Definition
Adaptation-level theory describes the process by which a person becomes insensitive to the effects of constant stimuli.
Description
Early
research on adaptation focused on sensory stimuli, such as the effects
of continual exposure to unchanging visual, auditory, or olfactory
stimuli (Helson, 1964).
This research found that the initial effects that one experiences upon
being exposed to an unchanging sensory stimulus quickly dissipate with
time. Upon entering a bakery, for example, a customer may immediately
notice the smell of coffee and doughnuts. After being in the bakery for a
few minutes, however, he or she will no longer experience those initial
smells. This change in the customer’s sensory experiences occurred
because the smell-inducing stimulus is constant. That is, the molecules
that produced the initial sensory experience are still present in the
air, but the customer has adapted to their constant presence.
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