Habituation and Dishabituation (7C) - Psych & Soc

Identify the most likely explanation: response decreases to all stimuli after prolonged exertion.

Motor fatigue (not habituation). General decline indicates muscle exhaustion, not learning.
Identify the process: After habituation to a tone, a new light restores startle response.

Dishabituation. The novel stimulus interrupts the habituated state, reinstating the original response.
Identify the type of learning most directly represented by habituation and dishabituation.

Nonassociative learning. Single stimulus learning without reinforcement or association.
What is the orienting response, and how is it related to habituation?

Attention/arousal to novelty that diminishes with repeated exposure. Habituation reduces this automatic attention response to repeated stimuli.
Identify the best interpretation: response declines because the subject is too tired to respond.

Motor fatigue, not habituation. Exhaustion affects all responses, not specific to repeated stimulus.
Which term describes decreased response due to receptor fatigue rather than learning?

Sensory adaptation. It results from peripheral receptor changes, not central nervous system learning.
What does stimulus specificity mean in habituation?

Reduced response is greatest to the repeated stimulus, not all stimuli. Response decreases most to the habituated stimulus specifically.
Which option best fits dishabituation: novel stimulus, repeated identical stimulus, or rest?

Novel stimulus. A new or altered stimulus is required to reset the habituated response pattern.
Identify the most likely process: response decreases across trials and returns after a loud noise occurs.

Dishabituation. Loud noise restores habituated response, classic dishabituation.
Which stimulus intensity generally leads to slower habituation: weak or strong?

Strong (high-intensity) stimuli. Intense stimuli remain biologically relevant longer.
In classical conditioning terms, what is a key difference between habituation and extinction?

Extinction reduces a learned CS response; habituation reduces response to US. Extinction affects conditioned responses; habituation affects unconditioned ones.
Identify the best interpretation: response returns after a break with no new stimulus introduced.

Spontaneous recovery of habituation. Response recovers after rest without new stimulation.
What is the key behavioral criterion that indicates habituation has occurred?

Progressive decrease in response magnitude to the repeated stimulus. It demonstrates that the organism has learned to filter out the repeated, irrelevant stimulus.
What key feature distinguishes habituation from sensory adaptation?

Habituation is central; sensory adaptation is peripheral receptor change. Habituation occurs in CNS processing; adaptation occurs at sensory receptors.
Which option best supports habituation over sensory adaptation: response returns to the same stimulus after a break?

Spontaneous recovery after a rest period. Recovery shows CNS learning, not permanent receptor changes.
What is the key difference between habituation and extinction in classical conditioning?

Habituation is nonassociative; extinction is loss of a learned association. Habituation needs no pairing; extinction removes CS-US association.
Which type of learning best describes habituation: associative or nonassociative?

Nonassociative learning. No pairing with other stimuli required; response changes to single stimulus.
Which stimulus pattern produces faster habituation: frequent repetitions or rare repetitions?

Frequent repetitions. More exposures lead to faster learning that stimulus is irrelevant.
Which stimulus property typically produces faster habituation: weak or intense stimulus?

Weak stimulus. Less salient stimuli are more quickly deemed irrelevant, accelerating habituation.
Which term describes increased responding after repeated or intense stimulation: habituation or sensitization?

Sensitization. Response amplifies with repeated/intense stimuli, opposite of habituation.
What is the typical effect of increasing interstimulus interval on habituation rate?

Longer intervals generally slow habituation. More time between stimuli maintains response strength longer.
Which option best indicates fatigue rather than habituation: response drops to all tasks, not just one?

Fatigue. Global performance decline indicates fatigue, not stimulus-specific habituation.
Which option best indicates the infant discriminates stimuli: looking time increases to a new image?

Dishabituation indicates discrimination of the novel stimulus. Renewed interest (dishabituation) shows infant detected the difference.
Which option best indicates true habituation rather than fatigue: stimulus-specific or generalized decrease?

Stimulus-specific decrease in responding. Fatigue would reduce all responses equally, not selectively.
Identify the best interpretation: Response returns after a break with no new stimulus.

Spontaneous recovery. Absence of stimulation allows the habituated state to dissipate over time.
Which stimulus pattern produces faster habituation: frequent predictable or rare unpredictable?

Frequent predictable stimulation. Predictable patterns allow faster learning to ignore stimulus.
Which condition best distinguishes habituation from fatigue?

Habituation is stimulus-specific; fatigue is generalized performance drop. Fatigue affects all responses; habituation is specific to repeated stimulus.
Identify the process: A baby startles less to a repeated tone across trials.

Habituation. Shows decreased responding to repeated benign stimulus.
What is habituation in learning and behavior?

Decreased response after repeated exposure to a benign stimulus. Organism learns to ignore irrelevant stimuli through CNS changes.
What is habituation in behavioral neuroscience and learning theory?

Decreased response to a repeated, benign stimulus over time. Non-associative learning where response diminishes to harmless repetition.
Identify the correct label: startle returns after a new light flash occurs between tones.

Dishabituation. Novel light stimulus restores the habituated startle response.
Which stimulus intensity produces slower habituation: weak or strong stimulation?

Strong stimulation. Intense stimuli remain biologically relevant longer, resisting habituation.
Which option best describes dishabituation: rest alone or a novel/strong stimulus?

A novel or strong stimulus. Dishabituation requires an intervening stimulus, not just rest.
Which stimulus variability produces slower habituation: constant or variable stimulation?

Variable stimulation. Unpredictable stimuli maintain attention and biological relevance.
What is the typical effect of increasing stimulus frequency on habituation rate?

Higher frequency generally speeds habituation. More frequent exposure accelerates the habituation process.
Identify the process: repeated loud tone leads to decreased startle response over trials.

Habituation. Repeated exposure reduces startle through nonassociative learning.
What is habituation in learning and behavior?

Decreased response after repeated exposure to a benign stimulus. This process enables organisms to conserve energy by ignoring familiar, non-threatening stimuli over time.
Which experimental measure is most commonly used to index infant habituation in cognition studies?

Decreased looking time (or fixation duration) to a repeated stimulus. Infants look less at familiar stimuli, indicating habituation.
Identify the process: After a loud clap, the baby startles again to the same tone.

Dishabituation. The loud clap acts as a novel stimulus, restoring the startle response.
Which type of learning does habituation represent: associative or nonassociative?

Nonassociative learning. No stimulus pairing or association formation occurs.
What is stimulus generalization of habituation?

Habituation transfers to similar stimuli, with less response to them. Similar stimuli show reduced response through generalization.
Which condition best distinguishes habituation from sensory adaptation?

Habituation is central; sensory adaptation is receptor-level change. Habituation involves brain processing; adaptation occurs at sensory receptors.
Which outcome best reflects generalization rather than stimulus specificity in habituation?

Reduced response spreads to similar stimuli, not just the repeated one. Generalization shows response decrease extends beyond specific stimulus.
Identify the key criterion that distinguishes habituation from sensory adaptation.

Habituation is central learning; adaptation is peripheral receptor fatigue. CNS processing vs peripheral receptor changes distinguish the two.
Which option best distinguishes extinction from habituation: loss of CR after CS-only trials?

Extinction. CR loss after removing US shows associative learning breakdown.
Identify the best interpretation: Responding drops to tone A, but returns to tone B.

Habituation to tone A (stimulus-specific), not fatigue. Response returns to tone B shows specific learning, not general fatigue.
What is the key difference between habituation and sensory adaptation?

Habituation is central; sensory adaptation is peripheral receptor change. Habituation involves CNS learning; adaptation is receptor fatigue.
What is dishabituation in learning and behavior?

Recovery of a habituated response after a novel or changed stimulus. It occurs when a change disrupts the habituated state, restoring attention to the environment.
What is the key difference between habituation and fatigue as causes of reduced responding?

Habituation is stimulus-specific; fatigue is generalized motor decline. Fatigue affects all responses; habituation targets specific stimuli.
Identify the concept: infant looks less at a repeated image, then looks more at a new image.

Habituation followed by dishabituation. Decreased looking shows habituation; new image causes dishabituation.
What is the typical effect of increasing interstimulus interval on habituation rate?

Longer intervals usually slow habituation; shorter intervals speed it. Extended intervals allow partial recovery, reducing cumulative habituation effects.
Which term describes reduced responding due to motor system fatigue rather than learning?

Response (motor) fatigue. It stems from exhaustion in the effector system, distinct from cognitive habituation.
Which option is the clearest operational measure of habituation in an infant study?

Decrease in looking time across repeated presentations of the same stimulus. Looking time is objective, measurable indicator of attention/interest.
What is stimulus specificity in habituation?

Reduced responding occurs mainly to the repeated stimulus, not all stimuli. Response decreases only to the habituated stimulus, preserving others.
Which option best indicates sensory adaptation rather than habituation: receptor firing declines during constant odor?

Sensory adaptation. Peripheral receptor changes indicate adaptation, not central habituation.
Which type of learning best describes dishabituation: associative or nonassociative?

Nonassociative learning. Response changes without stimulus pairing or reinforcement.
What pattern of responding would indicate sensitization rather than habituation?

Increased response magnitude with repeated stimulation. Sensitization heightens arousal to potentially threatening repeated stimuli.
What is stimulus generalization of habituation?

Reduced responding transfers to stimuli similar to the habituated one. Similar stimuli show reduced response like the habituated one.
What does dishabituation imply about the organism's sensory capacity for the original stimulus?

The organism can still detect it; the reduced response was not sensory loss. Shows sensory systems intact; response reduction was learned.
Identify the correct label: repeated loud tone leads to smaller startle response over trials.

Habituation. Repeated exposure reduces startle magnitude through habituation.
Which feature best distinguishes habituation from sensory adaptation?

Habituation is central learning; sensory adaptation is peripheral change. Habituation involves neural plasticity in the brain, while adaptation is a sensory threshold shift.
Which outcome best supports stimulus specificity: decreased response to tone but not to light?

Stimulus specificity. Selective reduction demonstrates habituation's specificity to trained stimuli.
What is habituation in behavioral neuroscience and learning?

Decreased response to a repeated, benign stimulus over time. Response weakens when stimulus proves harmless through repetition.
Identify the confound: Reduced response occurs because sensory receptors stop firing.

Sensory adaptation (not habituation). Receptor-level changes mimic habituation but lack learning components.
Which outcome best supports generalization: decreased response to tone and similar pitch tones?

Generalization. Transfer to similar stimuli shows habituation's gradient based on perceptual overlap.
What is dishabituation?

Recovery of a habituated response after a novel stimulus appears. Novel stimulus temporarily restores the habituated response.
Identify the best interpretation: response declines because receptors stop firing to constant light.

Sensory adaptation, not habituation. Receptor-level change indicates peripheral process, not central learning.
Which concept explains why a repeated irrelevant stimulus is ignored to conserve attention?

Habituation as an attentional filtering mechanism. It prioritizes processing of novel or important information over familiar inputs.
Identify the term: startle response returns after a new sound occurs between tones.

Dishabituation. Novel stimulus interrupts habituation, restoring the original response.
What is spontaneous recovery in habituation?

Return of a habituated response after a rest period without exposure. Time away from stimulus allows response to partially recover.
Which learning type best describes dishabituation: associative or nonassociative?

Nonassociative learning. Dishabituation reflects a reset in nonassociative learning triggered by novelty, not paired stimuli.
Which option best indicates habituation rather than sensory adaptation: response decreases only for that sound?

Habituation (stimulus-specific decrease suggests central learning). Specific decrease indicates central processing, not receptor fatigue.
Identify the term: decreased startle response to repeated loud tones over time.

Habituation. Classic example of response reduction to repeated, harmless stimuli.
Which option best defines stimulus specificity in habituation?

Reduced response is strongest for the repeated stimulus, not all stimuli. Response decreases specifically to habituated stimulus, not others.
What key feature distinguishes habituation from motor fatigue?

Habituation is not due to muscle exhaustion; response can recover quickly. Dishabituation proves muscles still work; it's a learning process, not fatigue.
What is stimulus generalization in habituation?

Reduced response transfers to similar stimuli. Brain generalizes learned irrelevance to perceptually similar stimuli.
What is stimulus specificity in habituation?

Reduced responding is strongest for the repeated stimulus, not all stimuli. It shows that habituation is tuned to particular features of the familiar stimulus.
What is meant by "habituation is not sensory fatigue"?

Reduced responding reflects CNS processing, not exhausted receptors. Brain processes change, not receptor exhaustion or damage.
Identify the typical effect of more frequent stimulus presentations on habituation rate.

More frequent presentations produce faster habituation. Rapid repetition accelerates the habituation process.
Identify the key criterion that distinguishes habituation from motor fatigue.

Habituation is stimulus-specific; fatigue is general performance decline. Response decreases to specific stimulus, not overall performance.
Which stimulus property typically produces slower habituation: weak or intense stimulus?

Intense stimulus. Stronger stimuli maintain salience longer, delaying the habituation process.
Identify the process: A repeated tone elicits less startle response over trials.

Habituation. Repeated exposure leads to diminished orienting response as the tone becomes familiar.
Which brain structure is classically linked to habituation of the startle reflex in mammals?

Brainstem (startle circuit modulation). Startle reflex habituation involves brainstem neural circuits.
What type of learning is habituation classified as?

Nonassociative learning. No association needed; response decreases through repetition alone.
What is stimulus specificity in habituation?

Habituation is strongest for the repeated stimulus, weaker for different ones. Response reduction is most pronounced for exact stimulus, less for variants.
Which learning type best describes habituation: associative or nonassociative?

Nonassociative learning. Habituation involves changes in response to a single stimulus without forming associations between stimuli.
Which type of learning does dishabituation represent: associative or nonassociative?

Nonassociative learning. Like habituation, it involves single stimulus exposure without pairing.
Which outcome best supports dishabituation: response returns after a different stimulus, then declines again?

Dishabituation followed by renewed habituation. Shows both recovery (dishabituation) and continued learning (re-habituation).
Which stimulus intensity typically produces slower habituation: strong or weak stimulation?

Strong stimulation produces slower habituation. Intense stimuli remain biologically relevant longer.
Which option best indicates true habituation: response drops and returns with a novel cue?

True habituation (dishabituation demonstrates the response is intact). Novel cue causing response recovery proves CNS learning, not fatigue/adaptation.
What is dishabituation?

Recovery of a habituated response after a novel or intense stimulus. Novel stimulus temporarily restores the diminished response.
Identify the typical effect of higher stimulus intensity on habituation rate.

Higher intensity produces slower habituation. Stronger stimuli resist habituation more than weaker ones.
What is stimulus specificity in habituation?

Reduced response is strongest for the repeated stimulus, not all stimuli. Shows the response decrease is learned, not due to general fatigue.
Choose the word that best fits: Increasing response across trials to a loud noise is ____.

Sensitization. Repeated aversive stimuli can amplify responses via heightened arousal.
What is spontaneous recovery in habituation paradigms?

Return of the response after a rest period without stimulation. This indicates that habituation is temporary and the response can re-emerge without new learning.
What is spontaneous recovery in the context of habituation?

Response returns after a rest period without exposure to the stimulus. Time away allows habituated response to recover without retraining.
Identify the key feature of dishabituation that supports habituation as learning, not fatigue.

A novel stimulus restores responding despite continued stimulation capacity. If fatigue caused decrease, novel stimulus couldn't restore response.
What is generalization in habituation contexts?

Habituated decrease transfers to stimuli similar to the repeated stimulus. This reflects how habituation can extend to related stimuli based on similarity.
Which option best indicates habituation rather than extinction: no US presented or repeated benign stimulus?

Repeated benign stimulus (habituation), not omission of a US (extinction). Habituation: no reinforcement involved; extinction: CS without US.
What is a canonical neural mechanism for habituation in the Aplysia gill-withdrawal reflex?

Presynaptic depression: reduced neurotransmitter release from sensory neurons. Synaptic efficiency decreases through reduced transmitter release.
What is the typical effect of a novel stimulus on a habituated response?

It produces dishabituation (response returns). Novelty increases arousal, reversing the habituated state.
Identify the process: after habituating to a tone, a flash of light restores startle to the tone.

Dishabituation. Novel light stimulus reverses habituation to tone.
What is the typical effect of a novel stimulus introduced during habituation training?

It produces dishabituation (temporary return of responding). Novel stimulus alerts system, reversing habituation temporarily.
Which option best supports dishabituation: response returns after introducing a novel stimulus?

Novel stimulus restores the response to the original stimulus. Dishabituation specifically requires a novel stimulus to restore responding.
Identify the confound: Reduced responding occurs because muscles cannot maintain output.

Response (motor) fatigue (not habituation). Motor exhaustion reduces output independently of stimulus familiarity learning.
What is the typical effect of increasing stimulus intensity on habituation rate?

Higher intensity generally slows habituation. Stronger stimuli maintain attention longer, resisting habituation.
What is a canonical neural mechanism for dishabituation in Aplysia?

Serotonin-mediated facilitation increases transmitter release after a novel shock. Serotonin enhances synaptic transmission, reversing habituation.
Which stimulus pattern typically produces faster habituation: frequent and predictable or rare and unpredictable?

Frequent and predictable stimulation. Regular exposure allows faster learning of stimulus irrelevance.
Identify the most likely process: response decreases to a repeated tone but remains strong to a new tone.

Stimulus-specific habituation. Response decreases only to repeated tone, showing specificity.
Identify the most likely explanation: response decreases because receptors become less responsive over time.

Sensory adaptation (not habituation). Peripheral receptor changes, not central nervous system learning.
Which option best describes the orienting response and its relation to habituation?

Initial attention/physiologic response that decreases with repetition. Novel stimuli trigger orienting that habituates with familiarity.
Which term describes reduced responding due to repeated exposure: habituation or sensitization?

Habituation. Repeated exposure leads to decreased responding, not increased.

Study these flashcards