Which term refers to innate, fixed patterns of behavior triggered by specific stimuli in animals?

• A. Drive reduction theory
• B. Arousal Theory
• C. Instincts
• D. Belongingness

Answer: (C)

Instincts are innate, fixed patterns of behavior that are automatically triggered by specific environmental cues. These actions are inborn and tend to occur in almost all members of a species, unfolding in a relatively rigid sequence once the right sign stimulus is detected. A classic example is a fixed action pattern like a goose rolling an egg back to the nest: the cue (the egg or an egg-shaped object) reliably elicits a stereotyped, preprogrammed sequence of movements that continues to completion.

Drive-reduction theory describes motivation as arising from internal needs that push behavior to reduce tension, not from automatic, preplanned sequences. Arousal theory focuses on seeking an optimal level of alertness or arousal, which is about adjusting states rather than executing fixed patterns. Belongingness relates to social needs for connection, not to inborn, stimulus-bound behavioral sequences.