Human Growth and Development

Sensory Deprivation Sensory deprivation refers to a condition where senses are lessened or not felt at all. Senses such as sight, sound, smell, touch and taste are affected. This can be a symptom of an underlying cause, however, it can also be used as a treatment. When diving, a diver can often notice the lack of gravity affecting their body and sounds are muffled. While sight and touch are still intact, this can allow for relaxation. This concept gave way to floating tank therapy, which is a type of therapy where some senses are deprived in order to reduce stress. It allows a person to float in darkness in body temperature water to truly focus on one’s thoughts. However, long-term sensory deprivation can lead to depression, memory loss, decreased cognition, hallucinations, anxiety, and personality changes. This is not to be confused with environmental deprivation where there are deficiencies in necessities in our environment with resources such as clean water, a safe place to live, and clean air.

© 2025 ACHIEVE ULTIMATE CREDIT-BY-EXAM GUIDE | HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT