Human Behavior Quiz Modules 1-3

Human behavior

The actions, thoughts, feelings, and responses of individuals as they interact with and are shaped by biological, psychological, and social factors Person-in-environment :: Social work principle that a person's behavior can only be understood in the context of the environments (family, community, culture, society) they live in and interact with

Social environment

The social structures, settings, and conditions (family, groups, organizations, communities, culture, institutions) within which people live and interact

Natural environment

The physical world: land, air, water, climate, and living things that affect human life

Ecological perspective

Views people and their environments as interdependent; focuses on transactions, adaptation, coping, interface, and interdependence between person and environment

Key concepts of the ecological perspective

Social environment, transactions, interface, adaptation, coping, interdependence, natural environment

Coping

Efforts a person makes to manage the demands, stress, or challenges of their environment

Adaptation

The process of adjusting and changing to fit with the environment (and changing the environment to meet needs

Interdependence

People and systems rely on and affect one another; a change in one part affects the others

Transactions

Reciprocal exchanges of energy, information, or resources between a person and their environment

Systems theory

Looks at the different parts of a whole and how they work together

Ecosystems theory / ecological perspective

Systems theory = different parts of the whole. Ecosystems/ecological perspective = distinguishes and separates the person and environment, focusing on their interactions

Boundary

Borders or margins that separate one entity from another. Ex: parent and children

Subsystem

A secondary or subordinate system that is a component of a larger system. Ex: parental and sibling subsystems within the family system

Homeostasis

A system's tendency to maintain a relatively stable, constant state of balance; if disturbed, it readjusts to regain stability (maintaining the status quo)

Role

Culturally established social behavior and conduct expected of a person in a designated interpersonal relationship; each person in a system assumes a role

Relationship

A reciprocal, dynamic, interpersonal connection characterized by patterns of emotional exchange, communication, and behavioral interaction. Ex: social worker-client professional relationship

Input

Energy, information, or communication flow received from other systems. Ex: a parent hears from the school principal that their child is doing poorly in PE

Output

The result of a process; a system's response after receiving and processing input that affects other systems. Ex: 150 hours of individual counseling from a substance abuse service

Outcomes

Specified variables measured for the purpose of evaluation. Ex: decreased substance use, enhanced family communication

Feedback

A special form of input in which a system receives information about its own performance

Negative feedback

Information about problematic functioning that can be improved. Ex: telling a social work intern they're filling out a form incorrectly

Positive feedback

Information about what a system is doing correctly to maintain itself and thrive

Interface

The point at which two systems come in contact or communicate (systems interface)

Ecosystem interface

Trying to find the root of the issue

Differentiation

A system's tendency to move from a simpler to a more complex existence. Ex: a family's life grows more complex as it gathers new experiences; an agency develops more detailed policies

Entropy

system's tendency to progress toward disorganization, depletion, and death. Ex: people age and die; older agencies are replaced

Negative entropy

A system's process toward growth and development. Ex: individuals develop physically, intellectually, and emotionally; agencies add programs and clientele

Micro level

Social work practice with individuals and families

Mezzo level

Social work practice with groups, organizations, and communities

Macro level

Social work practice at the large-scale level: policy, society, and systems change

Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems model

Describes development as shaped by nested environmental systems: microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem

Microsystem

The immediate environment with direct contact with the person (family, school, peers, neighborhood)

Mesosystem

onnections and interactions between microsystems. Ex: parent-teacher relationship

Exosystem

Settings that affect the person indirectly; the person isn't directly involved. Ex: a parent's workplace, local government

Macrosystem

The broader culture: values, beliefs, laws, customs, and social norms

Chronosystem

The dimension of time: life transitions and historical events across a person's life. Ex: divorce, a move, a pandemic

Chronosystem vs. exosystem

Chronosystem = time and change over a lifespan. Exosystem = indirect settings the person doesn't participate in directly

Human diversity

The range of differences among people, including age, race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, ability, class, religion, and more

Mary Richmond

Founder of social casework; wrote Social Diagnosis (1917); emphasized the person-in-environment and a scientific approach; helped through "friendly visiting" and relationships rather than simple handouts

Richmond's view of charity

Helping is more than giving material relief; it means understanding the person's whole situation and building a relationship to help them become self-sufficient

Id

The part of personality that is present at birth; driven by instincts and the pleasure principle; wants immediate gratification

Ego

The rational, decision-making part of personality; operates on the reality principle; mediates between the id and superego

Superego

The moral part of personality; the conscience; internalized rules and values of parents and society

Sigmund Freud

Founder of psychoanalysis; focused on the unconscious, personality structure (id, ego, superego), and psychosexual stages of development

Melanie Klein

sychoanalyst focused on early infancy, the child's inner fantasy world, and object relations; used play as a way to understand and treat children

Freud's psychosexual stages (in order)

Oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital

Oral stage

irth to about 1 year; pleasure centers on the mouth (sucking, feeding)

Anal stage

About 1 to 3 years; focus on bowel/bladder control (toilet training)

Phallic stage

About 3 to 6 years; focus on the genitals; Oedipus/Electra complex occurs

Latency stage

About 6 years to puberty; sexual urges are dormant; focus on school, friends, skills

Genital stage

Puberty onward; mature sexual interests re-emerge; focus on relationships

Oedipus complex

In the phallic stage, a boy's unconscious desire for his mother and rivalry with his father (with fear of punishment)

Electra complex

In the phallic stage, a girl's unconscious desire for her father and rivalry with her mother

Piaget's 4 stages of cognitive development

Sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational

Sensorimotor stage

Birth to about 2 years; learns through senses and actions; develops object permanence

Preoperational stage

About 2 to 7 years; symbolic thought, language, and pretend play; egocentric thinking

Concrete operational stage

About 7 to 11 years; logical thinking about concrete objects; understands conservation

Formal operational stage

About 12 years and up; abstract and hypothetical thinking, logical reasoning

Object permanence

Understanding that objects continue to exist even when they can't be seen (develops in the sensorimotor stage)

Egocentrism

Difficulty seeing things from another person's viewpoint (preoperational stage)

Conservation

Understanding that quantity stays the same even when appearance changes (concrete operational stage)

Attachment

A strong, lasting emotional bond between an infant and caregiver

John Bowlby

Founder of attachment theory; believed infants are biologically programmed to form bonds with caregivers for survival, and early attachment shapes later relationships

Bowlby's stage 1

Pre-attachment :: Birth to about 6 weeks; infants signal (cry, smile) to anyone and don't yet prefer a particular caregiver

Bowlby's stage 2:

Attachment-in-the-making :: About 6 weeks to 6-8 months; infants begin to recognize and prefer familiar caregivers

Bowlby's stage 3:

Clear-cut attachment :: About 6-8 months to 18 months-2 years; strong attachment to a primary caregiver; separation anxiety appears

Bowlby's stage 4:

Reciprocal relationships :: About 18 months-2 years and older; toddlers understand the caregiver's coming and going and the relationship becomes more two-way

Mary Ainsworth

Developed the Strange Situation procedure to study infant attachment styles

Secure attachment

Infant uses the caregiver as a safe base, is upset at separation, and is easily comforted on return. Later in life: healthy, trusting relationships and comfort with intimacy

Insecure-avoidant attachment

Infant shows little distress at separation and avoids the caregiver on return. Later in life: discomfort with closeness and emotional distance

Insecure-ambivalent (resistant) attachment

Infant is very distressed at separation and is hard to soothe on return. Later in life: clinginess, anxiety, and fear of abandonment

Disorganized attachment

Infant shows confused, inconsistent, or fearful behavior toward the caregiver (often linked to abuse or trauma). Later in life: difficulty regulating emotions and unstable relationships

Strange Situation

Ainsworth's lab procedure in which an infant is separated from and reunited with a caregiver to observe attachment behavior

Factors that negatively impact brain development

Neglect, abuse, toxic stress, poor nutrition, prenatal exposure to alcohol or drugs, and lack of stimulation

Factors that support brain development

Responsive caregiving, secure attachment, good nutrition, play and stimulation, and safe, stable environments

Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrus

• Age: Infancy (Birth to 18 months)

• Conflict: Developing a sense of security and trust through reliable caregiving, or falling into mistrust and fear.

• Virtue: Hope

Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

• Age: Early Childhood / Toddlerhood (18 months to 3 years)

• Conflict: Gaining independence and self-control, or experiencing overcontrol that leads to shame and doubt.

• Virtue: Will [1, 2, 3]

Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt

• Age: Preschool (3 to 5 years)

• Conflict: Asserting control and initiating activities, or feeling restricted and developing guilt.

• Virtue: Purpose [1, 2, 3]

Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority

• Age: School Age (6 to 11/12 years)

• Conflict: Building competence and mastering social and academic skills, or feeling inadequate compared to peers.

• Virtue: Competence (Confidence) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Stage 5: Identity vs. Role Confusion

• Age: Adolescence (12 to 18 years)

• Conflict: Exploring personal values, beliefs, and social roles to form a unique identity, or experiencing confusion about direction.

• Virtue: Fidelity

Stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation

• Age: Young Adulthood (19 to 40 years)

• Conflict: Forming deep, loving, and meaningful relationships, or retreating from connection into emotional isolation.

• Virtue: Love

Stage 7: Generativity vs. Stagnation

• Age: Middle Adulthood (40 to 65 years)

• Conflict: Contributing to society, mentoring the next generation, and creating a lasting legacy, or feeling stuck and self-centered.

• Virtue: Care

Stage 8: Integrity vs. Despair

• Age: Late Adulthood (65 years to death)

• Conflict: Reflecting back on life with a sense of fulfillment and wisdom, or looking back with regret and bitterness.

• Virtue: Wisdom