Behavior

For other uses, see Behavior (disambiguation).

Behavior or behaviour (see spelling differences) refers to the actions or reactions of an object or organism, usually in relation to the environment. Behavior can be conscious or unconscious, overt or covert, and voluntary or involuntary. In animals, behavior is controlled by the endocrine system and the nervous system. The complexity of the behavior of an organism is related to the complexity of its nervous system. Generally, organisms with complex nervous systems have a greater capacity to learn new responses and thus adjust their behavior. Human behavior (and that of other organisms and mechanisms) can be common, unusual, acceptable, or unacceptable. Humans evaluate the acceptability of behavior using social norms and regulate behavior by means of social control. In sociology, behavior is considered as having no meaning, being not directed at other people and thus is the most basic human action. Animal behavior is studied in comparative psychology, ethology, behavioral ecology and sociobiology.

Ronald J. Konopka and Seymour Benzer of Caltech were the first to establish the genetic basis of behavior, when they isolated three circadian rhythm mutants in Drosophila melanogaster which were later mapped to a single gene Periodhttp://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/68/9/2112, http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/vlabs/transgenic_fly/content/clockexhibitframe.html.

For studies on behavior ethograms are used.

References

See also

• Animal behavior
• Applied behavior analysis
• Behaviorism
• Radical behaviorism
• Experimental analysis of behavior
• Forms of activity and interpersonal relations
• Human behavior
• Human sexual behavior
• Instinct
• Motive
• Normal (behavior)
• Psychology
• Reasoning
• rebellion
• Taboo
• Theories of political behavior
• Work behavior
• Behavior therapy

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