Importance of Studying Psychology for Future Marine Biologist Essay Example

Throughout history, Psychology has contributed numerous advancements to society, not only on how we can understand humans but also animals. Hence, Psychology is a part of humans’ everyday lives and it can help explain why we act and do specific things, such as our emotions and reactions to outside situations. This scientific study can be applied to everyday life, but also aspects of many different career paths. For example, psychology can be applied to my field of marine biology, where these biologists cannot only study the features of these animals but also what specifically makes them do certain things. Studying psychology benefits so many people and with the constant changes and newly proposed concepts, it will help enhance numerous ideas. Specifically relating to my career path, I choose to go into Marine biology to understand the mysterious world of our sea creatures and the bodies of water they lie in. In which, four specific concepts of psychology will give me the ability to further my learning: thus being Biological Perspective; Sensation and Perception; Motivation, Stress, and Emotion; and Learning.

In everyday life humans use their brains to process the world around them, this is the same case for marine animals; yet, they perceive the world differently from humans. In psychology, researchers can use animals to study how brain damage can affect one’s abilities. These lesioning studies can provide an insight into studying marine animals in my career (Section 2.9). Experiments like this can link to the study certain results in cognitive and behavioral changes. Thus comparing humans to marine life, these animals will react differently and it is possible to use this study to further biologists understanding of how animals behave and think. Another study used is electrical stimulation of the brain, ESB, where scientists will stimulate certain neurotransmitters to produce a reaction (Section 2.9). In such cases, this will affect both memory and moods. Another brain stimulation experiment is optogenetics, where instead of using electricity stimulation scientists will use light. This study is currently used on animals and can help further our study on how differently their brains work. Additionally, to study the brain, marine biologists can further study the complexity of the brain including the cortex. Additionally, it is known that animals do not speak the vast human language, but they are still able to communicate by studying the different parts of the brain. This would include investigating the different cortexes of their brain, such as the cerebral cortex (Section 2.11). In humans, the cerebral cortex is known to control our complex thought processes, and it is the same with animals. Such as dolphins, where they have larger brains than humans, such they would also have complex thought processes. Yet, these thoughts would be different from humans as they live in such different environments. Therefore using the psychology of the brain and its different parts, studying them and their thought processes could further our understanding. The simple study of psychology in the brain, whether it is a simple fish to a vast Blue Whale could immensely impact the awareness of marine life.

Just like studying the brain, studying the perception and sensation of animals could advance marine life’s understanding. Just as human and animal brains are different, their sightseeing is also different. One of the more well-known facts is that dogs do not see every color as humans do with our visible spectrum. Ergo, eye structure would be an important part to study to learn more about marine life. Their rods and cones are much different compared to humans, such that in water they would have to adapt their eyesight to see through all the dark and gloomy spots (Section 3.4). Like Anglerfish, they have developed a specific “lightbulb” on their head to see in the black parts of the ocean. These rods and cones in the eyes have evolved over the millions of years to help them set out and search for food and avoid predators. The same concept goes along with studying the perception of color, our visible spectrum is much different compared to animals (Section 3.6). By simply studying the eyes can open a wide array of possibilities for understanding how they view their underwater world. Along with eyesight, looking into body senses could help too. Somesthetic senses, including skin sensation, are how humans feel around their surroundings such as feeling pain. Animals too feel pain, while to us it is different, they use their senses to detect if there is danger around them (Section 3.12). By studying this, the researchers were able to figure out that some ocean life uses the currents to determine where they are in relation to other places. Some dolphins even will use echolocation, in part to their sight, to detect food nearby. Going hand and hand is the study of perception, in which depth perception is used. By studying this marine biologists can use these findings to promote a better understanding of animals. 

Rather than looking just at the parts of the brain and eyesight, looking into the cognitive experiences of conditioning and learning can impact research. Classical Conditioning, in such, is a widely used practice on animals. One physiologist, Ivan Pavlov, used this study to investigate the classical conditioning of the salvation reflex on his dogs (Section 5.2). By which, this response is produced by natural stimuli. This experience is just like how baby sea turtles search for the ocean, as they use the ocean sound and horizon light to determine their way to the water. Thus, showing how this process is used to determine how both animals and humans use stimuli and responses. Another experiment used by Edward Tolman with his rats, to show the relationship to latent learning (Section 5.10). His experiment revealed that the rats have made a mental map of the maze even without receiving any kind of reinforcement. This relationship can be applied to how animals learn to understand their surroundings and relationships with other animals as well. Further studying of this in marine biology could enhance our knowledge of how they use their world to survive. Other than conditional learning, observational learning is also an important factor in research (Section 5.13). Learned behavior is often common with parent and child relationships, thus it would be practical to assume it is the same with animal relationships. This part of psychology shows the way to explain relationships between animals. 

Besides being able to learn by both operational and observational concepts, animals too feel motivation, stress, and emotions like humans. In a case study, a part of the rat’s amygdala was damaged, producing an outcome of them not being able to fear any new objects (Section 9.10). As such, it can be determined that animals do in fact feel emotions, along with other factors of cognitive experiences. The amygdala is also the section of the brain responsible for feeling pleasure as well as showing body and facial expressions. Thus, further relating how marine animals can be through the concepts of amygdala and emotions (Section 9.10). Additionally to their emotions, animals have natural instincts most relating to survival instincts. These instincts are necessary for survival amongst animals, such as migrating, mating, making territories, etc (Section 9.1). The drive behind this can help scientists further their studies on why animals make the decisions they do. 

All in all, psychology studies and concepts can easily be applied to STEM fields, especially in the cases of studying marine life. By which, studying the complexity of the brain, eyesight, or even going further by looking at cognitive reasoning and decision making. Using these four different concepts as a future marine biologist can further advance the career path and provide a positive light into the animal kingdom. Therefore, studying psychology can be a very essential part of furthering someone’s career and personal development. It not only can help you further understand people and how to approach them but it can also provide insight on how to approach a hard task, such as STEM research.