Psychology of Behaviour

This study material explores the science of behavior and mind, focusing on psychological perspectives, effects of prejudice and discrimination, and the application of psychology in public services.

Psychology of
Behaviour

INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
3. ASSESS HOW PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES APPLIED IN PUBLIC SERVICES
.....................................................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Psychology can be defined as the science of behaviour and mind. It covers conscious and
unconscious phenomena as well as feelings and thoughts. It is that type of scientific study which
covers all aspects of human mind and its function. This discussion investigates various
psychological perspectives. It will also identify some effects of influences of social on behaviors.
It also studies human behaviour. Present report will lay emphasis on two approaches which are
being used in psychology. It also discusses the consequences of prejudice and discrimination.
Assignment will also focus on theories of criminal behaviour and causal factors. Studies will also
going to cover the influences and factors which may contribute to criminal activity.
TASK 1
As per the Bugler, importance of psychology behaviours can be understood in an efficient
manner by using humanism and psychodynamic approaches.
Erik Erikson’s psychological development: This theory has several stages by which it
can be understood that human behaviour influences by interaction of drives and forces within the
person. Some stages include: trust Vs mistrust, initiative Vs guilt, intimacy Vs isolation. As per
the first stage of this theory trust Vs mistrust, it is stated that trust is based on dependability as
well as quality of child’s care givers. Because child is dependent on their mother and father for
each and every work (Henning, 2018). They require love, food etc. So, as per this it can be said
that if a child develops trust successful than he or she feel comfortable and safe and do not
commit crime. On the other hand, lack of all these like love, trust may result in fear and a belief
that the world is not good. In the case of James Patrick Bugler, it can be said that due to lack of
trust and unethical behaviours of parents of Both Robert Thompson and Jon Venables,
committed crime.
Maslow’s humanistic theory: Human beings need to be motivated to progress toward
fulfilment. But they also said that this is the motivation which they never get from anyone.
Everyone tries to grow themselves rather others. They only work to make more development in
their lives. Different people have different skills and way of performing things. In the case of
James Patrick Bugler, it can be said that murderer of James, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables,
10 years old children often face some problems in their family. There was no one to motivate
them for developing their behavior and themselves so, they committed crime. So, it can be said

that psychological behavior plays an important role in performing any kind of work (Stoyanov,
2017).
Conformity is a change in a person’s behavior as a result of real or imagined pressure from a
person or a group of people. There are several ways by which influences can be understood in an
effective manner such as:
Normative Influence: It can be defined as a procedure of changing another’s attitude via
conformity pressure or via stressing the importance of adhering to values/norms.
Informational Influence: It refers a procedure of changing another’s attitude by presenting
relevant facts, mainly in a group setting.
2. Ways of affecting human behaviours
There are several social and other factors which affect human behaviours to the great extent.
Group influences, conformity and obedience are some factors which influence and affect human
behaviour. As per the group influence, social loafing or personal effort while working in a group,
affect behaviour of human. When an individual work in a group and only he or she works or put
efforts than it affects their behaviours as it lowers their morale. On the other hand, implication of
public service also affects human behaviours to the great extent (Bertin and et.al., 2019). It can
also be said that when all people in a group cooperate each other’s and put equal efforts than it
affect behaviours of them in a positive manner. It increases their knowledge and skills.
One of the main factors of conformity is acceptance and compliances. When people of
society, accept all types of people than it affects their behaviour in a positive manner as they feel
valued. Group pressure is other main factor which can also affect human behaviour to the great
extent. One of the main factors which affect or influence human behaviours to the great extent is
the environment in which they live and the way in which they are being shaped by social
circumstances and experiences. In the case of James Patrick Bugler Cultural effects and the
environment, it can be said that family members of criminals of James Patrick Bugler affected
behaviours of them in a negative manner. They both came from dysfunctional family but there
was no excuse for violence. They had a record of absenteeism in school which is one of the main
places where human behaviours are being shaped in an efficient manner. Both child bit,
hammered and tortured each others and this family environment influenced and shaped their
behaviour (Delgado, Rosales and Arana, 2020).

3. Consequences of prejudice and discrimination and importance to understand having
knowledge of psychological theories
Prejudice refers an irrational attitude and opinion held by members of one group about
another. These behaviours can affect human behaviours as it depends upon their opinion. On the
other hand, discrimination refers to behaviours which directed against another group. These
behaviours can be made and differ on some basis which includes: race, gender, culture, class
status, religion etc.
Reasons of prejudice: Socialization, conforming behaviours are some reasons of this prejudice
and discrimination. As per the socialization, most of the prejudices seem to be passed along from
parents to children (Kite and Whitley Jr, 2016). It can be seen in the case of James Patrick
Bugler, in which discrimination and behaviour of parents of Thompson and Jon Venables made
them criminals. Other factors in this include television, advertising and movies which shows
some ways of committing crimes. There is a stereotype about assorted groups, gays and lesbians.
Factors: Prejudice and discrimination occur due to some factors such as: One of the main factors
of prejudice is conformity. Influences’ which causes individuals to be racist come from parents
and group membership. So, it can be said that one of the main reason is the environment in
which people live. Their education level changes their opinion (Hoyt, Morgenroth and Burnette,
2019).
Conflict theory: As per this theory, it is stated that society plays an important role in influencing
human behaviour and also for prejudice. Society in a state of perpetual conflict because of
competition for limited resources. In order to hold onto distinctive social power, possession of
people, are being invested in seeing that no competition for resources are there arises from
minority groups.
There are several theories of crimes which show different ways of committing crimes and
all those factors which are associated with crimes as well as ways to remove all these factors.
Effect of a crowd on personal responsibility: Diffusion of responsibility plays an important
role as it contributes to group thinking while diffusion of responsibility occurs within a group. In
this group, each member of a group feels less of responsibility as they cannot express their views
and their opinions. This lack of responsibility and lack of ability to share opinion lead group
thinking.

Social learning theory: Social learning theory of crime refers and argues that people of
the societies learn ways to commit crimes via same process through which other learn to
conform. It is also said that child or people at birth neither get motivation to commit crime nor to
conform. One of the main questions which this theory asks from people is that why people
commit crimes? The main reason of asking this question is to grab attention of all people on the
process of learning which involves the interaction between behaviour and environment. It also
states that people mainly uses symbols as well as base for communicating and make each other’s
understand about their symbols (Akers and Jennings, 2019).
Cognitive theory: It refers an ability to process informations. This theory of crimes states
that criminal behaviour as a defect in a moral thinking and moral thinking. This theory helps all
people in understanding how an individual’s intelligence and their personality level are linked
(Lowry, Zhang and Wu, 2017). It also makes people understand that it is important to focus on
how people perceive the world around them, how they think about other people and all those
factors which can influence their mental health. Because it can makes them able to change their
behaviour in an efficient manner. The way we think, the way we think about others direct affect
their behaviours in either making them criminal or innocent and effective people.
Several factor which are associated with crimes and which influence crimes such as:
Social climate: Beliefs and different cultures values also become reason of crimes. It also
includes discrimination, inequality on the basis of race, gender, age and others. When people do
not get equal opportunity as like others only because of their colour, race, gender and other
factors than it decreases their morale and put pressure on them to commit crime. It is stated that
crime rates are more determined and analysed by the likelihood of being caught and severity of
punishment (Factors Influencing Crime Rates, 2018).
Environment: It is one of the main factors which become the reason of crimes. It
includes: Lack of education, poverty, ethnicity and unemployment. There are several criminals
who commit crimes due to lack of money and unemployment, Due to unemployment they do not
have money to foster their family and themselves (Jacobs and Slabbert, 2019). It binds them to
commit crime and fulfil their needs. Lack of education is others main factor because of which

they commit crimes. Due to lack of education and knowledge they cannot understand the
difference between the right and the wrong.
Financial influences: It also includes unemployment and lack of money. Nowadays
people want to fulfil their needs and dreams by hook or by crook. And for making money they
think crimes like robbery, murder, kidnapping are the best ways to fulfil needs. So, it can be said
that financial factors are one of the main factors which is associated with crimes (Shpiegel,
2016).
So, from the above discussed factors, it can be said that one of the main factor which was
associated in the murder of James Patrick Bugler was environmental and family condition of
murderers’.
Robert Thompson and Jon Venables came from a dysfunctional families. Robert was left
by his mother and she was also alcoholic, he was also been abused by his father. Jon mother was
suffering from depression and constantly hit him. Psychodmic personality theory explains that
experiences faced by an individual during childhood are really essential for shaping adult
personality (Niedenthal and Ric, 2017). However Klein theory further explained it that there is
an unconscious fantasy followed by children. Author has laid special emphasis on the object
which children fantasies. Most of the times their parents are most important object, if the object
has bad influence on their children, they will become frustrated and can behave in an unwanted
way.
This can be perfectly explained in the case of Robert and Jon. Bad parenting has made them a
criminal and because of this they have killed an innocent infant. The causal factors which are
connected to this crime scene are poverty, low self esteem and alcohol abuse. It has been
analyzed from the case study that both the criminals belong to dysfunctional families. This can
cause psychological problems that can cause an individual to enter the world of crime. The main
influence on the children is of their families, they have been controlled by their environment.
This has been explained by Bandura Theory Arnold and Randall, (2016). In this human
behavior is being explained that environmental and behavioral influences has a huge influence
on thinking and acting capabilities of individuals. Contributory factors that has led Thompson

and Jon enter into the crime world are selfishness and greed. They do not have adequate money
to have food and shelter. This is one of the reasons of performing crime.
3. ASSESS HOW PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES APPLIED IN PUBLIC SERVICES
1. Psychological perspectives by individuals to team and in public services:
Psychological perspective is related with analyzing and having an idea about the mental
process of human. It explains that the brain is an information-processing unit or computer;
mental processes are similar to software. In order to develop a better team and manage crime
better by public service agents, it is really necessary to analyze the cognitive behavior of those
individuals who are been engaged in doing crime (Burman, 2016).
Individual level: The psychological perspectives in public service are on individual
basis. It depends upon the style of communication. There can be chances that while engaging in
doing public service the nature of individual can be analyzed with the way of interaction. It has
been analyzed that people who are assertive are flexible in nature; they make sure that other
people also put upon their opinion. On the other hand passive individuals do not keeping their
perception. A submissive person is someone who does not provide respect to the thought value
of other individuals.
In order to motivate and develop an individual, it is really necessary to fulfill all of their
needs. This can be explained through Maslow theory. In this an individual will perform well in
public services when their basic needs are being satisfied such as Food, shelter and clothes. This
theory also explains that psychological wants of person also needs to be fulfilled, so that their
confidence increases and they are able to perform well (Warren, 2018).
Team level: The performance level of team can be explained with psychodynamic theories
of groups. This theory explains that emotional factor has a huge impact on the behavior of an
individual in team. If the person do not have control over his or her emotion than they would not
be able to achieve their goals while working in public services (Coolican, 2017). It further
explains that lack of awareness can also reduce the productivity of team work and also the
individual become ineffective as he or she are unaware or have no knowledge about the facts.
This theory also explains that team members must be made aware so that inhibition can be
removed from the group. These factors can form a major part in the development of team. Group
or team performance can also be enhanced when conflict are being managed effectively. This
can be maintained when team members are engaged in doing effective communication, so that

the solution to problems can be found out. Negotiation can also be done in order to make team
perform certain type of task. This can assist public service agents in developing the effectiveness
of team.
2. Psychology is practically applied by the public services to reduce criminal behaviour
In order to reduce the incidence of crime, the public service makes use of psychological
approaches so that they can have adequate knowledge about the human behavior. Rotter theory
has successfully explained that behavior of an individual is being shaped by psychological
situation from which they are going through (Card, 2018). It has also been analyzed from the
theory that human behavior is being influenced by the experiences which has been faced by
them. In order to reduce the crime scenes, public services can be engaged in providing proper
education and training to individuals.
Education can be provided by them related to the use of alcohol, this can assist public service in
reducing the incidence related to alcohol abuse They can also make them understand the way an
individual needs to behave with their children as parenting has the huge influence on shaping the
adult life of child. This strategy can also assist them in reducing scenes of crime. Public service
can also be engaged in launching a youth program, where information related to alcohol and drug
use can be provided to young adults. This program can also help them in reducing the cases
related to mental health abuse which is being faced by lots of individual working in any
organization. This program will support public service sin reducing the amount of stress that has
been faced by individual because of abuse. All these strategies can support public services in
reducing the cases of crime. Offending behavior program and intervention can also be started by
public services. These are evidence based program which can support them in reducing the cases
related to any crime Aronson & et.al., (2016).
3. Evaluate how psychological perspective is applied to the work of a range of public services
Psychological perspective can be applied by public services when they are engaged in
working. They are involved in making various motivational strategies so that psychological
behavior of individual and team can be changed. Public services are been involved in motivating
the team members by fulfilling their basic as well as psychological needs. This can assist them in
shaping the behavioral pattern of team as well as individual. It has also assisted them in making
team more effective (Lind, 2019). Early intervention program has also been conducted by the
public service so that they can provide training to individuals about the pattern of behavior while

working. This has assisted them in reducing the scenes of crime. It has also been analyzed that
public services are been engaged in providing education and training to the employees to change
their psychological perspective. They make sure that no type of discrimination exists so that
mental health of individual and teams working with them can be maintained. It has assisted them
in making team work more effective. Public services are also making use of effective
communication for the development of team. This way they are able to analyze the problems
related to change in behavior of team. Decisions are also taken based on evaluating the
psychological perspective of individual. This has helped them in solving various problems.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been summarised that crime has been done by individuals
because of the casual factors such as poverty, lack of education, selfishness and greed. It has also
been analysed from the report that groups can be developed by making members having effective
communication with each other. Negotiation has also been considered as an important part for
the development of group. Individual has been developed in public service by fulfilling their
psychological needs. It has assisted them in enhancing the motivation and confidence level of
individual. It has also been analysed that psychological perspective has been applied by public
service to reduce incidence of crime.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Akers, R.L. and Jennings, W.G., 2019. The social learning theory of crime and deviance.
In Handbook on crime and deviance (pp. 113-129). Springer, Cham.
Arnold, J. and Randall, R. (2016). Work Psychology: Understanding Human
Aronson, E. & et.al., (2016). Social psychology. Harlow, Pearson Education.See Chapter 7:
obedience, chapter 9: group processes, chapter 13: prejudice.
Behaviour in the Workplace. 6th edn. Harlow: Pearson.
Bertin, A. and et.al., 2019. Human behaviour at the origin of maternal effects on offspring
behaviour in laying hens (Gallus gallus domesticus). Physiology & behavior. 201. pp.175-
183.
Burman, E., 2016. Deconstructing developmental psychology. Taylor & Francis.
Card, S.K. ed., 2018. The psychology of human-computer interaction. Crc Press.
Coolican, H., 2017. Research methods and statistics in psychology. Psychology Press.
Delgado, M., Rosales, A. and Arana, V., 2020, January. Evaluation of the Evacuation of
Essential Buildings: Interaction of Structural and Human Behaviour through Nonlinear
Time-History Analysis and Agent-Based Modelling. In IOP Conference Series: Materials
Science and Engineering (Vol. 739, No. 1, p. 012046). IOP Publishing.
Henning, D., 2018. Psychological development and meaningful faith: when faith works. Pursuit
of Truth. A Journal of Christian Scholarship, accessed. 7.
Hoyt, C.L., Morgenroth, T. and Burnette, J.L., 2019. Understanding sexual prejudice: The role of
political ideology and strategic essentialism. Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 49(1).
pp.3-14.
Jacobs, T. and Slabbert, I., 2019. Factors that could contribute to substance misuse and criminal
activity amongst adolescents: An Ecological Perspective. Social Work. 55(2). pp.222-235.
Kite, M.E. and Whitley Jr, B.E., 2016. Psychology of prejudice and discrimination. Psychology
Press.
Lind, E.A. ed., 2019. Social Psychology and Justice. Routledge.
Lowry, P.B., Zhang, J. and Wu, T., 2017. Nature or nurture? A meta-analysis of the factors that
maximize the prediction of digital piracy by using social cognitive theory as a
framework. Computers in Human Behavior. 68. pp.104-120.
Niedenthal, P.M. and Ric, F., 2017. Psychology of emotion. Psychology Press.
Shpiegel, S., 2016. Resilience among older adolescents in foster care: The impact of risk and
protective factors. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. 14(1). pp.6-22.
Stoyanov, S., 2017. A theory of human motivation. CRC Press.
Warren, H.C., 2018. Dictionary of psychology. Routledge.
Online
Factors Influencing Crime Rates. 2018. [Online]. Available through
<https://legalbeagle.com/5969328-factors-influencing-crime-rate.html>

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