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Habituation — MRCPsych Paper A MCQ

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HardPsychologyHabituationMRCPsych Paper A

During repeated testing, a patient shows a progressively smaller startle response to an identical, harmless ward buzzer. Hearing thresholds remain unchanged, and the startle response to a different sudden sound is preserved. Presentation of that different sound transiently restores the response to the original buzzer. Which learning process best accounts for these findings?

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Correct answer: C — Habituation

The correct answer is C, habituation: a progressive reduction in response to a repeatedly presented, inconsequential stimulus. Preserved responsiveness to another sound demonstrates stimulus specificity, while transient restoration of the original response after the novel sound is dishabituation. These findings also argue against sensory adaptation and effector fatigue, which would impair detection of the stimulus or production of the response. Extinction requires weakening of a previously conditioned response because the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without reinforcement; no prior conditioning is described. Sensitisation is the opposite pattern, involving increased responsiveness after repeated or intense stimulation.

Reference: Dissegna A, Turatto M, Chiandetti C. Context-Specific Habituation: A Review. Animals. 2021;11(6):1767. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34204791/