Dozy;
(which has the unfortunate consequence of completing the THS's drive to the full nose-up position, fouling the pitot tubes and consequently rendering the Stall Warning intermittent)
The elevator had sufficient authority to get the nose down - it was never stalled, (discussed at length in The Threads). Had the stick been held forward the aircraft would have recovered, while the THS was returning to it's cruise position, (that's the behaviour we saw in the sim).
Though it was completely the wrong thing to do, I can understand the instinct to pull the nose up when the altimeter begins to wind down.
Yes, it is instinctual and must be, to the extent possible, "trained out". Difficult though - better to avoid such a requirement altogether as such instinct has killed at least two other crews, (DC8 - test flight, B727 - placement flight) that we know of. It may have been a factor in the Trans-Canada-Airlines DC8 crash at St. Therese in the mid-60's.
What I have more trouble understanding is the motivation behind pulling the nose up past half-stick deflection around 02:10:09 (i.e. at AP disconnect), when the PF has just been explaining to the PNF why they are unable to safely climb to a higher flight level.
It isn't productive to wonder because, although we may imagine all kinds, I doubt if there is a specific reason. By this time the PF was lost/confused but unwilling to yield control to the more experienced man, who never pressed the take-over button for 15" or whatever it takes to lock the other sidestick out.