ABSTRACT
The brain is where biology, history, and the current context come together to shape behavior. The psychological operations that shape behavior are collectively called ‘information processing’. Information processing enables individuals to behave in ways that increase the probability of their survival and that of their progeny or, alternatively, increase the risk of distress, injury or death. When behavior repeatedly increases risk or jeopardizes survival of oneself or one’s progeny, the process is maladaptive and needs to change. If the individual cannot both discern this and also begin to make the necessary personal changes, then professional assistance may be needed or, in some cases, mandated.
