Distinguish habituation from sensitization.

Distinguish habituation from sensitization.

• A. Habituation is a decrease in response to a repeated, non-threatening stimulus; sensitization is an increased response following a salient or harmful stimulus.
• B. Habituation is an increase in response to repeated stimulation; sensitization is a decrease.
• C. Habituation requires punishment for learning to occur.
• D. Sensitization is a decrease in responsiveness to a stimulus over time.

Answer: (A)

The concept being tested is how two basic non-associative learning processes differ in how an organism responds to repeated or salient stimuli. Habituation is a decrease in response when a benign stimulus is repeated, allowing the animal to tune out background noise and focus on more important cues. Sensitization is the opposite: a salient or harmful stimulus raises the animal’s responsiveness, often making it react more strongly to a range of stimuli afterward. The best answer captures these definitions exactly. It’s not about punishment or about being an increase or decrease in response in general; habituation is not punishment-based learning and does not involve an increasing response, while sensitization involves an increased response after a strong stimulus.

The concept being tested is how two basic non-associative learning processes differ in how an organism responds to repeated or salient stimuli. Habituation is a decrease in response when a benign stimulus is repeated, allowing the animal to tune out background noise and focus on more important cues. Sensitization is the opposite: a salient or harmful stimulus raises the animal’s responsiveness, often making it react more strongly to a range of stimuli afterward. The best answer captures these definitions exactly. It’s not about punishment or about being an increase or decrease in response in general; habituation is not punishment-based learning and does not involve an increasing response, while sensitization involves an increased response after a strong stimulus.