Which term means automatic responses programmed by the nervous system?

Prepare for the VTCT Level 2 Facial and Skincare Test. Revise with flashcards and multiple choice questions, accompanied by insightful explanations. Ace your assessment with confidence!

Automatic, inborn responses are instinctual behaviours. These are patterns of action that are built into the nervous system and occur without any conscious thought or prior learning. They’re triggered by specific cues in the environment and allow quick, coordinated reactions. Memory involves stored information, not an immediate reaction. Stimuli are signals that prompt a response, but they’re not the response themselves. Learning is the process of gaining new knowledge or skills through experience, not something innate. So the term that best captures automatic responses programmed by the nervous system is instinctual behaviour.