habituation

American  

[huh-bich-oo-ey-shuhn] / həˌbɪtʃ uˈeɪ ʃən /

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.

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habituation Scientific  

/ hə-bĭch′o̅o̅-ā′shən /

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.

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Etymology

Origin of habituation

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.”

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Science Daily

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.

From Los Angeles Times

And so, this is about habituation and conditioning.

From Salon

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.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• frequency
• repetition