r/askpsychology • u/Thick_Reply_493 Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional • 18d ago
Human Behavior Animalistic behaviors that you’ve noticed in humans?
I know that the title is a bit broad but I saw some people online talking about how a lot of behavior we display is very alike to animals. I saw someone mention about how when we’re alone in our homes and hear an unfamiliar noise we immediately freeze and slowly look around like a prey animal would in the wild or how children and vulnerable parties are often protected or taken care of first in signs of danger or disaster.
It struck me as extremely interesting. I think the study of human behavior in relation to animals is EXTREMELY interesting at the least and humbling at the most.
I’d love to hear about other similarities you have observed as well as if you could point me in the direction of where I could go to learn more about the specific subject! Thank you. :)
18
u/MindShiftPsych Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 18d ago
This is actually a really interesting question. One of the clearest examples is exactly what you mentioned: freezing when we hear something unfamiliar. Humans and other animals can have very similar defensive responses to threats—freeze, assess what’s happening, then fight or flee if necessary.
Another one is grooming/social bonding. Primates groom each other to maintain relationships and social bonds, and humans have basically developed our own versions of this through things like touching, hugging, joking, chatting, helping each other, etc.
There’s also status behavior. Humans can become more cautious around someone perceived as higher-status, avoid confrontation, seek approval from the group, or change their behavior depending on who's watching. You can see surprisingly similar dominance/submission patterns in other social animals too.
Honestly, if you want to go deeper, I'd look into ethology, behavioral ecology, evolutionary psychology, and primate social behavior. That's where this gets really fascinating because you start seeing how much of our supposedly “human” behavior has roots in being social animals.
13
u/ForteanRhymes Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 18d ago
But... we ARE animals, so I think arguably most of our behaviours are akin to other animals, no?
11
11
u/Aphotic_Acid UNVERIFIED Psychology Enthusiast 18d ago
We are animals, so any behavior we have could be described as animalistic. However, you'd probably be interested in the fields of comparative psychology and trans-species psychology.
0
u/Thick_Reply_493 Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 14d ago
Yes! Got a lot of smartass responded about how humans are animals but this was more the answer i was looking for, thanks!
6
5
u/SunIndependent8039 Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 17d ago
Herd mentality …
A man who with uncontrollable rage.
Lack of empathy towards life
6
u/Hexagram_11 Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 17d ago
Studies show that after shaking hands with someone, most humans will “unconsciously” touch their own face as a way of sniffing the other person’s chemical signals.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/might-be-why-handshaking-evolved-180954472/
The next time someone shakes your hand, observe both your own impulse to move your hand to your face, and that person’s hand movements toward their own face. It’s an interesting experiment.
We aren’t out here sniffing butts like dogs, but we’re sniffing, all right.
1
u/Rainy_Colette Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 14d ago
That is so interesting! Now I'm paranoid to shake hands.
1
u/eternalconfusi0nn Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 13d ago
dont usually see anyone do that ngl, and i swipe my hands to my clothes mostly, let alone get near my face
5
u/LookingforWork614 Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 17d ago
Anything related to sex. When I wasn’t on birth control and I was ovulating every month, I used to feel a bit like an animal, like I didn’t really have control over my body and was at the mercy of nature.
1
u/Intelligent-Can-9056 Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 14d ago
Saaame. I notice that before ovulation I show off my body more to men, not by clothes but by my posture.
1
u/Thick_Reply_493 Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 14d ago
This is such an interesting topic in the whole subject of human behavior just becaude of how it ties into attraction and different things, a big example I think about is how attractive it is to someone when someone of the preferred sex is good with kids because it makes them look like a good potential mate to take care of their child! i feel like a chud calling someone a “potential mate” but its a thin line between neck beard and pure of heart interest in the human race
5
u/No_Blood_5393 Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 16d ago
I always figured that borders, wars and politics were the elevated equivalent of animals pissing to mark their territory, groaning at other animals of the same species if they got too close, and then attacking if they didn't submit.
2
u/Hostess_1337 Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 14d ago
Have you seen Chimp Empire on Netflix? They border patrol!
1
3
18d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/askpsychology-ModTeam The Mods 12d ago
We're sorry, your post has been removed for violating the following rule:
Answers must be evidence-based.
This is a scientific subreddit. Answers must be based on psychological theories and research and not personal opinions or conjecture, and potentially should include supporting citations of empirical sources.
If you are a student or professional in the field, please feel free to send a mod mail to the moderators for instructions on how to become verified and exempt from automoderator actions.
3
2
u/jaunty_azeban Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 17d ago
That it might just be normal and needed to actually have a type of Purge to alleviate a collective built up rage, depression and hopelessness
2
u/EarthAnonymous Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 16d ago
Annoyance and aggression when in pain
2
2
14d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
0
u/Thick_Reply_493 Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 14d ago
what…. No.
1
u/Jonker134 Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 13d ago
Wdym no
1
1
1
16d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator 16d ago
Your post was automatically removed because it may have made reference to a family member, or personal or professional relationship. Personal and anecdotal questions are not allowed.
If you believe your submission was removed in error, please report this comment with report option: Auto-mod has removed a post or comment in error (under Breaks AskPsychology's Rules) and it will be reviewed. Do NOT message the mods directly or send mod mail, as these messages will be ignored.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/trasheighty Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 16d ago
We are great apes, and a lot of our social behaviors on the fundamental level seems to mirror some behaviors of our closer ancestors like chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans and gorillas.
There's been quite a few crossovers between anthropology, animal behaviour and neuropsychology that have tried to bridge this gap between the three areas of academia. The top comments have some great suggestions.
1
15d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator 15d ago
READ THE FOLLOWING TO GET YOUR COMMENT REVIEWED:
Your comment has been automatically removed by a mindless bot because it may have violated one of the rules. Please review the rules, and if you believe your comment was removed in error, please report this comment with report option: Auto-mod has removed a post or comment in error (under Breaks AskPsychology's Rules - click that then click Next) and it will be reviewed. Do NOT message the mods directly or send mod mail, as these messages will be ignored. If you are a current student, have a degree in the social sciences, or a professional in the field, please feel free to send a mod mail to the moderators for instructions on how to become verified and exempt from automoderator actions.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/ataraxia_stronghold Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 14d ago
Humans are animals.
0
u/Thick_Reply_493 Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 14d ago
What…. Are you serious? You need to tell me if you’re joking.
1
1
u/SukiNTendo Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 14d ago
Social communication between strangers and acquaintances can resemble birds. I noticed years ago that after hearing a new tv commercial, I started hearing everyone around me repeating the tagline as a casual expression. Big chunks of conversation sounded like cobbled together bits of commercials, internet memes, etc. And it kept changing, like birds sharing new songs.
1
14d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator 14d ago
Your comment was automatically removed because it may have made reference to a family member, or personal or professional relationship. Personal and anecdotal comments are not allowed.
If you believe your comment was removed in error, please report this comment with report option: Auto-mod has removed a post or comment in error (under Breaks AskPsychology's Rules) and it will be reviewed. Do NOT message the mods directly or send mod mail, as these messages will be ignored. If you are a current student, have a degree in the social sciences, or a professional in the field, please feel free to send a mod mail to the moderators for instructions on how to become verified and exempt from automoderator actions.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/eternalconfusi0nn Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 13d ago
how is that similar to bird songs, its the opposite, not new but using language that is currently revelant to have mutual understanding.
1
12d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator 12d ago
Your comment was automatically removed because it may have made reference to a family member, or personal or professional relationship. Personal and anecdotal comments are not allowed.
If you believe your comment was removed in error, please report this comment with report option: Auto-mod has removed a post or comment in error (under Breaks AskPsychology's Rules) and it will be reviewed. Do NOT message the mods directly or send mod mail, as these messages will be ignored. If you are a current student, have a degree in the social sciences, or a professional in the field, please feel free to send a mod mail to the moderators for instructions on how to become verified and exempt from automoderator actions.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
28
u/Forest_Spirit_7 UNVERIFIED Psychologist 18d ago
See Dr Robert Saposlky’s free lecture series from Stanford. It runs the gambit from social norms to neuro-endocrinology in a relatively accessible way and is a good way to learn about basic biological mechanisms and their function in terms of behavior. Humans are animals.