Unconditioned Reflex Response: Understanding the Blinking Reflex

What is the Unconditioned Reflex Response in a scenario where a puff of air blown in the eye produces blinking?

(A) The puff of air

(B) The blinking

(C) The association between the puff of air and the blinking

(D) None of the above

Answer:

In this scenario, the Unconditioned Reflex Response (UCR) is B) the blink caused by a puff of air which triggers the corneal reflex - a protective response.

Explanation: In the given scenario, the puff of air blown in the eye causing a blink, the Unconditioned Reflex Response (UCR) is the blinking. UCR is the automatic, natural, or inherent response to the Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS), which in this case is the puff of air. Here, the air puff triggers a corneal reflex, a protective response that results in the contraction of the orbicularis oculi muscle, leading to the blinking of the eye. This blinking is an involuntary and unlearned response to the air puff, thus making it the UCR.