An inborn drive. The primary human instincts include self-preservation, sexuality, and—according to some proponents—the death instinct, of which aggression is one manifestation.
A behavior pattern whose underlying biological pattern is produced by maturation rather than learning and which appears full-blown upon the first occasion that an adequate stimulus is presented, with out the organism having previous opportunity to learn. Common in lower animals but rare in humans.
A tendency or ability which the body has from birth and does not need to learn.
Complex, unlearned pattern of response and behavior that is specific to a particular species and released by certain environmental stimuli (e.g., sucking, in a newborn infant).
A complex pattern of innately determined behavior that is characteristic of all individuals of the same species. The behavior is released and modified by environmental stimuli, but its pattern is relatively uniform and predetermined.
An inherited tendency to react to an environmental stimulus in a predictable but limited fashion.
A biological term meaning the inborn tendency to behave in a way characteristic of a species. Over the years, scientific concepts of what constitutes instinct and whether it can apply equally to humans as well as to animals has undergone many changes.
Some early philosophers held that human behavior is controlled by rational thinking, that actions can be accounted for by knowledge of and desire for certain consequences. In short, humans have free will. The corollary of this is that animals are driven by blind instinct, and therefore their actions are determined by their nature. However, modern science, beginning with Charles Darwin, views humans as just another species of animal. Darwin treated instincts as complex reflexes that were inherited and therefore subject to natural selection. In his view such instincts evolve alongside other aspects of the animal such as their physical form and their behavior.
A deep-rooted natural impulse. The desire for warmth, nourishment, affection, and intimacy are all examples of instinct. Yet, the drive to survive might be the strongest of them all. Unlike a reflex, which is an automatic reaction to a trigger (like quickly pulling away from something painful), an instinct is more profound and inherent.
The ability to carry out predominantly beneficial actions without the need for reasoning or prior experience.