Behavioural Sciences

Behavioural Sciences, fields of study that are primarily concerned with the understanding, prediction, and control of human behaviour, especially those types of behaviour that develop out of interpersonal relations. Although many disciplines contribute in part to the science of behaviour, a number of them are so overwhelmingly concerned with past or present behaviour that they can be classed together as the behavioural sciences. These disciplines include anthropology, educational psychology, political science, psychiatry, psychology, and sociology. Investigators who work in these areas systematically and experimentally focus their attention on human behaviour as it influences and is influenced by the attitudes, behaviour and needs of other people. A major application of behavioural science has been the prediction of human behaviour. Examples are polling and testing, which include political and marketing surveys, questionnaires, and attitude tests, as well as psychological and industrial uses of tests of aptitude, ability, achievement, and personality.