- 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]- 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..- 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.- 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..- 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.- 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.
* * *
1) the manner of conducting oneself2 a) anything that an organism does involving action and response to stimulationb) the response of an individual, group, or species to its environment* * *
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.