Habituation, part II. Rethinking the habituation paradigm

Abstract

The habituation paradigm has been applied to study the development of memory, perception, and other cognitive processes in preverbal infants, making it one of the most prominent experimental paradigms in infant research. However, there are many features of the process of habituation that remain elusive, which results in uncertainty about the best research practices. This article first discusses current practices in habituation research (e.g., the use of habituation criteria) in relation to modelling the process of habituation, revealing several issues that impede progress in the field. To overcome these challenges, we propose to move towards a modelling framework to study critical features of the habituation process. To facilitate this transition, alternative experimental designs are proposed. The article encourages clearer thinking about the process of habituation, such that the theory, design, and analysis are all in line with each other. The article concludes with concrete recommendations to improve current practices in infant habituation research.