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From: gp@picuxa.UUCP (Greg Pasquariello X1190)
Newsgroups: sci.psychology,rec.birds,sci.bio
Subject: Re: Intelligent Parrots, or Self-deception and Gullibility.
Message-ID: <531@picuxa.UUCP>
Date: 31 Mar 88 13:14:08 GMT
References: <1988Mar4.162334.18184@utzoo.uucp> <4299@blia.BLI.COM> <1988Mar9.132722.3364@mntgfx.mentor.com> <2495@geac.UUCP> <2535@saturn.ucsc.edu>
Reply-To: gp@picuxa.UUCP (Greg Pasquariello X1190)
Organization: AT&T/EDS Product Integration Center
Lines: 22

In article <2535@saturn.ucsc.edu> kevin@chromo.UUCP (Kevin McLoughlin) writes:
>In article <2495@geac.UUCP> sigrid@geac.UUCP (Sigrid Grimm) writes:
>
>The term "instinct" is totally meaningless. It's usually used to
>describe a behavior whose origin is not understood. It is a black
>box. It doesn't belong in discussions of behavior or, perhaps,
>much else.
>
>-----------
>Susan Nordmark



I don't beleive that "instinct" is a meaningless term at all!  I do agree that
_sometimes_ it is used to describer behavior that is misunderstood, but this
is not normally the case.  For example, it is instinctive for a baby calf to
immediately try to walk when it is born.  The sucking reflex is instinctive
in human babies.  I believe bird migration is also instinctive (although this
point may be arguable :-)).


Greg Pasquariello
ihnp4!picuxa!gp