Sensory Adaptation Examples

Ever put a ring on and feel constant pressure, but throughout the day that pressure is hardly noticeable? Sensory adaptation is the cause for that. Sensory adaptation is the reduction of sensitivity as a result from constant stimulation (Myers, Dewall, 234). In other words, sensory adaptation occurs when we are continuously exposed to an unchanging stimulus (Myers, Dewall, 234). Subcategories of sensory adaptation include touch adaptation, sound adaptation, smell adaptation, and much more. Sensory adaptation is subconsciously used in everyday experiences. For example, smell adaptation could be happening right now without you even noticing. Ever walk past a cigarette smoker and almost gag from the smell of the smoke, while the smoker seems to hardly notice it? The …show more content…
I live in a rural area in the middle of the woods. My house has a pool next to it so all sorts of nocturnal animals become active during the night. Insects are chirping, frogs are croaking, and even some owls are hooting. To any urban folk, these sounds would be too irritating to fall asleep. Most of my friends that live in urban areas hate sleeping over because of all the commotion happening in the late hours outside. However, to me, the sounds are hardly noticeable. This is because my sensory adaptation with the sense of sound has adapted to the unchanging circumstances. Since I have lived with the sounds of nocturnal animals my entire life, sensory adaptation has occurred for my everyday life. In order for this process to occur, the inner ear plays a vital part in sound adaption. The soundwaves we constantly receive through our auditory canal causes a small muscle attached to one of the bones in our eardrums to contract, reducing the vibrations to the cochlea, where vibrations are detected (Myers, Dewall, 256). As long as the stimulus remains unchanged, sensory adaptation is to thank for blocking out unnecessary