Max returns to his dorm room late at night to find his roommate throwing up. The smell is at first so bad that Max wants to vomit too, but after helping his roommate clean up, the odor seems to fade. Max has experienced
A)damage to his sensory receptors.
B)sensory adaptation.
C)a response to the decreasing concentration of odorant molecules in the room.
D)a hallucination.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Max has experienced sensory adaptation, which occurs when a person's sensory receptors become less responsive to constant or unchanging stimuli. The odor was initially very strong, but as Max helped his roommate clean up, the odor gradually became less intense until it eventually faded away completely. This is an example of sensory adaptation, as Max's olfactory receptors became less responsive to the odorant molecules in the air.

Max Returns to His Dorm Room Late at Night to Find