Examples of Everyday Habituation in Humans

 When a couple moves into a new house by some train tracks, they find that the sound of
the trains keeps them awake at night. After a while, they become desensitized to the noise
and are able to ignore it.
 When you put on a pair of shorts for the first time over the summer, the sensation of air
on your legs feels different. Once you've worn them for a while, however, you become
used to the sensation and stop noticing it.
 Certain noises in a house cause a newborn baby to cry, until they become desensitized to
the noises and they no longer frighten the child.
 An individual purchases a new clock, but initially finds it difficult to concentrate while
working in the room because of the clock's ticking. A few days pass, and the person is
able to "tune out" the clock due to habituation.
 The smell of a chocolate factory initially bothers a person who gets a job near one. One
year later, the individual doesn't even notice the smell unless she thinks about it.
 The creaking of an old hotel initially irritates a businessman and keeps him from
sleeping; however, due to habituation, each night it bothers him less and less until finally
he does not notice the creaking sound at all.
 A student frantically finishes his homework every night because it’s due the next
morning. But when his teacher doesn’t collect it, the student stops doing the homework.
He no longer worries about the consequences.
 A neat person marries someone who doesn’t clean up after themselves. This bothers the
neat person, but after a while, they don’t notice the mess anymore.

Examples of Animal Habituation

 A turtle draws its head back into its shell when its shell is touched. After being touched
repeatedly, the turtle realizes it's not in danger and no longer hides.
 Prairie dogs retreat into their holes at the sound of approaching human footsteps. When
this occurs many times and the prairie dogs know the footsteps are not a threat, they no
longer retreat at the sound of footsteps.
 An abused cat is very wary of human touch, but once it realizes that its new owners pose
no threat, it becomes used to petting.
 A caged hamster becomes frightened when a person taps on its cage; however, when it
realizes that the taps pose it no danger, it becomes used to hearing them.
 Ducks in a small pond at a park are scared of people and fly away when approached.
They become used to humans over time as they interact with them, and as people feed
them, causing them to realize that the humans are not a threat.
 A newly-purchased pet cockatiel is initially scared of its owner's hand, and backs away or
bites when its owner attempts to take it out of its cage. After a few days, the bird becomes
used to the owner and readily hops onto his hand, realizing the owner does not pose a
threat.