behavioral

especially British, be·hav·iour·al

[bih-heyv-yer-uhl]

adjective

1. relating to a person’s manner of behaving or acting.

   The program provides academic and behavioral supports for students of concern.

   Most of our biggest health risks are largely preventable with behavioral change.

2. Psychology, Animal Behavior.,  relating to or studying observable activity in a human or animal, often thought of as the aggregate of responses to external and internal stimuli.

   This psychiatry textbook offers a thorough discussion of both the behavioral sciences and clinical psychiatry.

   Harassment of wild marine mammals has disrupted their behavioral patterns, including migration, breeding, and feeding.

Other Word Forms

• behaviorally adverb
• behaviourally adverb
• interbehavioral adjective
• interbehavioural adjective
• interbehaviorally adverb
• interbehaviourally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of behavioral¹

First recorded in 1925–30; behavior ( def. ) + -al ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

After the behavioral studies were completed, the team examined the brains to measure plaque accumulation.

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Mice receiving arginine also performed better in behavioral assessments and showed decreased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes linked to neuroinflammation, a key contributor to AD progression.

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To a behavioral economist, the trainer is a commitment device, making sure you work out as you intend to, when you intend to.

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In middle school, Anthony announced that he no longer wanted any accommodations for his autism: no more individualized education program, no more behavioral therapy, no more telling new friends or teachers about his diagnosis.

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For preschool-age kids, the drugs are often dispensed against pediatric guidelines, which call first for behavioral therapy, a treatment that can be hard to get.

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