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{{Short description|Study of cognition leading to behaviour}}
{{for|the movement within psychology|Behaviourism}}
{{Redirect|Behavior analysis}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2023}}
{{Short description|Study of cognition leading to behaviour}}
{{About||the field in economics|Behavioural Economics|the movement within psychology|Behaviourism}}
<!-- Please don't change "behaviour" to "behavior" - it's not a misspelling. This article uses British English. -->


'''Behavioural science''' is the branch of science concerned with [[Human behavior|human behaviour]].<ref name=":0">Hallsworth, M. (2023). A manifesto for applying behavioural science. ''Nature Human Behaviour'', ''7''(3), 310-322.</ref> While the term can technically be applied to the study of behaviour amongst all living organisms, it is nearly always used with reference to humans as the primary target of investigation (though animals may be studied in some instances, e.g. invasive techniques). The behavioural sciences sit in between the conventional [[Natural science|natural sciences]] and [[social studies]] in terms of [[scientific rigor]]. It encompasses fields such as [[psychology]], [[Behavioral neuroscience|neuroscience]], [[linguistics]], and [[Behavioral economics|economics]].<ref name=":1">Sanders, M., Snijders, V., & Hallsworth, M. (2018). Behavioural science and policy: where are we now and where are we going?. ''Behavioural Public Policy'', ''2''(2), 144-167.</ref>
'''Behavioural sciences''' is a branch of science that explore the cognitive processes within [[organism]]s and the behavioural interactions that occur between organisms in the natural world. It involves the systematic analysis and investigation of [[human]] and [[animal]] behaviour through [[naturalistic observation]], controlled scientific [[experimentation]] and [[mathematical model]]ing. It attempts to accomplish legitimate, objective conclusions through rigorous formulations and observation.<ref name="Klemke">Klemke, E. D., Hollinger, R., and Kline, A. D., (1980), Introduction to the book in 'Introductory Readings in the Philosophy of Science': Buffalo, New York, Prometheus Books p 11-12</ref> Examples of behavioural sciences include [[psychology]], [[psychobiology]], [[criminology]], [[anthropology]], [[sociology]], [[economics]], and [[cognitive science]]. Generally, behavioural science primarily seeks to generalise about human behaviour as it relates to society and its impact on society as a whole.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behavioral+science|title=Definition of BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE|website=www.merriam-webster.com|access-date=19 March 2018}}</ref>


== Scope ==
== Behavioural Science Disciplines ==
The behavioural sciences encompass both natural and social scientific disciplines, including various branches of psychology, neuroscience and biobehavioural sciences, behavioural economics and certain branches of [[criminology]], [[Microsociology|sociology]] and [[Political psychology|political science]].<ref name=":2">Loewenstein, G., Rick, S., & Cohen, J. D. (2008). Neuroeconomics. ''Annu. Rev. Psychol.'', ''59''(1), 647-672.</ref><ref name=":3">Bavel, J. J. V., Baicker, K., Boggio, P. S., Capraro, V., Cichocka, A., Cikara, M., ... & Willer, R. (2020). Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response. ''Nature human behaviour'', ''4''(5), 460-471.</ref> This interdisciplinary nature allows behavioural scientists to coordinate findings from [[Experimental psychology|psychological experiments]], [[Genome-wide association study|genetics]] and [[Functional neuroimaging|neuroimaging]], self-report studies, [[Comparative psychology|interspecies]] and cross-cultural comparisons, and [[Longitudinal study|correlational and longitudinal designs]] to understand the nature, frequency, mechanisms, causes and consequences of given behaviours.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref>Mallio, C. A., Buoso, A., Stiffi, M., Cea, L., Vertulli, D., Bernetti, C., ... & Beomonte Zobel, B. (2024). Mapping the Neural Basis of Neuroeconomics with Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Narrative Literature Review. ''Brain sciences'', ''14''(5), 511.
{{Expand section|This section repeats itself ad nauseam, providing minimal useful information|date=April 2024}}
Behavioral science is composed of different disciplines of [[social science]] which include [[anthropology]], [[psychology]], and [[sociology]]. Behavioral science is one of the only disciplines that study different disciplines all in one.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Nehnevajsa |first1=Jiri |last2=Festinger |first2=Leon |last3=Katz |first3=Daniel |date=April 1954 |title=Research Methods in the Behavioral Sciences. |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2088409 |journal=American Sociological Review |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=230 |doi=10.2307/2088409 |issn=0003-1224 |jstor=2088409}}</ref> Behavioral science focuses on [[human behavior]] by using some of the great findings by anthropologists, psychologists, and sociologists. Behavioral scientists use many different techniques that were founded by the three different disciplines of social science and all of this helps the study of human behavior. Human behavior is an ever growing topic and it is one that is not fully understood yet. Behavioral science aims to get to the bottom of human behavior and come to grips with everything that it sets out to achieve.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Whitley, Jr. |first1=Bernard E. |last2=Kite |first2=Mary E. |date=2012-11-12 |title=Principles of Research in Behavioral Science |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780203085219 |doi=10.4324/9780203085219|isbn=9780203085219 }}</ref>


Chicago</ref>
==Categories==
{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2023}}Behavioural sciences include two broad categories: neural{{snd}} ''Information sciences'' and social{{snd}} ''Relational sciences''.


With respect to the applied behavioural science and behavioural insights, the focus is usually narrower, tending to encompass [[cognitive psychology]], [[social psychology]] and [[Behavioral economics|behavioural economics]] generally, and invoking other more specific fields (e.g. health psychology) where needed.<ref name=":3" /> In applied settings behavioural scientists exploit their knowledge of cognitive biases, heuristics, and peculiarities of how decision-making is affected by various factors to develop behaviour change interventions or develop policies which 'nudge' people to acting more auspiciously (see Applications below).<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
Information processing sciences deal with [[Information processing (psychology)|information processing]] of stimuli from the social environment by cognitive entities in order to engage in decision making, social judgment and social perception for individual functioning and survival of organism in a social environment. These include [[psychology]], [[cognitive science]], [[behaviour analysis]], [[psychobiology]], [[biological neural network|neural networks]], [[social cognition]], [[social psychology]], [[semantic networks]], [[ethology]], and [[social neuroscience]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/behavioral-sciences.html|title=What are behavioral sciences? definition and meaning|website=BusinessDictionary.com|access-date=23 December 2017|archive-date=15 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015083730/http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/behavioral-sciences.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>


=== Future and emerging techniques ===
On the other hand, relational sciences deal with relationships, interaction, communication networks, associations and relational strategies or dynamics between organisms or cognitive entities in a social system. These include fields like [[Social psychology (sociology)|sociological social psychology]], [[social networks]], [[dynamic network analysis]], [[agent-based model]], behaviour analysis, and [[microsimulation]].

=== Sociology ===
[[Sociology]] involves the scientific examination of [[society]], encompassing the study of [[culture]], social relationships, and interactions. It includes the research and analysis of social patterns and processes, exploring the impact of the social world on our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. The primary focus of sociology is to comprehend the dynamics of society. With this insight, people are in a better position to influence and navigate through society, also gaining a deeper understanding of themselves in the process. This knowledge also plays a crucial role in decision-making.<ref name=":0" />

Coined by [[Auguste Comte]] in the 1830s, the term [[sociology]] originally referred to a constructed science that would unify all knowledge about human activity. The discipline emerged as a response to societal changes. There were many changes and advancements made in Western Europe during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Changes like the invention of the [[steam engine]] would then alter the way in which society functioned. Starting with Auguste Comte, today sociology is studied all around the world.<ref name=":0">The Field of Sociology. An Introduction to Sociology. (n.d.). https://www.asanet.org/wp-content/uploads/savvy/introtosociology/Documents/Field%20of%20sociology033108.htm Retrieved 2023-12-07.</ref>

=== Anthropology ===
The focus and research methods used in [[Anthropology]] provide the Behavioral Sciences with a more comprehensive understanding of the cultural, environmental, and biological factors that influence human behavior. [[Ethnography]] is a research method developed by anthropologists that involves the study of the social behaviors of a people in their own environment using firsthand observations, interviews, and observer participation. The data collected by using the [[Ethnography|ethnographic]] method is primarily qualitative, but rich in context providing the perspective of those within the group.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Nina |url=https://pressbooks.pub/perspectives/ |title=Perspectives: An Open Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, 2nd Edition |last2=McIlwraith |first2=Thomas |last3=González |first3=Laura Tubelle de |date=2020-01-01 |publisher=The American Anthropological Association |language=en-us}}</ref>

Anthropologists now perform [[field research]] in the digital realm. Society’s behaviors are data tracked digitally by entities in areas that include government, healthcare, and retail. Ruckenstein and Schull referred to this phenomenon as the [[datafication]] of the world. With the rise of fitness and mobile devices, anthropologists can study behavior by collecting substantial amounts of quantifiable data and performing data analysis from individuals and data collection sites.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ruckenstein |first1=Minna |last2=Schüll |first2=Natasha Dow |date=2017-10-23 |title=The Datafication of Health |journal=Annual Review of Anthropology |language=en |volume=46 |issue=1 |pages=261–278 |doi=10.1146/annurev-anthro-102116-041244 |issn=0084-6570|doi-access=free }}</ref>

Anthropologists have adopted the use of [[algorithms]] to mine data patterns related to behavior from large data sets. They study activities of users of social media sites to understand how like-minded individuals using these sites form new subgroups. Anthropologists are looking forward to one day enlisting the help of [[Artificial intelligence]] (AI) to perform anthropological research. Currently, AI does not have the capability to fully understand how to analyze data using an anthropological perspective.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hillier |first=Katie |date=2023-05-08 |title=Digital Anthropology Meets Data Science |url=https://www.anthropology-news.org/articles/digital-anthropology-meets-data-science/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=Anthropology News |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Psychology ===
A lot of people are unaware of how vast the concept of behavioral science is, with [[psychology]] being just one of its many branches. The theory of behavioral psychology describes how an individual's environment can alter their thoughts and behavior. Several observations have been made to test the validity of this idea, and the results show that many individuals alter their behavior depending on both their surroundings and who they are with. The mind modifies its thought processes in response to seemingly insignificant changes, yet they are not.  Psychology is, as we all know, the study of the mind and behavior.

[https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=eZ4UCgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP11&dq=Mills,+J.+A.+(1998).+Control+a+history+of+behavioral+psychology.+New+York+University+Press.&ots=uXOQl4qwsz&sig=2L1Cy-u6Z4unJbhdQ73HHqOgE-M#v=onepage&q=Mills%2C%20J.%20A.%20(1998).%20Control%20a%20history%20of%20behavioral%20psychology.%20New%20York%20University%20Press.&f=false John A. Mills] has helped us grasp the complexity of behaviorism and provided us with an understanding of cognitive psychology, which explains how individual minds function. These insights have influenced our understanding of psychology in behavioral science. We now know that while individual behaviors may vary, they all seem to lead to the same result. According to Mills, this behaviorism was first tested on animals and later on humans, with essentially the same results of changing based on environmental changes. Additionally, he provided a mother-daughter connection example in this book that encapsulates psychology in action. We need to develop a reciprocal relationship in order for that trustworthy relationship to flourish. Given this example, it is clear that, as we develop as people, we require the assurance and ongoing development of every relationship we come into contact with.

Because the nature of the mind is ever-evolving, it is crucial to fully comprehend the current study on the relationship between behavioral science and psychology.

=== Future of Behavioral Science ===
{{Unclear|section|date=June 2024}}
{{Unclear|section|date=June 2024}}
As one cannot entirely predict the precise future of science, Skinner has shined some light onto no predictable possible future direction, but there has been research that argues. Chance<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Chance |first=Paul |date=2007-10-01 |title=The ultimate challenge: Prove B. F. Skinner wrong |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392152 |journal=The Behavior Analyst |language=en |volume=30 |issue=2 |pages=153–160 |doi=10.1007/BF03392152 |issn=2196-8918 |pmc=2203635 |pmid=22478494}}</ref> promoted behavior science and technology as a means of enhancing societal human development, also solving global and cultural issues. Gradually, this optimism had given way to the awareness that behavior science was actually demonstrating how unlikely it was that such issues would be resolved in time to prevent a host of potential catastrophes. Chance identified possible behavioral occurrences that seem to get in the way of large-scale, efficiently executed problem-solving behaviors.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Leigland |first=Sam |date=2011-10-01 |title=Beyond freedom and dignity at 40: Comments on behavioral science, the future, and chance (2007) |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392258 |journal=The Behavior Analyst |language=en |volume=34 |issue=2 |pages=283–295 |doi=10.1007/BF03392258 |issn=2196-8918 |pmc=3211387 |pmid=22532749}}</ref>

Robila<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Robila |first1=Mihaela |last2=Robila |first2=Stefan A. |date=2020-10-01 |title=Applications of Artificial Intelligence Methodologies to Behavioral and Social Sciences |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01689-x |journal=Journal of Child and Family Studies |language=en |volume=29 |issue=10 |pages=2954–2966 |doi=10.1007/s10826-019-01689-x |issn=1573-2843}}</ref> explains how using modern technology to study and understand [[Behavioral pattern|behavioral patterns]] on a greater scale, such as [[artificial intelligence]], machine learning, and greater data has a future in brightening up behavioral science assistance/ research. Creating cutting-edge therapies and interventions with immersive technology like virtual reality/ [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] would also be beneficial to behavioral science future(s). These concepts are only a hint of the many paths behavioral science may take in the future.
Robila<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Robila |first1=Mihaela |last2=Robila |first2=Stefan A. |date=2020-10-01 |title=Applications of Artificial Intelligence Methodologies to Behavioral and Social Sciences |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01689-x |journal=Journal of Child and Family Studies |language=en |volume=29 |issue=10 |pages=2954–2966 |doi=10.1007/s10826-019-01689-x |issn=1573-2843}}</ref> explains how using modern technology to study and understand [[Behavioral pattern|behavioral patterns]] on a greater scale, such as [[artificial intelligence]], machine learning, and greater data has a future in brightening up behavioral science assistance/ research. Creating cutting-edge therapies and interventions with immersive technology like virtual reality/ [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] would also be beneficial to behavioral science future(s). These concepts are only a hint of the many paths behavioral science may take in the future.


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The terms ''behavioural sciences'' and ''[[social sciences]]'' are interconnected fields<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dristi |first1=Adhikari |title=Exploring the Differences Between Social and Behavioral Science |journal=Behavioral Development Bulletin |volume=21 |issue=2 |pages=128–135 |doi=10.1037/bdb0000029 |year=2016 }}</ref> that both study systematic processes of behaviour, but they differ on their level of scientific analysis for various dimensions of behaviour.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behavioral+science%3E|title=Definition of BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE|website=www.Merriam-Webster.com|access-date=23 December 2017}}</ref>
The terms ''behavioural sciences'' and ''[[social sciences]]'' are interconnected fields<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dristi |first1=Adhikari |title=Exploring the Differences Between Social and Behavioral Science |journal=Behavioral Development Bulletin |volume=21 |issue=2 |pages=128–135 |doi=10.1037/bdb0000029 |year=2016 }}</ref> that both study systematic processes of behaviour, but they differ on their level of scientific analysis for various dimensions of behaviour.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behavioral+science%3E|title=Definition of BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE|website=www.Merriam-Webster.com|access-date=23 December 2017}}</ref>


Behavioural sciences abstract empirical data to investigate the decision process and communication strategies within and between organisms in a social system. This characteristically involves fields like psychology, social neuroscience, ethology, and cognitive science. In contrast, social sciences provide a perceptive framework to study the processes of a social system through impacts of a social organisation on the structural adjustment of the individual and of groups. They typically include fields like [[sociology]], [[economics]], [[public health]], [[anthropology]], [[demography]], and [[political science]].<ref name="Klemke" />
Behavioural sciences abstract empirical data to investigate the decision process and communication strategies within and between organisms in a social system. This characteristically involves fields like psychology, social neuroscience, ethology, and cognitive science. In contrast, social sciences provide a perceptive framework to study the processes of a social system through impacts of a social organisation on the structural adjustment of the individual and of groups. They typically include fields like [[sociology]], [[economics]], [[public health]], [[anthropology]], [[demography]], and [[political science]].<ref name="Klemke">Klemke, E. D., Hollinger, R., and Kline, A. D., (1980), Introduction to the book in 'Introductory Readings in the Philosophy of Science': Buffalo, New York, Prometheus Books p 11-12</ref>


Many subfields of these disciplines test the boundaries between behavioural and social sciences. For example, [[political psychology]] and [[behavioural economics]] use behavioural approaches, despite the predominant focus on systemic and institutional factors in the broader fields of political science and economics.
Many subfields of these disciplines test the boundaries between behavioural and social sciences. For example, [[political psychology]] and [[behavioural economics]] use behavioural approaches, despite the predominant focus on systemic and institutional factors in the broader fields of political science and economics.

Latest revision as of 03:22, 4 October 2024

Behavioural science is the branch of science concerned with human behaviour.[1] While the term can technically be applied to the study of behaviour amongst all living organisms, it is nearly always used with reference to humans as the primary target of investigation (though animals may be studied in some instances, e.g. invasive techniques). The behavioural sciences sit in between the conventional natural sciences and social studies in terms of scientific rigor. It encompasses fields such as psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, and economics.[2]

Scope

[edit]

The behavioural sciences encompass both natural and social scientific disciplines, including various branches of psychology, neuroscience and biobehavioural sciences, behavioural economics and certain branches of criminology, sociology and political science.[3][4] This interdisciplinary nature allows behavioural scientists to coordinate findings from psychological experiments, genetics and neuroimaging, self-report studies, interspecies and cross-cultural comparisons, and correlational and longitudinal designs to understand the nature, frequency, mechanisms, causes and consequences of given behaviours.[1][3][5]

With respect to the applied behavioural science and behavioural insights, the focus is usually narrower, tending to encompass cognitive psychology, social psychology and behavioural economics generally, and invoking other more specific fields (e.g. health psychology) where needed.[4] In applied settings behavioural scientists exploit their knowledge of cognitive biases, heuristics, and peculiarities of how decision-making is affected by various factors to develop behaviour change interventions or develop policies which 'nudge' people to acting more auspiciously (see Applications below).[1][2]

Future and emerging techniques

[edit]

Robila[6] explains how using modern technology to study and understand behavioral patterns on a greater scale, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and greater data has a future in brightening up behavioral science assistance/ research. Creating cutting-edge therapies and interventions with immersive technology like virtual reality/ AI would also be beneficial to behavioral science future(s). These concepts are only a hint of the many paths behavioral science may take in the future.

Applications

[edit]

Insights from several pure disciplines across behavioural sciences are explored by various applied disciplines and practiced in the context of everyday life and business.[7]

Consumer behaviour, for instance, is the study of the decision making process consumers make when purchasing goods or services. It studies the way consumers recognise problems and discover solutions. Behavioural science is applied in this study by examining the patterns consumers make when making purchases, the factors that influenced those decisions, and how to take advantage of these patterns.

Organisational behaviour is the application of behavioural science in a business setting. It studies what motivates employees, how to make them work more effectively, what influences this behaviour, and how to use these patterns in order to achieve the company's goals. Managers often use organisational behaviour to better lead their employees.

Using insights from psychology and economics, behavioural science can be leveraged to understand how individuals make decisions regarding their health and ultimately reduce disease burden through interventions such as loss aversion, framing, defaults, nudges, and more.

Other applied disciplines of behavioural science include operations research and media psychology.

Differentiation from social sciences

[edit]

The terms behavioural sciences and social sciences are interconnected fields[8] that both study systematic processes of behaviour, but they differ on their level of scientific analysis for various dimensions of behaviour.[9]

Behavioural sciences abstract empirical data to investigate the decision process and communication strategies within and between organisms in a social system. This characteristically involves fields like psychology, social neuroscience, ethology, and cognitive science. In contrast, social sciences provide a perceptive framework to study the processes of a social system through impacts of a social organisation on the structural adjustment of the individual and of groups. They typically include fields like sociology, economics, public health, anthropology, demography, and political science.[10]

Many subfields of these disciplines test the boundaries between behavioural and social sciences. For example, political psychology and behavioural economics use behavioural approaches, despite the predominant focus on systemic and institutional factors in the broader fields of political science and economics.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Hallsworth, M. (2023). A manifesto for applying behavioural science. Nature Human Behaviour, 7(3), 310-322.
  2. ^ a b Sanders, M., Snijders, V., & Hallsworth, M. (2018). Behavioural science and policy: where are we now and where are we going?. Behavioural Public Policy, 2(2), 144-167.
  3. ^ a b Loewenstein, G., Rick, S., & Cohen, J. D. (2008). Neuroeconomics. Annu. Rev. Psychol., 59(1), 647-672.
  4. ^ a b Bavel, J. J. V., Baicker, K., Boggio, P. S., Capraro, V., Cichocka, A., Cikara, M., ... & Willer, R. (2020). Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response. Nature human behaviour, 4(5), 460-471.
  5. ^ Mallio, C. A., Buoso, A., Stiffi, M., Cea, L., Vertulli, D., Bernetti, C., ... & Beomonte Zobel, B. (2024). Mapping the Neural Basis of Neuroeconomics with Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Narrative Literature Review. Brain sciences, 14(5), 511. Chicago
  6. ^ Robila, Mihaela; Robila, Stefan A. (2020-10-01). "Applications of Artificial Intelligence Methodologies to Behavioral and Social Sciences". Journal of Child and Family Studies. 29 (10): 2954–2966. doi:10.1007/s10826-019-01689-x. ISSN 1573-2843.
  7. ^ Hallsworth, Michael (2023). "A manifesto for applying behavioural science". Nature Human Behaviour. 7 (3): 310–322. doi:10.1038/s41562-023-01555-3. PMID 36941468.
  8. ^ Dristi, Adhikari (2016). "Exploring the Differences Between Social and Behavioral Science". Behavioral Development Bulletin. 21 (2): 128–135. doi:10.1037/bdb0000029.
  9. ^ "Definition of BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE". www.Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  10. ^ Klemke, E. D., Hollinger, R., and Kline, A. D., (1980), Introduction to the book in 'Introductory Readings in the Philosophy of Science': Buffalo, New York, Prometheus Books p 11-12

Selected bibliography

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