9781422270158

CHAPTER

The idea that humans are social beings is supported by science, specifically psychology. Typically defined as the study of human behavior, the field of psychology covers a variety of areas, which are known as branches. One branch is dedicated to studying human interactions— social psychology. However, other branches of psychology also influence this field. For example, evolutionary psychology studies the biology behind how humans evolved over time, and neuroscience looks at how our brain functions during social interactions. 1,6,8 This chapter aims to combine findings from multiple areas of psychology to explain why we need people. The Building Blocks of Human Interaction Before jumping into why we need people, it’s important to look at the components of human interaction. 12 1. Feelings –Our internal, subjective experience of emotions (sad, angry, happy). Feelings drive how to interact with others based on valence, control, and intensity. Positive valence is associated with friendliness, high control involves power over another, and intensity relates to the level of emotional activation. WHY WE NEED PEOPLE

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