CRIM 3

Chapter I: Overview of Human Behavior

Objectives

  • Define human behavior.

  • Recognize and comprehend the importance, concepts, kinds, types, theories, and factors of human behavior.

Introduction

  • Study of human behavior emphasizes human development and abnormal behavior.

  • Essential in criminal justice education for understanding threats to public safety.

Definition of Human Behavior

  • Collection of activities by humans influenced by culture, attitudes, emotions, values, ethics, genetics.

  • Complex interplay of actions, cognition, and emotions.

Phases of Human Life Course

  1. Prenatal Life: Conception to birth.

  2. Infancy: Birth through age one.

  3. Toddler Years: Age two to three.

  4. Childhood: Ages four to eight.

  5. Puberty: Ages nine to thirteen.

  6. Older Adolescence: Ages fourteen to eighteen.

  7. Adulthood: Age nineteen and beyond.

  8. Middle Age: Ages thirty-one to fifty.

  9. Senior Years: Age fifty-one until end of life.

Theories of Human Development

1. Cognitive Developmental Theory (Jean Piaget)

  • Children actively construct knowledge through interaction.

  • Four stages:

    • Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 years): Learn through sensory experiences and manipulating objects.

    • Preoperational Stage (2-7 years): Use symbols and language; egocentric thinking.

    • Concrete Operational Stage (7-11 years): Logical reasoning and understanding conservation.

    • Formal Operational Stage (11-adulthood): Abstract and critical thinking.

2. Attachment Theory (John Bowlby, Mary Ainsworth)

  • Dynamics of long-term relationships:

    • Four Stages of Attachment:

      • Pre-attachment (0-6 weeks): Initial signals of attachment.

      • Attachment-in-the-making (6 weeks-8 months): Differentiated response to familiar caregivers.

      • Clear-cut attachment (8-18 months): Strong attachment and separation anxiety.

      • Formation of reciprocal relationships (18 months-2 years): Understanding of caregiver’s routine.

    • Types of Attachment:

      • Secure: Use caregiver as secure base for exploration.

      • Avoidant: Indifference towards caregiver.

      • Resistant/Ambivalent: Ambivalence towards caregiver presence.

      • Disorganized: Confused behaviors, often from neglect or maltreatment.

3. Psychosexual Theory of Development (Sigmund Freud)

  • Personality consists of id, ego, and superego.

  • Five stages:

    • Oral (0-1 year): Pleasure center is the mouth.

    • Anal (1-3 years): Control over bodily functions during toilet training.

    • Phallic (3-6 years): Identification with same-sex parent.

    • Latency (6-12 years): Sexual urges dormant, focus on social development.

    • Genital (12+ years): Reemergence of sexual impulses and relationship development.

4. Psychosocial Development (Erik Erikson)

  • Eight stages where conflicts must be resolved:

    • Trust vs. Mistrust (0-1 year): Basic trust in caregivers.

    • Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt (1-3 years): Independence and self-control.

    • Initiative vs. Guilt (3-6 years): Assertiveness in social interactions.

    • Industry vs. Inferiority (6-12 years): Competence in comparison to peers.

    • Identity vs. Role Confusion (12-18 years): Formation of personal identity.

    • Intimacy vs. Isolation (Young Adulthood): Development of intimate relationships.

    • Generativity vs. Stagnation (Middle Adulthood): Contribution to society.

    • Integrity vs. Despair (Late Adulthood): Reflection on life and legacy.

5. Theory of Moral Development (Lawrence Kohlberg)

  • Three levels of moral reasoning:

    • Preconventional: Morality based on consequences and rewards.

      • Stage 1: Obedience and punishment.

      • Stage 2: Instrumental orientation (self-interest).

    • Conventional: Morality tied to societal relationships.

      • Stage 3: Good boy-nice girl orientation (approval seeking).

      • Stage 4: Law and order orientation (social order).

    • Postconventional: Personal moral principles.

      • Stage 5: Social contract orientation (laws as social contracts).

      • Stage 6: Universal ethical principles orientation (justice and respect).

Types and Classifications of Human Behavior

Classifications

  1. Habitual – Regular behaviors influenced by environment.

  2. Instinctive – Behaviors influenced by heredity and not learned.

  3. Symbolic – Behaviors that signify other meanings.

  4. Complex – Combination of behaviors in specific situations.

Types of Behavior

  1. Normal Behavior: Follows societal norms, characterized by healthy relationships and self-regulation.

  2. Abnormal Behavior: Deviates from societal norms; can manifest as mental illness and distress.

    • Definitions:

      • Deviation from statistical norms.

      • Deviation from social norms.

      • Personal distress perspective.

Symptoms and Aspects of Abnormal Behavior

  1. Long-term Distress: Persistent unpleasant feelings.

  2. Impaired Functioning: Difficulty maintaining a job or fulfilling responsibilities.

  3. Bizarre Behavior: Observed through irrational actions or delusions.

  4. Uncontrollable Disruptive Behavior: Affects individual's rights or those around them.

Behavior Types:

  1. Overt Behavior: Outwardly visible actions.

  2. Covert Behavior: Hidden or internal processes.

  3. Conscious Behavior: Actions within awareness.

  4. Unconscious Behavior: Actions driven by unconscious processes.

  5. Simple Behavior: Few neural connections.

  6. Complex Behavior: Involves multiple neural pathways and combinations.

  7. Rational & Irrational Behavior: Reasoned versus unexplainable actions.

  8. Voluntary & Involuntary Behavior: Actions performed with will versus automatic bodily processes.