accustoming

Accustoming is the act of making someone or something become used to a new environment, condition, or routine. It involves deliberate, gradual exposure, repetition, and supportive cues that reduce novelty, fear, or discomfort, facilitating smoother functioning and adaptation over time.

In humans, accustoming occurs in child development, education, travel, medical settings, and workplace transitions. Examples include a child becoming comfortable with a new daycare routine through regular schedules and familiar staff, or a patient gradually adjusting to a hospital room, a new medical device, or post-surgical care via resequenced steps and reassurance.

In animal care and training, accustoming helps an animal tolerate handling, grooming, or transport. Trainers use incremental exposure and positive reinforcement to decrease stress and build confidence, while caregivers introduce new stimuli in a controlled, ethical manner.

Accustoming is related to, but distinct from, habituation and acclimatization. Habituation refers to a diminished response to a repeated stimulus, whereas accustoming emphasizes the broader process of becoming comfortable with a new situation. Acclimatization typically describes physiological or behavioral adjustment to environmental conditions, such as climate or altitude. The term is also related to familiarization and conditioning in various disciplines.

Ethical considerations include ensuring voluntariness for humans and humane treatment for animals, allowing adequate time, and avoiding coercion or excessive stress during the process.