Final answer:
The correct term for an event that elicits a response without prior learning is 'unconditioned stimulus', naturally causing a reflexive response known as 'unconditioned response'.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept in question pertains to classical conditioning in psychology. An event that elicits or brings forth a response without prior learning is called an unconditioned stimulus (UCS). An unconditioned stimulus naturally triggers a reflexive response known as an unconditioned response (UCR). In Ivan Pavlov's famous experiments, the sight or smell of food was the unconditioned stimulus that caused the dogs to salivate, which was the unconditioned response.
By contrast, a conditioned stimulus is something that originally does not cause a significant response but comes to do so after being associated with an unconditioned stimulus. Over time, the conditioned stimulus can evoke the conditioned response even without the presence of the unconditioned stimulus. Extinction occurs when the conditioned stimulus is presented repeatedly without being paired with the unconditioned stimulus, leading to the weakening and eventual disappearance of the conditioned response.
In the context of the given choices, the correct answer to the question is b) Unconditioned stimulus because it is something that naturally and automatically triggers a response without prior conditioning.
The correct choice is 'b) Unconditioned stimulus', which naturally elicits a response without prior learning, such as food causing salivation in Pavlov's dogs.