Basic Instinct: The Genesis of Behavior

by Mark S. Blumberg

A panicked mother runs through highway traffic to save her wandering child. A green turtle swims hundreds of miles to return to the beach on which it was hatched. Your child utters her first word. Have you ever wondered what causes you to react in a certain way to a certain situation, and if you would react differently under different circumstances?

From Charles Darwin to Malcolm Gladwell, writers and scientists have been fascinated by what prompts us to snap decisions. In Basic Instinct, neuroscientist Mark Blumberg provides readers with a logical perspective that does not rely on the clichéd explanations that have become so prevalent among scientists and laypeople alike. Blumberg delves into the debate between the nativists and evolutionary psychologists, who believe we are born with an instinctive knowledge about the world, and the epigeneticists, who believe that instincts are built anew in each of us—generation after generation. The result is an entertaining and balanced examination of the role of genes, experience, and evolution in the construction of behavior.

Genres: Science, Biology, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark Blumberg wrote this book in an accessible manner, using lots of interesting examples from animal model and human research to disspell nativist theories (i.e., theories that certain behaviors are instinctual, innate, present from birth, etc). If you're interested in this sort of thing (read: human development geek), it's refreshing to read something that reads more like a novel while still informing the whole nature-nurture thing. The author's viewpoint is clear... He thinks most, if not all, aspects of animal and human behavior are acquired by experience, not by some innate programming mechanism. The specific examples he presents are impressive, well-chosen, and supported by rigorous research. Whether or not you agree with his overall worldview, the book makes the reader step back and think about why we should think critically about and/or test others' work and ideas (i.e., appealing and "easy" nativist explanations) before just accepting them as fact because someone (or lots of someones) say so. I suppose this is a lesson that could apply beyond the HDFS world, but again, if you're not into these sorts of topics, this book may not be your cup of tea!