what are the similarities between learned behavior and instinct?

Question

This is a question posed to my fourth grade grandson in his homework for science. I have asked several adults this question none of us could answer... can you?

Answer 1

Basic psych...

Learned behavior is just that....learned. Say, your son grows up watching you beat up your husband. He will learn to fear women.

Instinct is why cats crap in a litter box. Or why babies nurse. Or why men and women are attracted to each other.

Learned comes from experience. Instinct, for lack of a better word, is pre-programmed.

Answer 2

Instinct is like hunting mice, learned behavior is going to the bathroom in a litter box. Similarities they are both things cat's do almost without thinking about it. You don't have to tell a cat to hunt mice it just does. After a cat is litter trained that's almost as automatic. The thing is if a cat doesn't have mice about for several years when given the opportunity it will still know what to do. Without litter the cat will have to be retrained though it's a quicker process. since the cat already learned the basics. Hope this helps you and your grandson. I always thought grampa's knew everything ;) tehe

Answer 3

unless what they're getting at here is instinct is a behavior associated with a species that was learned over time and the species evolved into carrying that particular behavior as an instinct....i don't know. i'm gonna give you a link and see if you can come up with anything. it talks about both kinds of behaviors.

http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/2002/6/02.06.01.x.html

Answer 4

On the face of it, there is no similarity. But both aim for having good decisions at the appropriate time to overcome problems and be successful.
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