Human Activity Model
Development of the human activity model
The development of models is common within business IT as a way of mapping out the scope of computer systems Note: Modelling . My reading suggests that those who study human behaviour do take multiple factors into account but I have not encountered this model. I hope it has some general utility.
The steps that I went through to develop it were:
- Define the elements that influence human behaviour – initially this was represented as a relationship diagram
- Define the diagram by grouping the elements together into broad areas
The elements and the way I grouped them
|
Element |
Notes |
Broad Area |
|
Physiology |
How the body works |
Body |
|
Brain |
How the brain works |
Body |
|
Animal Kingdom |
Which we are part of |
Nature |
|
Individual |
As a primate |
Nature and Body |
|
Groups |
As primate group |
Nature and Culture |
|
Artifacts |
Something other animals also have |
Nature and Culture |
|
Self Awareness |
Also referred to as self consciousness |
Mind |
|
Abstract reasoning |
Ability to think, set and solve problems |
Mind |
|
Values and Beliefs |
Thought arising from self consciousness not necessarily depending on knowledge |
Mind and Culture |
|
Artifacts |
Tools – blanket term for every made thing |
Nature and Culture |
|
Groups |
Viewed as all human associations |
Nature and Culture |
|
Norms Values and Beliefs |
The beliefs we have that derive from culture including how we are expected to behave |
Culture and Mind |
|
Bounded Knowledge |
The product of reductionism leading to “point solutions” |
Knowledge |
|
Integrative Knowledge |
The product of looking at systems where emergent properties can be studied |
Knowledge |
|
Reductionism |
Breaking something down in order to understand it |
Knowledge Acquisition |
|
Point Solutions |
Fix the part |
Knowledge Acquisition |
|
Systems |
Looking at the whole rather (or as well as) than the parts |
Knowledge Acquisition |
|
Dynamic proceses |
Understand the process |
Knowledge Acquisition |
There are very many broad generalisations in the above, in particular the division between reductionism and systems thinking is a caricature. I have used this as a shorthand for the fact that we have to deal with more and more complexity and we are increasingly finding that multi-disiplinary teams are needed and that systems thinking is very powerful.