Imagine that you flinch after seeing lightning because in previous instances the lightning is followed by thunder, which scared you. In this scenario, lightning can be interpreted as being a(n) :

A) unconditioned stimulus.
B) unconditioned response.
C) conditioned stimulus.
D) conditioned response.

Conditioned Stimulus

An initially neutral signal that, upon being paired with an unconditioned stimulus, ultimately elicits a conditioned response.

Unconditioned Response

An automatic, natural reaction to a stimulus that occurs without any prior learning or conditioning.

Lightning

A natural electrical discharge of very short duration and high voltage that occurs between a cloud and the ground or within a cloud.