Sensory Adaptation
Definition
Sensory adaptation is the process by which our sensory receptors become less responsive to constant stimuli over time.
Analogy
Think of sensory adaptation like living near a train station. At first, you might be bothered by the noise of trains passing by. But after some time, your brain starts to ignore this constant stimulus and you hardly notice the sound anymore. That's sensory adaptation in action!
Related terms
Absolute Threshold: This is the minimum level of stimulus intensity needed for a stimulus to be detected half of the time.
Weber’s Law: This law states that the change in a stimulus that will be just noticeable is a constant ratio of the original stimulus.
Signal Detection Theory: A theory predicting how and when we detect the presence or absence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise).
"Sensory Adaptation" appears in:
Study guides (1)
Practice Questions (9)
What is the process by which neurons become more or less sensitive to specific stimuli based on prior experience, which can be used to explain perceptual learning and sensory adaptation?
What is sensory adaptation?
What is an example of sensory adaptation?
Sensory adaptation refers to what phenomenon regarding our senses?
What is the role of sensory adaptation in our perception of stimuli?
How does sensory adaptation affect our perception of constant stimuli over time?
How might you design an experiment evaluating how sensory adaptation affects our perception of temperature?
Based on sensory adaptation, why doesn't your clothing constantly feel uncomfortable?
What is an alternative approach to understanding sensory adaptation aside from habituation?
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