AAMC FL Practice Exam

Which process describes the tendency of learned behavior giving way to instinctual responses?

1. Operant extinction

2. Instinctual drift

3. Conditioned response

4. Behavioral adaptation

The correct answer is: Instinctual drift

The tendency of learned behavior to give way to instinctual responses is known as instinctual drift. This concept originates from studies on operant conditioning, where animals trained to perform certain behaviors under specific conditions began to revert to their innate or instinctual behaviors, especially when they faced natural behavior prompts. For example, if a raccoon has been trained to deposit coins into a box for a reward, it may start to wash the coins as it would with its food, demonstrating a tendency to return to instinctual patterns rather than fully engaging with the learned behavior. This process highlights the profound influence that innate behaviors can have over conditioned responses, underscoring the intricate interaction between learned and instinctual behavior in animals and humans alike. The other concepts presented do not capture this specific phenomenon. Operant extinction pertains to the reduction in a learned behavior due to the removal of reinforcement. A conditioned response is the learned reaction to a previously neutral stimulus as described by classical conditioning, while behavioral adaptation generally refers to changes in behavior that enhance survival and are not specifically tied to the interplay between learned behavior and instinctual responses.