habituation

[huh-bich-oo-ey-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of habituating.

2. the condition of being habituated.

3. physiological tolerance to or psychological dependence on a drug, short of addiction.

4. reduction of psychological or behavioral response occurring when a specific stimulus occurs repeatedly.

habituation

1. The gradual decline of a response to a stimulus resulting from repeated exposure to the stimulus.

2. Physiological tolerance for a drug resulting from repeated use.

3. Psychological dependence on a drug resulting from repeated use.

Word History and Origins

Origin of habituation¹

1400–50; late Middle English. See habituate, -ion

Example Sentences

“Moreover, habituation to livestock inadvertently draws wolves closer to human communities, increasing the potential for conflict despite their natural avoidance of people.”

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One memory decayed much faster than the other -- a form of memory loss necessary for habituation, the researchers noted.

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In addition, binging on breakup songs can be part of “a habituation process” that reduces the intensity of feelings associated with a romantic split, Sbarra said.

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And so, this is about habituation and conditioning.

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It presents evidence of their importance in tactile courtship, noting that habituation and neural adaptation likely favor variation in mate choice signals such as their intensity, duration, and timing.

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Related Words

• frequency 
• repetition