The Principles of Learning and Behavior II

The Principles of Learning and Behavior II

The Dual-Process Theory of Habituation and Sensitization

Adaptiveness and Pervasiveness of Habituation and Sensitization

Habituation and sensitization effects help sort out what stimuli to ignore and what to respond to. Habituation and sensitization effects are the end products of processes that help prioritize and focus behavior in the buzzing and booming world of stimuli that organisms live in.

Habituation Versus Sensory Adaptation and Response Fatigue

• Sensory adaptation: is specific to sensory systems and refers to a decrease in sensitivity to a constant stimulus. It occurs in sensory receptors in response to prolonged stimulation.
• Response fatigue is a broader term that encompasses a decrease in the ability of a system to produce a response after prolonged or repeated stimulation. It can occur due to various reasons, including physical or psychological factors.
• In habituation, the organism ceases to respond, even though it remains fully capable of sensing the eliciting stimulus and making the muscle movements required for the response.

Habituation Versus Sensory Adaptation and Response Fatigue

The Dual-Process Theory of Habituation and Sensitization

Habituation and sensitization effects are changes in behavior or performance. These are outward behavioral manifestations of stimulus presentations. (Groves and Thompson)

Applications of the Dual-Process Theory

Implications of the Dual-Process Theory

• The preceding interpretations of habituation and sensitization effects illustrate several important features of the dual-process theory.
• Because the habituation process resides in the S-R system, which is activated every time a stimulus elicits a response, habituation is a universal feature of elicited behavior.
• The state system becomes involved only in special circumstances. Some extraneous event, such as intense background noise, may increase the individual’s alertness and sensitize the state system.

Habituation and Sensitization of Emotions and Motivated Behavior

Emotional Reactions and Their Aftereffects

The Opponent Process Theory of Motivation

Neurophysiological mechanisms involved in emotional behavior serve to maintain emotional stability. An important function of mechanisms that control emotions is to keep us on an even keel and minimize the highs and the lows. 1) During Initial Stimulus Exposure 2) After Extensive Stimulus Exposure 3) Opponent Aftereffects and Motivation I

Solomon and Corbit (1974): * Intense emotional reactions are often biphasic. * Emoional response change with experience. EX: drug tolerance * Similar patterns of emotional reaction occur with all emotion-arousing stimuli.

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Habituation process

Neural process that produces decreases in responsiveness.

Sensitization process

Neural process that produces increases in responsiveness.

not mutually exclusive