Which term describes a behavior present at birth and not learned?

• A. Innate Behavior
• B. Learned Behavior
• C. Reflex Behavior
• D. Trial-and-error Behavior

Answer: (A)

Innate behavior is an inborn action that does not require learning; it is encoded by genetics and tends to appear automatically without practice. This fits the idea of a behavior present at birth and not learned, since the animal exhibits the action instinctively rather than through experience. For example, many animals show rooting or sucking in newborns, or birds have certain instinctive nesting or hatchling behaviors, all without being taught.

The other options don’t fit as well. Learned behavior depends on experience or practice, and trial-and-error is a method of learning through experimentation. A reflex is a rapid, automatic response to a stimulus and is a type of innate behavior, but the broader term that covers any birth-present, unlearned behavior is innate behavior.