3.7 Up Close and Personal: Where is the "Self"?

Can you localize your sense of self to a specific brain region? What did we learn from Phineas Gage's accident?

where is the self

distributed across your brain, your frontal lobe can be considered the self but will still have to rely on other brain parts to make decisions

prefrontal cortex

supports executive functions

• this is the same damaged area from phineas gage

• damage can result in impaired empathy and harmful aggressive behavior

executive functions

cognitive processes that allow you to play, focus attention, and organize multiple tasks to complete your goals

• also includes inhibitory control

inhibitory control

the processing of the frontal lobe that leads up to your actions and decisions as well as the implications of it