Which term best describes behavior innate from species history?

Which term best describes behavior innate from species history?

• A. Phylogenetic
• B. Respondent Acquisition
• C. Respondent Generalization
• D. Trace Conditioning

Answer: (A)

Innate behaviors that come from a species’ evolutionary history are described as phylogenetic. This means the responses are built into the species and appear without specific learning, because they were shaped by natural selection across generations to aid survival. In behavior-analytic terms, phylogeny covers those instinctual or reflex-like actions that are inherited rather than acquired through an individual's experiences. The other terms describe learning processes. Respondent Acquisition refers to forming a conditioned response through pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus. Respondent Generalization is when a conditioned response occurs to stimuli similar to the original conditioned stimulus. Trace Conditioning is a particular conditioning procedure where there’s a temporal gap between the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli. None of these capture the idea of a behavior that is innate from species history in the same way phylogenetic does.

Innate behaviors that come from a species’ evolutionary history are described as phylogenetic. This means the responses are built into the species and appear without specific learning, because they were shaped by natural selection across generations to aid survival. In behavior-analytic terms, phylogeny covers those instinctual or reflex-like actions that are inherited rather than acquired through an individual's experiences.

The other terms describe learning processes. Respondent Acquisition refers to forming a conditioned response through pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus. Respondent Generalization is when a conditioned response occurs to stimuli similar to the original conditioned stimulus. Trace Conditioning is a particular conditioning procedure where there’s a temporal gap between the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli. None of these capture the idea of a behavior that is innate from species history in the same way phylogenetic does.