Psychology : $b A study of mental lifeWoodworth, Robert Sessions
Science
Psychology : $b A study of mental life
Woodworth, Robert Sessions
Psychology
Probably there is one more fact that belongs under the herd instinct.
A child is lonely even in company, unless he is allowed to
_participate_ in what the others are doing. Sometimes you see an adult
who is gregarious but not sociable, who insists on living in the city
and wishes to see the people, but has little desire to talk to any one
or to take part in any social activities; but he is the exception. As
a rule, people wish not only to be together but to do something
together. So much as this may be ascribed to the instinct, but no
more. "Let's get together and _do something_"--that is as far as the
gregarious instinct goes. _What_ we shall do depends on other motives,
and on learning as well as instinct.
The mating instinct.
Attraction towards the opposite sex is felt by a small number of
children, by most young people beginning from 15 to 20 years of age,
by a minority not till a few years later, and, by a small number,
never at all. On account of the late maturing of this instinct, in
man, instinctive behavior is here inextricably interwoven with what
has been learned. A definite organic and emotional state, lust, goes
with this instinct. Preparatory reactions, called "courtship", are
very definitely organized in many animals, and often quite elaborate.
In man, courtship is elaborate enough, but not definitely organized as
an instinct; and yet it follows much the same line as we observe in
animal courtship. It begins with admiring attention to one of the
opposite sex, followed by efforts to attract that one's attention by
"display" (strutting, decoration of the person, demonstrating one's
prowess, especially in opposition to rivals). Then the male takes an
aggressive attitude, the {148} female a coy attitude; the male woos,
the female hangs back, and something analogous to pursuit and capture
takes place, except that the capture may be heartily accepted by both
parties.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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