An infant's heart rate decreases when a tone is presented. After the tone has been presented 20 times, it no longer causes a change in heart rate. Then, on trial 21, the loudness of the tone is decreased. It is most likely that the heart rate will __________ as a result of __________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The infant has habituated to the tone after it has been presented 20 times, meaning the tone no longer causes a change in heart rate. However, by decreasing the loudness of the tone on trial 21, this is a change in the stimulus and will likely cause a response in the infant's heart rate again. This is known as dishabituation, where the infant responds to a change in the stimulus after habituating to the original stimulus. The most likely response to the decreased loudness of the tone is a decrease in heart rate. Therefore, option A is the correct choice.

An Infant's Heart Rate Decreases When a Tone Is Presented