behavior

behavior
1. Any response emitted by or elicited from an organism. 2. Any mental or motor act or activity. 3. Specifically, parts of a total response pattern. [M.E., fr. O. Fr. avoir, to have]
- adaptive b. any b. that enables an organism to adjust to a particular situation or environment.
- appetitive b. movement of an organism toward a certain type of stimulus, such as food. Cf.:aversive b..
- aversive b. movement of an organism away from a certain type of stimulus, such as electric shock. Cf.:appetitive b..
- coronary-prone b. hostile b. that increases the risk of heart disease.
- health b. combination of knowledge, practices, and attitudes that together contribute to motivate the actions we take regarding health.
- hookean b. the b. of a perfectly elastic body; i.e., the strain is directly proportional to the stress. SEE ALSO: Hooke law.
- hostile b. b. that increases the risk of heart disease.
- molar b. in psychology, b. described in large response units rather than smaller ones. Cf.:molecular b..
- molecular b. in psychology, b. described in small response units rather than larger ones; a specific response. Cf.:molar b..
- obsessive b. the repetitive stylized b. seen in obsessive-compulsive neurosis.
- operant b. b. whose continuation and frequency is determined by its consequences on the doer; central element of behavioral conditioning theory. See conditioning.
- passive-aggressive b. apparently compliant b., with intrinsic obstructive or stubborn qualities, to cover deeply felt aggressive feelings that cannot be more directly expressed.
- respondent b. b. in response to a specific stimulus; usually associated with classical conditioning. See conditioning.
- ritualistic b. automatic b. of psychogenic or cultural origin.
- target b. 1. SYN: operant. 2. in b. modification therapy, the prescribed b..
- type A b. a b. pattern characterized by aggressiveness, ambitiousness, restlessness, and a strong sense of time urgency. New research has revealed that it is hostility, which can be commingled with other type A traits, that is associated with increased risk for coronary heart disease.
- type B b. a b. pattern characterized by the absence or obverse of type A b. characteristics.

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be·hav·ior or chiefly Brit be·hav·iour bi-'hā-vyər n
1) the manner of conducting oneself
2 a) anything that an organism does involving action and response to stimulation
b) the response of an individual, group, or species to its environment
be·hav·ior·al or chiefly Brit be·hav·iour·al -vyə-rəl adj
be·hav·ior·al·ly or chiefly Brit be·hav·iour·al·ly -rə-lē adv

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be·hav·ior (be-hāvґyər) deportment or conduct; any or all of a person's total activity, especially that which can be externally observed. behavioral adj

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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  • behavior — behavior, conduct, deportment are comparable when denoting a person s actions in general or on a particular occasion, so far as they serve as a basis of another s judgment of one s qualities (as character, temperament, mood, manners, or morals).… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Behavior — Be*hav ior, n. Manner of behaving, whether good or bad; mode of conducting one s self; conduct; deportment; carriage; used also of inanimate objects; as, the behavior of a ship in a storm; the behavior of the magnetic needle. [1913 Webster] A… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • behavior — I noun actions, air, bearing, beliefs, carriage, character, comportment, conduct, consuetude, course, course of conduct, course of life, decorum, demeanor, deportment, habits, habituation, habitude, inveteracy, line of conduct, manner, manner of… …   Law dictionary

  • behavior — [bē hāv′yər, bihāv′yər] n. [< BEHAVE by analogy with ME havior, property < OFr aveir < avoir, to have] 1. the way a person behaves or acts; conduct; manners 2. a) an organism s responses to stimulation or environment, esp. those… …   English World dictionary

  • behavior — UK US // noun [U] US ► BEHAVIOUR(Cf. ↑behaviour) …   Financial and business terms

  • behavior — (n.) late 15c., essentially from BEHAVE (Cf. behave), but with ending from M.E. havour possession, a word altered (by influence of HAVE (Cf. have)) from aver, noun use of Old French verb aveir to have …   Etymology dictionary

  • behavior — [n] manner of conducting oneself act, action, address, air, attitude, bag*, bearing, carriage, code, comportment, conduct, convention, course, dealings, decency, decorum, deed, delivery, demeanor, deportment, ethics, etiquette, expression, form,… …   New thesaurus

  • Behavior — For the Pet Shop Boys album, see Behaviour (Pet Shop Boys album). Behavior or behaviour (see American and British spelling differences) refers to the actions and mannerisms made by organisms, systems, or artificial entities in conjunction with… …   Wikipedia

  • behavior — behavioral, adj. behaviorally, adv. /bi hayv yeuhr/, n. 1. manner of behaving or acting. 2. Psychol., Animal Behav. a. observable activity in a human or animal. b. the aggregate of responses to internal and external stimuli. c. a stereotyped,… …   Universalium

  • behavior — AE spelling n. 1) to exhibit behavior (to exhibit strange behavior) 2) abnormal; asocial; criminal; diplomatic; disciplined; disruptive; inconsiderate; inexcusable; infantile; irrational; model; modest; neurotic; normal; obsequious; promiscuous;… …   Combinatory dictionary

  • behavior — be|hav|ior [ bı heıvjər ] noun uncount *** 1. ) the way that someone behaves: Anna was sick of her brother s annoying behavior. 2. ) SCIENCE the way that a substance, metal, etc. usually behaves: Scientists are studying the behavior of certain… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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