Habituation may occur within the context of interactions within a species, for example, territorial behavior. Which of the following statements regarding habituation is TRUE?
A) Aggressive responses decline toward familiar territorial neighbors over time, but the territory owner will still respond aggressively toward unfamiliar intruders.
B) Many territory owners increase their aggressive responses toward familiar neighbors over time.
C) The "dear enemy" phenomenon appears to be an artifact of the artificiality of playback experiments.
D) unfamiliar intruders to an animal's territory generally elicit little response.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Habituation refers to the process where an animal gradually reduces its response to a stimulus after repeated exposure. In the context of territorial behavior, animals often show decreased aggression towards neighbors they recognize over time (the "dear enemy" phenomenon), while still aggressively defending their territory against unfamiliar intruders. This suggests they can distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar individuals, reducing unnecessary energy expenditure on frequent, known neighbors while remaining vigilant against potential new threats.

Habituation May Occur Within the Context of Interactions Within a Species