Human Instincts
Psychology
Unit 1 Paper
Human Instincts
There are many arguments about whether human beings have instincts and not just responsive reflexes. I believe human beings all have natural born instincts. The definition of instincts tell us that they are unlearned and involuntary, which we all experience as humans. When animals are born they have certain instincts, just like humans. Instincts are in unlearned “fixed action patterns” or reactions to certain kinds of stimulis.
Whether a particular behavior pattern is learned it is not always easy to determine because some behaviors can be changed by personal experiences. Any behavior is instinctive if it is performed without any prior knowledge, also known as a innate biological factor. You were born with instincts that are there to help you survive. Instincts are behavioral patters that do not seem to be learned , they occur in almost finished form the first time they are triggered. There is a complex relationship between instinct, habit and reason Theories involving these concepts typically have many implications, from the causes of human action to the nature of social order. The terms instinct and habit both have unfortunate intellectual baggage.
Nevertheless, for convenience I retain the word instinct as a tag for biologically inherited dispositions. Habit refers to learned dispositions. Instincts are inherited through genes, and habits through culture and institutions
Instincts are argued by some to be reflexes. “A instinct should distinguished from a reflex which is a simple response of an organism to specific stimulus, such as the contraction of the pupil in response to a bright light or the spasmodic movement of the lower leg when the knee is tapped. Instincts, in contrast, are inborn complex patterns of behavior that must exist in every member of the species and that cannot be overcome by force of will. However, the absence of volitional capacity must not be
Unit 1 Paper
Human Instincts
There are many arguments about whether human beings have instincts and not just responsive reflexes. I believe human beings all have natural born instincts. The definition of instincts tell us that they are unlearned and involuntary, which we all experience as humans. When animals are born they have certain instincts, just like humans. Instincts are in unlearned “fixed action patterns” or reactions to certain kinds of stimulis.
Whether a particular behavior pattern is learned it is not always easy to determine because some behaviors can be changed by personal experiences. Any behavior is instinctive if it is performed without any prior knowledge, also known as a innate biological factor. You were born with instincts that are there to help you survive. Instincts are behavioral patters that do not seem to be learned , they occur in almost finished form the first time they are triggered. There is a complex relationship between instinct, habit and reason Theories involving these concepts typically have many implications, from the causes of human action to the nature of social order. The terms instinct and habit both have unfortunate intellectual baggage.
Nevertheless, for convenience I retain the word instinct as a tag for biologically inherited dispositions. Habit refers to learned dispositions. Instincts are inherited through genes, and habits through culture and institutions
Instincts are argued by some to be reflexes. “A instinct should distinguished from a reflex which is a simple response of an organism to specific stimulus, such as the contraction of the pupil in response to a bright light or the spasmodic movement of the lower leg when the knee is tapped. Instincts, in contrast, are inborn complex patterns of behavior that must exist in every member of the species and that cannot be overcome by force of will. However, the absence of volitional capacity must not be
Cited: http://www.trans4mind.com/jamesharveystout/instinct.htm#Instinct causes, by definition, an unconscious act. http://dsc.discovery.com/adventure/6-types-of-natural-instincts.html http://brothermahdi.tripod.com/threeinstincts.html