PRIMAL CONDITIONED RESPONSE

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I am so thoroughly enjoying an eBook that I took a moment to present some information that previously I mistakenly misunderstood as fact when in reality it was - inappropriate. I use and have used instinct and instinctual to describe the unconsciously trained behavior but now find that to be just - wrong, incorrect and inaccurate. 

Instincts, as you can read in the quote that follows, are not changeable. Instincts are hard-wired and cannot be trained out of us but “Primal Conditioned/Flinch Responses” can be trained out of us. If you read this then go back and read my past posts when you read the use of instincts or instinctual simply replace that in your mind with primal conditioned responses. 

“PRIMAL CONDITIONED RESPONSE in lieu of instinctual, instincts cannot be changed. Flinches are PCR, etc. PCR is what we learned that work best for a given situation and they happen faster and without conscious thought ergo why many mistakenly assume they are instinctual, these reactions come from a different part of our brains. Whatever strategy one found worked the first time often makes it their primary PCR, at least until they find something better and train that response to replace the previous one. Primary Conditioned/Flinch Responses can be changed and that is how learning to effectively defend oneself does.” - Marc MacYoung, Writing Violence IV: Defense

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p.s. “Like all animals, humans have instincts, genetically hard-wired behaviors that enhance our ability to cope with vital environmental contingencies.” Instincts are to do with visible muscular action in response to releasers. Releasers are triggers which set off chains of instinctive behavior. Although instincts are not learned, in some cases their performance can be improved by experience and practice. Properly, it is used only of well-defined acts whose causation is inherited, and which are triggered by specific stimuli called releasers. Other terms for instinct are fixed action patterns (FAP) and innate behavior chains.

Instincts defined: where the confusion in this instance comes from is the term is a natural or intuitive way of acting or thinking; a natural propensity or skill of a specified kind; the fact or quality of possessing innate behavior patterns. Looking at these other definitions may validate the use of instinct or instinctual but for clarity in the use in training and practice I would use PCR as a better, clearer, way to describe what we are attempting to do. In regard to an actual instinct, we can sometimes enhance that instinct through training but that is out of my expertise comfort zone.