ipl-logo

Psychology: The Term Instinct

637 Words3 Pages

The term "instinct" in psychology was first used in 1870 by Wilhelm Wundt. In the late 19th century, the most repeated behavior was considered instinctual. In a study of literature at the time, a researcher reported 4000 human "instincts" have applied this label to any behavior that was repetitive. As research became more rigorous and terms better defined, instinct as an explanation of human behavior became less common. At a conference in 1960, chaired by Frank Beach, one of the pioneers of comparative psychology, attended by luminaries in the field, the term is limited in its application. During the 60's and 70's, textbooks still contained some discussion of instincts in reference to human behavior. In 2000, a survey of the 12 best-selling textbooks in Introductory Psychology revealed only one reference …show more content…

This use of the term motivational forces has been replaced by the term units to correct the original error in the translation of Freud's work. The psychologist Abraham Maslow argued that humans no longer have instincts because we have the ability to turn off in certain situations. In your opinion, what is called instinct is often inaccurate, and really becomes hard strong. For Maslow, instinct is something that cannot be canceled, and therefore, while the term could be applied to humans in the past, no longer does. The instinct of the book establishes a set of criteria that distinguish from other types of instinctive behavior. To be considered instinctual a behavior must be automatic, be irresistible, occur at one point in development, is triggered by some event in the environment, occur in all Member species, is unchangeable, and govern the behavior of the organism needs no training. Humans are also part of the animal kingdom. In fact we are animals, mammals to be exact, but

Open Document