Failing to notice the high temperature of bathwater after sitting in it for ten minutes is a prime example of sensory ______________?
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Answer: A. adaptation
Explanation
Sensory receptors reduce their firing rate when exposed to unchanging stimuli over an extended period. Bathing in warm water causes cutaneous thermoreceptors to adapt and stop signaling thermal intensity. Prolonged exposure to a constant sensory input leads directly to the phenomenon of sensory adaptation. Sensory adaptation prevents sensory overload by filtering out constant, nonthreatening background environmental information. Receptor fatigue and neural habituation are underlying mechanisms responsible for decreased sensory response. Cutaneous thermoreceptors register changes in temperature rather than absolute static thermal levels.
Swimmers stop noticing the cold temperature of pool water shortly after diving in for a swim. People cease to smell their own perfume or cologne after wearing it throughout the day. Sensory adaptation allows human attention to focus on novel environmental changes signaling potential danger. Accommodation refers to the eye lens changing shape to focus on objects at varying distances. Continuity is a Gestalt perceptual principle describing the tendency to perceive smooth continuous lines. Threshold refers to the minimum stimulus intensity required to activate a sensory receptor initially.
- Subject
- Psychology
- Category
- Psychology
- Topic
- —
- Difficulty
- medium
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