BEHAVIOURAL

SCIENCE (PSC2715)
COURSE OVERVIEW

MRS. M. LOONGO
 INTRODUCTION
❑Behavioral science deals primarily with human
actions and behavior.
❑It is a field of science in which the actions and
reactions of humans are studied through
observational and experimental methods.
❑Medical training, which concerns itself with
health, well-being and illness in people, needs to
have an understanding of psychological and
social factors that influence the health status of
people.
 COURSE RATIONALE

❑To be an effective medical practitioner, it is important to

understand one’s behavior as well as that of others including
patients.
❑Theories and methods of behavioral sciences can be applied in
medical practice to understand and manage a range of behavior
occurring in the health care setting and to adopt a holistic
approach to health care.
 COURSE AIM

To explore the social and psychological

determinants of health-related behavior
and treatment
 COURSE OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the course shall be as follows:

1. To demonstrate the basic principles of behavioral sciences.
2. To illustrate the applications of behavioral sciences for effective
health care.
3. To amplify the holistic approach to treatment, care and
management of illness.
 OBJECTIVES CONTD………..

4. To describe the role of patients in health

promotion and adherence to treatment.
5. To demonstrate the relationship between
psychological factors and physical health.
 COURSE OUTCOMES

Students should be able to:

1. Explain theoretical concepts in behavioral sciences such as
Psychology and Sociology about medical practice.
2. Apply basic principles of behavioral science in enhancing
effective health care.
3. Demonstrate a holistic approach to treatment, care and
management of illness.
4. Explain the role of patients in health promotion
and adherence to treatment.
5. Explain the importance of evaluating the
relationship between psychological factors and
physical health (biopsychosocial).
 CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT AND
EXAMINATION
1. 3 CAs with a total mark of 40%
2. Final examination: 60%
Class attendance is compulsory
 PRESCRIBED BOOKS

1. Plotnic, R. & Kouyoumdjian, H. (2011). Introduction to

Psychology, 9th ed, Wadsworth.
2. Haufman & Vernoy, (2004). Psychology in Action. John
Wiley & Sons
3. Ogden, J. (2005). Health Psychology. Open University
Publication
4. Porter, M; Alder, B; & Abraham, C. (2003). Psychology and
Sociology Applied to Medicine, Church Hill.
 RECOMMENDED BOOKS

1. Giddens, A. & Sutton, P.W. (2013). Sociology

2. Baron, R.A. (2002). Psychology. Prentice Hall
3. Weiten, W. (2000). Themes and Variations.
Cole Publishing Company
 INTRODUCTION TO BEHAVIOURAL
SCIENCE
OBJECTIVES
1. Describe Behavioral Sciences
2. Define Psychology
3. Explain the goals of Psychology
 BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE

❑Behavioral Science is a field of study that

focuses on the various disciplines dealing with
the subject of human actions which usually
include the fields of Sociology, Social
and Cultural Anthropology and Psychology,
among others.
❑The term gained currency in the 1950s in the United
States.
❑Behavioral science explores the cognitive processes,
especially decision making and communication,
through systematic analysis of human behavior.
❑Behavioral scientists collect empirical data and
use experimental methods, including testing,
controls and manipulated settings.
 AN INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

❑The field of Psychology is becoming more and more

popular every day.
❑In India, for example, the number of colleges and
students opting for the study of the subject at the
undergraduate and post –graduate levels is
increasing yearly in almost all the universities of the
country.
❑In Zambia, psychology is becoming popular as evidenced
by the many higher education institutions that
incorporate it in other programmes or as a stand-alone
programme, especially at the post-graduate level.
❑Psychology is an offspring of Philosophy.
❑With the passage of time, it has undergone a change
from one of sheer speculation to that of scientific
procedure.
 DEFINITION OF PSYCHOLOGY

❑The meaning and concept of psychology has frequently

changed over time.
❑Generally, psychology can be defined as an academic and
applied discipline that involves the scientific study of mental
processes, behaviors and experiences in different contexts.
❑In doing so, it uses methods of biological and social sciences to
obtain data systematically.
 MENTAL PROCESSES

❑Mental processes are activities of the mind and brain

that are related to cognition.
❑We use mental processes when we think or remember
something or solve a problem.
❑However, these mental activities are different from
the neural activities, though they are mutually
overlapping processes.
❑The mind emerges and evolves as our interactions
and experiences in this world get dynamically
organized in the form of a system which is responsible
for the occurrence of various mental processes.
❑Mental processes include
- Reasoning
- Learning
- Thinking
- Problem-solving
- Perception and many others.
 EXPERIENCES

❑Experiences can be defined as learning acquired through

everyday life situations.
❑Experiences are subjective in nature, different for every
individual.
❑We cannot directly observe or know someone’s experiences.
❑Only the experiencing person can be aware or conscious of his or
her experiences.
❑Thus, experience is embedded in our awareness or
unconsciousness.
❑Experiences are influenced by internal and external conditions
of the experiences.
❑The nature of the experiences can only be understood by
analyzing a complex set of internal and external conditions.
❑Experiences are important because most of our learning is
based on experience.
 BEHAVIOURS

❑Behaviors are responses or reactions we make or activities we

engage in.
❑For example, one can feel the heart pounding before taking an
examination.
❑Some behaviors such as thinking may be simple or complex,
short or enduring.
❑On the other hand, some behaviors may be outwardly seen or
sensed and are called overt, for example laughing.
 GOALS OF PSYCHOLOGY

❑Psychology has four main goals:

1. Describe
2. Explain
3. Predict
4. Change /control behavior
 DESCRIBE BEHAVIOUR

❑Describing things is something we do every single day with no

conscious thought or effort.
❑But describing in psychology has a slightly different meaning
than the describing we do in our everyday life
❑Descriptions help psychologists to distinguish between normal
and abnormal behavior and gain a more accurate
understanding and perspective on human and animal
behavior, actions, and thoughts.
❑Psychology researchers utilize a range of research
methods to help describe behavior including naturalistic
observation, case studies, correlational studies, surveys,
and self-report inventories.
❑Researchers might start by observing human behavior
and then describing a problem.
❑By understanding what is happening, psychologists can
then work on learning more about why the behavior
happens and even how to change it.
 EXPLAIN BEHAVIOUR

❑In addition to merely describing it, psychologists are

also interested in explaining behavior rather than just
being able to describe it.
❑Why do people do the things they do?
❑What factors contribute to development, personality,
social behavior, and mental health problems
❑This helps in providing answers to questions about
-why people react in a certain way;
- why they do the things they do; and
- the factors which affect their personality, their mental
health, their actions.
 PREDICT BEHAVIOUR

❑By looking at past observed behavior (describing and

explaining) psychologists aim to predict how that
behavior will appear again in the future and whether
other people might exhibit the same behavior.
❑Through the process of describing and explanation,
psychologists are able to understand more about what
thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are contributing
factors.
❑They can then use that knowledge to predict why,
when, and how those things might happen in the
future.
❑Successfully predicting behavior is also one of the best
ways to know if we understand the underlying causes
of our actions.
❑Prediction also allows psychologists to make guesses about
human behavior without necessarily understanding the
mechanisms underlying the phenomena.
❑In the world of business, psychologists would use information
they collect about sale items to try to predict what consumers
will purchase next.
❑Businesses and marketers often employ consumer
psychologists to make such predictions so that they can create
products that will appeal to buyers.
 CHANGE /CONTROL BEHAVIOR

❑Psychology aims to change, influence, or control

behavior to make positive, constructive, meaningful,
and lasting changes in people's lives and to influence
their behavior for the better.
END!!!