learned behavior
compound.compound. a way of acting that you pick up from your environment or by practicing, rather than being born with it.
compound. an action or reaction acquired through experience, observation, or conditioning, as opposed to innate or instinctual responses.
Using a fork is a learned behavior, not an instinct.
Psychologists believe that many of our social habits are actually learned behavior from our early childhood years.
The researcher argued that the birds' ability to open milk bottles was a learned behavior passed down through the local population.
often used in scientific, psychological, or educational contexts to contrast with 'instinct'.
use this to teach the difference between 'innate' and 'acquired'; it is a useful term for students discussing nature versus nurture.