Question 1

When experiences with an arousing stimulus lead to a stronger-than-normal response to a later stimulus, this is known as:

Accepted Answer

The description provided matches the definition of sensitization, which is an increase in behavioral or physiological responsiveness to a new stimulus after exposure to a prior stimulus that evoked a strong response.

Question 2

In which situation would one habituate the MOST?

Accepted Answer

Habituation occurs when a person becomes desensitized to a repeated stimulus over time. If the event is not very arousing, the person is likely to habituate quickly because there is not much initial interest or attention to the stimulus. In contrast, if the event is very arousing or unusual, habituation may not occur as quickly because the person may be initially interested or surprised by the stimulus, which can delay the habituation process. Therefore, in this scenario, choice A is the best option.

Question 3

When Michelle and Patrick met, she was bothered by his height, but after 15 years of marriage she barely notices it anymore. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Habituation is the decrease in responsiveness to a stimulus after repeated exposure, and in this case, Michelle grew accustomed to Patrick's height over time. Sensitization is the increase in responsiveness to a stimulus after repeated exposure, which is not the case here. Priming refers to the activation of an existing memory or association by a stimulus, which is not directly relevant. Dishabituation is the recovery of responsiveness to a stimulus after a change in the environment, which does not apply to this scenario.

Question 4

Which stimulus would produce the longest-lasting habituation (assuming all stimuli are habituated to)?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which stimulus would produce the longest-lasting habituation...

Question 5

If a loud noise is presented repeatedly to a rat, the rat's acoustic startle reflex will:

Accepted Answer

The acoustic startle reflex is designed to be protective, with the purpose of avoiding danger. However, if the loud noise continues to be presented repeatedly, the rat will eventually habituate to it and the startle response will decrease.

Question 6

Jessie is lying down when suddenly a firefly moves across her room. It disappears after 10 seconds. When it reappears, she stares at it again. The duration of time in which she looks at it is known as:

Accepted Answer

The duration of time in which Jessie looks at the firefly is known as fixation time. This is the period of time during which a person or animal is fixated on a stimulus and is processing information about it.

Question 7

Susan's daughter was constantly calling "Mommy" throughout the day, until Susan eventually barely noticed her daughter's calls. The next day, when Susan's daughter called "Mommy" for the first time, Susan did hear her. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

This is an example of spontaneous recovery, which occurs when a response that had become extinct (in this case, Susan's response to her daughter's calls) suddenly reappears, usually after a period of time has passed. The fact that Susan did hear her daughter's call after not noticing it previously suggests that her response had briefly recovered. Sensitization is an increase in responsiveness to a stimulus after repeated exposure, associative learning involves forming connections between stimuli and responses, and dishabituation involves a recovery of a response to a previously habituated stimulus after a novel stimulus is introduced.

Question 8

Suppose a person repeatedly plays a low-pitched tone to a rat. Which statement would demonstrate dishabituation in the rat?

Accepted Answer

Dishabituation occurs when a previously habituated response is restored following the presentation of a novel or strong stimulus. In this scenario, the presentation of a loud tone in the trial restores the rat's response to the low-pitched tone, indicating dishabituation. Choice A describes habituation, where the rat would stop responding to the low-pitched tone after repeated exposures. Choice B implies that the rat is not able to discriminate between different tones, which is not related to habituation or dishabituation. Choice C describes sensitization, where the rat's response to the low-pitched tone increases due to the prior exposure to the tone, but it is not related to dishabituation.

Question 9

If one is feeling bored with one's romantic partner, which approach would be expected to improve one's feelings by bringing about dishabituation?

Accepted Answer

Doing something new and exciting together can break the monotony and routine of the relationship, leading to dishabituation and renewed interest in the partner. Spending time together just relaxing or doing more of the same activities may not elicit the same level of interest and excitement. Downplaying the importance of the problem may also not address the underlying issue of boredom in the relationship.

Question 10

Which statement is an example of habituation?

Accepted Answer

Habituation is the process by which an organism becomes less responsive to a stimulus after repeated exposure. In this scenario, the person has become habituated to the smells in the bakery and no longer notices them. Option A is an example of recognition memory, option B is an example of sensitization, and option D is an example of classical conditioning.

Question 11

A young girl observes how much her sister worries about her car being scratched. She waits for the moment she sits down to yell out "a branch fell on your car!" Her sister runs to check on her car and realizes it was a joke and walks away upset. The young girl continues this numerous times. One day, she looks out the window and notices that a branch is about to fall on the car. She calls out to her sister and is ignored. This is an example of the dangers of:

Accepted Answer

The scenario describes habituation, where the sister becomes accustomed to the false alarms about her car and eventually stops responding to them.

Question 12

_____ exposure produces the fastest habituation, and _____ exposure produces the longest-lasting habituation.

Accepted Answer

Massed exposure leads to faster habituation because the stimuli are presented in rapid succession without breaks, allowing the organism to quickly adapt. Spaced exposure, where stimuli are presented with intervals in between, leads to longer-lasting habituation because the breaks allow the organism to partially recover from habituation, making the overall process more durable.

Question 13

Suppose a baby is presented repeatedly with the color yellow. Which statement would demonstrate that habituation is stimulus specific in this case?

Accepted Answer

Habituation is stimulus specific when a decrease in response to one stimulus (yellow) does not generalize to a new stimulus (red), leading to a vigorous response to the new stimulus, indicating that the habituation to the first stimulus (yellow) does not affect the response to a different stimulus (red).

Question 14

Which would be the MOST difficult to habituate to?

Accepted Answer

The loud, banging sound that occurs every 5 minutes would be the most difficult to habituate to as it constantly disrupts one's concentration and can cause annoyance or frustration, leading to potential negative emotional and behavioral reactions. In contrast, the pressure of a chair against the back can be easily habituated to, the accent of a foreign friend can be overcome with familiarity and time, and the smell of just-baked cookies can actually be pleasant and desirable.

Question 15

Since her grandmother's recent illness, Sarah has a heightened awareness of her family's health, and gets overly worried anytime a family member appears the least bit unwell. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

This is an example of sensitization, as Sarah's experience with her grandmother's illness has led to an increased sensitivity or heightened response to any perceived signs of illness in her family members.

Question 16

Sensitization:

Accepted Answer

Sensitization requires fewer exposures than habituation. Option A is incorrect as sensitization occurs in other animals as well. Option C is true as sensitization is specific to the stimulus that caused it. Option D is incorrect as sensitization may persist over time, depending on the situation.

Question 17

Habituation to a stimulus:

Accepted Answer

Habituation to a stimulus can carry risks, as it can make an animal less responsive to important stimuli, such as predators or potential food sources, leading to decreased survival chances.

Question 18

A child repeatedly complains about having her teeth brushed by her mother. After a while, the mother doesn't even notice the child's complaints. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Habituation is the process of becoming less responsive to a stimulus after repeated exposure to it. In this case, the child's complaints about teeth brushing are a stimulus that the mother has been repeatedly exposed to, leading her to become less responsive and not notice the complaints anymore.

Question 19

An infant turns to look at a novel pattern, this is an example of:

Accepted Answer

An orienting response is when an organism turns toward and pays attention to a novel stimulus, such as an infant turning to look at a new visual pattern. Latent learning refers to learning that occurs without immediate reinforcement, whereas habituation is a decrease in responsiveness to a repeated stimulus over time. Sensitization is an increase in responsiveness to a stimulus after repeated exposure.

Question 20

Which statement has been found to be TRUE regarding sexual arousal in humans?

Accepted Answer

Research has found that males habituate more strongly than females to sexual arousal. This means that with repeated exposure to the same sexual stimulus, males may experience a decreased response or interest in the stimulus over time. However, it is important to note that not all individuals of a particular gender will experience habituation in the same way.

Quiz 3: Habituation, Sensitization, and Familiarization: