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Behavioral Sciences(HS-102)
Unit 1-Introduction to Behavioral Sciences
What is Behavioral Science?
Behavioral science is a systematic, controlled,
empirical and critical investigation of
behavior of the organism through controlled
and naturalistic experimental observations
and rigorous formulations. It encompasses
the activities of and interactions among
organisms in the natural world.
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How Behavioral Science is different from
laymans understanding of behavior
1. Behavioural scientists attempt to study the
behaviour on the basis of systematic, rational,
demonstrable-cause-effect relationship
2. They involve Scientific Methods of inquiry
3. The findings can be Replicable
4. The data collection is Objective
5. Research is Cumulative
6.The aim of behavioral scientists is to Understand
and Predict human behaviour
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The core disciplines of Behavioral Science
1.Psychology
2.Sociology
3.Anthropology
1.Psychology
The scientific study of the human mind and its
functions, especially those affecting behaviour
in a given context.
It is the study the behavior on the basis of rational,
demonstrable-cause-effect relationship.


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2. Sociology

Sociology is the scientific study of social life, group patterns, social
change and the social causes and consequences of human
behaviour
3. Anthropology

The scientific study of origin, evolution and development of human
beings and their interaction with natural, social and cultural
environment.
Classification of subject-matter of Anthropology

A. Physical Anthro similar to Bio Sciences
B.Socio-Cultural Anthro similar to Sociology
C. Archaeology Studies human cultures through the recovery,
documentation, analysis and interpretation of material remains environmental
data like architecture, artifacts, biofacts, landscapes etc
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Methods Used In Studying Behavioral
Sciences
1.Experimental Design
Excellent for controlled testing of causal processes
Cause-effect Relationship
Dependent/ Independent Variable
Effect of independent variable on dependent variable
I V subject to external stimuli
Example common cold and medicine
Example prejudice and exposure to African-American History
Control/Experimental Group
Experimental Group a group of subjects to whom an experimental
stimulus is administered
Control Group a group of subjects which remains constant and should
resemble the experimental group



Experimental Design
Double-blind experiment
An experiment design in which neither the subjects nor the
experimenters know which is the control group and which is the
experimental group
To avoid experimenters bias and guard against pre-judging of results
Example- medical research
Importance of Control Group
It allows the researcher to detect any effects of the experiment itself
Merits of Experimental Design
Controlled testing of variables, Only means to establish cause-effect
relation, yield quantitative data
Demerits
Artificiality, Inflexible, Limited group, inappropriate for complex social
problems
Observation Method

Participative Observation
Researchers deliberately involves themselves in the activity, group or
community
Idea is to gain an insiders view
To obtain first-hand knowledge of a way of life
Imp to gain access to group
Win trust and confidence and establishing a rapport
Exceptional self-discipline required, should not be governed by
emotions
Must develop technique to record data systematically and faithfully
It is very flexible
Small sample, objectivity is an issue, may not accurately represent the
group as a whole
Example: Ethnographic studies, William Whytes study of Italian-
Americans







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Case Study Method

The in-depth examination of a single instance of some social phenomenon,
such as a village,a family, or a juvenile gang
Detailed study of a single unit
Intensive study backed by observation, interviews, study of related
documents, archival records, physical artefacts, data gathered from official
records and any other relevant information
Researcher attemps to learn everything there is to know about a particular
group, community or incident
Is also used for clinical and counseling purposes
Merits:
Provides a holistic picture
Understanding from multiple perspectives
Helps in forming hypotheses, questions, interview method
Demerits:
investigator may develop deep acquaintance
Generalisation from limited case is difficult
Time and money consuming
Subjectivity is an issue



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Questionnaire Method

They are generally used to measure the individuals viewpoint, particular
personality characteristics, perceptions, beliefs and motivations and future
plans
They are standardized tools. Indirect method of inquiry
Types of Questions: Close-ended & Open-ended
Merits:
Large amount of data can be collected
Sensitive, confidential issues tackled
Less time & money involved
Objectivity maintained
Anonymity ensured
Questionnaires exerts less pressure on the respondents to provide an
immediate response
Demerits:
Less reliable
Clarification of questions not possible
Not possible with illiterates, children
Less scope for completed answer



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Interview Schedule
It is a face-to-face situation between the interviewer and the interviewee
A direct method of research
In interview schedule questions are asked and filled in by an interviewer
Types of Interview Schedule
Structured, Unstructured and Semi-structured Interview schedule
Merits:
Researcher is personally present
Clarification of questions, lead questions, probe questions, contingency questions
possible
More reliable
Body language can be observed
The interviewer gets the first hand understanding of the person and the
situation , which is lacking in questionnaire method
Demerits:
Time consuming and cost ineffective
Small sample is covered
Sensitive issues can not be tackled easily
Anonymity not ensured