Basics of Human Nature

7/30/2019 Basics of Human Nature

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BASICS OF HUMAN NATURE

Introduction :Human skill is the ability to work well with other people. A person with

good human skills has a high degree of self- awareness & a capacity for understanding or

empathizing with the feelings of others.

People with this skill are able to interact well with others, engage in persuasive communication, deal successfully with

disagreements & conflicts, & more.

A skill is an ability to translate knowledge

into action that results in a desired performance . Hence the first step to the

development of human skills is to acquire a thorough understanding of human nature.



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Individual differences may be described as those differences thatdistinguish one person from another person makes that person aunique individual in oneself. Person differ from each other in their inphysical, mental, emotional & behavioral characteristics. Individualdifferences are of two types i.e. Inter-individual differences &Intra-individual differences.

1) INTER-INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES : Inter-individualdifferences are differences between people. They are thedifferences among people with regard to a particularcharacteristic. They are the differences that exist between oneperson & another person. For example physical characteristics,intelligence, abilities, interest etc.

2) INTRA-INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES : Intra-individualdifferences are within the individual. They are differences amongthe various characteristics possessed by the same person. Forexample, a person may be very good in studies but average in

sports.



: Differences in physicalcharacteristics is the most obvious & visible differencesamong people. The differences between people withregard to their height, weight, color are all example ofphysical differences among people. Even identical twinsdiffer from each other with regard to their fingerprints.

Intelligence is the ability toreason with symbols. In simple words, intelligence refers

to our ability to learn & to utilize what has been learned.Intelligence also includes our ability to adjust to new situations & solve new problems.

Ability is defined as what a person

can do now & what he can learn to do in the future. It is the total of all that an individual has acquired & all thathe is capable of acquiring.



4) : Aptitude is the ability of an

individual to benefit from a certain type of training. It is the

potential of an individual to acquire with training somespecified knowledge, skill or set of responses such as the ability

to speak a language, to learn music etc.

: Interests refer to a person’s liking for

something, it means that the person likes that thing. It is

possible that two people may be interested in the same thing but

they may differ from each other with regard to the intensity orlevel of interest.

While aptitude refer to what a

person can do, achievement refer to what a person has done.

Achievements is often an outcome of an individual’s

intelligence, aptitude, interest & the availability of

opportunities.An individual’s personality refers to

a person’s characteristic way of thinking, feeling & behaving.

For instance, some people are generally quiet & shy while others

are talkative & outgoing.



Life dose not stand still. When we askourselves who we are, we think ofourselves in terms of who we are now. But we have been & will be many differentpeople in our lifetime. This is because ourlife is a continuous state of flux, changingin many ways as we move along our life’s journey. Change occurs in different ways &on various fronts. Developmental

psychologists have divided the entirehuman life span in to eight stages Theseeight stages are

1. .Prenatal stage .



2. Infancy & Toddlerhood.

3. Early Childhood.

4. Middle childhood.

5. Adolescence.

6. Young Adulthood.7. Middle Age.

8. Late Adulthood.

Changes & developments occur in three areas or domains

:physical, cognitive & psychosocial.

Physical development refers to

changes that occur in a person’s body. Changes in the brain, heart, sensory organs, motor skills, physiological

systems, appearances are examples of physical

development.

cognitive development

involves changes in mental activity such as perception ,

memory, thought, reasoning & language.

Psychosocial refers to

changes that occur in a person’s personality, emotions &

relationships with others. For example , a child whose

mouth & brain has not developed will face difficulties in

learning language which in turn will affect his ability to

from relationships with other children.



1. PRENATAL STAGE (CONCEPTION TO BIRTH):The prenatal stage basically refers to

the nine months that a human being spends in the mother’s womb. The notable

characteristics of this stage are:

Physical growth takes place at a very rapid rate. This rate of development is not seen

later in the life span.Intake of certain kind of drugs & alcohol can do a lot of damages to the new life.

Great care needs to be taken during the first three months of pregnancy.

2. INFANCY & TODDLERHOOD (BIRTH TO AGE 3):The major changes & development

during this stage are:

There is rapid physical growth.Babies develop attachment towards their parents & others towards the end of the first

year.

Babies speak their first word sometime between 10 & 14 months.



3.EARLY CHILHOOD (AGE 3 TO 6 ) :The important features of early childhood are :

Children lose their chubbiness & begin to look more slender & athletic in their appearance.

Most children stop bed wetting by the age of 3 to 5 .

Children understand the principles of counting.

The ability to use symbolic function develops. It is the

Ability to use symbols that have meanings such as

Words, numbers etc.

4. MIDDLE CHILDHOOD (AGE 6 TO 12):The notable characteristics of this stage are:

Physical growth slows down but strength & athletic skill improve.

Memory & language skills increase.

Children develop better emotional control.

Children understand the concept of shame & pride between the age of 7&8.



5.ADOLESCENCE (AGE 12 TO AGE 20) : The major changes & development during

adolescence are:

There is a growth spurt – a rapid increase in height & weight.

Adolescents argue a lot. This is because of their new ability to look at a problem & to build a

case from different angles.

Many teenagers have trouble making up their minds about simple issues such as which dress towear to a party or which movie to go to.

Adolescents spend most of their waking hours with other teenagers – friends & classmate . The

intensity of friendship is greatest in adolescence than at any other time in the life span.

6.YOUNG ADULTHOOD (AGE 20 TO AGE 40 ):The important features

Of young adulthood are:

Most young adults are in their peak health. They are full of strength,Energy & stamina.

Ability to think & reason morally becomes more complex.

Conflict between the demands of family & work life is often the

Cause of stress.



7.MIDDLE AGE (AGE 40 TO 65 ): The major changes & development during this stage are:

Ability to store new information in memory declines slightly.

Double responsibility of caring for children & elderly parents may cause stress.

Settlement of children in their own lives results in empty nest syndrome.

Many men & women experience a midlife crisis. It involves a review & revaluation of one‘s life.Search for meaning in life assumes central importance.

8.LATE ADULTHOOD (AGE 65 YEARS ONWARDS): The important

Features of late adulthood are:

Reaction times slows down affecting functioning in many areas.

There is a sharp loss in strength & stamina.

Memory is affected by aging. Difficulty in recalling names is an indication of this.

Elderly people review the life they have lived.

Older adults need to cope with loss of loved ones.



Introduction: In the course of its hundred year history,

psychology has made many interesting discoveries about thetrue nature of human beings. Benjamin Lahey has listed nine

major psychological findings that best described the nature of

human beings.

1. Human Beings Are Biological Creatures.

2.Every Person Is Different Yet Much the same.

3.People can be understood fully only in the context of their

culture, ethnic identity & gender identity.

4.Human lives are in a continuous process of change.

5. Behavior is motivated.

6.Behavior has multiple causes.

7.Humans are social animals.8.People play an active role in creating their experiences.

9.Behavior can be adaptive or maladaptive.



1) Human Beings Are Biological Creatures: Our biological systems greatlyinfluence our behavior. For example motives such as hunger & thirst arepredominantly under the control of our body system. Experience oremotions & limitations on what we can do & what we cannot do

together from our biological system.

2) Every Person Is Different Yet Much The Same : Every humanbeing is unique & different from the other .Even member of

the same family are different in their heredity except in the caseof identical twins. Despite these differences, human beings sharea lot of similarities.



3) PEOPLE CAN BE UNDERSTOOD FULLY ONLY IN THE CONTEXT OF THEIR CULTURE, ETHNIC IDENTITY & GENDER IDENTITY: No understanding of a person would be complete without anunderstanding of the socio- cultural background of the person. Our

beliefs, attitudes & behavior are shaped by the culture & ethnicgroup to which we belong. Our behavior is influenced by awareness ofthe gender to which we belong. our behavior is influenced byawareness of the gender to which we belong.

4)HUMAN LIFE ARE IN A CONTINUOUS PROCESS OF CHANGE: change is an inevitable part of our life’s . Human beings changecontinuously from the times they are born till the time they die.

Biological nature & experiences in life contribute towards this change.



5) BEHAVIOR IS MOTIVATIONAL: most of our action are intentional &purposeful. For example we work to earn money for food , clothing,shelter etc. The motives behind our action may vary from culture toculture & from person to person.

5) BEHAVIOR HAS MULTIPLE CAUSES: There are multiple causes ofhuman behavior . A particular behavior may be due to many factors, allinfluencing at the same time. The causes of the same behavior may

change from person to person & for the same person from time to time.



7) HUMANS ARE SOCIAL ANIMALS : Human beings are not lonelycreatures living in isolation. They live in the company of others. Theachievements of mankind have been possible because people work ingroup for the mutual benefit of all.

8)PEOPLE PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE IN CREATING THEIR EXPERIENCES: Human beings are active participants indetermining the direction of their lives. They seek situations thatwill give them the kind of experiences they desire. For example , aperson who likes meeting new people will frequently go to parties &

clubs.



9) BEHAVIOR CAN BE ADAPTIVE OR MALADAPTIVE : Human beings have a natural ability to change & adapt to the challenges that nature & life throws at us. We are flexible creatures who discover ways & means of adjusting to the demands of the situation . We are able to take the ups & down of life in our stride.

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Basics of Human Nature