A complex behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species and is unlearned; example: spider spinning web

A complex behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species and is unlearned; example: spider spinning web

• A. Instinct
• B. Reflex
• C. Conditioning
• D. Learned behavior

Answer: (A)

Instinct refers to an inborn, complex behavior that is rigid and shared across a species, not learned. A spider spinning a web fits this because the web-building sequence is highly coordinated, appears across individuals without instruction, and doesn’t require practice or experience to occur. It’s more than a simple touch-response; a reflex is a quick, automatic reaction to a specific stimulus, not a full, species-wide behavior pattern. Conditioning and other learned behaviors rely on experience or reinforcement, which isn’t needed for this innate web-spinning behavior.

Instinct refers to an inborn, complex behavior that is rigid and shared across a species, not learned. A spider spinning a web fits this because the web-building sequence is highly coordinated, appears across individuals without instruction, and doesn’t require practice or experience to occur. It’s more than a simple touch-response; a reflex is a quick, automatic reaction to a specific stimulus, not a full, species-wide behavior pattern. Conditioning and other learned behaviors rely on experience or reinforcement, which isn’t needed for this innate web-spinning behavior.