Final answer:
The correct option is a) Sensory adaptation.
Sensory adaptation is the phenomenon in which the perceived intensity of a repeated stimulus decreases over time. Habituation, on the other hand, is a simple form of learning in which an animal stops responding to a stimulus after repeated exposure.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sensory adaptation is the phenomenon in which the perceived intensity of a repeated stimulus decreases over time. It occurs when our sensory receptors become less responsive to a constant stimulus, leading to a decrease in our perception of that stimulus.
For example, if you enter a room with a flashing light, you may initially find it bright and distracting. However, as time passes, your photoreceptors adapt to the constant flashing and you no longer perceive it as intensely as you did at first.
Habituation, on the other hand, is a simple form of learning in which an animal stops responding to a stimulus after repeated exposure. It is a non-associative form of learning and does not require any punishment or reward. An animal habituates to a stimulus when it realizes that the stimulus is not harmful or threatening.