PSY 2510 Chapter 13: The concepts of habituation and awareness

• School: Oakland Community College
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 2510
• Professor: Symington, Todd

Document Summary

Repeated presentation of an eliciting stimulus can cause both decreases and increases in response. The decreases in the tendency to respond produced by repeated stimulation are called the habituation effect. Increases in the tendency to respond are called the sensitization effect. Habituation effect: progressive decrease in the vigor of elicited behavior that can take place with the repeated presentation of the eliciting stimulus. Sensitization effect: increase in the vigor of elicited behavior that may result from repeated presentation of the eliciting stimulus or exposure to an intense external stimulus. The effects of habituation and sensitization are two basic types of behavioral changes that result from previous experience. They are such fundamental features of the adjustment of organisms to the environment that takes place in all species and in all response systems. The effects of habituation and sensitization can occur in any situation that involves repeated exposure to a stimulus. The consideration of these effects is critical for learning studies.