Verification ◾ 163
Habituation is nature’s coping mechanism. Imagine how overwhelmed our nervous system
would be if all stimuli, no matter how repetitive, would be processed with the same intensity.
There is so much to distract us: people walking behind classroom windows, the spot on the wall,
a forgotten flier on the desk in front of us, and so forth. After the first glance, all these stimuli fade
away and we can concentrate on the lecture, thanks to habituation.
However habituation also has a dark side. Some stimuli should not fade away, because they
require our persistent attention. An example is traffic signs: Commuters who have traveled a
road 100 times habituate and stop noticing the traffic signs. However, if there is a change—for
example, ...