Supranormal stimulus What is and why?

"Trust your instincts," is a phrase that we usually hear in situations where we must make an important decision. At first glance, it might seem to guide us by instinct is a successful choice. After all, instincts have been perfected for millions of years of evolution. However, phenomena such as supranormal stimulus tell us that perhaps we should not pay so much to what they say.

Studies on this phenomenon seem to indicate that linstincts can be easily deceived. Thus, they could lead us to make wrong decisions that do not benefit us at all. Next, in this article, we will explore more about what it is and what are the causes.

Content

• The instincts and the preservation of the species
• What is the supranormal stimulus?
  • THE CASE OF THE CUCHO
  • THE CASE OF THE REAL PAV
• Does the supranormal stimulus affect human beings?
  • References

The instincts and the preservation of the species

Animal behavior, including that of the human species, is governed from stimuli. In this sense, We understand by stimulus any element that can produce an response in our body. For example, a strong and sudden noise is a stimulus that can trigger a reaction of fear and escape. Thus, animals and people emit different behaviors against particular stimuli.

Many of these answers are learned and others come from genetic inheritance. To the latter are what we usually know as instincts because they occur without the individual meditating a lot. To illustrate it better, we can think in the case of Lidia bulls, the species used in bullfighting shows.

These animals violently react to the movement of the fabric because their instinct associates it with danger. In fact, bulls of this species cannot detect slow movements, but they are sensitive to sudden and fast movements.

Now, biology has taught us that these instincts are intended for the preservation of the individual and their genes. But is it possible that they can also play against us? According to research on supranormal stimulus, this is something that happens frequently in nature.

What is the supranormal stimulus?

Also known as supernormal stimulus, it is an element that simulates a "common" stimulus, but exaggerated. To better understand this concept, we will talk about the experiments of Konrad Lorenz and Nikolas Tingerben in the 40s. One of the species with which they worked was Arenque's seagull, which has a peculiar red spot on the beak.

The offspring of this seagull, by instinct, peck the red spot on the mother's peak. This is to regurgitate food to feed the chicks. The scientists designed an experiment to see how chicks react in different situations. In one of the trials, they put the young with a red wooden stick with some white spots. To the surprise of the researchers, the chicks peatd the stick even with more insistence than when they were with their mother.

In another experiment on the supranormal stimulus, scientists took a kind of singing bird (Passeri). The eggs of this bird are of a grayish blue color with gray spots. To check the phenomenon, they placed the animals next to false eggs of a more intense blue color and with darker spots. Birds preferred to get on the false eggs, even if the real ones were there.

THE CASE OF THE CUCHO

Although Lorenz and Tingerben's experiments were interesting, they were unnatural situations. However, the existence of supernormal stimuli in species such as cuckoo, classified as a breeding parasite. The females of this species put their eggs in the nests of other smaller birds and abandon them. At birth, the cuckoo kills the offspring of the other species and takes them out of the nest.

In addition, he deceives the mother using supernormal stimuli: her peak and singing. Most birds have a bright red mouth that activates parents' food instinct. In the case of the cuckoo, his mouth is much wider and brighter than the "normal". Also, his call is similar to that of the birds he cheats, but in a higher tone. In other words, their peak and call becomes a supranormal stimulus for the other bird that ends up feeding it.

THE CASE OF THE REAL PAV

Another species with which this phenomenon occurs are the real turkeys, very famous for its huge tail with colorful feathers. The peacock is considered another example because its large feathers, they don't really serve to fly. But, the animal uses them as a mechanism to get the attention of females and get reproduced.

Does the supranormal stimulus affect human beings?

You might think that human beings are less prone to supernormal stimuli due to their greater reasoning capacity. However, the reality is that this phenomenon is repeated frequently in our lives. For example, it is said that the media and entertainment bombard us with these stimuli constantly.

We see movies and series where they show us situations (unreal, usually) that we prefer before our real life. Frequently, we admire animated characters with bodies that have exaggerated proportions such as the famous Barbie doll. The waist of this character is usually so small that if he had a real human, perhaps his body would break in half. Even so, your body is seen as something desirable for some people to want.

The same applies with male comics and movies that have a disproportionate musculature. Another example that experts cite is the large amount of sugary foods that exist in the market. Large sugar would work as an exaggerated stimulus that activates our instinct to feed us, even if it is not nutritious.

In conclusion, The supranormal stimulus is a phenomenon that reveals how easy it can be to deceive instincts. For that reason, as beings capable of reasoning, we must pay more attention to the decisions we make and our tastes. Unreal expectations and excesses can deteriorate our physical and mental health.

References

• Barrett, d. (2010). Supernormal Stimuli: How Primal Urges Overran Their Evolutionary Purpose. WW Norton & Company.
• Butch, r. L., & Johnsen, L. (2020). Captain Dorito and The Bombshell: Supernormal Stimuli in Comics and Film. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences, 14(2), 115.
• Grim, t., Honza, m. (2001). Does supernormal stimulus parental influence behaviour of the cuckoo's host? Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.
• Tinbergen, n. (1951). The Study of Instinct. Oxford, Clarendon Press.