Habituation is a decrease in response to a stimulus after repeated presentations. For example, a new sound in your environment, such as a new ringtone, may initially draw your attention or even become distracting.
Over time, as you become accustomed to this sound, you pay less attention to the noise and your response to the sound will diminish. This diminished response is habituation.
Examples
In order to understand how habituation works, it can be helpful to look at a few different examples. This phenomenon plays a role in many different areas from learning to perception.
Habituation is one of the simplest and most common forms of learning. It allows people to tune out non-essential stimuli and focus on the things that really demand attention. Habituation is something that happens regularly in your everyday life, yet you are probably largely unaware of it.
For example, imagine that you are studying with the television playing in the background. The TV might be distracting at first, but habituation allows you to eventually tune out the noise and focus on what you are trying to learn.
Imagine that you are in your backyard when you hear a loud banging noise from your neighbor’s yard. The unusual sound immediately draws your attention, and you wonder what is going on or what might be making the noise. Over the next few days, the banging noise continues at a regular and constant pace. Eventually, you just tune out the noise
It’s not only sound that prompts us to become habituated. Other senses can also be affected by habituation.
Another example would be spritzing on some perfume before you leave for work in the morning. After a short period, you no longer notice the scent of your perfume, but others around you may notice the smell even after you’ve become unaware of it.
There are also psychotherapy approaches that rely on habituation. In the treatment of phobias, for example, habituating people to the source of their fear is one way to help them overcome their phobia. In exposure therapy, for example, people are progressively subjected to things that they fear.
Exposure therapy uses habituation to help people overcome their fears. For example:
Habituation does not always occur in the same way and there are a number of factors that can influence how quickly you become habituated to a stimulus. Some of the key characteristics of habituation include:
Habituation is an example of non-associative learning, that is, there’s no reward or punishment associated with the stimulus. You’re not experiencing pain or pleasure as a result of that neighbor’s banging noises.
So why do we experience habituation? There are a few different theories that seek to explain why habituation occurs:
Habituation is a concept often applied to perceptual phenomena, but it can also have a number of different real-world applications. This can include social relationships. It can affect your relationships in a variety of ways:
While habituation can lead to the thrill of a new relationship wearing off over time, it is not necessarily a bad thing. The initial passion that tends to mark the outset of a relationship typically gives way to something deeper and more lasting—a deeper, more meaningful love that is marked by friendship, support, and respect in addition to passion.
Habituation in relationships can become problematic, however, when it leads to taking the other person for granted. Long-term relationships can often fall victim to this problem.
Over time, you might feel that your partner does not appreciate the things that you contribute to the relationship. Or perhaps it is your partner who feels that they are being overlooked.
So what can you do to overcome habituation and bring some of the initial spark back into your relationship?
Benchmark (interim) assessment Interim assessments are often carried out at numerous intervals throughout the school…
The code of conduct is based on 10 principles, behaviors and ethics for workers in…
What is the code of ethics for professional teachers? A professional code of ethics outlines…
Attendance and punctuality: Whether in school or work, you learn and accomplish most when you…
Demonstrate integrity Promoting Academic Integrity in the Classroom Talk about academic honesty often. Expect high…
What is Classroom Climate? Classroom climate is a term used to give attention to a…
This website uses cookies.