habituací

Habituace is a fundamental form of non-associative learning where an organism decreases its response to a stimulus after repeated exposure. This learning process occurs when a stimulus is presented multiple times, and the organism learns to ignore it because it is no longer perceived as novel or significant. For example, a person living near a train track might initially be startled by the sound of passing trains but, over time, will habituate to the noise and no longer react strongly.

The key characteristic of habituation is that the response diminishes gradually over time with continued exposure to the stimulus. If the stimulus is removed for a period and then reintroduced, the response may return, but it will likely be weaker than the initial reaction. This distinguishes habituation from sensory adaptation, which is a physiological change in the sensory receptors themselves. Habituating organisms are still capable of perceiving the stimulus; they simply learn that it does not require a behavioral response.

Habituation is observed across a wide range of species, from invertebrates to humans, and plays a crucial role in survival by allowing organisms to filter out irrelevant sensory information and focus their attention on more important stimuli or events. It is a basic mechanism that conserves energy and resources by preventing unnecessary reactions to commonplace environmental cues. This process is considered one of the simplest forms of learning and is often studied in behavioral psychology and neuroscience.