Psych 1010

Extracurricular Activity
The Science of Addiction

Your task for this assignment is to use an online web application from the Genetic Science Learning
Center to explore how mind- and mood-altering drugs affect the brain, both to produce a high and to
alter reward pathways leading to addiction.

Visit the Science of Addiction website at the following link:

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/

Interact with the various games, simulations, videos, and information in each section to expand your
knowledge of how drugs impact neural transmission and the biological basis of addiction.

Summarize your experience in a 500-1000 word paper addressing the following questions:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Which games, simulations, videos, or information pieces did you use?

Which did you learn the most from? Why what did you learn?
Which did you enjoy interacting with the most? What made it so enjoyable?
Why did so many of the aspects of the website focus on the neurotransmitter Dopamine?
How do neural pathways change with frequent, consistent use of some of the drugs explored on the
site?
6. How can research on neural pathways, genetics, and environmental influences on addiction
influence public policy?