Instinctssuch

Instinctssuch is a term used to describe a cluster of instinctive response patterns that are activated by salient cues and operate with little or no conscious deliberation. It is not a formal theory but a neologism that has appeared in informal discussions, often to describe how organisms or artificial agents rely on inherited, pre-programmed tendencies when faced with rapid or uncertain situations.

The word blends instinct and such to emphasize that the mentioned responses are of the sort that are typically automatic rather than learned. It is typically invoked to discuss how certain problems are handled by applying preexisting templates or schemas rather than engaging in stepwise reasoning.

Definition and scope: Instinctssuch refers to the automatic application of preexisting templates or schemas when a situation resembles prior patterns, leading to quick judgments or actions. It does not point to a single mechanism but to a family of fast, cue-driven responses that operate outside deliberate thought.

Mechanisms and examples: The concept emphasizes fast processing and cue-driven recognition, often rooted in evolutionary priors or accumulated prior experience. Examples commonly cited include startle or avoidance responses to sudden stimuli, social signaling and conformity in ambiguous situations, and routine motor actions executed without conscious planning. In discussions about artificial systems, instinctssuch is sometimes used to describe heuristic or rule-of-thumb behaviors that replace or supplement deliberative control under time pressure.

Reception and critique: Instinctssuch is primarily used in informal discourse and is not widely adopted as a formal construct in psychology or AI. Critics note its vagueness and overlap with established concepts such as instinct, reflex, and heuristic, making empirical operationalization and comparison challenging.

See also: instinct, reflex, heuristic, cognitive bias, fast and frugal heuristics.