Habituation refers to the gradual reduction in the amount of Attention paid to a stimulus when it is presented several times.

Description

In psychology, "habituation" refers to a decrease in responsiveness to a stimulus after repeated or prolonged exposure. It is a basic form of learning that involves the organism becoming accustomed to a stimulus that is presented repeatedly, leading to a reduction in the intensity or frequency of the response. Habituation is a pervasive phenomenon observed across various species and developmental stages, from simple organisms to complex human behavior. It serves as a fundamental adaptive mechanism, allowing organisms to filter out irrelevant or non-threatening stimuli from their environment, conserve energy, and allocate attention to more salient stimuli. Habituation is influenced by factors such as stimulus characteristics, intensity, duration, and novelty, as well as individual differences in sensory processing and cognitive processing.

Application Areas

  • Sensory processing research
  • Cognitive psychology
  • Behavioral therapy
  • Animal behavior studies
  • Developmental psychology
  • Attentional processes research

Treatment and Risks

  • Treatment: Habituation techniques are often utilized in behavioral therapy to help individuals overcome phobias, anxieties, or aversions by gradually exposing them to the feared stimulus in a controlled manner. Systematic desensitization and exposure therapy are examples of therapeutic approaches that rely on habituation principles to reduce fear and avoidance behaviors.
  • Risks: Habituation can lead to habituation effects, where individuals become desensitized to stimuli that are initially relevant or important. This may result in decreased sensitivity to genuine threats or decreased motivation to attend to important information in the environment.

Examples

  • A baby initially startles at the sound of a loud noise but gradually becomes less reactive to it after repeated exposure.
  • A person living near a busy street may habituate to the noise of traffic, eventually not noticing it anymore.
  • In behavioral therapy, a person with a fear of heights gradually habituates to the fear-inducing stimulus by exposing themselves to heights in a controlled and systematic way.

Similar Concepts and Synonyms

  • Adaptation
  • Sensory habituation
  • Response decrement
  • Acclimatization
  • Tolerance
  • Familiarization

Articles with 'Habituation' in the title

  • Dishabituation: Dishabituation is defined as the reappearance of a habituated response following the presentation of a seemingly irrelevant novel stimulus- the tendency to show renewed interest in a stimulus when some features of it have been changed

Summary

In psychology, habituation refers to the decrease in responsiveness to a stimulus after repeated or prolonged exposure. It is a fundamental form of learning observed across various species and developmental stages, allowing organisms to filter out irrelevant stimuli and allocate attention to more salient ones. Habituation has applications in sensory processing research, cognitive psychology, behavioral therapy, and animal behavior studies. While habituation can be beneficial, leading to adaptive responses, it also carries risks such as habituation effects, where individuals become desensitized to important stimuli in their environment.

--


Related Articles to the term 'Habituation'

'Capacity' ■■■■■■■■■■
Capacity refers to the sum total of cognitive resources available at any given time. In psychology, capacity . . . Read More
'Frequency'
Frequency may be defined as the number of sound waves per second. In the case of a sound wave that repeats . . . Read More
'Exposure'
exposure refers to a behavior therapy technique for treating anxiety disorders that exposes the subject . . . Read More
'Grain'
Grain is a unit of measure which is "a unit of weight equal to 0.0648 gram". In psychology, the term . . . Read More
'Drug'
Drug: The term "drug" typically refers to any substance that can alter an individual's thoughts, feelings, . . . Read More
'Duration'
Duration refers to the length of time that an individual repeatedly or continuously performs a certain . . . Read More
'Community'
Community is a group of people living in the same geographic area, such as neighborhood, town, or city . . . Read More
'Therapy'
In the field of psychology, therapy, also known as psychotherapy or counseling, refers to the treatment . . . Read More
'Phenomenon'
A phenomenon refers to any event, behavior, or occurrence that is being studied or observed. Phenomena . . . Read More
'Certification'
Certification refers to a professional regulation that prohibits people from calling themselves Psychologists . . . Read More