AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Sensory adaptation is defined as the diminished sensitivity to a stimulus as a consequence of constant exposure to that stimulus. Brain cells begin to fire when they pick up on a new stimulus in your environment as signaled by your sensory organs (your ears, eyes, nose, etc.).

Detailed explanation-2: -Sensory adaptation = diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation.

Detailed explanation-3: -Desensitization: the type of sensory adaptation in which we become less sensitive to constant stimuli. also known as negative adaptation.

Detailed explanation-4: -Sensory systems adapt their sensitivity to ambient stimulation levels to improve their responsiveness to changes in stimulation. The sense of touch is also subject to adaptation, as evidenced by the desensitization produced by prolonged vibratory stimulation of the skin.

Detailed explanation-5: -Adaptation affects how neurons respond to sensory stimuli, making them sensitive to the temporal context in which a stimulus is embedded. Adaptation thus adjusts brain processing to the current sensory environment, and it is generally thought that this improves performance in some way.