You enter a room and notice a distinctive new odour. After a bit of time you no longer notice the odour. What phenomenon does this illustrate?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This illustrates the phenomenon of sensory adaptation, where our sensory receptors become less responsive to constant or repetitive stimuli over time. In this case, the initial odour may have triggered a strong response from our olfactory senses, but as we are continuously exposed to it, our receptors become less sensitive and we no longer perceive the odour as strongly.

You Enter a Room and Notice a Distinctive New Odour