Which of the following refers to a complex, inherited behavior pattern characteristic of a species

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[ in-stingkt ]

/ ˈɪn stɪŋkt /


noun

an inborn pattern of activity or tendency to action common to a given biological species.

a natural or innate impulse, inclination, or tendency.

a natural aptitude or gift: an instinct for making money.

natural intuitive power.

OTHER WORDS FOR instinct

QUIZ

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Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is commonly used with other verbs to express intention?

Origin of instinct

1

1375–1425; late Middle English <Latin instinctus prompting, instigation, enthusiasm, equivalent to *insting(uere) (in-in-2 + *sting(u)ere presumably, to prick; see distinct) + -tus suffix of v. action

Other definitions for instinct (2 of 2)

instinct2

[ in-stingkt ]

/ ɪnˈstɪŋkt /


adjective

filled or infused with some animating principle (usually followed by with): instinct with life.

Obsolete. animated by some inner force.

Origin of instinct

2

1530–40; <Latin instinctus excited, roused, inspired, past participle of *insting(u)ere;see instinct1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

aptitude, feeling, hunch, impulse, inclination, intuition, knack, savvy, sense, sentiment, talent, tendency, faculty, gift, know-how, nose, predisposition, proclivity, urge, gut reaction

How to use instinct in a sentence

  • People watch night soaps because the genre allows them to believe in a world where people just react off their baser instincts.

  • At such a moment, the pilot has no resources other than his own instincts and experience.

  • So combining my journalistic and more creative instincts was the way to go.

  • He weighed only 185 pounds, but he had killer instincts and rabbit quickness and the stamina of a mule.

  • The problem is that his instincts are wrong, his timing is bad, his hand is heavy.

  • The arousing of the fundamental instincts of these human beings had, indeed, enormously emphasized the animal in them.

  • "Atavism can hardly explain a roaming animal with teeth and claws and sanguinary instincts," interrupted Maloney with impatience.

  • There were semi-savage native chiefs, and there were others, like Aguinaldo himself, with humane instincts.

  • Like other commonplace mortals, however, my instincts fight for the only solution of happiness I know anything about.

  • I was more than ready to take her place; you actually stirred my maternal instincts when you arrived, you looked so forlorn.

British Dictionary definitions for instinct


noun (ˈɪnstɪŋkt)

the innate capacity of an animal to respond to a given stimulus in a relatively fixed way

inborn intuitive power

a natural and apparently innate aptitude

adjective (ɪnˈstɪŋkt)

rare (postpositive often foll by with)

  1. animated or impelled (by)
  2. imbued or infused (with)

Word Origin for instinct

C15: from Latin instinctus roused, from instinguere to incite; compare instigate

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for instinct


n.

An inborn pattern of behavior that is characteristic of a species and is often a response to specific environmental stimuli.

A powerful motivation or impulse.

Other words from instinct

in•stinctive null adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for instinct


An inherited tendency of an organism to behave in a certain way, usually in reaction to its environment and for the purpose of fulfilling a specific need. The development and performance of instinctive behavior does not depend upon the specific details of an individual's learning experiences. Instead, instinctive behavior develops in the same way for all individuals of the same species or of the same sex of a species. For example, birds will build the form of nest typical of their species although they may never have seen such a nest being built before. Some butterfly species undertake long migrations to wintering grounds that they have never seen. Behavior in animals often reflects the influence of a combination of instinct and learning. The basic song pattern of many bird species is inherited, but it is often refined by learning from other members of the species. Dogs that naturally seek to gather animals such as sheep or cattle into a group are said to have a herding instinct, but the effective use of this instinct by the dog also requires learning on the dog's part. Instinct, as opposed to reflex, is usually used of inherited behavior patterns that are more complex or sometimes involve a degree of interaction with learning processes.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for instinct


Behavior that is not learned but passed between generations by heredity.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

What is the term for a relatively complex inherited behavior pattern that is characteristic of a species quizlet?

What is the term for the type of achievement motivation that affects one's attitudes and actions and is directed toward the attainment of personal goals? Individualist-Success Motivation. What is the term for a relatively complex, inherited behavior pattern that is characteristic of a species? instinct.

Which of the following refers to the principle that the relationship between arousal and performance is best represented by an inverted U shaped curve?

The Yerkes-Dodson law is a model of the relationship between stress and task performance. It proposes that you reach your peak level of performance with an intermediate level of stress, or arousal. Too little or too much arousal results in poorer performance. This is also known as the inverted-U model of arousal.

Which of the following refers to the perceived probability of success in a particular area?

expectancy. 1. The strength of the individual's beliefs about whether a particular outcome is attainable. 2. The perceived probability of success in a particular area.

What term describes the process by which the id seeks immediate gratification of its impulses?

In Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality, the pleasure principle is the driving force of the id that seeks immediate gratification of all needs, wants, and urges.