non - associative learning

• a type of learning is an animals response to stimuli changing without the stimulus being directly linked to reward or punishment
• a stimulus is any external or internal change or event that elicits a response from an organism
• habituation is where an animals' response to a stimulus decreases over time after repeated exposure to it
• why is habituation used?

  it allows animals to ignore stimulus that are harmless or irrelevant, conserving energy and attention for more important signals
• habituation can be reversed by dishabituation, if the stimulus is withheld for a while, Or if a new, more intense stimulus is introduced, the initial response may return
• factors affecting habituation:

  • intensity of the stimulus
  • frequency of exposure
  • time between stimulus
• sensitisation is when an organisms response to a stimulus becomes stronger or more pronounced after repeated exposure to it
• when does sensitisation often occure?

  in response to painful, threatening or highly intense stimulus