When an infant hears a novel sound, the infant increases its sucking rate. After several presentations of the same sound, the sucking rate shows less of a response. This decrease in responding is called

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Habituation is the process by which an organism becomes less responsive to a repeated or familiar stimulus. In this case, the repeated presentation of the same sound causes the infant to habituate and show less of a response. Sensitization is the opposite of habituation, in which the response to a stimulus increases over time. Reactivity and reflexive attenuation do not accurately describe the phenomenon of decreased responding to a repeated stimulus.

When an Infant Hears a Novel Sound, the Infant Increases