Humans can respond to the same situations in a very different way depending on our past, our way of being, the education received … According to this, there are different types of behavior.
The study of human behavior is incredibly complex , because many different factors intervene in our way of acting, thinking and behaving, from genetics to psychology, through the influence of society, educational level, family, friends , etc.
Therefore, if it is already difficult to make classifications on aspects of biology and psychology, trying to catalog the different human behaviors in groups, taking into account the infinite nuances that exist in our way of acting, is much more complicated .
Anyway, there are some ways to classify human behaviors into different types depending on their characteristics, that is, based on the actions we perform, the causes that lead us to be who we are, the reasons that push us to behave in a different way. a certain way, etc.
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And this is precisely what we will do in today’s article: present a classification of the main types of behavior that humans can present.
What are the main behaviors that people follow?
Each of us has a unique way of being. Therefore, even if there is a list of the most common behaviors, that does not mean that only one belongs to us. In some areas of our life or under specific conditions, companies, situations or circumstances, we can adopt different behaviors.
Our way of being is, in reality, a combination of several of these behaviors , which are classified according to the way we act in situations, what leads us to behave that way, the motivations, the way of expressing ourselves, of what goes through our mind in a given context, etc.
- Aggressive behavior
Aggressive behavior is one in which a person moves on impulse, without thinking about the consequences and generally endangering some aspect of his life or that of those around him. It is typical of people with low self-esteem, especially sensitive to criticism, stubborn and who tend to put their opinion above that of others at any cost, generally without valid arguments, using fallacies and translating sometimes with violence, although not always it has to reach the physical level.
- Passive behavior
Contrary to aggressive behavior, passive behavior is one in which a person avoids conflict at all costs, although sometimes that means giving up their rights, freedoms, opinions and dignity. In the same way, self-esteem problems are usually behind this type of behavior.
- Assertive behavior
Assertive behavior consists of reaching a perfect balance between the aggressive and the assertive, asserting yourself but without adopting an excessively dominant position. Assertive behavior is one in which individual ideas and rights are defended without having to verbally or physically attack others. People with more self-control and communication skills are those who adopt this type of behavior in any area of life.
- Innate behavior
Innate behavior includes all those actions that we carry out instinctively, that is, that are encoded in our genes. Eating when hungry, sleeping when sleepy, drinking water, and even breastfeeding when you are a baby are all innate behaviors.
- Learned behavior
Unlike innate behavior, learned behavior is no longer one in which we are in the hands of biology itself. They are all those actions that we carry out more or less freely and that do make us differentiate ourselves from others. Practically all the behaviors we follow are of this type.
- Observable behavior
The observable behavior includes all those actions that we carry out in public or in the private sphere but that can be observed and, therefore, judged by other people. Within this type of behavior we can find any other of the groups as long as it is something that is seen by another.
- Covert behavior
Covert behavior includes all those actions that we carry out in complete privacy and that, therefore, cannot be judged by anyone. Our thoughts, ideas, memories, etc. are also included. Covert behavior is that we have when there is no other person around and we can relax by bringing out our more personal “I”.
- Risk behavior
Risky behavior, which does not have to be linked to aggressive behavior, includes all those actions carried out by both young people and adults in which the consequences of the acts are not analyzed, and may endanger their own life or that of others . Taking the car after drinking is a clear example of this.
- Ethical behavior
Ethical behavior are all those actions that a person performs following their ethical principles. This does not mean that she is necessarily doing well, but that she does not betray her ideologies or ways of thinking, that is, that she remains faithful to her way of being.
- Social behavior
Social behavior includes all the actions that people carry out in order to improve coexistence with other humans, thus respecting the established norms. When we act for the benefit of the harmony and stability of society, we are having a social behavior. Not playing loud music late at night is an example of this.
- Antisocial behavior
On the contrary, when we act in a way that violates this social harmony, we are having antisocial behavior. Following the same example, neighbors who make noise at night knowing that they can disturb others, have antisocial behavior.
- Moral behavior
Moral behavior is distinguished from ethical behavior in the sense that it does not depend on the point of view of the person, but there are a series of “laws” that we must respect if we are part of a community. For example, if we see someone pass out on the street, we “must” come to their aid. We will not be committing a crime by not doing so, but we will be violating morals. But if we help him, we are having a moral conduct.
- Immoral behavior
Immoral conduct is one in which one is acting in a morally unacceptable manner and which cannot be justified with the ethical argument of “this is against my principles.” If you don’t help someone who has passed out on the street, you are engaging in immoral behavior.
- Voluntary behavior
Voluntary behavior includes all those actions that a person performs in a totally conscious, free and without pressure from anyone. This includes all the behaviors that we adopt by choice, both good and bad.
- Involuntary behavior
Involuntary behavior is all those actions that we carry out when there is a more or less high degree of influence by third parties, blackmail or threats may be involved. When we do not act freely, we are having an involuntary behavior, although it is not always easy to mark the border between when we act by external pressure and when we do it of our own free will.
- Approach behavior
Approach behavior includes all the decisions we make in order to get closer to one of our goals, dreams, objectives or aspirations, whether they are morally acceptable or not. These actions are usually premeditated. Rehearsing many days before an important concert would be an example.
- Consummatory behavior
After following an approach behavior, this goal or objective culminates with the consummatory behavior, which are the last actions necessary to fulfill our aspiration that we have been pursuing for some time. Continuing with the same example, the consummatory behavior would be all the decisions that that musician makes on the day of the concert to make all the rehearsals worthwhile.
- Adaptive behavior
Adaptive behavior includes all those actions in order to adapt and prosper adequately in an environment, whether when starting a new job, moving to a new city, living with a partner for the first time, changing schools …
- Maladaptive behavior
Related to aggressive, immoral, passive, etc., maladaptive behavior are all those actions that a person performs and that make it difficult (or impossible) for them to adapt to that new environment. For example, arriving at a new job and speaking ill of your colleagues would be maladaptive behavior.
- Conditioned behavior
Conditioned behavior includes all those decisions we make based on past experiences, which determine what actions we take. After seeing the outcome, perhaps from that moment on we begin to act differently, not because it is better or worse, simply because we see that the first action had negative consequences (we will stop doing it), although it can also have positive consequences (we will continue doing it).
- Unconditional behavior
Unconditioned behavior is all those actions that we perform without the influence of past experiences. When we first experience something, the actions we take consist of unconditioned behavior. After seeing the outcome, this behavior will give way to the conditioned one, since we will already know the consequences (for better or for worse) of our actions.
- Operant behavior
Operant behavior is one in which actions are performed with the sole motivation of knowing that doing so will give the person benefits. Acting for the individual good is this type of conduct, although it is not always linked to violating the rights of others. In fact, when a child eats vegetables because he knows that this will give him the dessert he wants, he is following an operant behavior.
- Disruptive behavior
Disruptive behavior, especially common in children and young people, are all actions that are carried out with the aim of attracting attention or getting rid of any obligation. Although they are typical of childhood, they must be monitored, since this disruptive behavior, in case the parents do not stop it, can lead to verbal and physical attacks on others and even, already in adolescence, self-harm.
