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Animal Behavior

Animal Instinct, Learning, and Emotions

Does genetics have anything to do with behavior?

Yes, probably in some ways. The first scientific theory is that some scientists believe that all behavior is genetically programmed, and if a behavior is under genetic control, then it should follow a sequence of events—the stimulus, releasing mechanism, and a fixed pattern, all genetically controlled. However, the mainstream scientific view is that most behaviors are a result of a combination of genetic programming and environmental learning—the so-called “nature and nurture.”