Candice tosses a newly purchased felt mouse across the floor; her cat chases it excitedly, clutches it in its paws, and rolls around with it. Several tosses later, her cat yawns pointedly and settles itself for a nap. The change in Candice's cat's behavior illustrates:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The cat's decreased response to the felt mouse after repeated exposure indicates habituation, which is the process of becoming less responsive to a stimulus over time. Adaptation involves the evolution of traits that better suit an organism to its environment, extinction refers to the disappearance of a behavior due to lack of reinforcement, and maturation refers to the natural progression of development.

Candice Tosses a Newly Purchased Felt Mouse Across the Floor;