Question

When a local store first changed its window display, Beverly noticed it at once. As she passed it day after day, she no longer paid attention because it had become so familiar. Beverly had:

A) experienced adaptation.
B) formed a stimulus habit.
C) attention dysfunction.
D) stimulus rejection.

Answer 1

Beverly experienced sensory adaptation, which occurs when the sensory receptors become less sensitive to constant stimuli, causing her to stop paying attention to the familiar window display over time.

Step-by-step explanation:

When Beverly first noticed the change in the local store's window display and then stopped paying attention to it after it became familiar, Beverly had experienced sensory adaptation.

Sensory adaptation is a phenomenon where the sensory receptors become less sensitive to constant stimuli over time. This concept is related to habituation, a form of non-associative learning, where an organism reduces its response to a stimulus after being repeatedly exposed to it without any consequence.

In Beverly's case, as she passed by the familiar window display day after day, her sensory receptors no longer responded with interest because there was no new information or changes in the stimulus, leading to a diminished reaction from her sensory system.