habituation

[huh-bich-oo-ey-shuh n] /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.
Origin
1400-50; late Middle English. See habituate, -ion
Examples from the web for habituation
  • Because of their inquisitiveness and habituation to human feeding, the herds can be encountered right along the roads.
  • The goal of the treatment is habituation, a form of learning in which a response to a stimulus diminishes with repeated exposure.
  • Exposure theorists require specific doses, ie continuous stimulation with response prevention, to effect habituation.
  • Once they experiment a few times, habituation rears its ugly head.
  • It is the habituation to human company that both causes and disguises the threat that chimpanzees will harm humans.
  • Normally, repeated exposure to the same experiences or images leads to habituation, or reduced response.
  • habituation is frequently used in testing psychological phenomenon.
British Dictionary definitions for habituation

habituation

/həˌbɪtjʊˈeɪʃən/
noun
1.
the act or process of habituating
2.
(psychol) the temporary waning of an innate response that occurs when it is elicited many times in succession Compare extinction (sense 6)
Word Origin and History for habituation
n.

mid-15c., from Medieval Latin habituationem, noun of action from habituare (see habituate (v.)).

habituation in Medicine

habituation ha·bit·u·a·tion (hə-bĭch'ōō-ā'shən)
n.

  1. The process of habituating or the state of being habituated.

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

  3. Psychological dependence on a drug.

  4. The decline of a conditioned response following repeated exposure to the conditioned stimulus.

habituation in Science
habituation
  (hə-bĭch'-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.