What counts as an instinct?

An unlearned, fixed behavior pattern found in all members of a species.

What's the biggest criticism?

It labels behavior rather than explaining it and can't account for cultural variation.

Instinct theory of motivation

🧠 Psychology By CampusDown Wiki Editorial Team Last updated October 26, 2026

Instinct theory holds that behavior is driven by innate, unlearned instincts shared across a species. It was one of psychology's earliest theories of motivation.

Contents

1. Key thinkers
2. Criticism and what came next
3. FAQ
4. References

Key thinkers

William James (1890) argued humans have more instincts than animals, including curiosity, shame, and love. William McDougall (1908) listed 18 instincts—flight, curiosity, pugnacity, parenting—each paired with an emotion driving social behavior. Freud proposed life (Eros) and death (Thanatos) instincts, and Konrad Lorenz's ethology studied fixed action patterns such as imprinting.

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Criticism and what came next

By the 1920s, proposed instincts numbered in the thousands, and critics charged the theory with circular reasoning: people fight because of an "aggressive instinct," which we know exists because people fight. Behaviorists stressed learning, and motivation research moved to Hull's drive-reduction theory, arousal theory, and Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Evolutionary psychology revisits innate tendencies today.

FAQ

What counts as an instinct?: An unlearned, fixed behavior pattern found in all members of a species.
What's the biggest criticism?: It labels behavior rather than explaining it and can't account for cultural variation.

Sources reviewed: 2026-10-26

References

James, W. (1890). The Principles of Psychology. New York: Henry Holt.
McDougall, W. (1908). An Introduction to Social Psychology. London: Methuen.
Freud, S. (1920). Beyond the Pleasure Principle.
Lorenz, K. (1966). On Aggression. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World.

Reports and materials that use this theory (Korean)

There are no materials dedicated to this theory yet, but you can search related reports in the CampusDown library (Korean).

Find more reports · Search '본능이론' on CampusDown →

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This article was last updated on October 26, 2026. It is based on widely recognized original works and textbooks; when citing it in a paper, please check the original sources listed in the references.