Roy's knee jerks the first time a psychologist taps it with a small hammer during an experiment.The knee jerk is a(n):
A) unconditioned stimulus
B) conditioned response
C) unconditioned response
D) habit

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The knee jerk is an innate and automatic response to a physical stimulus, so it is an unconditioned response. An unconditioned stimulus would be the original stimulus that triggers the unconditioned response, which in this case is the tap of the hammer. A conditioned response is a learned response that is acquired through association with a previously neutral stimulus, so it does not apply in this scenario. Habit refers to a learned behavior that becomes automatic through repetition, so it also does not apply in this case.

Roy's Knee Jerks the First Time a Psychologist Taps It