Name: _______________________________
Section: _______________________________
Date: _______________________________
Instinctive (Innate) Versus Learned (Acquired) Behaviors
Guided Notes
INTRODUCTION TO BEHAVIOR
 Behavior is: _____________________________________________________________
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o Stimuli include: _____________________________________________________
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 Two ways behaviors can be categorized:
o Instinctive/Innate
 What this is: ___________________________________________________
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o Learned/Acquired:
 What this is: ___________________________________________________
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 Organisms that rely on instinctive/innate behavior include: ________________________
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 Organisms that use both instinctive/innate and learned/acquired behavior: ____________
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 These behaviors help organisms to: ___________________________________________
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PLANT BEHAVIOR:
 Instinctive/innate behaviors of a plant depend mainly on: _________________________
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Explain three examples of instinctive/innate behavior in plants:
- Positive phototropism: __________________________________________________
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- Positive gravitropism: ___________________________________________________
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- Negative gravitropism: __________________________________________________
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ANIMAL BEHAVIOR:
 Animals exhibit various levels of instinctual/innate behavior.
o The most elementary of these is the reflex.
 What this is: ___________________________________________________
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 Reflexes help: _________________________________________________
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 Examples of reflexes: ___________________________________________
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o More complex instinctual behaviors: ____________________________________
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 Some behaviors combine instincts and learning.
o Imprinting:
 What this is: ___________________________________________________
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 An example of organisms that do this: ______________________________
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o Courtship behavior:
 What this is: ___________________________________________________
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 An example of organisms that do this: ______________________________
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o Group behaviors:
 What this is: ___________________________________________________
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 An example of organisms that do this: ______________________________
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 Some behaviors are not had from birth but are learned as an organism develops.
o Examples: _________________________________________________________
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Instinctive (Innate) Versus Learned (Acquired) Behaviors
Guided Notes KEY
INTRODUCTION TO BEHAVIOR
 Behavior is: The way organisms respond to stimuli in their environment.
o Stimuli include: chemicals, heat, light, touch gravity.
 Two ways behaviors can be categorized:
o Instinctive/Innate
 What this is: A behavior that is present in a living thing from birth. (natural)
o Learned/Acquired:
 What this is: A behavior resulting from experience acquired as an organism
develops.
 Organisms that rely on instinctive/innate behavior include: Pants and animals without a
well-developed nervous system (ex: without a brain)
 Organisms that use both instinctive/innate and learned/acquired behavior: More
developed organisms (with brains)
 These behaviors help organisms to: Survive  compete for food, water, space, shelter,
and mates.
PLANT BEHAVIOR:
 Instinctive/innate behaviors of a plant depend mainly on: Growth or movement in a given
direction due to changes in their environment.
o Ex: light and gravity.
Explain three examples of instinctive/innate behavior in plants:
- Positive phototropism: Growth towards light.
o Positive = growth towards
o Photo = light
o Ex: Plants’ leaves will grow towards light.
- Positive gravitropism: Growth towards/with gravity
o Positive = growth towards
o Gravi = gravity
o Ex: Plants’ roots grow down with the force of gravity.
- Negative gravitropism: Growth against/away from gravity.
o Negative = growth away
o Gravi = gravity
o Ex: Plants’ stem and leaves from against the force of gravity.
ANIMAL BEHAVIOR:
 Animals exhibit various levels of instinctual/innate behavior.
o The most elementary of these is the reflex.
 What this is: Simple, inborn, automatic response of body to stimulus.
 Reflexes help: Respond quickly to a stimulus protecting them from harm.
 Examples of reflexes: Pull hand away from hot surface, baby feeding, horse
tail swatting at flies.
o More complex instinctual behaviors: Birds building nests, beavers building dams,
turtles going to water at birth.
 Some behaviors combine instincts and learning.
o Imprinting:
 What this is: Within a specific period of time after birth an animal learns to
recognize and bond to its parent (helps survival during infancy)
 An example of organisms that do this: geese, chickens, and ducks
o Courtship behavior:
 What this is: Behaviors that help animals find, identify, attract, and arouse a
mate.
 An example of organisms that do this: peacocks, humpback whales humans
o Group behaviors:
 What this is: Behaviors performed by members of a group that live together
that provide protection cooperation, and divisions of labor.
 An example of organisms that do this: bees, ants, termites, humans
 Some behaviors are not had from birth but are learned as an organism develops.
o Examples: Human speech, ability to walk ability to write

There are multiple ways to learn things.