habitats. Familiarity with some of the cultural differences of employees can lead to a greater understanding of human behavior and performance. *******