The Role of Biology in Psychology

The Role of Biology in Psychology

Purdue University Global

PS124 – Unit 4 Assignment

An activity that I do on a daily basis would be driving cars. My job requires me to transport cars back and forth between different automobile companies. Sometimes it can be CarMax, Enterprise, Mercedes, BMW and sometimes I have to drive cars from the rental places at the local airport. Other times I have to drive to Lumberton, NC, Wilson, NC, or Carthage, NC to pick up or drop off cars, too.

Action potential, in psychology, is described as “the electrical signal that typically moves from the cell body down the axon to the axon terminals” . There is no turning off an action potential once it starts. It is an all or none phenomenon. This relates to my chosen activity because there needs to be action potential to get and keep a car going. Once you get the car going, you have action potential. To stop that action potential, you must step on the brakes, causing the car to stop. Thus, causing the action potential to vanish until you hit the gas again.

When relating the concept of neurotransmitters to my chosen activity, I can definitely see how neurotransmitters are involved. Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers of the nervous system. Neurotransmitters tell me which way to move my hands to turn the steering wheel, or when to stop when the light has turned red. Some people get a rush when driving fast. Sometimes your brain will release dopamine as a rewards stimulus. Thus, giving you that “rush” feeling that you get after speeding down the highway.

Sensations are when sensory information is detected by a sensory receptor. “Perception refers to the way sensory information is organized, interpreted, and consciously experienced. Perception involves both bottom-up and top-down processing. Bottom-up processing refers to the fact that perceptions are built from sensory input. On the other hand, how we interpret those sensations is influenced by our available knowledge, our experiences, and our thoughts. This is called top-down processing” . Both perception and sensation are involved in my chosen activity. When I get in the car, because I get in many different vehicles every day, I get a different feel for each of them. For instance, when I get behind the wheel of a dodge charger at first, I have to run my hands around the steering wheel because then I feel like I am in control of the vehicle that way. The sensation I get from running my hands around the wheel tell me either I am comfortable or not. If that doesn’t give me the sensation I am looking for, I will start the vehicle and drive it around the parking lot to make sure I am comfortable with driving it. Same thing goes for trucks as well. Ford trucks feel so much different than a Chevy truck. The perception of each is different as well.