habituation etymology

Etymology

  • Late 17th century: from Latin habitualis ‘customary’, from habitus ‘dress, way of life’ (see habit).

Meaning

  • A gradual decrease in response to a repeated stimulus that occurs when the stimulus is no longer novel or threatening.

Origin

The concept of habituation was first described by the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov in the early 1900s. Pavlov studied the conditioned reflex in dogs and found that if a dog was repeatedly presented with a neutral stimulus (e.g., a bell) followed by an unconditioned stimulus (e.g., food), the dog would eventually begin to salivate to the bell alone. This process, which Pavlov called classical conditioning, is now known to be responsible for a variety of learned behaviors in humans and animals.

Habituation is a similar process to classical conditioning, but it occurs when a response to a repeated stimulus decreases rather than increases. For example, if a person is repeatedly exposed to a loud noise, they will eventually stop reacting to it. This is because the brain learns that the noise is not a threat and that it is safe to ignore it.

Habituation is an important survival mechanism that helps people and animals to adapt to their environment. It allows us to filter out irrelevant stimuli so that we can focus on the things that are most important.

habituation relate terms

  • able

    Etymology of able The word able comes from the Old French word habile which in tur

  • avoirdupois

    Etymology Medieval Latin averia de pois goods sold by weight Old French avoir de

  • binnacle

    Etymology The word binnacle is derived from the Middle English word bynakul which is

  • cohabit

    Etymology The word cohabit is derived from the following Latin roots con togethe

  • cohabitation

    Etymology and Origin Cohabitation from Latin cohabitare meaning to dwell together

  • debenture

    Etymology The term debenture originates from the Latin word debentur meaning they o

  • debit

    Etymology The word debit derives from the Latin verb debere which means to owe M

  • debt

    Etymology The word debt comes from the Latin word debitum which means a thing owed

  • duty

    Etymology Middle English duete duetee from Anglo Norman French duete dutee from Lat

  • endeavor

    Etymology Old French endevoir to make an effort strive Late Latin indevotare ind

  • exhibit

    Etymology The word exhibit comes from the Latin verb exhibere which means to show f

  • exhibition

    Etymology Exhibition derives from the Latin word exhibēre meaning to show forth pr

  • forgive

    Etymology The word forgive originates from the Old English word forgifan which mean

  • gavel

    Etymology Old French gavle Latin gabalum Gaulish term for a public assembly Meani

  • gift

    Etymology The word gift comes from the Old English word gift meaning a giving or

  • give

    Etymology The word etymology comes from the Greek word etymos meaning true or re

  • habiliment

    Etymology The word habilment comes from the Old French term habiliement which is der

  • habit

    Etymology The word habit comes from the Old French word abit which is ultimately d

  • habitable

    Habitable Etymology Late 16th century from French habitable from Late Latin habitabil

  • habitant

    Etymology Habit noun is derived from the Latin word habitus meaning outward appearan

  • habitat

    Etymology habitat n mid 17th century from French habitat from Latin habitare dwel

  • habitation

    Etymology The word habitation is derived from the Latin word habitare meaning to dw

  • habitual

    Etymology Latin habitualis habitus habit alis pertaining to Meaning

  • habituate

    Etymology Latin habituare to dwell reside be accustomed Proto Indo European root

  • habituation

    Etymology Late 17th century from Latin habitualis customary from habitus dres

  • habitude

    Etymology French habitude Latin habitudo from habere to have to hold Meaning

  • habitue

    Etymology The word habitue is derived from the French word habitué which means reg

  • inhabit

    Etymology Latin inhabitare to dwell in live in Proto Indo European s peh₂

  • inhibit

    Etymology The word inhibit originates from the Latin word inhibere which means to

  • inhibition

    Etymology Latin inhibitio In in into habitus state condition Meaning

  • malady

    Etymology Middle English maladie from Old French maladie derived from Medieval Latin

  • prebend

    Etymology Middle French prébende Medieval Latin praebenda Latin praebere to give b

  • prohibit

    Etymology The word prohibit comes from the Latin prohibere which means to hold bac

  • prohibition

    Etymology From the Latin word prohibere meaning to forbid to prevent The pro p

  • provender

    Etymology Middle English provender from Anglo Norman French provende from Latin prov

  • addiction

    Etymology The word addiction is derived from the Latin word addictio which means s

  • dependence

    Etymology The word dependence comes from the Latin word dependere which means to ha

  • dependency

    Etymology of dependency Latin dependentia Middle French deppendence Old English

  • accommodation

    Etymology The word accommodation comes from the Latin word accommodare which means

  • haggard

    Etymology Early 17th century probably from dialectal hag to cut hack tire Mea

  • propaganda

    Etymology and Meaning The word propaganda comes from the Latin phrase propaganda fide

  • consistency

    Etymology Latin consistentia standing together From consistere to stand together

  • precipitate

    Etymology Late Latin praecipitat praecipitatus past participle of praecipitare to h

  • tragedy

    Etymology The word tragedy comes from the Ancient Greek word τραγωδία trago

  • spring

    Etymology The word spring derives from the Proto Indo European root sphreng meaning