In psychology, an instinct is a unlearned, inherited behavior pattern that is common in all members of a species and is not the result of conditioning. Instincts are often triggered by certain environmental stimuli and enable an animal or person to respond automatically to a particular situation without engaging in conscious thought or deliberation.
There are three types of instincts: fixed action patterns (FAPs), reflexes, and drives. FAPs are unlearned, innate behaviors that occur in response to specific environmental stimuli. For example, when a mother bird sees her chicks peeping out of their eggs, she will begin to build a nest. Reflexes are also unlearned and automatic responses to particular stimuli, but they differ from FAPs in that they do not involve any complex behavior patterns; rather, they are simple reactions such as withdrawing one’s hand from a hot stovetop. Drives refer to basic needs or urges that motivate individuals to engage in certain behaviors; hunger is an example of a drive.
While some psychologists believe that all behavior is ultimately determined by instincts, others maintain that only certain kinds of behavior – those that are considered “universal” across cultures – can be said to be truly instinctual. Nonetheless, the concept of instinct remains an important one in psychology and serves as a starting point for understanding many complex behaviors.