PSY260H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Dual Process Theory, Perceptual Learning, Startle Response
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PSY260H1 Full Course Notes
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Chapter 3: habituation, sensitization, and familiarization (learning about repeated events) Habituation: loss of responding to repeated experiences one of the most widespread forms of learning: all organisms tested even those without brains show habituation. Acoustic startle reflex a defensive response to a loud, unexpected noise; if the noise is presented over and over again the startle response. Orienting response an organism"s natural reaction to a novel stimulus or to an important event (in infants fixation time staring at something new) Normally habituation is advantageous for an organism through habituation to familiar stimuli, individual avoids wasting time and energy. There is a risk though dangers of habituation immortalized in the story of the boy who cried wolf. Figure 1: response/fixation time decreases with repeated stimuli: stimulus specificity and dishabituation. Habituation to one event doesn"t cause habituation to every other stimulus in the same sensory modality it is stimulus specific.
