Human Instincts Psychology Essay
Discussion: Identify three human instincts, explain why these behaviors are instincts, and discuss their importance to survival
Identify three human instincts, explain why these behaviors are instincts, and discuss their importance to survival.
Human instincts are innate behavioral patterns that are biologically driven and occur without prior learning. They are essential for survival and reproduction. They are not acquired through experience. Rather, they are considered instincts because they are automatic, universal, and genetically influenced. They are externally provoked and do not require conscious awareness (Stults-Kolehmainen, 2023). Three human instincts that stand out are the fight-or-flight response, hunger, and parental care.
First, the fight-or-flight response is a defensive instinct that prepares the body to respond to dangerous situations that can cause injury or death by either fighting or running away. It is automatically triggered when a threat is perceived, leading to psychological changes such as heightened alertness and increased heart rate. Through complex mechanisms, the nervous system models, predicts, avoids, and responds to potential threats by building on active (fight-or-flight) and inactive (freeze or immobility) defensive responses. This is instinctive behavior because it is involuntary and presents without prior training. Fight-or-flight is important for survival because it enables individuals to either confront the danger or escape a life-threatening situation, consequently increasing survival chances (Burback et al., 2024) Human Instincts Psychology Essay.
Second, hunger is an instinct that prompts an individual to seek the energy needed to sustain bodily functions. It is a response to the need to maintain the body’s energy homeostasis. It is an innate response: an individual experiences hunger without being taught, motivating eating behavior to obtain energy. It is a fundamental motivation necessary for sustaining life. Without a hunger instinct, individuals may fail to obtain energy, leading to starvation and death (Perrin & Klein, 2025).
Third, parental care is a caregiving instinct that ensures offspring are protected and nurtured. It is evident in parental behaviors such as protecting, feeding, and bonding with infants. It involves knowing instinctively that there is something wrong with the child, something that may not be apparent to others. It is experienced as natural and instinctive, and cannot be ignored, conveying a signal discernible only to the parent or caregiver. It is instinctive behavior because it is universal among humans and emerges naturally, even for those without prior experience. It is important because it ensures that humans survive, an important aspect because human infants are highly dependent on parental care and require it for a prolonged period (Shaw et al., 2025).
In conclusion, instincts such as the fight-or-flight response, hunger, and parental care are crucial adaptive mechanisms. They are universal, automatic, and innate behaviors that promote both individual survival and the continuation of the human species.
References
Burback, L., Forner, C., Winkler, O. K., Al-Shamali, H. F., Ayoub, Y., Paquet, J., & Verghese, M. (2024). Survival, Attachment, and Healing: An Evolutionary Lens on Interventions for Trauma-Related Dissociation.
Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 17
, 2403–2431.
https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S402456
Perrin, F. A. C., & Klein, D. B. (2025).
Psychology: Its Methods and Principles
. Taylor & Francis.
Shaw, R. L., Heath, G., Eatough, V., & Thackeray, L. (2025). Parental intuition: a phenomenological structure of intuitive knowing in the context of child illness and shared decision-making in healthcare.
International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being, 20
(1), 2491925.
https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2025.2491925
Stults-Kolehmainen M. A. (2023). Humans have a basic physical and psychological need to move the body: Physical activity as a primary drive.
Frontiers in Psychology, 14
, 1134049.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1134049
Human Instincts
Psychology
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