BEHAVIORAL SYSTEM MODEL

 Dorothy E. Johnson was born on

August 21, 1919, in Savannah,
Georgia.
 She received her A.A. from
Armstrong Junior College in
Savannah, Georgia (1938), her
B.S.N, from Vanderbilt University in
Nashville, Tennessee (1942), and
her M.P.H. from Harvard University
in Boston (1948).  Johnson identifies seven
 Behavioral System Model subsystems within the Behavioral
 “Each individual has a System Model, an identification
predisposition to act, with that is at variance with others
reference to the goal, in certain who have published
ways rather than in other ways” interpretations of Johnson’s
 Johnson believes that each model (see FIGURE 1).
individual has a focusing and
repeating ways of acting which
covers a behavioral system
distinct to that individual. These
behaviors are logical, fixed,
predictable and adequately
secure and persistent to be
satisfying to depiction and
clarification.
 Johnson believes each individual
has patterned, purposeful,
repetitive ways of acting that
comprise a behavioral system Seven Behavioral Subsystems
specific to that individual. ATTACHMENT OR AFFILIATIVE
 These actions or behaviors form
an “organized and integrated  Identified as the first response
functional unit that determines system to develop in the
and limits the interaction individual.
between the person and his  The optimal functioning of the
environment and establishes the affiliative subsystem allows “social
relationship of the person to the inclusion, intimacy, and the
objects, events, and situations in formation and maintenance of a
his environment. strong social bond”.
 Attachment to a significant
caregiver has been found to be
 critical for the survival of an more to what is socially
infant. acceptable in a given culture
 As the individual matures, the than to the biological needs of
attachment to the caretaker the individual.
continues and there are
ELIMINATIVE
additional attachments to other
significant individuals as they  Relates to behaviors surrounding
enter both the child’s and the the excretion of waste products
adult’s network. from the body.
 Johnson admits this may be
DEPENDENCY
difficult to separate from a
 Dependency behaviors are biological system perspective;
“succoring” behaviors that however, as with behaviors
precipitate nurturing behaviors surrounding the ingestion of
from other individuals in the food, there are socially
environment. acceptable behaviors for the
 The result of dependency time and place for humans to
behavior is “approval, attention excrete waste.
or recognition, and physical
EXAMPLE: Biological cues are often
assistance”.
ignored if the social situation dictates
 It is difficult to separate the
that it is objectionable to eliminate at
dependency subsystem from the
a given time.
affiliative or attachment
subsystem because without SEXUAL
someone invested in or attached
to the individual to respond to  Reflects behavior related to
that individual’s dependency procreation.
behaviors, the dependency  Both biological and social
subsystem has no intimate factors affect behaviors in the
environment in which to function. sexual subsystem
 The key is that the goal in all
INGESTIVE societies has the same outcome
– behaviors acceptable to
 Relates to the behaviors
society at large.
surrounding the intake of
food. AGGRESSIVE
 It is related to the biological
system, however, the emphasis  Relates to behaviors concerned
for nursing, from Johnson’s with protection and self-
perspective, is the meanings and preservation.
structures of the social events  Johnson views the aggressive
surrounding the occasions when subsystem as on that generates
food is eaten. defensive responses from the
 Behaviors related to the individual when life or territory is
ingestion of food may relate threatened.
  The aggressive subsystem does SOCIETY
not include those behaviors with
 Refers to the environment in
a primary purpose of injuring
which an individual exists.
other individuals, but rather
 According to Johnson, an
those whose purpose is to
individual’s behavior is influenced
protect and preserve self and
by all the events in the
society.
environment.
ACHIEVEMENT  Cultural influences on the
individual’s behavior are viewed
 Provokes behaviors that attempt
as profound; however, it is felt
to control the environment.
that there are many paths,
 Intellectual, physical, creative,
varying from culture to culture,
mechanical, and social skills are
that influence specific behaviors
some of the areas that Johnson
in a group of people, although
recognizes.
the outcome for all the groups or
NURSING METAPARADIGM individuals is the same.

PERSON/HUMAN BEING NURSING

 Johnson views human beings  Nursing is “an external regulatory

as having two major systems: force which acts to preserve
the biological system and the under the organization and
behavioral system. integration of the patient’s
 It is the role of medicine to behavior at an optimal level
focus on the biological system, under those conditions in which
whereas nursing’s focus is the the behavior constitutes a threat
behavioral system. to physical or social health or in
which illness is found”.
HEALTH  Nursing is viewed as part of the
 It is an elusive state that is external environment that can
determined by psychological, assist the client to return to a state
social, biological, and of equilibrium or balance.
physiological factors.  Nursing is concerned with the
 Johnson’s behavioral model organized and integrated whole,
supports the idea that the but that the major focus is on
individual is attempting to obtaining a balance in the
maintain some balance or behavioral system when illness
equilibrium. occurs in the individual.
 The individual’s goal is to maintain  Johnson believes that nurses
the entire behavioral system need to be well grounded in the
efficiently and effectively but with physical and social sciences;
enough flexibility to return to an particular emphasis should be
acceptable balance if a placed on knowledge from both
malfunction disrupts the original the physical and social sciences
balance.
 that is found to influence
behavior.
 Nursing’s primary goal is to foster
equilibrium within the individual,
which allows for the practice of
nursing with individuals at any
point in the health-illness
continuum.
 Nursing is an EXTERNAL
REGULATORY FORCE that
regulates the ACTION or
BEHAVIOR of a person when such
behavior constitutes a threat, in
order to preserve his organization.