Habituation Process Research Articles

A Quieter Ocean: Experimentally Derived Differences in Attentive Responses of Tursiops truncatus to Anthropogenic Noise Playbacks before and during the COVID-19-Related Anthropause

The effects of anthropogenic noise continue to threaten marine fauna, yet the impacts of human-produced sound on the broad aspects of cognition in marine mammals remain relatively understudied. The shutdown of non-essential activities due to the COVID-19-related anthropause created an opportunity to determine if reducing levels of oceanic anthropogenic noise on cetaceans affected processes of sensitization and habituation for common human-made sounds in an experimental setting. Dolphins at Dolphin Quest Bermuda were presented with three noises related to human activities (cruise ship, personal watercraft, and Navy low-frequency active sonar) both in 2018 and again during the anthropause in 2021 via an underwater speaker. We found that decreased anthropogenic noise levels altered dolphin responses to noise playbacks. The dolphins spent significantly more time looking towards the playback source, but less time producing burst pulse and echolocation bouts in 2021. The dolphins looked towards the cruise ship sound source significantly more in 2021 than 2018. These data highlight that different sounds may incur different habituation and sensitization profiles and suggest that pauses in anthropogenic noise production may affect future responses to noise stimuli as dolphins dishabituate to sounds over time.

Neural circuits underlying habituation of visually evoked escape behaviors in larval zebrafish.

Larval zebrafish that are exposed repeatedly to dark looming stimuli will quickly habituate to these aversive signals and cease to respond with their stereotypical escape swims. A dark looming stimulus can be separated into two independent components: one that is characterized by an overall spatial expansion, where overall luminance is maintained at the same level, and a second, that represents an overall dimming within the whole visual field in the absence of any motion energy. Using specific stimulation patterns that isolate these independent components, we first extracted the behavioral algorithms that dictate how these separate information channels interact with each other and across the two eyes during the habituation process. Concurrent brain wide imaging experiments then permitted the construction of circuit models that suggest the existence of two separate neural pathways. The first is a looming channel which responds specifically to expanding edges presented to the contralateral eye and relays that information to the brain stem escape network to generate directed escapes. The second is a dimming-specific channel that could be either monocular or binocularly responsive, and that appears to specifically inhibit escape response when activated. We propose that this second channel is under strong contextual modulation and that it is primarily responsible for the incremental silencing of successive dark looming-evoked escapes.

An Attentional Bias Modification Task, through Virtual Reality and Eye-Tracking Technologies, to Enhance the Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa.

Mirror exposure therapies (METs) have been shown to be effective in reducing body image disturbances through the habituation process. Virtual reality (VR) combined with eye-tracking techniques can provide innovative solutions to some of METs' limitations reported with patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), especially the negative influence of body-related attentional bias (AB). This pilot study aimed to assess the preliminary efficacy of a new VR-based AB modification task (ABMT) among healthy women and the procedure's user experience. AB levels towards weight- and non-weight-related body parts, using complete fixation time (CFT) and number of fixations (NF), were assessed throughout the ABMT procedure (300 trials). The user experience was evaluated at the end of the procedure. The results showed that VR-based ABMT was effective in reducing AB significantly after 150 trials for both CFT- and NF-based measures, although 225 trials were necessary to get the same result for women with an NF initially more oriented towards weight-related body parts. Overall, the software received a "C-rating" on a scale from "A" (most usable) to "F" (least usable). These results provide evidence of the opportunity to use a VR-based ABMT procedure to reduce AB and improve existing treatments for AN.

Effect of temporal frequency on habituation in migraine.

Individuals with migraine tend to experience discomfort when viewing flickering stimuli. It has been suggested that one of the characteristics of migraine is a lack of habituation to repetitive visual stimuli, although findings can be mixed. Previous work has typically used similar visual stimuli (chequerboard) and only one temporal frequency. This study systematically varied the spatial and temporal characteristics of the visual stimulus, using steady-state visual evoked potentials to assess the differences in amplitude between migraine and control group over consecutive blocks of stimulation. Twenty individuals with migraine and 18 control observers were asked to rate their visual discomfort after viewing sequences of flickering Gabor patches with a frequency of either 3 or 9 Hz across three different spatial frequencies (low 0.5 cpd; mid-range 3 cpd; high 12 cpd). Compared to the control group, the migraine group showed a reduction in SSVEP responses with increased exposure, suggesting habituation processes are intact at 3-Hz stimulation. However, at 9-Hz stimulation, there was evidence of increased responses with increasing exposure in the migraine group in particular, which might suggest a build-up of the response over repetitive presentations. Visual discomfort varied with spatial frequency, for both 3- and 9-Hz stimuli, the highest spatial frequencies were the least uncomfortable compared to the low- and mid-range spatial frequencies in both groups. This difference in SSVEP response behaviour, dependent on temporal frequency, is important to consider when researching the effects of repetitive visual stimulation in migraine and could give some indication of build-up of effects leading to aversion to visual stimuli.

Does stress consistently favor habits over goal-directed behaviors? Data from two preregistered exact replication studies

Instrumental learning is controlled by two distinct parallel systems: goal-directed (action-outcome) and habitual (stimulus-response) processes. Seminal research by Schwabe and Wolf (2009, 2010) has demonstrated that stress renders behavior more habitual by decreasing goal-directed control. More recent studies yielded equivocal evidence for a stress-induced shift towards habitual responding, yet these studies used different paradigms to evaluate instrumental learning or used different stressors. Here, we performed exact replications of the original studies by exposing participants to an acute stressor either before (cf. Schwabe and Wolf, 2009) or directly after (cf. Schwabe and Wolf, 2010) an instrumental learning phase in which they had learned that distinct actions led to distinct, rewarding food outcomes (i.e., instrumental learning). Then, following an outcome devaluation phase in which one of the food outcomes was consumed until participants were satiated, action-outcome associations were tested in extinction. Despite successful instrumental learning and outcome devaluation and increased subjective and physiological stress levels following stress exposure, the stress and no-stress groups in both replication studies responded indifferently to valued and devalued outcomes. That is, non-stressed participants failed to demonstrate goal-directed behavioral control, thereby rendering the critical test of a shift from goal-directed to habitual control in the stress group inapt. Several reasons for these replication failures are discussed, including the rather indiscriminate devaluation of outcomes that may have contributed to indifferent responding during extinction, which emphasize the need to further our understanding of the boundary conditions in research aimed at demonstrating a stress-induced shift towards habitual control.

The role of goal-directed and habitual processes in food consumption under stress after outcome devaluation with taste aversion.

People are more likely to engage in various suboptimal behaviors such as overeating, addictive behaviors, and short-sighted financial decision-making when they are under stress. Traditional dual-process models propose that stress can impair the ability to engage in goal-directed behavior so that people have to rely on habitual behavior. Support for this idea comes from a study by Schwabe and Wolf (2010), in which stressed participants continued to perform a learned instrumental behavior leading to a liquid after the liquid was devalued with a satiation procedure. Based on these findings, suboptimal behavior under stress is often seen as habitual. In the present study, we conducted a conceptual replication of the study by Schwabe and Wolf (2010). Instead of using a satiation procedure to achieve the outcome devaluation, we devalued outcomes through taste aversion. We did not replicate the pattern of findings by Schwabe and Wolf (2010). Our results indicate instead that stressed participants were sensitive to outcome values when the outcomes became truly aversive and hence that their behavior was goal-directed. This suggests either that (a) habitual processes are subject to boundary conditions or (b) the processes responsible for the findings of Schwabe and Wolf (2010) were never habitual to begin with. This may have far-reaching implications for explaining suboptimal behavior under stress in general. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Habituation of Social Character Value in Pesantren-Based School

The purpose of this study was to analyze the social character of students in habituation in typical Kempek junior high school based on pesantren, with the merger of schools and boarding schools, education not only prioritizes the intelligence of knowledge and technology but also the importance of ahlak and moral intelligence for students. Qualitative research methods with phenomenological approach. Data collection was done by interview, observation and documentation. The results showed that the social interaction of typical Kempek Junior High School students was good and communicative, student social interaction activities were also internalized with deliberation activities at the pesantren. The social character of students is implemented such as simple life, washing clothes, mutual cooperation both at school and in boarding schools, visiting friends who are sick, lending money. The religious character of students in schools and in boarding schools is instilled to pray in congregation, learn the yellow book, read the Quran. Students ' habituation starts from 04:00 in the morning until 23: 30 at midnight, activities such as praying in congregation, studying the Yellow Book, deliberation, school and social activities. Discipline a conducive habituation process can develop students in the renewal of social character education according to the demands of values and norms in the community. Keywords: Social Interaction, Social Character and Habituation.

How we compare: A new approach to assess aspects of the comparison process for appearance-based standards and their associations with individual differences in wellbeing and personality measures.

We introduce a novel approach to assess habitual comparison processes, while distinguishing between different types of comparison standards. Several comparison theories (e.g., social) suggest that self-evaluations use different standards to inform self-perception and are associated with wellbeing and personality. We developed the Comparison Standards Scale for Appearance (CSS-A) to examine self-reported engagement with social, temporal, criteria-based, dimensional, and counterfactual comparisons for upward and downward standards in relation to appearance. The scale was completed by three hundred participants online alongside measures of appearance schemas, social comparison evaluations, depression, anxiety, stress, self-esteem, physical self-concept, narcissism, and perfectionism. The CSS-A was found to reliably assess individual differences in upward and downward comparison frequency and affective impact for multiple comparison standards. In line with theory, CSS-A upward comparisons were more frequent than downward comparisons and coincided with negative (versus positive) affective impact. Comparison intensity (i.e., comparison frequency × discrepancy) predicted negative and positive affective impact for upward and downward comparisons, respectively. This relationship was partially mediated by appearance concern for upward comparisons (a composite of appearance schemas and physical self-concept), yet moderated by negativity for downward comparisons (a composite of depression, anxiety, stress, and self-esteem). We offer a framework for measuring the comparison process that warrants further research on underlying comparison processes, for which the CSS(-A) and experience sampling methods should serve as useful tools.

Differences in habitual eating speed lead to small differences in dynamic sensory perception of composite foods.

Previous studies demonstrated that variability in oral processing behaviors impacts bolus properties and consequently texture and flavor perception. However, most studies followed a prescribed mastication protocol during the products' sensory evaluations. A better understanding of how variability in habitual eating behavior impacts sensory perception of foods is needed. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of habitual eating speed (slow vs. fast eaters) on dynamic sensory perception of composite foods. Habitual oral processing behavior of different composite foods was quantified in 105 participants. Participants were divided in fast (n=53) and slow (n=52) eaters using a median split. Three formulations of strawberry jams varying in viscosity and sugar content (High Sugar/Low Pectin [Control], High Sugar/High Pectin, Low Sugar/Low Pectin) were used. Composite foods were prepared by spreading jams on breads. Dynamics of dominant sensory attributes of strawberry jams presented with and without breads were evaluated using Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS). Dynamic sensory perception of jams and jam-bread combinations differed only slightly for short periods of time between habitual slow and fast eaters. The addition of breads to jams reduced especially the ability of the fast eaters to discriminate between jams differing in formulation. Slow eaters discriminated between different formulations of jams better than fast eaters, regardless of whether jams were presented alone or in combination with breads. We conclude that differences in habitual eating speed between consumers lead to small differences in dynamic sensory perception and discrimination ability of composite foods.

Behavioral responses to baited enclosure method that activates habituation in stray dogs.

The behavioral mechanism of stray dog occurrence is associated with domestication process. This study aimed to investigate the population and demographic relationship of stray dogs from our ecological habitat. We tested whether baited enclosure method could be used as an operant conditioning treat-ment to activate habituation behavior in stray dogs. The first investigation determined the population and demographic characteristics of stray dogs in the metropolitan city of Bangkok using the mark and recapture procedure. In the second investigation, a large cage equipped with a digital camera was used as the feeding and habituation area. Food was provided at four corners for 2 h. The approach behaviors and eating patterns were recorded during this period for 7 days. The average number of stray dogs calculated within each cluster was 24 ± 6 dogs. For the natural small habitat, the density of stray dogs was 662 dogs per km2. This indicated that the number of dogs is underestimated using the mark and recapture procedure because of undetected puppies and shifts in the sex ratio in adult dogs. In the second investigation, we demonstrated that food was a potent positive reinforcer for stray dogs. The average onset of cage entry after offering the food was 17 min. The onset of cage entry and the reduction in the first meal duration suggested that the habituation process could be achieved within 1 week. The results revealed the possibility of using a large cage as a novel enclosure for food offered as the positive reinforcer for TNR program trapping procedures. We suggest that this humane trapping procedure could be used to activate habituation behavior in stray dogs.

The Road to Developing Students’ Digital Fluency: The Role of Personality Traits

The rapid development of technology, especially in the digital area, requires humans to develop. Understanding and the ability to use technology are no longer enough to deal with technological advances. Therefore, developing digital fluency in everyone is necessary, and higher education has a significant role in this. Personality description is chosen as the entrance to the development of digital fluency, especially for students. Using a questionnaire distributed through BINUS Maya, which was then connected to the Lumina Spark online system, we collected 2014 participants from various majors at the undergraduate level. Out of the 24 personality traits measured in the Lumina Spark, adaptable, flexible, and radical do not significantly correlate with personality. Through regression analysis, ten traits have a role in predicting students' digital fluency. The results of this study can be used to develop activity programs for students, especially in the classroom, so that the habituation process can run naturally along with lecture interactions.

Can Social Norms Explain Long-Term Trends in Alcohol Use? Insights from Inverse Generative Social Science.

Social psychological theory posits entities and mechanisms that attempt to explain observable differences in behavior. For example, dual process theory suggests that an agent's behavior is influenced by intentional (arising from reasoning involving attitudes and perceived norms) and unintentional (i.e., habitual) processes. In order to pass the generative sufficiency test as an explanation of alcohol use, we argue that the theory should be able to explain notable patterns in alcohol use that exist in the population, e.g., the distinct differences in drinking prevalence and average quantities consumed by males and females. In this study, we further develop and apply inverse generative social science (iGSS) methods to an existing agent-based model of dual process theory of alcohol use. Using iGSS, implemented within a multi-objective grammar-based genetic program, we search through the space of model structures to identify whether a single parsimonious model can best explain both male and female drinking, or whether separate and more complex models are needed. Focusing on alcohol use trends in New York State, we identify an interpretable model structure that achieves high goodness-of-fit for both male and female drinking patterns simultaneously, and which also validates successfully against reserved trend data. This structure offers a novel interpretation of the role of norms in formulating drinking intentions, but the structure's theoretical validity is questioned by its suggestion that individuals with low autonomy would act against perceived descriptive norms. Improved evidence on the distribution of autonomy in the population is needed to understand whether this finding is substantive or is a modeling artefact.

Elusive species and where to find them: assessment of survey protocols for primates habitat selection

Context With the ongoing biodiversity crisis and the continued loss of species, it becomes crucial to find practical solutions to monitor threatened animal populations for wildlife conservation and management. However, in practice, monitoring is especially challenging for elusive, rare, and wide-ranging species, where estimating abundance is often expensive and time-consuming. Alternatively, estimating occupancy (i.e. detection/non-detection data) may be less resource-intensive, while still providing useful information for monitoring population trends. Aims We aimed to describe a new field method, the random walk grid survey, to conduct a habitat selection study on elusive diurnal forest-dwelling primates. We explored how to improve occupancy estimates when detection probability is low and determined the minimal effort needed for reasonable estimates on the species habitat selection by using site-occupancy models. Methods We collected data to assess the northern pigtailed macaques’ (Macaca leonina) occupancy and detection probability using a random walk survey of degraded forest fragments in Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve in Northeast Thailand. We ran simulations to identify what is required for minimum survey efforts to obtain reasonable estimates of occupancy and detection probability on small or relatively large spatial scales, covering a small primate community in Southeast Asia. Key results Simulations showed that the probability of detecting macaques increased dramatically with an increased survey effort. However, compared with similar line-transect survey methods, the random walk grid survey was less time-consuming. Additionally, the occupancy and habitat selection estimates were similar to our knowledge of macaque distribution within the study area. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the new random walk grid survey method is effective to assess the elusive northern pigtailed macaques’ occupancy, and to provide reliable data on habitat selection where there is low macaque abundance and detection probability in a degraded forest fragment. Implications Our survey protocol could be used as a starting point to target high location occupancy to start habituation processes, but also for further intensive studies on primate behaviour and habitat use of primate communities. Finally, combining the random walk grid survey with automated recording devices (e.g. camera traps or passive acoustic surveys) could help improve occupancy and detection probability estimates for long-term monitoring programs and over large spatial scales.

A Heresy of No Consequence: Duties and Virtues in Medicine and Professionalism.

In The Trusted Doctor: Medical Ethics and Professionalism (2020), Rosamond Rhodes presents a new theory of medical ethics based on 16 duties she considers central to medical ethics and professionalism. She asserts that her theory is "bioethical heresy," as it contradicts established "principlism" and "common morality" approaches to ethics in medicine. Rhodes advocates the development of parallelism between clinical and ethical decision-making and a systematic approach that emphasizes duties over principles and rules to facilitate the development of a "doctorly character" among medical decision-makers. Rhodes further asserts that her theory and approach necessitate the cultivation of virtues contained in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. But Rhodes's insistence that "medical professionals," not just doctors, are covered by her theory is open to critique, as is her conflation of ethic and morals, especially around the question of the "doctorly character" upon which her duty-based theory hinges. This assessment argues that applicants to medical schools and allied health training programs be screened for specific virtues-honesty, diligence, curiosity, and compassion-to facilitate reinforcement of these pre-professionalized inclinations throughout the habituation processes of medical training. This would increase the probability of turning fear and hope to cure and care via reasoning and affective models performed within an ethical medical framework-even while what this ethical framework should reference remains under debate.

Opposing associations of Internet Use Disorder symptom domains with structural and functional organization of the striatum: A dimensional neuroimaging approach.

Accumulating evidence suggests brain structural and functional alterations in Internet Use Disorder (IUD). However, conclusions are strongly limited due to the retrospective case-control design of the studies, small samples, and the focus on general rather than symptom-specific approaches. We here employed a dimensional multi-methodical MRI-neuroimaging design in a final sample of n = 203 subjects to examine associations between levels of IUD and its symptom-dimensions (loss of control/time management, craving/social problems) with brain structure, resting state and task-based (pain empathy, affective go/no-go) brain function. Although the present sample covered the entire range of IUD, including normal, problematic as well as pathological levels, general IUD symptom load was not associated with brain structural or functional alterations. However, the symptom-dimensions exhibited opposing associations with the intrinsic and structural organization of the brain, such that loss of control/time management exhibited negative associations with intrinsic striatal networks and hippocampal volume, while craving/social problems exhibited a positive association with intrinsic striatal networks and caudate volume. Our findings provided the first evidence for IUD symptom-domain specific associations with progressive alterations in the intrinsic structural and functional organization of the brain, particularly of striatal systems involved in reward, habitual andcognitive control processes.

INTERNALISASI PENDIDIKAN KARAKTER MELALUI PROGRAM PEMBIASAAN MEMBACA ASMAUL HUSNA DI SEKOLAH DASAR

The depravity of the nation's children can be seen from the manners that are currently starting to fade, it can be observed from the way they talk to others, teachers, and even their parents, dirty sentences that should not be spoken often, dishonest nature, and good morals in people. a child who is hard to find. Therefore, of course, you must make an effort in handling and even control these events so that they do not become a child's culture. One effort that can be done is to familiarize children with good deeds. From these habits, it is hoped that the values ??of good character that are embedded in children will grow. This study aimed to determine the process of habituation and the value of the characters in the habit of reading Asmaul Husna at SD Negeri Umbul Kapuk. This research is research that uses a qualitative approach with case study research methods and the types of auxiliary instruments used are observation, interview sheets, and documentation. From the results of the analysis conducted by the researchers, the character building of students through the method of habituation of reading Asmaul Husna at SD Negeri Umbul Kapuk includes religious, love to read, responsibility, discipline, independence, friendly/communicative, social care, love peace, tolerance, and curiosity.
 Keywords: Character, Habituation, Student, Asmaul Husna, Elementary school

Internalisasi Karakter Kemandirian Dalam Mata Pelajaran Pendidikan Agama Islam Di SMP N 2 Babat Lamongan

In the current era of globalization, problems related to independence are still frequently encountered in the surrounding environment, including in the educational environment. Like, lack of independence in students will result in students having a tendency to depend on others, lack of creativity, laziness, lack of confidence and unable to solve their own problems. And one alternative that can be used as an instrument is to internalize the character of independence by optimizing the learning of Islamic Religious Education (PAI) material. This research aims to find out about: 1) process of learning the character of independence in Islamic Religious Education subjects in SMP N 2 Babat Lamongan, 2) process of habituation of character learning in independence in Islamic Religious Education subjects in SMP N 2 Babat Lamongan, 3) actualization of the character of independence in Islamic Religious Education subjects in SMP N 2 Babat Lamongan. Research using this qualitative method has concluded, among others: 1) The process of learning the character of independence, PAI teachers have internalized the value of independence character to students in the learning process of PAI, 2) The process of habituating the character of independence, PAI teachers internalize through programmed activities in learning or not programmed in the daily activities of students in the school environment., 3) actualizing of the character of independence, students have implemented variously. However, there are many students who apply the value of independence characters only some students have not applied the value of independence characters.

MEMBANGUN KERJASAMA ANTAR KELUARGA MELALUI POLA ASUH KARAKTER ISLAMI DI LINGKUNGAN MASYARAKAT

As parents, we must have a way of parenting and methods in the education process of the child. There are several methods in educating children, namely: democratic parenting, permissiveness and authority. And in providing care for children, several strategies are needed to provide education with exemplary methods, habituation, attention, advice and punishment methods. Of course, carrying out parenting and methods in the child's education process has an outline goal, namely to make the process of habituation to good things so that it affects the child's personality in adulthood. The main program is about the impact and how to address the problem of cyberbullying. Maybe this is often taken for granted, even though this can all be very fatal for the victim of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying can happen to anyone, so we all have to take this seriously, so that a safe environment will be formed.

Are you looking or looking away? Visual exploration and avoidance of disgust- and fear-stimuli: An eye-tracking study.

The present eye-tracking study investigates whether individuals with different levels of contamination fear are more likely to focus their attention on disgusting stimuli to explore them or to pull their attention away to avoid them. Ninety-two nonclinical participants with varying degrees of contamination fear performed a dot probe task. Eye-tracking methodology was employed to record gaze patterns during the task. In each trial participants looked at two pictures (disgust-neutral, fear-neutral, or neutral-neutral). Participants were further asked about the contents of the picture and the confidence of their answer. The results show that reaction times were slower and fixations were longer and more frequent for disgust targets compared with fear and neutral targets, which was further amplified in individuals with high contamination fear. However, image details of disgusting pictures were remembered less correctly than details of fearful pictures. These findings confirm the idea that attention on disgusting stimuli is maintained. Further, the findings indicate that disgust is processed more superficially and might also be related to disgust-associated uncertainty and ambiguity. The results may help to understand the difficult-to-change nature of disgust, which could be relevant to habituation and extinction processes in exposure therapy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Applying a systems perspective to understand the mechanisms of the European School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme.

For the past two decades, the percentage of European children who consume fruit daily has remained at around 40%, despite numerous school-based policy efforts and interventions. This study aimed to apply a systems approach to provide an integrated perspective of the mechanisms of the European School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (the Scheme) to understand better how to increase its long-term impact on children's fruit and vegetable consumption. We developed a causal loop diagram by synthesizing peer-reviewed articles and national government documents related to the Scheme, following the conceptualization steps of system dynamics. The initial causal loop diagrams were then validated in three stages by consulting with experts (two individuals and a group) in school-based fruit and vegetable programmes, children's fruit and vegetable consumption and the Scheme, using disconfirmatory interview guidelines. The findings suggest that a central self-reinforcing mechanism through which children socialize during fruit and vegetable consumption is critical in the habituation process. Additionally, the initial increase in children's fruit and vegetable consumption following the Scheme implementation is due to growth in three self-reinforcing loops related to motivation and capability mechanisms; however, this trend gradually slows and stops due to four balancing feedback loops with alternative goals related to opportunity mechanisms that reach their limits. The scheme's design should incorporate activities that align the objectives of the implementers and recipients of the Scheme at all levels. This alignment should provide children with ongoing opportunities to consume fruits and vegetables and strengthen the motivation and capability mechanisms.