Habituation

Habituation is a gradual decline in responding to a constant or repeatedly presented stimulus. Responding usually decreases quickly during early stimulus presentations; the loss of responding is slower during later presentations. Habituation is thought to occur for most if not all stimuli and species of animals, including humans, in both laboratory and natural settings. It is one of the longest known and most extensively studied of the behavioral processes. Habituation probably occurs because constant or repeated stimuli usually do not present either a threat or an opportunity. Therefore, animals that ignore these stimuli can devote more energy and resources to important stimuli (e.g., food, threats) and will have an evolutionary advantage as a result.

This entry describes some examples of habituation. It defines habituation's companion process, sensitization. It reviews some of the factors that speed or slow habituation. Finally, it discusses some frequent misconceptions about habituation. Because habituation is ubiquitous, it provides a potential explanation for declines in behavior in educational settings. An understanding of habituation provides suggestions for slowing or preventing these declines. Habituation also provides a tool for studying what has been learned in nonverbal animals (e.g., nonhuman animals, babies).