Behavioral science is a branch of the sciences which is concerned with the study of human and animal behavior. Behavioral science looks at individuals and their behavior along with the behavior of societies, groups, and cultures, and processes which can contribute to specific behaviors. There is a great deal of overlap between this field and the social sciences, which can sometimes lead to confusion: the social sciences tend to focus more on structural systems and cultures, while behavioral science tends to look at the reactions within and between organisms which dictate behavioral trends.
Researchers in the field of behavioral science can use a number of tools to gather data. Observation of individuals and groups is one of the most powerful tools, as are controlled, ethical experiments which are designed to push the boundaries of normal behavior and to explore the motivations behind behavior. Research in this field can include many social sciences in their approach, along with harder sciences like neurology, chemistry, and even things like geology, as people may be interested in how environment informs behavior.
Information gleaned by behavioral scientists is used in a variety of ways. Zoological parks and breeding programs often rely heavily on behavioral science to match their animals appropriately, and to develop environments which will allow their animals to live as naturally as possible within the confines of the facility. Advertisers study this field keenly to learn what makes people buy, and how buying patterns develop. Social scientists are also interested in behavioral science, and there is a great deal of interdisciplinary cooperation between social scientists and behavioral scientists.
Studies of human, animal, and even plant behavior have resulted in a wide range of results, some of which have very serious implications. For example, workers in the public health field have learned to integrate behavioral science into their practice to promote healthy behaviors and encourage people to access health care. Psychologists and other mental health professionals may also incorporate behavioral science into their treatment of patients. If someone seeks cognitive behavioral therapy for treatment of a phobia, for instance, he or she will receive treatment which has been designed with the findings of behavioral science in mind.
People who are interested in human and animal behavior might find a career in behavioral science rewarding. The work requires patience and a fine eye for detail, as much of it involves patient observation and long-term study of subjects, and communication skills are also valuable, as are skills in the sciences. Neurology and biology figure heavily in this field, for example, along with topics like ethnology, psychobiology, and studies of topics like social networking, behavioral economics, and memetics.
Medical Ethics:
Medical ethics is a branch of ethics which pertains to medical practice. It is sometimes viewed as part of the larger field of bioethics, which concerns ethics in the sciences, and is closely related with nursing ethics and others areas of ethics which intersect with medical practice. Going beyond the physical practice of medicine, medical ethics also includes business and financial ethics as well as general ethical issues such as how to treat fellow human beings when they are in need.
The practice of medicine is designed to promote wellness. One cornerstone of medical ethics is the reflection of this, in the form of ethical standards which mandate that doctors work to heal or benefit their patients, avoiding unnecessary harm and pain. However, some situations are complicated. For example, a very ill patient may or may not receive benefits from a risky, dangerous, and painful treatment. This treatment could be considered unethical in a patient with less advanced disease, but acceptable if it has the potential to save someone's life, illustrating that much of medical ethics is complicated by the specifics of individual situations.
Medical ethics also includes issues such as doctor-patient confidentiality, the need for informed consent among patients, and basic standards of behavior around patients. For example, sexual relationships between patients and doctors are often deemed unethical. Business practices such as billing, doing volunteer work, and managing medical offices, clinics, and hospitals are also encompassed in medical ethics.
Many professional medical associations have codes of ethics which they expect their members to follow. These include general issues in medical ethics as well as topics specific to their specialty. For example, the American Psychiatric Association has clear codes of ethics which pertain to dealings with psychiatric patients in addition to a more general code of medical ethics it expects its members to abide by. Failure to follow ethical standards can result in expulsion from a professional organization. Likewise, clinics, hospitals, and other facilities hold their personnel to ethical codes.
Often, medical ethics can become a very complicated and tangled web, especially when it comes to dealing with relatively new technology, such as assisted reproduction technology. For situations like these, ethics committees are available to weigh the specifics of particular cases, proposed research, and new developments in the field. These committees draw members from a variety of fields to ensure that their debates are well balanced and include numerous perspectives on the issue. For example, an ethics committee might include several practicing doctors, a lawyer, a bioethicist, and a member of the clergy.
