behaviour

behaviour

(US), behavior

Psychol

a. the aggregate of all the responses made by an organism in any situation

b. a specific response of a certain organism to a specific stimulus or group of stimuli

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

behaviour

1. the alteration, movement or response of any entity, person or system acting within a particular context.
2. (PSYCHOLOGY) the externally observable response of an animal or human organism to an environmental stimulus (see also BEHAVIOURISM).

An important distinction is often made in sociology between automatic forms of behaviour described in 2 (e.g. jumping up after sitting on a drawing pin) and intended ACTION, where social meanings and purposes are also involved.

Collins Dictionary of Sociology, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2000