BEHV1018 – Psychology: Human Behaviour

Why do we do the things we do?

I caught myself doing something funny the other day. I was looking for my phone while literally holding it in my hand. Not my proudest moment.

It got me thinking about automatic behaviour and how much of our day is spent doing things without consciously thinking about them. Habits, routines, familiar responses; Things we rely on constantly.

One of the things we've been looking at in this subject is the different influences on human behaviour. Biological, psychological and social factors all contribute, and they're not exactly working independently of one another.

I suppose this is why it's so difficult to explain someone's behaviour with a single reason. Even something seemingly straightforward, like avoiding a social situation, could have several explanations.

I've started catching myself making assumptions about people's behaviour, too. It's quite easy to label someone as lazy, rude, or unmotivated without knowing what's going on behind the scenes.

Anyway, next time I lose my phone while holding it, I'll try not to make it a personality trait.