Complex can be innate. Automatic can be learned.
- The idea
- Predict
- See it
- Why
- Check
The idea
“Complex behavior must be learned, and anything every animal does automatically must be innate.”
A perfect spider web looks practiced. A habit every bird shares looks inborn. How a behavior looks doesn't decide it.
The short version
The mistake: Complex behavior must be learned, and anything every animal does automatically must be innate.
What's actually true: A behavior is innate if it appears complete the first time, with no experience. It's learned if it needs experience.
- Innate behavior is inherited. It appears complete the first time, even in an animal raised alone.
- Learned behavior needs experience. Habituation, conditioning and copying others are all learning.
On the exam: Ask whether the animal needed experience first.