ABSTRACT
Much is learned through simple exposure to stimuli. Habituation, as a procedure, is the repeated presentation of a stimulus; habituation, as an outcome, is the decreased responsiveness to the repeated stimulus. Habituation has a number of parametric features. It can be temporary or long term. Habituation is used as a model of short-term and long-term memory by neuroscientists such as Eric Kandel. Habituation is a universal form of learning, and so is studied across the phylogenetic scale. It is a tool used to study the development of memory in children. Other forms of single-stimulus learning include perceptual learning, sensitization, and preferences that are also learned through repeated exposure to stimuli. Application of exposure therapy for needle/injection fears, and phobias.
