Associative and non-associative learning

From the MIT Open Course Introduction to Psychology

There are two types of learning: associative learning and non-associative learning. Associative learning is when you learn something new about a new kind of stimulus (that is, an extra stimulus). Non-associative learning is when you’re not pairing a stimulus with a behavior. Non-associative learning can be either habituation or sensitization.

Habituation is when repeated exposure to a stimulus decreases an organism’s responsiveness to the stimulus. What are some things in life that we experience over and over again and react less and less to? What’s an example of habituation in real life?

Sensitization is kind of the opposite. It’s learning that occurs when stimulus is repeated, and each time your response to it increases as it goes on and on. So what’s an example of sensitization in real life?

Related to the book, Never Enough by Judith Grisel that I have been reading. Came across this after discovering the Chaudri Lab (whose PI is currently battling cancer :_( )

This is beginning of their research statement:

We study the psychological, neural and molecular processes that contribute to drug and alcohol abuse. Central to this work is the hypothesis that drug addiction is a behavioural disorder that is strongly influenced by associative and non-associative learning.