When she walks into her mother's kitchen,Amelia doesn't know how long she will be able to stay in the room because of the overpowering smell of onions.But when her sister comes home an hour later and complains about the smell,Amelia realizes that she no longer smells the onions at all.This is an example of
A)sensory adaptation.
B)just noticeable difference.
C)psychophysics.
D)a false alarm.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an example of sensory adaptation, which occurs when our sensory receptors become less responsive to a constant stimuli over time. In this case, Amelia no longer smells the onions because her olfactory receptors have adapted to the persistent smell.

When She Walks into Her Mother's Kitchen,Amelia Doesn't Know How