Behavioural information channel

How the behavioural channel emerged from enhancements to the genetic channel

The development of sensory apparatus enabled organisms to detect changes in environmental conditions. The development of motor functions facilitated independent movement. The development of a nervous system capable of linking the sensory input to the motor output not only gave organisms an advantage when it came to gaining security, sustenance and reproductive opportunities, but it also opened up the possibility of another channel for the extraction, encoding and transmission of information from an organism’s environment to subsequent generations. If an organism can sense its surroundings, then it is also possible to sense the behaviours of other species members and to adapt its own behaviours accordingly. Behavioural information can be transmitted between individuals and, therefore, a new information channel is possible. 

Behavioural patterns can be adapted to changes in environmental conditions over shorter timescales than genotypes.

Behavioural medium need - interaction

Interaction - the need for proximity or any form of joint activity between species members (or groups of species members) that results in the transmission of behavioural traits 

Modelling and mimicry provide a mechanism for the transmission of behaviourally-encoded information. Adaptive behaviours learned by one individual through direct experience or trial and error, can be emulated by others through copying. In order for mimicry to happen there has to be some level of social interaction between species members. If conspecifics live in isolation from each other for their entire lifecycle then behavioural transmission is unlikely to occur. 

Whilst much transmission of behavioural information occurs during parenting, the behavioural channel is not restricted to the direct familial line. Even non-reproducing members of a social group may contribute to the behavioural channel as long as they have social interactions with reproductively active individuals or subsequent generations. 

If interaction is a fundamental need, one would expect that individuals might pursue this need irrespective of the quality of the interaction if the alternative is increased isolation. A bad interaction that you can learn from or meet some other needs through is better than no interaction.

Behavioural input need - stimulation

Stimulation -  the need for perceptible information-rich changes in one's environment

In order for this new channel to open there has to be appropriate information available in the form of sensory stimuli produced by changes in the environment or the behavioural responses of others. The detrimental behavioural impact of sensory deprivation in infants and adults, the psychological effects of a lack of stimulation on patients in intensive treatment units and the use of sensory deprivation as a form of torture all indicate the importance of stimulation to humans.

Typical views of behaviourism assume that organisms will approach pleasurable stimuli and avoid unpleasant stimuli. However, from an information theoretical perspective, it is likely that organisms with a functioning behavioural information channel may evolve a preference for stimuli that they perceive as having a high information density in the same way that we have evolved to prefer food that has a high calorific value. This could lead to more complex behaviours than just approaching pleasure and avoiding pain. Individuals may preferentially seek unpleasant stimuli which contain behaviourally encodable information over pleasant or neutral stimuli with lower information content. 

Behavioural encoding needs - self-governance and rest

Self-governance - the need to be able to respond to environmental stimuli with adaptive behaviours not subject to limitations, constraints or distorting influences, both external and internal

In order to encode environmental stimuli into adaptive behaviours with minimum distortion, an organism needs to be able to respond appropriately, without constraint. This could be as simple as freedom of movement. The subsequent development of the symbolic information channel leads to an expansion of the need for self-governance beyond the notion of physical movement to include more abstract ideas of freedom of choice and freedom of ideas. However, in choosing adaptive behaviours to transmit, it is as important to be free from the distorting influence of internal maladaptive impulses as it is to be free from external constraints. In this model, self-governance involves the appropriate balance of self-determination and self-control in response to environmental conditions. Self-governance represents control of the self by the self in order to facilitate adaptive responses to environmental stimuli. 

Autonomy is often identified as a human need but it is often conceptualised in terms of uniqueness (as opposed to conformity) of behaviour and emphasises control by the self rather than control of the self. In the current model, self-governance is defined as the freedom to respond to external stimuli in ways that are perceived as adaptive. Thus self-governance is about the degree of control individuals have to ensure their behaviour is the most appropriate response to the environmental conditions rather than whether the behaviour produces changes on the environment through primary control or changes within the individual through secondary control. Whether unique or conforming behaviours, or primary or secondary control, are the more adaptive will depend on the environmental context. For example, it may be that mimicry and conformity predominate in situations of deprivation where it is costly for individuals to acquire information from the environment through independent trial and error. Similarly, differing opportunities for primary or secondary control may present themselves at different times in an individual’s development as their ability to interact with their environment changes.

This insistence on equating autonomy with individualism and independence from others may be another example of where much of the research fails to distinguish adequately between the mechanism of the psychological process, which is culturally independent, and the content of the information being processed, which may vary from culture to culture. The cultural difference can be conceptualised as a difference in focus on the source of interference during encoding. An individualist approach focuses on interference from external conformist pressures, emphasising control by the self, whereas collectivist approaches focus on interference from internal selfish and irrational impulses, emphasising control of the self. 

Rest - the need for regular temporary cessation of goal-directed physical, social and mental activities (see Genetic information channel)

Behavioural output need - influence

Influence -  the need to have other individuals emulate one's adaptive behavioural patterns

The more that other individuals imitate one’s actions, the more one becomes an effective transmitter for behavioural information. Subsequent development of the symbolic channel has extended this to a desire for others to imitate one’s beliefs as well as one’s behaviours. 

Much of the research on influence has focused on the targets of influencing behaviours and has sought to examine why and how people allow themselves to be influenced by others. Less attention has been given to exploring the reasons why we might seek to influence other people’s behaviours. However, the fact that so much has been written about how to persuade others would indicate that this is a goal which has significance for a large number of people. 

More attention has been paid to related concepts such as power and status. These may be considered mechanisms by which individuals achieve greater influence within a social group, in addition to increasing their chances of meeting other needs. They can therefore be considered as enhancement needs or wants. Influence may be achieved in radically different ways, such as through stimulating reciprocity and liking. The specific means an individual employs to increase their influence is likely to be determined by their socio-cultural environment and their personality.

Behavioural input-filtering need - mastery

Mastery - the need to be able to produce or reproduce successfully adaptive behaviours in response to environmental demands or observation of other’s behaviours

If a behavioural response is too complex or demanding for the receiving individual to perform or to replicate, then it is less likely to be transmitted successfully.  

Behavioural output-filtering need - performance

Performance - the need to achieve outcomes that are judged as adaptive or successful by oneself or others

For a set of behaviours to be considered adaptive they have to be linked to some form of successful outcome. Thus, behaviours fit for transmission are associated with the better achievement of adaptive goals than alternative behaviours. Those behaviours that are perceived to lead to increased chances of survival or reproduction in response to environmental changes are more likely to be retained and transmitted than those that lead to failure. 

Research into Achievement Goal Theory (AGT) has linked mastery and performance to well-being, with mastery goals most often positively correlated to well-being and performance goals negatively correlated. This may be a consequence of the way that performance goals are often defined in relation to the competitive concept of proving oneself better than others or avoiding appearing worse than others. However, in the current model a performance goal would relate to the need to demonstrate adaptive behaviours to other members of your family or social group in order that they too may benefit from your experience. The competition is between the behaviours not the individuals. This may explain why performance motivations appear to be more adaptive in situations of social agreement rather than social disagreement.

Next: Symbolic information channel