Human Behaviour

Human behavior refers to the range of behaviors exhibited by humans and which are influenced by culture, attitudes, emotions, values, ethics, authority, rapport, hypnosis, persuasion, coercion and/or genetics.
The behavior of people (and other organisms or even mechanisms) falls within a range with some behavior being common, some unusual, some acceptable, and some outside acceptable limits. In sociology, behavior in general is characterised as having no meaning, being not directed at other people, and thus is the most basic human action. Behavior in this general sense should not be mistaken with social behavior, which is a more advanced action, as social behavior is behavior specifically directed at other people. The acceptability of behavior depends heavily upon social norms and is regulated by various means of social control. Human behavior is studied by the specialised academic disciplines of psychiatry, psychology, social work, sociology, economics, and anthropology.
Human behaviour is experienced throughout an individual’s entire lifetime. It includes the way they act based on different factors such as genetics, social norms, core faith, and attitude. Behaviour is impacted by certain traits each individual has. The traits vary from person to person and can produce different actions or behaviour from each person. Social norms also impact behaviour. Due to the inherently conformist nature of human society in general, humans are pressurised into following certain rules and display certain behaviours in society, which conditions the way people behave. Different behaviours are deemed to be either acceptable or unacceptable in different societies and cultures. Core faith can be perceived through the religion and philosophy of that individual. It shapes the way a person thinks and this in turn results in different human behaviours. Attitude can be defined as "the degree to which the person has a favorable or unfavorable evaluation of the behavior in question."[citation needed] One's attitude is essentially a reflexion of the behaviour he or she will portray in specific situations. Thus, human behavior is greatly influenced by the attitudes we use on a daily basis
Genetics
Human behavior can be impacted by many factors, one of which is genetics. Everyone has different traits such as intelligence and shyness, which are inherited from their parents. These traits impact human behavior and there are indications that behavior is affected by genetics. First, behavior differs from species to species. For example, the behaviour of a human is different from that of a chickadee. Second, behavior can be reproduced in consecutive generations of humans. In each generation of people, similar behaviors shall occur. Third, biological structures can be changed resulting in behavior changes. For example, if one develops a brain injury, one can change from being generally polite to being overly aggressive. Another way behavior can be affected is by one's upbringing. For example, certain behaviors that can occur from a mental illness that runs in the family. Fourth, the evolutionary history of genetics has a big impact on behavior. All species have DNA which can bind them all together. Geneticists are now able to introduce or exclude specific genes, and can therefore manipulate not only traits, but behaviors arising from those traits. However, one gene by itself does not create a specific behavior. Behaviors be affected by traits, which can be characterised as the result of a specific combination of multiple genes, and these traits can also be affected by different factors. Environment, for example, is amongst the primary factors affecting trait development. Genes can be manipulated and modified and the environment can increase certain outcomes of genes. Understanding genetics in relation to behavior is difficult and research is currently ongoing.[1]
Social norms
An individual’s behavior varies depending on the group(s) they are a part of, a characteristic of society that allows to norms heavily impact society. Without social norms, human society would not function as it currently does; humans would have to be more abstract in their behaviour, as there would not be a pre-tested 'normal' standardised lifestyle, and individuals would have to make many more choices for themselves. The institutionalisation of norms is, however, inherent in human society perhaps as a direct result of the desire to be accepted by others, which leads humans to manipulate their own behaviour in order to 'fit in' with others. Depending on their nature and upon one's perspective, norms can impact different sections of society both positively (e.g. eating, dressing warm in the winter) and negatively (e.g. racism, drug use).
Core faith and culture
Another important factor of human behavior is their “core faith”. This faith can be manifested in the forms of religion, philosophy, culture, and/or personal belief and often affects the way a person can behave. 80% of the United States public claims some sort of belief in a higher power, which makes religion a large importance in society.[2] It is only natural for something that plays such a large role in society to have an effect on human behavior.[3] For example, when a lesbian couple was featured on the JC Penney Mother's Day advertisement in 2012, thousands of Christian mothers boycotted the pro-gay marriage company.[4] Morals are another factor of core faith that affects the way a person behaves. Emotions connected to morals including shame, pride, and discomfort and these can change the way a person acts. Most importantly, shame and guilt have a large impact on behavior.[5] Lastly, culture highly affects human behavior. The beliefs of certain cultures are taught to children from such a young age that they are greatly affected as they grow up. These beliefs are taken into consideration throughout daily life, which leads to people from different cultures acting differently. These differences are able to alter the way different cultures and areas of the world interact and act.[6]
Attitude
An attitude is an expression of favor or disfavor toward a person, place, thing, or event.[7] The interesting thing about an attitude and human beings is that it alters between each individual. Everyone has a different attitude towards different things. A main factor that determines attitude is likes and dislikes. The more one likes something or someone the more one is willing to open up and accept what they have to offer. When one doesn’t like something, one is more likely to get defensive and shut down. An example of how one's attitude affects one's human behavior could be as simple as taking a child to the park or to the doctor. Children know they have fun at the park so their attitude becomes willing and positive, but when a doctor is mentioned, they shut down and become upset with the thought of pain. Attitudes can sculpt personalities and the way people view who we are. People with similar attitudes tend to stick together as interests and hobbies are common. This does not mean that people with attitudes do not interact, because they do. What it means is that specific attitudes can bring people together (e.g., religious groups). Attitudes have a lot to do with the mind which highly relates to Human behavior. The way a human will behave depends a lot on how they look at the situation and what they expect to gain from it.[8] Positive attitudes are better than negative ones as negativity can bring on negative emotions that most of the time can be avoided. It is up to humans to make sure their attitudes positively reflect the behaviors they want to show. This can be done by assessing their attitudes and properly presenting them in society.
Indigenous Religious Beliefs and Practices in the Philippines by Jennibeth Montejo Alojado
Though religion in the Philippines has been influenced by western religions, they still maintain a distinct Southeast Asian flavor in their spiritual beliefs and practices. The way religion is practiced in the country is very unique in comparison to the form it is practice in the west or other areas of the globe. Their religious beliefs were as varied as the languages of the country.
For example, among Kankanai Igorots, the dog was almost worshipped that some of whom even gave their dogs amulets to wear against sickness and danger. However, among some neighboring Igorot tribes, the dog is killed and eaten during sacrifices. This has been a source of some hostility even among these Igorot tribes who live close to one another. So, to understand how religion is practiced in the Philippines it is important to look at the unique ways Filipinos manifest their spirituality.

The ancient Filipinos believed that all objects had spirits or were inhabited by such. Even inanimate objects like rocks, mountains, lakes, etc., and natural phenomena like wind, thunder and fire were said to be inhabited by particular spirits, or to be governed by certain gods. The belief in a Supreme God seems to be the most natural and simplest beliefs of early Filipinos. The name of this god varied depending on what region. Among some of the names are: Bathala, Diwata, Kabunian, Mansilatan, Makaptan, Laon, Lamauig, Mamarsua, Tuhan etc.

Practically, all the early Filipinos had a belief in the afterlife. Generally, it was believed that the good went to heaven, while the evil went to hell. Sometimes, the good soul, rather than ascending to heaven, would take residence in a local tree or similar spot to watch over their loved ones, or take care of unfinished business.

Rituals were often performed by early Filipinos. Omens were constantly watched for, especially before long journeys or the start of important enterprises. While many Filipino tribes practices blood sacrifice, more common were bloodless offerings like vegetables, plants or palm leaf books with prayers, supplication or praises. Sometimes, small boats were made on which feasts were prepared for the deity, and the boat sent out to sea towards the horizon. Rituals for good health involves a sacred bath in the river were the people of the community would often sprinkle themselves with bundles of sacred herbs dipped in the river. The Filipinos often resorted to divination to ascertain the will of the gods, or the winds of fate. Mediums and oracle were consulted and women are usually playing this role.

This feature of Filipino society was carried on even with the presence of the Spaniards in the country. These practices about spirits were something Spanish priests tried to eradicate. The Spanish told the indigenous Filipinos that these practices were acts of the devil or witches in order to persuade them to give up these practices. In the end, however, it was the Filipinos who decided what their religion should be like.