PSY 3103 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Startle Response, Habituation

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 3103
• Professor: Dr. phil

Document Summary

Habituation : is a decrease in the strength of an elicited behaviour following repeated presentations of the eliciting stimulus. Eg. we quickly stop attending to low intensity background noises such as the ticking of a clock or the distant noise of traffic. Similarly a sudden unexpected tap on the shoulder may elicit a startle response whereas any additional taps might have no such effect. Sensitization : an increase in the strength of an elicited behaviour following repeated representations of the eliciting stimulus. Eg. soldiers under attack generally do not habituate to the sound of artillery shells exploding nearby. Greatly contributes to the stress they experience and the inevitable breakdown virtually all soldiers will suffer after too much exposure to battle conditions. The effects of habituation and sensitization usually disappear when the stimulus is not presented for a period of time, meaning the strength of the behaviour goes back to its original level.