Biopsychosocial Model & Human Behavior Dynamics

Biopsychosocial Model Insights

The biopsychosocial model posits that the human being is composed of three interconnected dimensions:

• Biological Dimension
• Psychic Dimension
• Social Dimension

Human Needs and Satisfaction

Human needs and their satisfaction are oriented in two primary directions:

• Psychosocial Care: This involves professional actions taken to help individuals meet their psychological and social needs.
• Educational Care: This aims to facilitate learning, enabling individuals to understand and meet their own needs.

Psychology Fundamentals

Psychology deals with the behavior and mental processes of people; in other words, what a person does, feels, or thinks.

Core Psychological Concepts

• Behavior: Actions that people perform.
• Mental Processes: Cognitive activities such as perception, memory, and thinking.
• Emotions and Feelings: The affective states experienced by people.
• Personality: The unique combination of components that define an individual's characteristic ways of acting, thinking, and feeling.

Understanding Human Behavior

Defining Behavior

Behavior encompasses everything a person does. Conduct refers to a person's particular way of behaving or acting in response to a specific situation.

Stimuli and Behavior

Behavior is often caused by stimuli, which can be categorized as:

• External Stimuli: Changes in a person's environment to which they react.
• Internal Stimuli: Internal bodily changes or states that prompt a certain action.
• Physiological Stimuli: Factors that affect physical functions.
• Psychological Stimuli: Factors that affect an individual's psychological component.

Components of Behavior

Behavior can be analyzed through its different components:

• Physiological Component: The internal response of the organism, manifested by physiological changes such as dilated pupils, altered breathing, sweating, heart rate changes, and muscle tension. These can be measured by tools like a polygraph or EEG.
• Cognitive Component: Refers to the thoughts triggered by a specific stimulus or situation, which then determine our actions. This component influences the behavioral response.
• Behavioral (Motor) Component: The observable motor response of an individual, which can include physical actions (e.g., approaching or avoiding something) and verbal responses.

Types of Behavior

Behaviors can be classified according to various criteria, including their consequences, how the response is developed, and their manifestation.

Behavior Classified by Potential Impact

• Appropriate Behavior: Behaviors that result in beneficial consequences for the individual and/or others.
• Inappropriate Behavior: Behaviors that lead to negative consequences for the individual and/or others.

Behavior Classified by Response Development

• Stereotyped Behavior: A repetitive or mechanical response to a specific stimulus, often performed unconsciously. Reflexes are an example of stereotypical behavior.
• Learned Behavior: Behavior that is intentionally performed, acquired through learning processes, and often involves modifying or replacing stereotyped responses.
• Complex Behavior: Responses that involve human reasoning abilities. We perform many complex behaviors daily, stemming from the numerous choices and decisions we make.