BASIC ASPECTS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR

1. PSYCHOLOGY Behavior of an individual refers to anything an individual does. The

science of human behavior.
AN ACT OF BEHAVIOR HAS THREE ASPECTS
a) COGNITION to become aware of or know something,
b) AFFECTION to have a certain feeling about it, and
c) CONATION to act in a particular way or direction after the feeling.

2. PERSONALITY is the unique, integrated and organized system of all behavior of a

person. It is the sum total of one’s experience, thoughts and actions; it includes all
behavior patterns, traits and characteristics that make up a person. A person’s physical
traits, attitudes, habits and, emotional and psychological characteristics are all parts of
one’s personality. Some commonly used personality types are INTROVERTS and
EXTROVERTS. According to Guilford (1965), the introverts are people whose interests
are turned inward upon themselves and their own thoughts, whereas the extroverts are
those whose interests are turned outward upon the environment.

3. INTEREST An interest is a preference for one activity over another. The selection and
ranking of different activities along a like- dislike dimension is known as expressed
interest. It is made manifest (visible), when a person voluntarily participates in an
activity. There is no necessary relationship between expressed interest and manifest
interest, though in many situations they tend to coincide or overlap. Many individuals
 engage in some activities which they claim to dislike and just on the reverse, many
people may refuse to engage in activities which they claim to enjoy.

4. ATTITUDE ALLPORT (1935) defined attitude as a mental state of readiness, organized

through experience, exerting a directive and dynamic influence upon the individual’s
response to all objects and situations with which it is related.
ATTITUDE HAVE CERTAIN CHARACTERISTICS
a) Attitudes are formed in relation to objects, persons and values. Attitudes are not innate,
but are formed as a result of individual’s contact with the environment.
b) Attitudes have direction; positive or favorable, negative or unfavorable. They also vary in
degrees.
c) Attitudes are organized into a system and do not stand loosely or separately.
d) Attitudes are rooted in motivation and provide a meaningful background for individual’s
overt behavior.
e) Attitudes develop through a consistency among responses. They are more stable and
enduring than opinions.
f) Attitudes are prone to change. Changes in attitude may be brought about by training
and, other instructional methods and aids.

5. EMOTIONS denote a state of being moved, stirred up or aroused and involve impulses,
feelings and physical and psychological reactions. A negative emotional response may
lead to non-cooperation and non-participation in programs, stoppage of work or even
destruction of the work done. In a program of planned change, the extension agent
should take care of the state of emotion of the client system.
Guilford (1965) suggested the following rules for emotional control:
a) Avoid emotion provoking situations,
b) Change the emotion provoking situation,
c) Increase skills for coping with the situation,
d) Re-interpret the situation,
e) Keep working towards the goal,
f) Find substitute outlets, and
g) Develop a sense of humor.
6. WISHES According to Chitambar (1997), a wish is a pattern of behavior which involves:
Anticipated future satisfaction, which the person believes is reasonably likely of
attainment, and towards which the individual usually relates some of his/her present
behavior. While wish-goals are oriented toward achievement in the future, what is
significant is its influence on behavior in the present. Wishes are based on subjective
judgment which may at times be irrational and otherwise faulty. At any one time, a
person may have several wishes and it may become necessary to set priorities for their
achievement.

7. PREJUDICE means pre-judgment. Judgment before due examination and consideration

of facts, and based on certain assumptions generally lead to the formation of prejudice.
Prejudice is normally negative and difficult to reverse. Prejudices may lead to hostile
attitude towards persons or objects. Expressing ill feeling or hostility towards some
minority or caste groups, or an innovation are examples of prejudice.

8. STEREOTYPE are fixed images formed in one’s mind about people, practices or various
other social phenomena on the basis of experience, attitudes, values, impressions or
without any direct experience. Stereotypes help in knowing how people perceive various
groups of people or practice or various other social phenomena.
STEREOTYPE CHARACTERISTICS
UNIFORMITY members belonging to a particular group share the stereotype.
DIRECTION may be positive or negative.
INTENSITY indicates strength of the stereotype.
QUALITY refers to content, the kind of image provided by the stereotype.

9. THINKING AND REASONING According to Garrett (1975), thinking is behavior which is

often implicit and hidden, and in which symbols (images, ideas, and concepts) are
ordinarily employed. Group thinking, in which a number of persons participate in the
solution of a problem, is usually more efficient than individual effort and is often more
satisfactory.

10. FRUSTRATION AND ADJUSTMENT a common pattern of human behavior involves

hopes for future achievement. Such ambitions and goals are generally termed as wish.
Frustration is a condition in which an individual perceives the wish goal blocked or
 unattainable. This creates some tension in the individual. When faced with such a
situation, the individual tries to make several kinds of adjustments in the behavior
pattern. This is achieved through defense mechanism.

11. DEVIANT BEHAVIOR some individuals’ personality traits and behavior differ
considerably more than others’ from the norms. Such behavior is termed as deviant
behavior and the individuals are known as deviants.

SUPERIOR-SUBORDINATE, EMLOYEE-EMPLOYER OR EMPLOYEE-CLIENT

RELATIONSHIPS

I. SUPERIOR-SUBORDINATE RELATIONSHIPS
a. The quality of the superior-subordinate relationship is of crucial importance to the
employees as well as the organization because subordinates identify their
immediate superior as the most preferred source of information about events in
an organization (Lee, 1997). In addition, employees identify their immediate
superior as the primary source for receiving information from the top
management (Lee, 2001). Jablin (1979) described superior-subordinate
communication patterns as a form of work interactions in superior-subordinate
relationships.
b. He classified the superior-subordinate communication literature into nine
categories including interaction patterns, openness in communication, upward
distortion of information, the gap in understanding between superiors and
subordinates, superior feedback, and the communication qualities of effective
versus ineffective superiors.
c. Jablin and Krone (1994) expanded superior-subordinate communication patterns
beyond working interactions to include a component of social support in superior-
subordinate interactions.
d. This unique form of interaction reduces uncertainty, provides a sense of personal
control, and creates a stronger bond between the superior and subordinates
(Jablin & Krone, 1994; Lee, 2005; Lee & Jablin, 1995).
II. EMLOYEE-EMPLOYER OR EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIPS
a. When an employer hires a new employee, he is not just bringing a new member
of the workforce aboard; he is also starting a new relationship. Because
employers and employees often work in close quarters, they necessarily develop
relationships.
b. Managing these relationships is vital to business success, as strong relationships
can lead to greater employee happiness and even increased productivity. To
reap these benefits, keep the dynamics of your employer-employee relationship
in mind.

c. MUTUAL RELIANCE The employer-employee relationship should be one of

mutual reliance. The employer is relying upon the employee to perform her job
and, in doing so, keep the business running smoothly. Conversely, the employee
is relying upon the employer to pay her and enable her to support herself, and
potentially her family, financially.
d. RELATIONSHIP BUILDING just as with all relationships, the employer and
employee relationship is one that must develop over time. Employers can
promote the building of relationships by speaking candidly with their employees
about their lives, asking them about their families and learning about their
interests. Similarly, employees can promote the building of this relationship by
being open with their employer and sharing information about themselves and
their lives.
e. SET BOUNDARIES though the type of employee and employer relationship that
is considered appropriate varies from company to company, boundaries exist at
almost all companies. Generally, it is unwise for employers to develop romantic
 relationships with their employees. Similarly, employers should exercise care to
ensure that the relationship they develop with one employee isn’t notably closer
than the relationships they develop with others, as this can lead to concerns
regarding favoritism or similar issues of unfairness within the workplace.

III. SOME GUIDELINES NECESSARY FOR SUCCESS IN WORKING WITH OTHERS

1. TEAMWORK DEFINED Teamwork is generally understood as the willingness of a group

of people to work together to achieve a common aim. For example we often use the
phrase:” he or she is a good team player”. This means someone has the interests of the
team at heart, working for the good of the team. Have you ever wondered how some
work groups exhibit effective teamwork and other teams remain dysfunctional for the life
of the team? Effective teamwork is both profoundly simple and difficult at the same time
and the success of a particular team is also tied in closely with the culture of their
organization. Some organizational cultures support teamwork; others don't.
2. The Team Is Clear about Its Mission The team understands the goals and is committed
to attaining them. This clear direction and agreement on mission and purpose are
essential for effective teamwork. Team members must have an overall mission that is
agreed upon and that provides the umbrella for all that the team tries to do. This team
clarity is reinforced when the organization has clear expectations for the team's work,
goals, accountability, and outcomes
3. The Team Environment Encourages Reasonable Risks The team creates an
environment in which people are comfortable taking reasonable risks in communicating,
advocating positions, and taking action. Team members trust each other. Team
members are not punished for disagreeing; disagreement is expected and appreciated.
4. Respectful Communication Is the Norm Communication is open, honest, and respectful.
People feel free to express their thoughts, opinions, and potential solutions to problems.
People feel as if they are heard out and listened to by team members who are
attempting to understand. Team members ask questions for clarity and spend their
thought time listening deeply rather than forming rebuttals while their co-worker is
speaking.
5. Strong Sense of Group Commitment Team members have a strong sense of belonging
to the group. They experience a deep commitment to the group’s decisions and actions.
This sense of belonging is enhanced and reinforced when the team spends the time to
develop team norms or relationship guidelines together.
6. Team members are viewed as unique people with irreplaceable experiences, points of
view, knowledge, and opinions to contribute. After all, the purpose of forming a team is
to take advantage of the differences
7. Creativity and Innovation Are the Norms Creativity, innovation, and different viewpoints
are expected and encouraged. Comments such as, "we already tried that and it didn't
work" and "what a dumb idea" are not allowed or supported. The team members
recognize that the strength in having a team is that every member brings diverseness to
the effort to solve a problem, improve a process, reach a goal, or create something new
and exciting.
8. Engages in Continuous Improvement The team is able to constantly examine itself and
continuously improve its processes, practices, and the interaction of team members. The
team openly discusses team norms and what may be hindering its ability to move
forward and progress in areas of effort, talent, and strategy. The team holds review
meetings that assess the team's process and progress in approaching and
accomplishing the team mission.
9. Solves Teamwork Problems and Conflicts The team has agreed upon procedures for
diagnosing, analyzing, and resolving teamwork problems and conflicts. The team does
not support member personality conflicts and clashes nor do team members pick sides
in a disagreement. Rather, members work towards the mutual resolution of problems
and disagreements.
10. Practices Participative Leadership Participative leadership is practiced in leading
meetings, assigning tasks, recording decisions and commitments, assessing progress,
holding team members accountable, and providing direction for the team. This means
 that every participant on the team must actively contribute to leading the team to
successful outcomes and contributions.
11. Makes High Quality Decisions Members of the team make high quality decisions
together and have the support and commitment of the group to carry out the decisions
made. They also gain the support and commitment of the people they report to in order
to accomplish and communicate the team's progress and success.