Abstract
M.Com. (Industrial Psychology)
Human beings are daily being confronted with circumstances within
and out of their own control which influence and regulate their
behaviour to a great extent. One of the most important controversial
issues in the behavioural sciences is particularly the extent
to which these circumstances have an influence on behaviour. An
individual is either free to control his own behaviour, or his behaviour
is being controlled by forces over which he has no control.
These principles of free will versus determinism, .had an
unique influence on the development of the different psychological
approaches.
This issue is also of fundamental importance in the field of industrial
psychology, as studies in this subject of study are always
directed at a better understanding of. the relationship between
the individual and his environment. In view of the general
emphasis placed on such aspects as selfactualization and the vital
role of the individual in determining his own future, it can be
concluded that the degree of control which an individual has in
influencing his environment, is of central importance in the better
understanding and explanation of behaviour. In this study,
special reference was made to the degree of control which an individual
has over his life, his time and over social relationships,
in context of the 4-dimensional theory of human behaviour.
In an effort to create an integrated system of knowledge in the
behavioural sciences, Raubenheimer (1978) proposed a 4-dimensional
classification theory of human behaviour. This theory postulates
that the three spatial dimensions (depth, breadth and height) and
a fourth dimension (time), have psychic analogues which are
defined as constructs of human behaviour.