Instinct
Instinct
Instinct (/ˈɪnstɪŋkt/) is a term used in psychology and ethology to refer to innate, fixed patterns of behavior in response to certain stimuli.
Etymology
The term "instinct" comes from the Latin instinctus, which means 'impulse' or 'instigation'. It was first used in English in the mid-15th century to refer to 'an inward prompting' or 'a natural tendency'.
Definition
Instinct is a complex behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species and is unlearned. It is a behavior that an organism inherits through its genes, often as a survival mechanism. Instincts can be observed in a variety of animals, including humans.
Related Terms
- Behavior: The actions or reactions of an organism in response to external or internal stimuli.
- Ethology: The scientific study of animal behavior, particularly in natural environments.
- Psychology: The scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behavior in a given context.
- Gene: A unit of heredity which is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring.
- Survival Mechanism: An adaptation that helps an organism survive and reproduce in its environment.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Instinct
- Wikipedia's article - Instinct
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