Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Desensitization and Tachyphylaxis

Desensitization and Tachyphylaxis

Tachyphylaxis is described as a rapid decrease in response to a drug after repeated or continuous administration of the same drug dose. It is a phenomenon where the body becomes less responsive to a particular substance or intervention over time, requiring higher doses or stronger interventions to achieve the same effect. It results from adaptive changes in the body's receptors, signaling pathways, or physiological processes that occur in response to prolonged exposure to a stimulus.

Classical Conditioning in Daily Life

Classical Conditioning in Daily Life

Classical conditioning, a fundamental principle of associative learning, explains various phenomena observed in daily life, such as fear development, the placebo effect, taste aversion, and drug habituation. These applications demonstrate the profound impact of associative learning on human behavior and physiological responses.
John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner famously demonstrated the development of fear through classical conditioning in their experiment with Little Albert. They paired the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

The dual impact of irrelevant visual onsets: Habituation of capture unlocks onset facilitation.

Attention, perception & psychophysics·2025

Same author

Ignoring distractors takes its (memory) toll.

Cognition·2025

Same author

Perceptual Organization Facilitates Object-Based Distractor Filtering.

Quarterly journal of experimental psychology (2006)·2025

Same author

Response-specific behavioral plasticity in habituation triggered by repeated visual looming stimuli in foraging bumblebees (Bombus terrestris).

Journal of experimental psychology. Animal learning and cognition·2025

Same author

Anticipatory and reactive mechanisms of habituation to visual distractors.

Scientific reports·2025

Same author

Within-trial and across-trials habituation mechanisms to irrelevant visual transients.

Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance·2025

Same journal

Correction: Gernhardt et al. Ex Vivo Computed Tomographic Morphometry and Motion of the Native and Fractured Equine Accessory Carpal Bone. <i>Animals</i> 2026, <i>16</i>, 1132.

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI·2026

Same journal

Camera-Trap Assessment of Terrestrial Mammals and Ground-Dwelling Birds in the Zhangjiajie Chinese Giant Salamander National Nature Reserve, China.

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI·2026

Same journal

Beyond the Mission: Long-Term Endocrine Dynamics in Search and Rescue Dog-Handler Teams.

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI·2026

Same journal

Phenotypic Characterisation of the Abruzzo Donkey (<i>Equus asinus</i>), an Endangered Italian Genetic Resource: Body Measurements.

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI·2026

Same journal

Assessment of Maternal Genetic Diversity and Mitochondrial Population Structure of Endangered Indigenous Chicken Breeds in China.

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI·2026

Same journal

Effects of Expected Progeny Difference and Feeding Systems on Carcass Characteristics in Hanwoo Steers.

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 30, 2025

Studying Habituation in Stentor coeruleus

Studying Habituation in Stentor coeruleus

Published on: January 6, 2023

Context-Specific Habituation: A Review.

Andrea Dissegna¹, Massimo Turatto², Cinzia Chiandetti¹

¹Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34136 Trieste, Italy.

Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI

|July 2, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Habituation, a form of non-associative learning, can be context-specific, suggesting associative learning. This finding applies across species and response types, challenging traditional views.

Keywords:

associative learning evolution habituation model plasticity

More Related Videos

Habituation and Prepulse Inhibition of Acoustic Startle in Rodents

Habituation and Prepulse Inhibition of Acoustic Startle in Rodents

Published on: September 1, 2011

Whisker-signaled Eyeblink Classical Conditioning in Head-fixed Mice

Whisker-signaled Eyeblink Classical Conditioning in Head-fixed Mice

Published on: March 30, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 30, 2025

Studying Habituation in Stentor coeruleus

Studying Habituation in Stentor coeruleus

Published on: January 6, 2023

Habituation and Prepulse Inhibition of Acoustic Startle in Rodents

Habituation and Prepulse Inhibition of Acoustic Startle in Rodents

Published on: September 1, 2011

Whisker-signaled Eyeblink Classical Conditioning in Head-fixed Mice

Whisker-signaled Eyeblink Classical Conditioning in Head-fixed Mice

Published on: March 30, 2016

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Science
Animal Behavior

Background:

Habituation is traditionally viewed as non-associative learning, dependent solely on stimulus features.
Sensitization and habituation are considered foundational examples of non-associative learning.
Previous research focused on stimulus intensity and frequency as primary drivers of habituation.

Purpose of the Study:

To critically review experimental evidence supporting context-specific habituation.
To explore the associative nature of habituation.
To investigate the implications of context-specific habituation for learning theories.

Main Methods:

Literature review of experimental data on habituation.
Analysis of studies investigating the role of context in habituation.
Synthesis of findings across different animal species and response types.

Main Results:

Experimental data confirm that habituation can be specific to the context of stimulation.
Context-specific habituation is observed in a wide range of animal species.
The capacity for associative learning in habituation is independent of nervous system complexity.
Context-specific habituation affects diverse responses, including visceral, motor, and mental activities.

Conclusions:

Habituation exhibits associative characteristics, contrary to traditional non-associative learning models.
Context-specific habituation is a widespread phenomenon across the animal kingdom.
Wagner's theoretical model accurately predicted the associative nature of habituation.