1.1-A brief history of Neuropsychology

Franz Gall

1. Behavior, intellect, personality is linked to brain anatomy

2. idea: particular trait that was well-developed = then part of brain is responsible for that trait —> expand

3. expansion = push area of skull that covered part of brain outward —> bulge on head

4. measure psychological attributes by feeling/measuring skull

5. phrenology = false

Pierre Flourens

1. study functions of major sections of brain

2. extirpation (ablation) on rabbits + pigeons

3. extirpation = various parts of brain surgically removed + behavioral consequences observed

4. assertion: specific parts of brain = specific functions ; removal of one part —> weakens whole brain

William James

1. studied how mind adapts to environment

2. functionalism = how mental processes help individuals adapt to their environment

John Dewey

1. functionalism

2. article = inception of functionalism

3. criticized concept of reflex and —> breaks process of reacting to a stimulus into discrete parts

4. believed psychology should focus on study of whole organism as it functioned to adapt to environment

Paul Broca

1. physiology —> examined behavior deficits of people w/ brain damage

2. demonstrated that specific functional impairments could be linked with/ specific brain lesions

3. studied person who was unable to speak = lesion in specific are on left side of brain —> Broca’s area

Hermann von Helmholtz

1. measure speed of nerve impulse

2. related measure speed of impulse to rxn time —> like b/t behavior + underlying NS activity

Sir Charles Sherrington

1. inferred existence of synapses

2. thought synaptic transmission was electrical process —> primarily chemical process