Conditioned And Unconditioned Reflex
Reflexes are automatic responses to stimuli, but they can be divided into two types: ”unconditioned reflexes” (natural, inborn) and ”conditioned reflexes” (learned through experience). Understanding both helps explain how behaviour is shaped by biology and environment.
1. Unconditioned Reflex
- Definition: An inborn, automatic, and involuntary response to a specific stimulus.
- Nature: Present from birth, requires no prior learning.
- Examples:
– Knee-jerk reflex when the patellar tendon is tapped.
– Withdrawal of hand from a hot surface.
– Sucking reflex in newborns.
2. Conditioned Reflex
- Definition: A learned response that develops when a neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with a natural stimulus.
- Nature: Acquired through experience and association; not present at birth.
- Examples:
– Salivation in Pavlov’s dogs when hearing a bell associated with food.
– Feeling hungry at the sound of lunchtime bell in school.
– Anxiety triggered by a place linked to past trauma.