Human beings are bio-psycho-social entities, which means that components of a biological, psychological and social nature coexist in each of us . As far as social behaviour is concerned, this will be the result of the fusion between genetic characteristics (DNA) and environmental factors that surround individuals.

However, in practice we cannot separate one element from the other to study them separately. The truth is that although each person is something apparently isolated, we all define ourselves by our social behaviour .

What is social behavior? Definition

To understand a subject as complex as social behavior, it is necessary to review some of the main theories. In this way we will be able to familiarize ourselves with the subject.

Since ancient times, philosophers as relevant in Western thought as Aristotle already glimpsed the importance of social behavior and society for people’s lives. For the polymath, the human being was a social animal whose individual actions were inseparable from the social ones, since it is in society that people are morally formed, being citizens and relating to the environment .

From these ideas we can outline a simple definition of what social behavior is: the set of behavioral dispositions in which there is a great influence of social interactions.

As we have seen before, this is a complex subject, so the best thing is to know the most relevant theories on social behaviour so that you can understand how the people around you can act on a daily basis.

Main theories

The most important social behavior theories are the following.

1. Social influence theory

Social influence is a social psychological process in which one or more subjects influence the behaviour of others . This process takes into account factors such as persuasion, social conformity, social acceptance and social obedience.

For example, it is now common to see how so-called “influencers” in social networks significantly influence social behaviour, especially in adolescents. This influence can be of two types:

Informative influence

It happens when a person changes his/her thinking or behaviour because he/she believes that the other person’s posture is more correct than his/her own. This means that there is a process of conversion.

Normative influence

Unlike the informative one, it happens when a person is not completely convinced by the position of the other, and yet, because he wants to be accepted by the others, he ends up acting against his own beliefs.

2. Classical conditioning theory

Ivan Pavlov states that a stimulus corresponds to an innate response, but he maintains that if that stimulus is associated with other events, we can obtain a different behavior . According to Pavlov, through induced stimuli we can change people’s behaviour.

This is mainly where marketing comes from. For example, if in an advertising campaign the product is associated with a pleasant stimulus for people (smiles, beaches, beauty) this will be translated into a greater amount of sales.

3. Theory of operant conditioning

Developed by B. F. Skinner, operant conditioning is a way of learning through rewards and punishments . This type of conditioning holds that if the behavior brings about a consequence, either reward or punishment, the consequence of our behavior will lead to learning.

This type of conditioning is often studied during early developmental (childhood) learning, but it can explain many other behaviors.

4. Theory of vicarage learning

In vicarious learning (learning by imitation), the reinforcement is of another characteristic; focuses mainly on cognitive imitative processes of the individual who learns with a model figure . In the first years, parents and educators will be the basic models to imitate.

The concept was proposed by psychologist Albert Bandura in his Theory of Social Learning in 1977. What he proposes is that not all learning is achieved by personally experiencing actions.

5. Sociocultural Theory

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory emphasizes the interaction of young people with their surroundings , understanding cognitive development as the result of a multi-causal process.

The activities they carry out together give children the possibility of internalizing the ways of thinking and behaving of the society they are in, adapting them as their own.

Collectivity and the masses

The study of mass psychology initially comes from the psychoanalytic tradition. What it sought was to increase the influence of the actions of large groups on the isolated person; that is, on the identity of the latter, and to understand how these actions influence cultural and other movements.

However, during the 20th century both erl behaviorism and the cognitive-behavioral current began to explain this part of human life , from the study of the stimuli and responses operated through records.

As we have seen so far, social behavior is really a quite deep issue where there is a diversity of feedback relationships, taking into account that the behavior of one individual influences the behavior of another forming a side effect.

By way of conclusion

It is clear that understanding social behaviour in an exact way is no more than a utopia , perhaps because in society we are more unpredictable than individually. However, the social factor must be taken into account in any analysis of behaviour.

Bibliographic references:

  • Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
  • Pavlov, I. P. (1927). Conditioned Reflexes: An Investigation of the Physiological Activity of the Cerebral Cortex. Translated and Edited by G. V. Anrep. London: Oxford University Press. p. 142.