Our actions and reactions to internal and external stimuli are
referred to as our behaviours. Human behaviour can be common,
unusual, acceptable, or unacceptable. Humans evaluate the acceptability
of behaviour using social norms and regulate behaviour by means
of social control. Our behaviour results from the stimuli both
in the environment and within ourselves. As we learn, we alter
the way we perceive our environment, the way we interpret incoming
stimuli, and therefore the way we interact, or behave.
Some behaviours are innate(inborn) and other are learned. Smiling
for instance has been shown to be innate, an infant at about 4
weeks of age begins to smile even blind infants. Some behaviours
are a result of a reward or punishment system.
Our behaviours are a product of our current and past models (parents,
peers, teachers, etc), the roles we assume, our belief systems
and our coping mechanisms.
Emotions influence behaviours. Sometimes, our feelings stimulate
our brains to process certain information very quickly, or process
it in a certain way. If that information is processed while disregarding
facts, common sense or other considerations, it could result in
a quick or poorly analyzed final action. Negative emotions, such
as anger, jealousy and depression, can affect our behavior negatively.
Diet is important not only for physical health, but also for
optimal mental development and functioning. More and more scientific
research is pointing to the link between food and mood.
Anyone who has ever made and broken a New Year’s Resolution
can appreciate the difficulty of behavioural change. Making a
lasting change in behaviour is rarely a simple process, and usually
involves a substantial commitment of time, effort, and emotion.
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