Which characteristics did Konrad Lorenz use to identify an instinctive action pattern?

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Konrad Lorenz identified an instinctive action pattern—which he also referred to as an "instinctive activity" (Instinkthandlung) or "endogenous movement"—by its classification as a fixed action pattern. According to Lorenz, for a behavior to be considered a true instinctive action pattern, it must possess the following six characteristics:

  • Stereotyped: The behavior follows a consistent, predictable form.1
  • Species-specific: It is possessed by all members of at least one sex within a species.1
  • Genetically inherited: The behavior is innate and passed down through genetics.1
  • Unlearned: It is innate in the sense that it does not require prior learning to be performed.1
  • Internally controlled: Once the behavior is initiated, it runs its course without requiring further peripheral stimulation.1
  • Triggered by a specific stimulus: It is activated by a particular external stimulus, known as a "sign stimulus" or "releaser," which serves as the goal for variable sequences of "appetitive behaviour".1

Lorenz further postulated that these acts are driven by the continuous internal generation of "action-specific energy," which accumulates until it reaches a threshold that triggers the behavior.1