Desensitisation

Desensitisation is a process through which an organism becomes less responsive to a particular stimulus over time. This occurs when the stimulus is presented repeatedly and is either not associated with any significant consequence or is associated with a neutral or negative outcome. Essentially, the organism learns to ignore or habituate to the stimulus because it is no longer perceived as important or threatening.

In psychology, desensitisation is often used therapeutically, particularly in the treatment of phobias and anxieties. This technique, known as systematic desensitisation, involves gradually exposing an individual to their feared object or situation while teaching them relaxation techniques. By repeatedly encountering the feared stimulus at increasing levels of intensity without experiencing a negative outcome, the individual's anxiety response diminishes.

Desensitisation can also occur in other contexts. For example, individuals exposed to violence in media may become desensitised to its impact over time. Similarly, in immunology, desensitisation, often called immunotherapy or allergy shots, is used to reduce allergic reactions. This involves administering small, gradually increasing doses of an allergen to the body to build tolerance and decrease the severity of allergic responses. The underlying principle in all forms of desensitisation is a reduction in reactivity to a specific stimulus through repeated exposure.