The Neuropsychological Theories of Lashley and Hebb

by Orbach, Jack

• ISBN13: 9780761811657
• ISBN10: 0761811656
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1998-06-01
• Publisher: Univ Pr of Amer

Summary

The Neuropsychological Theories of Lashley and Hebb explores the work of a teacher and his student who became the two titans of neuropsychological theory in the twentieth century fifty years after D.O. Hebb published his groundbreaking book, The Organization of Behavior which was inspired by K. S. Lashley. Lashley introduced new theories expanding the understanding of the memory trace throughout the brain. Hebb's book provided the mechanism for Lashley's theory on the immense complexity of the memory process and nearly the entire brain's involvement. Here the author follows the development of Lashley's theory through its presentation by Hebb, along with a modern re-evaluation and comparison of the views of the two men. He also includes nine of Lashley's theoretical papers, and the never before published Vanuxem Lectures delivered at Princeton University in 1952.

Table of Contents

PROLOGUE
Lashley's 1957 University of Rochester Lecture: Introductory Remarks	ix
Acknowledgements	xii
Note to Readers	xiv
PART ONE: CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES
Setting the Stage	3	(10)
The Learning Theory that Synaptic Resistance is Reduced by the Passage of the Nerve Impulse: Lashley's Critique	13	(52)
Lashley's Memory Mechanisms
The Reduplication of the Memory Trace and the Interpretation of Cerebral Localization	21	(4)
Lashley's Early Introduction of the Reverberatory Circuit in Neuropsychological Theory	25	(10)
Memory as a Unitary Function	35	(1)
Lashley's Discontinuity in Learning and the Concept of Instinct	36	(5)
Issues of Priority, Opinion and Criticism
Lashley's Alleged Obsession with Theoretical Criticism	41	(6)
Hebb's Offer to Lashley	47	(1)
Summary on the Issue of Priority	48	(3)
Data and Theory Lashley Failed to Acknowledge	51	(2)
Lashley's Opinion of Hebb's Theories	53	(4)
Personal Relationship of Lashley and Hebb	57	(4)
Lashley's 1957 University of Rochester Lecture: Concluding Remarks	61	(1)
Lashley's Review of Hebb's Manuscript-in-Progress	62	(3)
Hebb's the Organization of Behavior 50 Years After Publication	65	(18)
The Left and Right Cerebral Hemispheres: Data Bearing on Hebb's Empiricistic Theory of the Development of the Cell Assembly	83	(22)
A Comparison of Lashley and Hebb on the Concepts of Attention and Stimulus Generalization
Attention	89	(10)
Stimulus Generalization	99	(6)
Lashley's Enduring Legacy to Neuropsychological Theory	105	(28)
EPILOGUE
PERSONAL VIGNETTES
Lashley	117	(9)
Hebb	126	(7)
PART TWO: VANUXEM LECTURES AND SELECTED THEORETICAL PAPERS OF LASHLEY
Studies of Cerebral Function in Learning. VI. The Theory that Synaptic Resistance is Reduced by the Passage of the Nerve Impulse (1924)	133	(8)
Mass Action in Cerebral Function (1931)	141	(18)
The Problem of Cerebral Organization in Vision (1942)	159	(18)
Persistent Problems in the Evolution of Mind (1949)	177	(26)
In Search of the Engram (1950)	203	(30)
The Problem of Serial Order in Behavior (1951)	233	(24)
An Examination of the Electrical Field Theory of Cerebral Integration (1951)	257	(18)
Vanuxem Lectures (1952)	275	(66)
Dynamic Processes in Perception (1954)	341	(22)
Cerebral Organization and Behavior (1958)	363	(18)
References	381	(8)
Name Index	389	(4)
Subject Index	393