The 15 types of behaviors, and their characteristics

Talking, laughing, crying, reading, eating... all these words have in common that they are verbs. That express action, and that are carried out by something or someone. They are behaviors, and apart from those mentioned there are many more; in fact we are constantly doing some.

Throughout this article we are going to make a brief listing and explanation of the main categories or types of conduct that are usually studied.

• Related article: "Behaviorism: history, concepts and main authors"

What do we call behavior?

Before starting to assess some of the different types of behavior and despite the fact that it is deductible Starting from the introduction, it is convenient to make a small comment regarding the concept of which we are talking. Conduct is understood or defined as the set of actions carried out by a subject, which can be human or animal, and which It is the expression of their behavior in a certain environment, situation or context.

Technically, all we do is conduct. This can be easy to see when we perform an action on a physical level: we lift an object, we sit down, we run...

But nevertheless, to be doing some behavior it is not necessary for it to be directly visible in the physical environment; even when we are completely still we do something: thinking, imagining, dreaming, doubting or feeling are still actions that we carry out, even if they are mental.

The different types of behavior

If we take into account that we understand conduct to be any type of action or behavior carried out, the truth is that we can realize the innumerable number of situations and activities that we can be talking.

In this sense we can find a large number of possible classifications of types of behavior, based on very diverse criteria. Below we leave you only some of the most common and well-known.

1. innate or inherited behavior

Innate or reflex behaviors are one of the first types of behavior that we carry out in our lives, and are characterized by being those that appear in the person or being naturally and derived from our genetics, without anyone having taught us before. An example of this is found in reflexes such as thumb sucking or sucking when we are babies.

They can appear after birth or even before (Some behaviors of this type are already observed in the fetal stage).

2. Acquired or learned behavior

Another of the main types of conduct is acquired or learned conduct, which is defined as all those type of action that does not arise naturally in the person or animal but is learned throughout life. This learning can be instilled by one's own experience or either transmitted or modeled from the observation of the behavior of others.

3. Observable/overt behavior

Observable or manifest behavior is that which can be seen with the naked eye from the outside. These are behaviors that we carry out and that imply some type of movement on our part in relation to the environment that surrounds us.

They are the type of behavior that is usually considered as such, since they lead us to physically "do" some action.

In this sense, currents such as the first behaviorism initially considered them the only type of empirically observable and demonstrable behavior.

4. latent/covert conduct

As we have previously commented, things like imagining, thinking, remembering or fantasizing are acts or behaviors that They cannot be seen with the naked eye from the outside, but they are still acts that we carry out. These are known as covert behaviors.

5. Voluntary behaviors

Another type of behavior classification that can be applied has to do with the presence or absence of voluntariness when carrying them out. Voluntary behaviors are all those that the subject that performs them carries out consciously and in accordance with his will.

6. Involuntary/reflex behaviors

On the other hand, involuntary behaviors are all those that are carried out unintentionally.

In general, this mainly includes reflex behaviors: removing the hand from a fire that burns us, breathing or the set of reflexes that we have from birth.

7. adaptive behaviors

We understand as adaptive behaviors all those that allow the person who performs them adapt more or less efficiently to the surrounding environment, so that its realization is an advantage and facilitates the survival and adjustment and well-being of the subject.

8. maladaptive behaviors

There are also behaviors that make it difficult for the subject to adapt to the environment and They can cause you discomfort or make it difficult for you to function in the environment in which you are.

These would be the so-called maladaptive behaviors, which tend to cause suffering and which it is generally desirable to modify (although sometimes it is difficult or the subject himself does not want to do it).

9. appetitive behaviors

It is called appetitive or approach behavior to that set of actions carried out with approximation to a determined objective, which motivates and activates the subject to act.

10. consummatory behaviors

It is the set of actions that we carry out in order to achieve the objective, goal or gratification that moves us to action, and that allow us to terminate a pattern or series of actions or behaviors to achieve it.

11. passive behaviors

Passive behavior is understood as that set of behaviors linked to the way of interact with the environment that surrounds us and with the rest of our peers, characterized by a suppression or minimization of one's own desires and needs in favor of those of others.

They generally appear due to a need or desire to be appreciated or to avoid the conflict that the expression of one's own will could entail.

12. aggressive behaviors

Aggressive behavior is understood to be that in which obtaining one's own benefit or the gratification of one's own needs is put before the well-being of others, with indifference to the fact that this supposes a detriment to the rest.

It is a dominant type of behavior that can be expressed through violence. Although evolutionarily they had a purpose (defend themselves from external aggressions), this type of behavior can become aversive for the rest.

• You may be interested in: "The 11 types of violence (and the different kinds of aggression)"

13. assertive behaviors

Assertive behavior is one that has a balance between aggressive and passive: the subject defends his point of view and his interests, but taking into account and valuing the opinion and needs of the rest.

It allows negotiation and reaching a point of agreement, and integrates the reaffirmation and expression of needs and opinions with respect for those of others.

Conditioned/responsive behavior

This type of conduct refers to that which the subject carries out as a consequence of the association made between its emission and the presence or absence of another appetitive stimulus or aversive.

This is a concept better known as conditioned response., studied by the behaviorist current of psychology and used by authors such as Pavlov with his classical conditioning.

14. unconditioned/unconditioned behavior

Better known as unconditioned response, it is the type of behavior that the subject performs in an innate and natural way when presented with a stimulus that is in itself desirable or aversive, towards which there is a tendency to approach or move away depending on the case.

15. Operant behavior

It is called as such all that type of conduct that is carried out with the purpose of obtaining or achieving a certain good, objective or goal.

It is also related to behaviorism, in this case with that of Skinner's operant conditioning: we carry out a behavior due to the anticipation that its performance allows us to receive reinforcement or avoid punishment.