Neural Adaptation - Neural Adaptation Vs Habituation

Neural Adaptation Vs Habituation

The terms neural adaptation and habituation are often confused for one another. Habituation is an attentional phenomenon while neural adaptation is a physiological phenomenon. During habituation, we have some conscious control over whether we notice something to which we have become habituated. However, when it comes to neural adaptation, we have no conscious control over it. For example, if we have adapted to something (like an odor or perfume), we cannot consciously force ourselves to smell that certain odor. Neural adaptation is also tied very closely to stimulus intensity, whereas habituation is not. For example, as the intensity of a light increases, your senses will adapt more strongly to it, whereas your level of habituation will not differ very much between a strong stimulus and a weak stimulus.