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Which characteristics did Konrad Lorenz use to identify an instinctive action pattern?
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Instinct
Foraging is an example of an instinct driven by impulses serving specific biological functions.
Konrad Lorenz identified an instinctive action patternâwhich he also referred to as an "instinctive activity" (Instinkthandlung) or "endogenous movement"âby 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