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

/ 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of habituation¹

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

Example Sentences

Up until recently, habituation -- a simple form of learning -- was deemed the exclusive domain of complex organisms with brains and nervous systems, such as worms, insects, birds, and mammals.

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

We also noticed that habituation and change occurs, comparable to the aforementioned example of the new building.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• frequency
• repetition