Human Behavior Theory

Contemporary Human Behavior Theory: A Critical Perspective for Social Work, 3e approaches HBSE from a comparative theory perspective, providing coverage of the most current and contemporary theories as well as traditional theories. It includes contemporary developments in traditional lifespan theory, theories of political economy, and a separate chapter on transpersonal theory. Each chapter includes coverage of the research that supports a particular theory, an analysis of the validity of that research, and a discussion of updated "Contemporary Issues." The text encourages students to develop critical thinking skills in analyzing and comparing theories.

Human Behavior Theory and Social Work Practice remains a foundation work for those interested in the practice and teaching of social work. Roberta Greene covers theoretical areas and individual theorists including classical psychoanalytic thought, Eriksonian theory, Carl Rogers, cognitive theory, systems theory, ecological perspectives, social construction, feminism, and genetics. She discusses the historical context, its philosophical roots, and major assumptions of each theory. The general theme, which distinguishes this volume, is that the person-in-environment perspective has been a central influence in the formation of the profession's knowledge base, as well as its approach to practice. Greene provides perspective on how individuals and social systems interact. This book examines how social workers can use theory to shape social work practice by increasing his or her understanding of and potential for enhancing human well-being. Greene covers the relationship between human behavior theory and professional social work practice. She also explores the challenges and limitations of each theory and addresses the following issues: how the theory serves as a framework for social work practice; how the theory lends itself to an understanding of individual, family, group, community, or organizational behavior; what the implications are of the theory for social work interventions or practice strategies; and what role it proposes for the social worker as a change agent. Throughout the profession's history, social workers have turned to a number of theoretical approaches for the organizing concepts needed to define their practice base. The aims of social work--to improve societal conditions and to enhance social functioning of and between individuals, families, and groups--are put into action across all fields of practice and realized through a variety of methods in a range of settings. This third edition, completely revised, represents a fundamental contribution to the field, and like its predecessors, will be widely used as a basic text.

Psychologists like to claim that Psychology is a science, yet, until now, the discipline has lacked any real scientific laws, has had no overarching scientific paradigm and has been blighted by poor replicability of research, all of which have dogged the discipline. Attempts to place Psychology under a single scientific umbrella, e.g. Behaviourism, Cognitivism, Biological Science, Social Science or Human Science, have all failed for a host of reasons. This unique book presents a single paradigm for all of Psychology within a framework of Natural Science. For example, it employs as a model an organising principle known in another scientific discipline for over a century, the principle of Homeostasis. Findings across the entire discipline including perception, learning, emotion, stress, addiction, well-being and consciousness are all shown to be consistent with a new paradigm based on this, and other principles drawn from natural science.

Human Behavior Theory for Social Work Practice provides an in-depth examination of human behavior theories and helps students apply each theory to social work practice. Authors Terry Koenig, Rick Spano, and John Thompson cover a broad spectrum of theories—including ecological, psychological, and sociopolitical—before applying them to a wide range of case examples that represent different stages across the human lifespan. Drawing from their extensive knowledge and experience in social work practice and teaching, the authors also feature scholarly research and writing to support the understanding of the theoretical overview in each chapter.

An accessible and engaging guide to the study of human behavior in the social environment, covering every major theoretical approach Providing an overview of the major human behavioral theories used to guide social work practice with individuals, families, small groups, and organizations, Human Behavior in the Social Environment examines a different theoretical approach in each chapter from its historical and conceptual origins to its relevance to social work and clinical applications. Each chapter draws on a theoretical approach to foster understanding of normative individual human development and the etiology of dysfunctional behavior, as well as to provide guidance in the application of social work intervention. Edited by a team of scholars, Human Behavior in the Social Environment addresses the Council on Social Work Education's required competencies for accreditation (EPAS) and explores: Respondent Learning theory Operant Learning theory Cognitive-Behavioral theory Attachment theory Psychosocial theory Person-Centered theory Genetic theory Ecosystems theory Small Group theory Family Systems theory Organizational theory

As American society becomes increasingly diverse, social workers must use a variety of human behavior frameworks to understand their clients' culturally complex concerns. This text applies specific human behavior theories to diversity practice. They show how human behavior theory can be employed in interventions in the life problems of diverse client populations at the individual, group, social network, and societal levels. Several groups are examined. They include: minority groups; ethnic groups; women; older adults; members of certain social classes affected by economic and educational (dis)advantage, especially those living in poverty; people with developmental disabilities, people of varying sexual and gender orientations, and religious groups. Case studies that illustrate social work practice in the area are highlighted. The case studies include Social Work Practice within a Diversity Framework; The Social Work Interview; Symbolic Interactionism: Social Work Assessment, Meaning, and Language; Erikson's Eight Stages of Development; Role Theory and Social Work Practice; A Constructionist Approach; Risk, Resilience and Resettlement; Addressing Diverse Family Forms; Small Group Theory; Natural Social Networks; Power Factors in Social Work Practice. This volume will be a fundament resource for practitioners and an essential tool for training.

For courses in Human Behavior and the Social Environment (HBSE). Encourage students to think critically about social work practice with a multidisciplinary, theoretical approach Contemporary Human Behavior Theory: A Critical Perspective for Social Work Practice takes a multidisciplinary, theoretical approach to HBSE and provides a consistent analytical framework for readers to examine both traditional and contemporary theories. Students are encouraged to develop their critical-thinking skills as they explore each theory and analyze the social, ideological, and economic structures of society that impact individual problems. Each chapter includes coverage of the research that supports a particular theory, an analysis of the validity of that research, and a discussion of contemporary issues. Updated with material that is critical to social work practice today, the 4th Edition includes new cases with practice application exercises, and expanded content on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and intersex (LGBTQI+) persons' development and empowerment.

The essential health behavior text, updated with the latest theories, research, and issues Health Behavior: Theory, Research and Practice provides a thorough introduction to understanding and changing health behavior, core tenets of the public health role. Covering theory, applications, and research, this comprehensive book has become the gold standard of health behavior texts. This new fifth edition has been updated to reflect the most recent changes in the public health field with a focus on health behavior, including coverage of the intersection of health and community, culture, and communication, with detailed explanations of both established and emerging theories. Offering perspective applicable at the individual, interpersonal, group, and community levels, this essential guide provides the most complete coverage of the field to give public health students and practitioners an authoritative reference for both the theoretical and practical aspects of health behavior. A deep understanding of human behaviors is essential for effective public health and health care management. This guide provides the most complete, up-to-date information in the field, to give you a real-world understanding and the background knowledge to apply it successfully. Learn how e-health and social media factor into health communication Explore the link between culture and health, and the importance of community Get up to date on emerging theories of health behavior and their applications Examine the push toward evidence-based interventions, and global applications Written and edited by the leading health and social behavior theorists and researchers, Health Behavior: Theory, Research and Practice provides the information and real-world perspective that builds a solid understanding of how to analyze and improve health behaviors and health.

As I begin to write this Preface, I feel a rush of excitement. I have now finished the book; my gestalt is coming into completion. Throughout the months that I have been writing this, I have, indeed, been intrinsically motivated. Now that it is finished I feel quite competent and self-determining (see Chapter 2). Whether or not those who read the book will perceive me that way is also a concern of mine (an extrinsic one), but it is a wholly separate issue from the intrinsic rewards I have been experiencing. This book presents a theoretical perspective. It reviews an enormous amount of research which establishes unequivocally that intrinsic motivation exists. Also considered herein are various approaches to the conceptualizing of intrinsic motivation. The book concentrates on the approach which has developed out of the work of Robert White (1959), namely, that intrinsically motivated behaviors are ones which a person engages in so that he may feel competent and self-determining in relation to his environment. The book then considers the development of intrinsic motiva tion, how behaviors are motivated intrinsically, how they relate to and how intrinsic motivation is extrinsically motivated behaviors, affected by extrinsic rewards and controls. It also considers how changes in intrinsic motivation relate to changes in attitudes, how people attribute motivation to each other, how the attribution process is motivated, and how the process of perceiving motivation (and other internal states) in oneself relates to perceiving them in others.

The ABCs of Human Behavior the first book to present modern behavioral psychology to practicing clinicians. The book focuses both on the classical principles of learning, as well as the more recent developments that help explain language and cognition.