Learning through Habituation

Many of us wear jewelry, like a wristwatch, bracelet, or wrist band.  Take it off and place it on your other wrist.  Does it now feel funny or out of place?  Shouldn't it "feel the same" on either wrist?

It doesn't feel the same because of habituation, a special type of learning that happens on a neural level.  Habituation occurs when we learn not to respond to repeated occurrences of a stimulus.  It's likely due to our inhibitory nervous pathways learning to suppress the sensations that happen when something comes in long-term contact with our sense receptors.

What should happen if you left your watch on your other wrist for the rest of the day?  Would you eventually habituate to the strange sensations?

Is habituation involved in other situations?  Have you "habituated" to the weight of a new pair of glasses resting on the bridge of your nose or to the sensation of contact lenses on your corneas?   Can you habituate to a new smell in your home, like fresh paint?