Question

Inherited traits are a person's innate characteristics, including skin and eye color. Learned behaviors, in contrast, are skills a person acquires through practice and experience, such as learning how to swim or ride a bike.

a. True
b. False

Answer 1

The student's statement is false. Innate behaviors are instinctual and remain constant, whereas learned behaviors are acquired through experiences and can change in response to the environment.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement provided by the student is false. Inherited traits are indeed a person's innate characteristics, such as skin and eye color, that are passed from parents to offspring through genes. On the other hand, learned behaviors are skills and responses that a person acquires through practice and life experiences, encompassing activities like learning to swim or ride a bike.

However, the provided statement mischaracterizes innate and learned behaviors. Innate behaviors are instinctual and largely genetic, such as reflex responses to stimuli—they do not change based on an organism's experiences. In contrast, learned behaviors are flexible and can change according to new experiences and environmental changes. An organism's ability to adapt to new circumstances by changing its behavior is a hallmark of learned behavior, not innate behavior.

For example, if someone touches a hot stove, the immediate withdrawal of their hand is an innate reflex action. If a person learns to navigate a new route from their house to school, it demonstrates learned behavior because it involves acquiring new knowledge and adapting to change.