• Goals of Science

◦ Describe behavior (ex. Jane was throwing food in the cafeteria)

◦ Explain behavior (understand)

◦ Predict behavior –:
• Would the behavior continue
• Is this the natural behavior
◦ Change Behavior Control the behavior
• Influence and change behavior
• Difficulties in the study of human behaviors

• Challenge of culture
• Many Variables , difficult to measure
• Unconscious effects
• Different ways of research
Behavioral Sciences
Definition:
Collective term given to a number of disciplines which
focus on the study of human behaviors
Which include

.Psychology
.Sociology
.Economics
.Law
.Philosophy ,Religion , Art
• Experimental
◦ A research method designed to answer questions about cause and effect
◦ Its main advantage over other data gathering methods is that it permits
the researcher to control conditions, etc.
• Sample Survey – Take a sample of a group that you are
studying and survey them
• Case Study – Intensive study (in-depth) of a single person or
group
• Natural Observation
◦ You analyze a situation without getting involved (researcher stays out of
the way
◦ Also referred to as Field Study
◦ Most of the time the participants don’t know they are being watched
• Biological
• Study of the brain and nervous system and how it influence
behavior
• Biological changes through development from delivery to
maturation
• Include Biochemical theories , Genetic theories,
• diathesis-stress theories
• Focus of study include : genes , endocrine glands and
hormones , neurotransmitters
• Implications for treatment : drugs
• Psychoanalytic
• Inner forces motivate behaviors
• Structure of the mind
- Conscious – Subconscious - Preconscious
. Dreams
• Source of motivation : id, ego, superego
• Defense mechanisms
• Implications for treatment
• Behavioral
• Study overt and observable behaviors and specific measurable
responses and environmental stimuli
• John B. Watson
• Learning theories
• Implications in treatment
• Humanistic
• Human beings are capable of shaping their own
destiny
• People can overcome or minimize the environmental,
and intrinsic influences
• Potential for self-fulfillment
• Carl Roger - Maslow
• Cognitive

• Study the various cognitive process that lead to specific

response
• Thoughts , Feelings , Thinking , values
• Computer like information processing for human brain
• Piaget , Kohlberg
Human Development
 Development
• Development refers to the progressive
changes in size, shape, and function
during the life of an organism by which its
genetic potentials (genotype) are
translated into functioning mature
systems (phenotype)
 Nature versus Nurture
• Nature means hereditary influences
• Nurture refers to environmental influences,
in child development
• Characteristics with Strong Genetic Components
- Physical Characteristics
- Intellectual Characteristics
- Emotional Characteristics and Disorders
• Post Partum Maternal Reactions
• Blues
• Depression
• Psychosis
• Infancy ( Birth to 15 months )
• Toddler years ( 15 months to 3 years )
• Preschool child ( 3-6 years )
• School age: (7–11 Years )
• Adolescence ( 11-20 years)
• Early adulthood (20-40)
• Middle adulthood (40-65 )
• Old age ( 65 years and over )
 Infancy ( Birth to 15 months )

• Bonding of the parent to the infant

I
- First few hours enhanced by physical
contact MAR
- May be affected by so 1Nd
- Low birth weight oh the infant
- Problems in mother-father relationships
 Infancy ( Birth to 15 months )

• Attachment of the infant to the parent

• The principal psychological task of
infancy is the formation of an intimate
attachment to the primary caregiver
• Separation anxiety
I
• Stranger anxiety
7
• Depression and failure to thrive
 How does attachment occur?
• Babies will cry, which elicits care from
parent
• Social smiling – 4 to 6 weeks – which
elicits joy and pleasure from parent
• At 6 months, babies will display pleasure
when parent returns after a short absence
• At 9 months child begins to display
separation anxiety (this appears to be a
signal that attachment has formed)
 Studies of Infancy
• Lorenz
• Imprinting-
– Formation of a strong bond of attachment to
the first moving thing seen right after birth

– Lorenz made himself the first thing seen by

goslings and sure enough they followed him

– The goslings follow Lorenz everywhere

 John Bowlby
• 1st to study human infants
• Found those separated from mothers
upon birth initially cried loudly and threw
tantrums
• Later, crying gave way to despair
• Finally, infants showed emotional
detachment
 Mary Ainsworth
• Put children in “Strange Situation” – found three
types of attachment
a- Secure type : use mothers as a secure based, look
around occasionally, limited exploration in mother’s
absence. Cried when mother left and were happy upon
return. (65-70%)

b- Insecure-avoidant type : paid little attention to mother

when she was in room, separated easily from mother.
Showed little distress when she left and ignored her
upon return. (20%)
c- Insecure-ambivalent type : clung to mother and were
reluctant to explore environment. High level of distress
when mom left and still showed distress upon her return.
(10 percent)
 Harry Harlow
• Baby monkeys were separated from their
mothers right after birth
– Some were put in a room with a wire cylinder
surrogate mother
– Some were put in a room with a soft, terry-
cloth covered cylinder
When scared, the infants preferred to go to the
soft “mother”-demonstrated that attachment
is about who provides contact comfort
• Rene Spitz
Documented that children without proper
mothering (e.g., those in orphanages)
show severe developmental retardation,
poor health, and higher death rates in spite
of adequate physical care.
 Infant Characteristics
• Reflexive Behaviour
Simple reflexes disappeared after first year
e.g. : Rooting reflex , sucking reflex , Moro
reflex and palmer reflex
• Motor : milestones
• Social : attachment , separation anxiety
• Cognitive : babbles ,first words
 TODDLER YEARS: (15 M - 3Y )

• The major theme of the second year of life

is to separate from the mother or primary
caregiver
• Continuous development of motor,
cognitive , verbal and cognitive
characteristics
 PRESCHOOL CHILD: 3–6 YEARS

• Spend a few hours away from the mother

in the care of others . If child cannot do
that ( separation anxiety disorder )
• Sibling rivalry and regression
• Activity
 SCHOOL AGE (Latency ): 7–11 YEARS

• Engages in complex motor tasks

• Prefers to play with children of the same
sex
• Demonstrates little interest in
psychosexual issues
• Has internalized a moral sense of right
and wrong
 Adolescence
Early adolescence (11–14 ) :
.Primary and secondary sex characteristics
.Sexual Behaviors
.Sensitive but obedient
 Adolescence
Middle adolescence (14–17 )
. Interests in gender rules and popularity
. Risk taking Behaviors (omnipotence)
Late adolescence ( 17-20 )
.Development of an identity (identity crisis )
 Early Adulthood
• Intimacy
• Role definition
 Late Adulthood
• Development of power and authority
• Middle life crisis
• Climacterium :
. Men
. Women : menopause
 Old Age
• The fastest growing segment of the
population is people over age 85.
• Psychogeriatrics : (Gerontology )
– Study of the behavioral changes and problems
that face the elderly
– Changes in physical, social and emotional
development can lead to psychological
problems
A- Somatic Changes:
•Osteoporosis
•Impaired vision and hearing
•Decrease muscle mass and strength
•Decreased renal ,pulmonary and
gastrointestinal functions
B-Neurological Changes
•Decrease brain weight
•Enlarged ventricles and sulci
•Decreased brain blood flow
•Neurochemical changes: decreased
neurotransmitters
•Amyloid (senile) plaques and neurofibrillary
tangles are present
C- Cognitive Changes
•Decrease speed of learning but intelligence
remain the same
•Memory Problems
• Alzheimer’s is the third leading cause of death in
the elderly (behind heart disease and cancer)
• No cure, but new treatments may slow down the
progression of the disease
 D- Behavioral changes
• The most common mental disorder in the
elderly is depression
• Sleep pattern changes
• Anxiety
• The suicide rate in the elderly is particularly high
due to illness, loss of income, retirement, loss of
friends and loved ones, etc.
• It is believed that between 6,000-10,000 elderly
people commit suicide per year
• White males are at most risk for suicide
• Most use a firearm, second is hanging and third
leading method is overdose
• Often looks like an accidental death from an
overdose of meds
 Kubler-Ross
• Stages of Death and Dying

– Denial
– Anger
– Bargaining
– Depression
– Acceptance
 BEREAVEMENT

• Shock and denial

• Illusion that the dead person is present
physically
• Subsides in 1-2 years
• Anniversary reactions
• Abnormal grief