A SYSTEMS MODEL OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR
A Review

Developed by: W. Huitt
Last Modified: May 28, 1998

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Introduction

  1. The systems model is designed to provide a graphical organization to the major topics and issues studied in educational psychology
  2. You can review the any topic in depth by selecting the desired term.
  3. The model has two major sets of components
    1. The individual represented by the terms Mind, Body, and Behavior.
    2. Context

Mind, Body, and Behavior

1. Cognitive system

    1. Information processing -- encoding, transformation, reduction, elaboration, storage, retrieval, and use of information (Input-Process-Output Model of Memory)
    2. Bloom et al.'s taxonomy of the cognitive domain -- Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis
    3. Intelligence -- Learn from experience, reason well, remember important information, adapt to environment
      1. Psychometric
      2. Sternberg
      3. Gardner
    4. Cognitive development -- Changes in cognition over time (Piaget)
    5. Critical thinking -- Active, systematic process of understanding arguments (propositions)
    6. Metacognition -- Knowledge about one's own cognitive system

2. Affective/emotional system

    1. Feeling and emotion -- Application of mental processes to world of feeling and interpersonal relationships
    2. Values -- Criteria for determining levels of worth, goodness, or beauaty
    3. Krathwohl et al.'s taxonomy of the affective domain -- hierarchy of the levels of valuing (Receive, Respond, Value, Organization, Characterization)
    4. Socioemotional development -- Erikson's hierarchy (Trust, Autonomy, Initiative, Industry, Identity, Intimacy, Generativity, Ego Integrity)
    5. Optimism and enthusiasm -- Important affective filters connecting cognitive and regulatory systems

3. Regulatory system

  1. World view paradigm-- An individual's mental model of how the world works
  2. Self-Concept/Self-esteem--Totality of perceptions we have about ourselves; value placed on statements about ourselves
  3. Needs/Voids/Desires/Dreams & Goals -- Something lacking or wanted; desired end result or destination
  4.  
    1. Maslow's hierarchy -- Physical, Safety/Security, Belongingness/Love, Esteem, Knowledge, Aesthetics, Self-Actualization
    2. Other
  5. Conation -- Purposeful connection of affectively- and cognitively- based knowledge to action

4. Body--Input comes into the mind through the senses of the body; the mind also uses the body to display overt behavior.

  1. Behavioral system
    1. Contiguity -- Time/place pairing
    2. Classical (Rsspondent Conditioning) -- Association of stimuli (Pavlov)
    3. Operant (Instrumental Conditioning) -- Consequences (Thorndike, Skinner)
    4. Observational (Social Learning) -- Modeling & Vicarious Learning (Bandura)
  2. Internal influences
    1. Biological
    2. Spiritual

Context (environment of development)

  1. Micro level
    1. Family (Mother's education and technology in the home seem to be most important)
    2. School/Classroom (School and classroom processes leading to high levels of Academic Learning Time--amount of time students are successfully involved with content on which they will be tested or evaluated)
    3. Religious Institutions (especially important in moral, character, and values development)
    4. Peer Groups (become increasingly important as individual moves into adolescence)
  2. Meso Level
    1. Neighborhood and Community
    2. Society
    3. Culture
  3. Macro Level
    1. International Region (e.g., European, North/South American, Asian/Pacific Rim)
    2. Global (Movement from agricultural/industrial based economies to information/service based economies)

Summary

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