habituation
Definition
Noun: 1. The process of becoming accustomed to a stimulus or environment: A form of non-associative learning where the behavioral response to a repeated, non-threatening stimulus decreases over time. 2. The state of physiological or psychological adaptation to a drug: A condition characterized by reduced response to a substance after repeated use, often requiring increased doses to achieve the same effect.
Usage and Examples
- General Adaptation:
- The habituation of the animals to the researchers' presence allowed for closer observation.
- City dwellers experience habituation to constant traffic noise.
- Substance Adaptation:
- Chronic use led to a habituation to the drug's effects.
- The study measured the rate of habituation to caffeine.
Advanced Usage
- In Psychology/Neuroscience: Refers to a simple form of learning where a neural response to a stimulus attenuates after repeated presentations. It is often contrasted with .
- The experiment demonstrated habituation in the snail's withdrawal reflex.
- In Pharmacology: While sometimes used interchangeably with , it can specifically denote the psychological component of adaptation, whereas often refers to the physiological component.
- Behavioral habituation can occur even in the absence of increased metabolic tolerance.
Variants and Related Words
- Habituate (verb): To make or become accustomed or used to something.
- It takes time to habituate to a new climate.
- Habituated (adjective): Being in a state of habituation.
- The habituated mice showed no startle response.
Synonyms
- Acclimatization: Adaptation to a new climate or environment.
- Accustomization: The process of becoming familiar with something.
- Tolerance (specifically for substances): The body's reduced reaction to a drug.
- Desensitization: Making less sensitive or reactive.
Antonyms
- Sensitization: An increase in behavioral response after repeated exposure to a stimulus.
- Novelty: The quality of being new, original, or unusual.
Noun
-
a general accommodation to unchanging environmental conditions
-
being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming (especially alcohol or narcotic drugs)
Khám phá thêm
Các từ liên quan
Từ đồng nghĩa
Từ gần giống
