Orientation reaction

An orientation reaction ( OR ) is a reaction of the organism to environmental stimuli, which is used to prepare or carry out actions.

During the orientation reaction there are successive actions of the organism:

• sensory (e.g. lowering the sensory thresholds)
• motor (e.g. by increasing muscle tension and / or various body movements)
• Reactions of the central ( alpha blockade ) and peripheral nervous system (e.g. increased skin conductivity )
• vascular (e.g. peripheral vasoconstrictions , cephalic vasodilations )

An example of an orientation reaction is a child's reaction to loud clapping by turning their attention in the direction of the sound.

The reaction decreases due to recurring stimuli . This process is known as habituation .

literature

• Niels Birbaumer, Robert F. Schmidt: Biological Psychology. 6th, completely revised and expanded edition. Berlin: Springer, 2005. ISBN 3540254609