Unconditioned Stimulus

Definition

An unconditioned stimulus is something that naturally, or without learning, triggers a response.

Related terms

Reflex:

An automatic and immediate reaction to a specific stimulus.

Innate Behavior: A behavior that an organism is born with and does not have to learn.

Stimulus Generalization:

The tendency for the conditioned response to occur in response to stimuli that are similar but not identical to the conditioned stimulus.