The Link between Sensation and Behavior

The Link between Sensation and Behavior

The term “Sensation” refers to the first stages in the functioning of senses, whereas the term “Behavior” refers to the actions and reactions of an organism; usually in relation to its environment. For example, in response to the sensation of a runny nose, the body behaves by sniffing. In response to the sensation of hungriness, he/she behaves by searching for food and eating it. When one feels pain, he/she tends to guard the painful area. In response to the sensation of a foreign object in the eye, he/she would behave by blinking to rid themselves of the foreign object. Based upon these examples, we can say that behaviors and sensations are both greatly interrelated and interdependent.

The five basic senses are very important because they play a vital role in one's daily living. What happens when a human is deprived of sensory input? I have read information, on a website, about sensory deprivation experiments conducted by the U.S. military during the 1950s. The site reveals the adverse effects on the brain if it is isolated without sensory stimulation.

According to a certain professor of psychology, human brains can be radically affected by short spells of isolation. Professor Robbins believes that cells that connect nerve cells and help them to communicate, called dendrites, may lose some of their connectivity if not continually stimulated. Quoting Professor Robbins, "the brain is an amazing processor of information. In the absence of incoming information, the brain develops its own information inputs. This explains the phenomenon of hallucinations and the reason why an isolated human's perception of the world is altered".

I also read these solitary facts from the same website: a) Prisoners at a Philadelphia jail were studied in 1829, in the belief that locking them in a cell with nothing but a bible would make them repent. Many went insane. b) 730,000 elderly people don’t leave their homes more than once a week says Help the Aged, an organization in the US. c) A University of California study suggests that social isolation increases the risk of heart conditions in older people. d) Research in the 70s and 80s indicated that short spells of sensory deprivation may help people change eating, drinking and smoking habits.

In a nutshell, life would be so chaotic if even one of the major senses of a person becomes impaired. It would be already lucky if only one of the major senses becomes impaired because there is this what we call adaptation. For instance, when the sense of sight becomes damaged, another major sense organ will take over, which is the ears. However, if all of the major outlets of sensation becomes damaged, life would really be horrible.

We always see how every decision is based on one of those sensations we feel. Therefore, sensation greatly affects behavior because of the fact that it affects the body. It dictates everything we do. It is what our bodies yearn for, ergo whenever we experience one, it shows.