Simple cephalo-caudal patterns embedded in complex human interpersonal behavior

GENERAL COMMENTARY article Front. Psychol., 21 December 2015Sec. Comparative Psychology Volume 6 - 2015 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01928

Reducing human stress has become a critical issue in contemporary architecture. The design of the physical environment plays an important role in the ease of wayfinding as people navigate a path through their surroundings. The goal of this project is to create an automated system that can analyze human behavior within a building, generate architectural forms based on the results, and then fabricate an optimal interior space design for facilitating the observed behaviors. The Behavioral Mapping Parametric Knitter (BMPK) juxtaposes key characteristics of biological design (modularity, robustness, homeostasis, and adaptation) with smart technologies. The BMPK Robot is an aggregated system that observes human behaviors, analyzes this behavioral data, designs parametric patterns, and then weaves spatial designs. The robot extracts data about complex human behaviors using intelligent sensors embedded within the environment. Knowledge extracted from this behavioral data is then used to design a parametric pattern. Finally, the robot employs this pattern to determine an optimal space structure to make the observed human behaviors as easy as possible. The spatial designs produced by the BMPK Robot are thus intended to help optimize the dynamic human behaviors that are already observed within the built environment. The results from this research project will lead to reduced stress and improved wayfinding among end-users. In addition, the research will produce a design tool capable of measuring the performance of different architectural forms in regard to how well they facilitate human behavior.

The production of emotional tears appears to be uniquely present in Homo sapiens. Despite the ubiquity of this human behavior, research is only just beginning to uncover the neurobiologic underpinnings of human emotional crying. In this article, we review the current state of the literature investigating the neurobiologic aspects of this uniquely human behavior, including the neuroanatomical, neurochemical, and psychophysiologic findings. To set the context for this review, we first provide a brief overview of the evolutionary background and functions of tearful crying. Despite an accumulating understanding of the neurobiology of human emotional crying, the primary sources of information are currently from animal studies and observations in neurologic patients suffering from pathologic crying. Currently, most of the research on the neurobiology of crying in humans has focused on autonomic physiologic processes underlying tearful crying, which may yield essential clues regarding the neural substrates of the production of crying behavior and its effects on the crier. Further challenges in elucidating the neurobiology of crying involve the complexity of crying behavior, which includes vocalizations, tear production, the involvement of facial musculature, subjective emotional experience, emotion regulatory behaviors, and social behaviors. Future research is needed to comprehensively characterize the neurobiology of this intriguing and complex human behavior.

L'etude menee aupres des enfants d'un village rural sur la cote orientale de Dominique montre la relation entre le stress et la composition du groupe domestique (âge, sexe, relation intergenerationnelle, nombre de personnes). Les enfants vivant dans des foyers ou prendre soin d'eux est une attitude frequente et stable ont un niveau de cortisol modere contrairement aux enfants connaissant des evenements familiaux traumatiques

The role of cognition in complex human behavior: A contextualistic perspective

In this paper we argue that behavior analysts have tended to neglect the study of important aspects of complex human behavior, including cognition and emotion. This relative neglect has been costly in terms of mainstream psychology's perception of the field of behavior analysis and in terms of our ability to provide a more thorough account of human behavior. Observations and findings from the clinical context are offered as examples of behavior that are not readily explained by the three-term contingency, and we argue that an adequate account of these behaviors must include principles derived from recent behavior-analytic work, in particular a better understanding of the short- and long-term effects of establishing operations. The concept of the establishing operation and its implications for understanding complex human behavior are discussed.

Rapid advances in modern computing and information technology have enabled millions of people to interact online via various social network and gaming services. The widespread adoption of such online services have made possible analysis of large-scale archival data containing detailed human interactions, presenting a very promising opportunity to understand the rich and complex human behavior. In collaboration with a leading global provider of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs), here we present a network science-based analysis of the interplay between distinct types of user interaction networks in the virtual world. We find that their properties depend critically on the nature of the context-interdependence of the interactions, highlighting the complex and multilayered nature of human interactions, a robust understanding of which we believe may prove instrumental in the designing of more realistic future virtual arenas as well as provide novel insights to the science of collective human behavior.

Research has suggested that complex animal and human behaviors can be influenced strongly by particular neurons and neurochemistry (NEJM JW Gen Med Jul

We review the impact of early adversities on the development of violence and antisocial behaviour in humans, and present three aetiological animal models of escalated rodent aggression, each disentangling the consequences of one particular adverse early-life factor. A review of the human data, as well as those obtained with the animal models of repeated maternal separation, post-weaning social isolation and peripubertal stress, clearly shows that adverse developmental conditions strongly affect aggressive behaviour displayed in adulthood, the emotional responses to social challenges and the neuronal mechanisms activated by conflict. Although similarities between models are evident, important differences were also noted, demonstrating that the behavioural, emotional and neuronal consequences of early adversities are to a large extent dependent on aetiological factors. These findings support recent theories on human aggression, which suggest that particular developmental trajectories lead to specific forms of aggressive behaviour and brain dysfunctions. However, dissecting the roles of particular aetiological factors in humans is difficult because these occur in various combinations; in addition, the neuroscientific tools employed in humans still lack the depth of analysis of those used in animal research. We suggest that the analytical approach of the rodent models presented here may be successfully used to complement human findings and to develop integrative models of the complex relationship between early adversity, brain development and aggressive behaviour.

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size NotesSalvatore R. Maddi, Personality Theories: A Comparative Analysis (Illinois, The Dorsey Press, 1968), p. 86.Thomas J. Sergiovanni, “Factors Which Affect Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction of Teachers,” Organizations and Human Behavior: Focus on Schools, ed. by Fred D. Carver and Thomas J. Sergiovanni (New York, McGraw Hill Book Company, 1969), p. 258.Ibid., p. 257.Ibid., p. 258.Chris Argyris, “Individual Actualization in Complex Organizations,” Organizations and Human Behavior: Focus on Schools, ed. by Fred D. Carver and Thomas J. Sergiovanni (New York,. McGraw Hill Book Company, 1969), p. 196.Douglas McGregor, “The Human Side of Enterprise,” Organizations and Human Behavior: Focus on Schools, ed. by Fred D. Carver and Thomas J. Sergiovanni (New York, McGraw Hill Book Company, 1969), p. 154.Daniel Katz and Robert L. Kahn, The Social Psychology of Organizations (New York, John Wiley and Sons, 1966), pp. 76–77.

Processing of Social and Monetary Rewards in the Human Striatum

The life-cycle assessment (LCA) method is typically applied to products, but the potential and demand for extending its use also to other applications are high. In this respect, this paper proposes an LCA concept to be used for the assessment of human beings as new study objects, namely Life-LCA. Key challenges of such a new approach and potential solutions for those are identified and discussed. The Life-LCA concept was developed based on a detailed desktop research. Several Life-LCA-specific challenges were identified and categorized under three research questions. One of these questions focusses on the conceptual design of a Life-LCA method while the others are addressing operational issues, which are the definition of the new study system and the practical assessment of complex human consumption behaviors. Methodological solutions are proposed, e.g., based on suggestions provided in the existing methods product LCA and organizational LCA (O-LCA). Conceptual challenges arise from the general diversity, complexity, and temporal development of human lives and consumption behaviors. We introduce Life-LCA as a two-dimensional method that covers both, the new human life cycle (dimension 1) and the life cycle of the consumed products (dimension 2). Furthermore, the two types Individual Life-LCA and Lifestyle-LCA are differentiated. Especially, the definition of a general system boundary for Life-LCA and data collection and evaluation face many operational challenges. For example, the social behavior of human beings is a new factor to be considered which causes new allocation problems in LCA. Moreover, the high demand for aggregated LCA data requires specific rules for data collection and evaluation as well as a new bottom-up product clustering scheme. Life-LCA, either used for the assessment of individual lives or lifestyles, has the potential to raise environmental awareness of people by making their specific environmental impacts comprehensively measurable and thus, tangible. However, many challenges need to be solved in future interdisciplinary research to develop a robust and applicable method. This paper conceptualizes such an approach and proposes solutions that can serve as a framework for ongoing method development.

Ernst Moerk and the Puzzle of Zero-Trial Learning

AI's evolution has expanded its potential to understand complex human behaviours, revealing new insights into human psychology and sociology. This essay explores AI's capabilities in detecting intricate behavioural patterns, its applications in social sciences, the challenges and ethical considerations associated with its use, and predictions for the future. AI's ability to uncover patterns invisible to the human mind offers an exciting frontier of exploration, particularly in understanding human behaviour. Human behaviour, characterized by its intricacy and influenced by sociocultural, economic, and psychological factors, has traditionally been studied through various methodologies. However, the unpredictability and dynamism of human behaviour often defy simple categorization or comprehension. AI has the potential to serve as a guide, decoding patterns beyond the reach of human cognition and traditional methodologies. AI can offer a new lens through which we view the rich tapestry of human experience, such as predicting social trends, understanding consumer behaviour, and exploring the underpinnings of political sentiment. Despite challenges such as feasibility, interpretability, and ethics, the potential impact of AI in understanding human behaviour is enormous. By shedding light on hidden patterns, we can foster a more nuanced understanding of our societies, inform policies, drive innovation, and potentially address some of the pressing challenges of our times.

<p><em>The Routledge Companion to Interdisciplinary Studies in Singing, Volume I: Development</em> introduces the many voices necessary to better understand the act of singing—a complex human behaviour that emerges without deliberate training. Presenting research from the social sciences and humanities alongside that of the natural sciences and medicine alike, this companion explores the relationship between hearing sensitivity and vocal production, in turn identifying how singing is integrated with sensory and cognitive systems while investigating the ways we test and measure singing ability and development. Contributors consider the development of singing within the context of the entire lifespan, focusing on its cognitive, social, and emotional significance in four parts:<br> </p> <ul> <li>Musical, historical and scientific foundations</li> <li>Perception and production</li> <li>Multimodality</li> <li>Assessment</li> </ul> <p>In 2009, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada funded a seven-year major collaborative research initiative known as Advancing Interdisciplinary Research in Singing (AIRS). Together, global researchers from a broad range of disciplines addressed three challenging questions: How does singing develop in every human being? How should singing be taught and used to teach? How does singing impact wellbeing? Across three volumes, <em>The Routledge Companion to Interdisciplinary Studies in Singing</em> consolidates the findings of each of these three questions, defining the current state of theory and research in the field. <em>Volume I: Development</em> tackles the first of these three questions, tracking development from infancy through childhood to adult years.</p>