Why Do People Behave the Way They Do - Essay Example

Why do people behave the way they do? Why do people behave the way they do? Trafimow et-al (2002) asserts that "The most influential theory for understanding and predicting behavior in the last few decades has been Fishbeins theory of reasoned action" (p. 101). Fishbeins postulation denotes the fact that the major causes of peoples behavior includes the purpose or objective of a particular action. Additionally, Trafimow (2002) brings forward the assertion that "people do what they intend to do and not what they intend not to do" (p. 101). Subsequently, peoples behavior is determined by their individual approaches, feelings, or mindsets, as well as rules and customs guiding them. It is worth noting that the society also requires people to behave in particular manners. Rules and regulations Rules help guide peoples behavior. Negative behavior leads to negative outcomes and hence people strive to conform to societal requirements in regard to manners of conduct or behavior. In other words, it is the duty of each and every individual to act in socially acceptable manners and avoid acting in ways considered delinquent by the society (Beam, 2001). Other than societal obligations, these rules governing peoples actions may also be in form of officially permitted guidelines. To understand the role of rues in controlling individual behavior, it is imperative to posit that these rules are created with an intention of eliminating conflicts among individuals. According to Beam (2001), the fact that behaving in a negative manner will have a negative effect on other people helps people behave in socially acceptable manners. Misbehavior or misconduct prompts or elicits feelings of embarrassment, regret, and sorrow. These feelings are important in controlling behavior as they remind individuals on the consequences of negative behavior. Rules also control peoples behavior through prompting the feelings of fear associated with retribution or penalties. Routines or habits Habits are also factors that control peoples behaviors. Individuals have been known to behave in particular ways under specific conditions. There is what people consider the norm in terms of their individual behaviors. This means that people will always behave in a particular manner if it is the norm regardless of the fact the behavior may be unacceptable or illegal. This postulation is supported by Peiro (1995) who asserts that "Habits seems to be a strong force, the more a behavior becomes a habit or a routine, the less volitional control there is. Behavior which has been practiced so much that it is wholly mastered and therefore automatic, paradoxically for this reason eludes control" (p. 31). If an individual adapts doing things in a particular manner, then it becomes a habit. Habits are closely linked with individual feelings and mindsets. In essence, altering the manner of thinking of individuals will subsequently lead to the modification of behavior and hence the creation of novel habits. Habits originate from the way people behave in difficult situations. Telling a lie in a difficult situation makes it easier for individuals to lie when faced with similar conditions. Holding other individuals in high opinion and deference makes one look courteous, polite, and considerate. People are also praised in the society for being well-behaved (Beam, 2001). Therefore, people tend to always behave in accordance to the desires and needs of others in a bid to maintain their respected status. Personality traits Other than rules and routines, individual characteristics also helps control peoples behaviors. McKenna (2000) defines a trait as a "characteristic in thought, feeling, and action, either inherited or acquired, and refers to tendencies to act or react in certain ways" (p. 38). There are various groupings of individual traits. One of the groupings include motive traits. These include traits that motivate or encourage individuals to act in particular manners. There are also ability traits denoting the skills and knowledge of an individual. Others include temperament traits and stylistic traits. Examples of temperament traits comprise of confidence and anxiety (McKenna, 2000). People may behave in negative manners as a result of personality disorders. For instance, an individual suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder is obsessed with neatness and excellence. Methodical investigations conducted in the past elucidated the fact that individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder experience trouble deciding on how best to conduct specific activities (McKenna, 2000). This means that the way they behave is beyond their control. Environment Environment also plays an important role in the manner in which people behave. Beam (2001) asserts that "one way that people are controlled by the environment is that stimuli from the environment cause them to respond in particular ways" (p. 20). This can best be understood through an example. Take for instance when the environment becomes hot, then individuals respond by removing extra clothing. Environmental behaviors are consequences of a wide range of controlling factors. Consumption of energy in households is dependent on the external environment. If the water bills are high, then individuals will behave in ways that lead to water management. Other conditions in the environment that controls peoples behaviors include political conditions in a country or region. Overpopulation is also considered an environmental factor that have an impact on peoples behaviors. People will tend to behave in particular manners when ;living in overpopulated places and vice versa. This is attributed to the fact that overpopulation is associated with many problems hence individuals are more likely to suffer from stress as well as other psychological problems. Studies conducted in the past have shown that rates of delinquency are higher in highly populated areas as compared to less populated areas (Kaiser, Wolfing and Fuhrer, 1999). Learned behavior and theories Children brought up in hostile conditions or environments are more likely to engage themselves in criminal behaviors. This is attributed to the fact that behavior is a learned condition. It of significance to consider that the relationship between individuals is one of the factors that help manipulate people to act or behave correctly. There are several theories that try to explain why people behave in particular manners. One of these theories include the control theory which posits that people behave in particular manners with an intention of gratifying themselves (Beam, 2001). Behaviors can either be positive or negative. For instance, some people feel engaging in drug abuse or alcohol consumption gratifies their feelings or desires. Therefore, such individuals adopts these habits despite their destructive nature. People may also engage themselves in negative behaviors with an intention of controlling their antagonism, attract attention, and also negative behaviors may be aimed at manipulating others. The second theory include the choice theory. According to Beam (2001), this theory postulate that people have the right t make their own decisions in regard to their behavior. This theory also asserts that there is a reason for each and every behavior. In addition, the choice theory points out that people behave in particular manners in order to accomplish five major objectives namely; survival, attain a sense of belonging and love, fun, freedom, and power. There are certain behaviors that are aimed towards ensuring human survival such as eating and drinking. This means that people will eat and drink when hungry. Conclusion There are various factors that drive people to behave in particular manner. There is an objective or reason behind each and every behavior. One of these factors include officially permitted rules. There are rules and regulations created within the society that required people to behave in specific ways. Individuals will act in socially acceptable ways in order to avoid punishment. Secondly, habits also control peoples behaviors. The manner in which an individual reacts in a difficult situation will determine how he or she will act when faced with a similar situation. For instance, telling a lie in a difficult situation will only make it easier for an individual to lie in similar circumstances. Thirdly, personality traits determines behavior. People may behave negatively as a result of underlying psychological problems such as obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Fourthly, the environment also plays a role in how people behave. As an example, people will remove extra clothing when conditions in a room becomes hot. Other environmental factors that affect behavior include issues such as population size. Studies have shown a high prevalence of criminal behavior in overpopulated places. There are several theories that try to explain why people behave in particular manners. These include control theory and choice theory. Control theory states that behavior is geared toward the gratification of individuals needs and desires. According to the choice theory, people have a right to choose how to behave regardless of the whether their actions will be positive or negative. References Beam, G. (2001). Quality Public Management: What it is and how it can be Improved and Advanced. New York, NY: Rowman & Littlefield. Kaiser, G. G., Wolfing, S., & Fuhrer, U. (1999). Environmental Attitude and Ecological Behavior: Journal of Environmental Psychology, 19, 1-19. McKenna, E. F. (2000). Business Psychology and Organizational Behavior: A Students Handbook, Third Edition. Philadelphia, PA: Psychology Press. Peiro, J. M. (1995). Work and Organizational Psychology: European Contributions of the Nineties. East Sussex, UK: Taylor & Francis. Trafimow, D., Sheeran, P., Conner, M., & Finlay, K. A. (2002). Evidence that perceived behavioral control is a multidimensional construct: Perceived control and perceived difficulty. British Journal of Social Psychology, 41, 101-121. Read More