When she goes into the office Amelia doesn't know how she is going to make it through the whole morning due to an annoying buzz from an overhead light. But when a co-worker complains about the noise an hour later, Amelia realizes that she hadn't been aware of the sound. This is called:
A) a miss.
B) a correct rejection.
C) just noticeable difference.
D) sensory adaptation.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an example of sensory adaptation, which occurs when our sensory receptors become less responsive to constant stimuli, allowing us to adapt to our environment and not be overwhelmed by sensory input. Amelia's brain had adapted to the sound and filtered it out so she was no longer consciously aware of it.

When She Goes into the Office Amelia Doesn't Know How