STIMULUS CHAINGE AND HABITUATION OF THE ORIENTING RESPONSE

ABSTRACT Eight hypotheses derived from Sokolov's theory of habituation of the orienting response were tested. Subjects were given a series of 36 standard stimuli (SSs). each 500 cps. Four interpolations of a 1000‐cps test stimulus (TS) for one group (N = 10) and of a 4000‐cps TS for another group (N = 10) were made. Results for amplitude of galvanic skin response (GSR) for combined groups showed that habituation occurred over the first eight SSs and over the four TSs, that a TS produced return of GSR and disrupted habituation to the SS, and that response was greater to the TS than to the following SS. The 4000 TS disrupted habituation to the SS more than the 1000 TS and produced less drop from the TS to the next SS. Seven hypotheses were confirmed. Habituation of resistance level was found but spontaneous fluctuations were not. Sokolov's theory and the results obtained were related to the classical conditioning of autonomic processes.