habituation

/həˈbɪtʃəˌweɪʃən/

Other forms: habituations

Habituation is what happens when an organism gets used to a certain environment or stimulus. Through habituation, the squirrels in a city park often become so used to humans that they don't run away from them — and even beg them for food.

If you live near an airport and hear planes taking off and landing every day, habituation occurs — eventually you get so used to the noise that you don't even notice it. The same thing happens to non-human organisms. Thanks to habituation, your pet turtle doesn't hide in his shell every time you touch him anymore. He is used to you petting him. When the world presents a new stimulus, habituation can help an animal adapt to it. Habituation comes from the Late Latin habituat, "accustomed."

Definitions of habituation

1. noun

   a general accommodation to unchanging environmental conditions
   type of:

   accommodation, adjustment, fitting

   making or becoming suitable; adjusting to circumstances
2. noun

   being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming (especially alcohol or narcotic drugs)
   synonyms: addiction, dependance, dependence, dependency

   types:

   drug addiction, white plague

   an addiction to a drug (especially a narcotic drug)

   alcohol addiction, alcoholism, drunkenness, inebriation

   habitual intoxication; prolonged and excessive intake of alcoholic drinks leading to a breakdown in health and an addiction to alcohol such that abrupt deprivation leads to severe withdrawal symptoms

   cocaine addiction

   an addiction to cocaine

   heroin addiction

   an addiction to heroin

   caffein addiction

   an addiction to caffein

   nicotine addiction

   an addiction to nicotine

   type of:

   physical condition, physiological condition, physiological state

   the condition or state of the body or bodily functions