The term reflection It comes from the Latin reflexus And it has several uses. A reflex can be a involuntary response In front of a stimulus ; the reflected light or the image of someone or something that is reflected on a surface; what reveals otherwise ; and the ability of a person to react quickly and efficiently, for example.
As involuntary response , the reflex is a pattern of behavior that is repeated in an entire species. It is a local response, which involves only a part of the organism, and whose mechanism is automatically started.
A reflex action It is an involuntary action that takes place when a sensory receptor is stimulated. The sensory neuron receives the stimulus and sends it to a reflex center that is in the spinal cord; It relays it to a motor neuron, which responds to the stimulus, activates the secretion of a gland or produces muscle movement.
Within Psychology we find the fact that there are several types of reflexes. Thus, on the one hand, there is what is known as a conditioned reflex that is the one that takes place when, in the absence of a specific stimulus, it is caused by another that has been previously associated but has not been specific at all.
That is the opposite of what is called unconditioned reflex. Specifically, this is what is defined as being innate, being part of the essence of our being from the moment we are born. That is, it is one that is linked to a basic behavior that has as a clear objective survival.
In this way, we can determine that the clear and exact difference that exists between conditioned and unconditioned reflexes is that while the former are learned, the latter are absolutely innate.
To show that differentiation between the two, nothing better than to establish it from some examples. Thus, we can determine that a conditioned reflex is that of Paulov's dogs, that is, those animals that learned that when they rang a bell it was time to eat and that was how a moment came when they heard it began to salivate because they knew that It was time to satisfy his hunger.
A perfect example to understand what an unconditioned reflex is is to remove the hand from the fire when we burn. And we have not learned that action, it is innate.
As reflection of light, a reflection is the change of direction of a ray or of a wave that takes place on the surface of disappearance of two means. This reflection can be speculate (as happens in a mirror) or diffuse (the image is conserved, but the energy is reflected).
On the other hand, a reflection is something that reveals something else. For example: “His anger with the coach was the reflection of a bad relationship that has been going on for several months now”.
Finally, the reflection as a person's ability refers to their way of reacting: "He tried to hit him, but he was able to dodge the punch thanks to his good reflexes".
