Introduction
Switching a light bulb is a relatively simple behavior. It requires vision and depth perception and memory to identify the switch on the wall, ability to use prior experience to determine that the object is indeed a switch and how it operates. These processes will involve the brain in performing the whole action from recognizing that this is the switch, which is off and understanding the procedure of switching it on.
The first step will be the recognition of the switch and that the bulb is not switched on. This is will involve visual and recognition, which are controlled by the occipital and parietal lobe respectively. These two lobes help us recognize the switch on the wall and differentiate it from the rest of the wall. This will involve the integration of data from the ventral and dorsal visual paths, which recognize what things, are and their location respectively.
It takes the frontal lobe or the prefrontal processing to decide the initiation of the movement of the hand to reach the switch. This requires coordination, which takes frontal lobe (motor cortex, along with subcortical areas) and the cerebellum for coordination and feedback from sensory system (touch) to help feel the switch. Moving the switch in the on position requires judgment of the position the switch button is and the direction to move it.
The frontal lobe is required for judgment, these calls for physical reaction, which is the movement of the hand, and muscles that are all coordinated by the frontal lobe in the cerebrum. The parietal lobe will then be involved in determining if the bulb has lit. The realization of indeed the bulb has been switched on will depend on previous memory of knowledge and appearance of a lighting bulb. This is identified by the temporal lobe.
