Manfred has been trying to study for the past hour, but his neighbor is working on a building project.At first, Manfred found the sound of the pneumatic hammer was mildly irritating, but now he finds it extremely distracting.To Manfred, it seems as though the noise from the hammer is actually getting louder over time.Manfred's change in responsiveness illustrates the learning process known as:
A)habituation
B)desensitization
C)second-order conditioning
D)sensitization

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Manfred's increased responsiveness to the noise over time is an example of sensitization, which is the process by which we become more sensitive to a repeated or novel stimulus. This is in contrast to habituation, which occurs when we become less responsive to a repeated stimulus over time. Desensitization and second-order conditioning are not relevant in this scenario.

Manfred Has Been Trying to Study for the Past Hour