Instinct: a composite student view

113 students at the U. of Hawaii were asked to bring a written statement on what they understood to be instinct, without referring to a textbook. Responses were classified into (1) the general functional nature of instinct, (2) specific characteristics of instinct, and (3) examples of "Instinct" cited. Major problems of students seem to be (1) confusion between action and impulse, (2) confusion of heredity, (3) confusion of learned vs. unlearned behavior. The greatest confusion of all is the "confusion of mystery" which make instincts in the mind of beginning students intangible, important, and elusive.