How Sensory Adaptation Works

How Sensory Adaptation Works Theories Psychosocial Psychology Print How Sensory Adaptation Works By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial policy Kendra Cherry Reviewed by Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW on November 27, 2019 facebook twitter instagram Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, author of the bestselling book 13 Things Mentally Strong People Dont Do, and a highly sought-after speaker. Learn about our Wellness Board Amy Morin, LCSW Updated on January 18, 2020 Marc Romanelli / Getty Images More in Theories Psychosocial Psychology Behavioral Psychology Cognitive Psychology Developmental Psychology Personality Psychology Social Psychology Biological Psychology Imagine that you just walked into your favorite Italian restaurant. When you first walk through the door, the delicious smell of garlic and tomatoes is almost overwhelming. You sit down to wait for a table, and after a few minutes, the scents begin to dissipate until you barely notice them. This is an example of what is known as sensory adaptation. Why We Experience Sensory Adaptation Sensory adaptation refers to a reduction in sensitivity to a stimulus after constant exposure to it. While sensory adaptation reduces our awareness of a constant stimulus, it helps free up our attention and resources to attend to other stimuli in the environment around us. All five of our senses are constantly adjusting to whats around us, as well as to us individually and what we are experiencing, such as aging or disease. Just imagine what it would be like if you didnt experience sensory adaptation. You might find yourself overwhelmed by the pungent smell of onions coming from the kitchen or the blare of the television from the living room. Since constant exposure to a sensory stimulus reduces our sensitivity to it, we are able to shift our attention to other things in our environment rather than focusing on one overwhelming stimulus. Examples of Sensory Adaptation Here are some more examples of sensory adaptation: Think about walking into a house where fried fish, sauerkraut, and head cheese were prepared for dinner. (Some dinner!) You would probably pass out at the door, yet people who had been in the house for some time wouldnt be aware of the food odors. Similarly, smokers often dont get how much nonsmokers are bothered by the smell of tobacco smoke. Why? Because sensory receptors respond less to unchanging stimuli, a process called sensory adaptation. ??When you go into a dark room or outside at night, your eyes eventually adjust to the darkness because your pupils enlarge to let in more light. Likewise, when you are in bright light, your eyes adjust by the narrowing of your pupils. This is another form of sensory adaptation.When you jump into a cold swimming pool or first get into a hot tub, the water may feel unpleasantly cold or much too hot, but eventually, your body adjusts to the temperature and it feels only mildly cool or perfectly pleasant and even, eventually, too cold.Even our h and-eye coordination adjusts when necessary. For instance, if you put on goggles that make everything appear to be a little off and you try to throw a ball at an object, eventually your sensory adaptation will take over and youll adjust enough to be able to hit it. A Word From Verywell If youve heard the term nose blind, youve heard of sensory adaption; its the same thing. (But its different from anosmia, or the inability to smell.) You also might notice that when youre away from a smell or a sound for a while, such as when you go on vacation and then return to your home, you notice it again. It will probably not take much time for you to adapt to the sensory inputs of your environment and go blind to them once again.