undulatio reflexa

reflexive action (Latin): the term used by René Descartes to explain bodily movements that are not under volitional control but instead occur as a response to the surrounding environment. The concept arose from Descartes’s notion of the body as a machine that is wholly distinct from the mind (see Cartesian dualism). It served as a basis for later psychological theories that took the reflex arc as the basic unit, as well as the basic model, of behavior.

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Psychology term of the day

March 11th 2025

retinal densitometry

a method of measuring the absorptance characteristics of retinal photopigments. A light that is shone into the eye travels through the retina, is reflected back out of the eye by tissues behind the retina, and is measured. The light that emerges is compared to the original light to determine how much was absorbed.