, 1
chapter
The Development of Neuropsychology
y y y
InySophocles’y(496–
406yB.C.)yplayyOedipusytheyKing,yOedipusyfindsyhisywayyblockedybyytheySphinx,ywhoythr
y
eatensytoykillyhimyunlessyheycanyanswerythisyriddle:y“Whatywalksyonyfourylegsyinytheymo
rning,ytwoylegsyatynoon,yandythreeylegsyinytheyevening?”yOedipusyreplies,y“Ayhuman,
”yandyisyallowedytoypass,ybecauseyaypersonycrawlsyasyanyinfant,ywalksyasyanyadult,yandyuse
syaycaneywhenyold.yTheySphinx’syriddleyisytheyriddleyofyhumanynature,yandyasytimeypassesyO
edipusycomesytoyunderstandythatyityhasyaydeeperymeaning:y“Whatyisyayhuman?”yTheydeep
eryquestionyinytheyriddleyconfoundsyOedipusyandyremainsyunansweredytoythisyday.yTheyobje
ctyofythisybookyisytoypursueytheyansweryinytheyplaceywhereyityshouldybeylogicallyyfound:y
theybrain.
T heytermyneuropsychologyyinyitsyEnglishyversionyoriginatedyquiteyrecently,yi
nyparty becausey ity representedy ay newy approachy toy studyingy they brain.yAcc
ordingy toy Daryly Bruce,y ity wasy firsty usedy byy Canadiany physiciany WilliamyOs
lery iny hisy early-twentieth-
centuryy textbook,y whichy wasy aystandardy medicalyreferenceyofytheytime.yItylat
eryappearedyasyaysubtitleytoyCanadianypsychologistyDonaldy O.y Hebb’sy 1949y t
reatisey ony brainy function,y They Organizationy ofy Behavior:yAyNeuropsychologi
calyTheory.yAlthoughyHebbyneitherydefinedynoryusedytheywordyinytheytextyitself,y
heyprobablyyintendedyitytoyrepresentyaymultidiscipli-
ynaryy focusy ofy scientistsy whoy believedy thaty any understandingy ofy humany brai
nyfunctionywasycentralytoyunderstandingyhumanybehavior.yByy1957,ytheytermyh
adybecomeyayrecognizedydesignationyforyaysubfieldyofytheyneurosciences.yHein
richyKluver,yanyAmericanyinvestigatoryintoytheyneuralybasisyofyvision,ywroteyi
nytheyprefaceytoyhisyBehavioryMechanismyinyMonkeysythatytheybookywouldybeyof
yinter-
yesty toy neuropsychologistsy andy others.y (Kluvery hady noty usedy they termy iny th
ey1933y prefacey toy they samey book.)y Iny 1960,y ity appearedy iny they titley ofy ay wid
elyyready collectiony ofy writingsy byy Americany psychologisty Karly S.y Lashley
—TheyNeuropsychologyy ofy Lashley—
mosty ofy whichy describedy raty andy monkeyy studiesydirectedy towardy understan
dingy memory,y perception,y andy motory behavior.yAgain,yneuropsychologyywas
yneitheryusedynorydefinedyinytheytext.yToytheyextentythatytheyydidyuseytheyterm,y
however,ytheseywriters,ywhoyspecializedyinytheystudyyofybasicybrainyfunctionyin
yanimals,ywereyrecognizingytheyemergenceyofyaysub-
,ydiscipliney ofy investigatorsy whoy specializedy iny humany researchy andy wouldy fin
d
theyanimalyresearchyrelevantytoyunderstandingyhumanybrainyfunction.
1
,
chapter
The Development of Neuropsychology
y y y
InySophocles’y(496–
406yB.C.)yplayyOedipusytheyKing,yOedipusyfindsyhisywayyblockedybyytheySphinx,ywhoythr
y
eatensytoykillyhimyunlessyheycanyanswerythisyriddle:y“Whatywalksyonyfourylegsyinytheymo
rning,ytwoylegsyatynoon,yandythreeylegsyinytheyevening?”yOedipusyreplies,y“Ayhuman,
”yandyisyallowedytoypass,ybecauseyaypersonycrawlsyasyanyinfant,ywalksyasyanyadult,yandyuse
syaycaneywhenyold.yTheySphinx’syriddleyisytheyriddleyofyhumanynature,yandyasytimeypassesyO
edipusycomesytoyunderstandythatyityhasyaydeeperymeaning:y“Whatyisyayhuman?”yTheydeep
eryquestionyinytheyriddleyconfoundsyOedipusyandyremainsyunansweredytoythisyday.yTheyobje
ctyofythisybookyisytoypursueytheyansweryinytheyplaceywhereyityshouldybeylogicallyyfound:y
theybrain.
T heytermyneuropsychologyyinyitsyEnglishyversionyoriginatedyquiteyrecently,yi
nyparty becausey ity representedy ay newy approachy toy studyingy they brain.yAcc
ordingy toy Daryly Bruce,y ity wasy firsty usedy byy Canadiany physiciany WilliamyOs
lery iny hisy early-twentieth-
centuryy textbook,y whichy wasy aystandardy medicalyreferenceyofytheytime.yItylat
eryappearedyasyaysubtitleytoyCanadianypsychologistyDonaldy O.y Hebb’sy 1949y t
reatisey ony brainy function,y They Organizationy ofy Behavior:yAyNeuropsychologi
calyTheory.yAlthoughyHebbyneitherydefinedynoryusedytheywordyinytheytextyitself,y
heyprobablyyintendedyitytoyrepresentyaymultidiscipli-
ynaryy focusy ofy scientistsy whoy believedy thaty any understandingy ofy humany brai
nyfunctionywasycentralytoyunderstandingyhumanybehavior.yByy1957,ytheytermyh
adybecomeyayrecognizedydesignationyforyaysubfieldyofytheyneurosciences.yHein
richyKluver,yanyAmericanyinvestigatoryintoytheyneuralybasisyofyvision,ywroteyi
nytheyprefaceytoyhisyBehavioryMechanismyinyMonkeysythatytheybookywouldybeyof
yinter-
yesty toy neuropsychologistsy andy others.y (Kluvery hady noty usedy they termy iny th
ey1933y prefacey toy they samey book.)y Iny 1960,y ity appearedy iny they titley ofy ay wid
elyyready collectiony ofy writingsy byy Americany psychologisty Karly S.y Lashley
—TheyNeuropsychologyy ofy Lashley—
mosty ofy whichy describedy raty andy monkeyy studiesydirectedy towardy understan
dingy memory,y perception,y andy motory behavior.yAgain,yneuropsychologyywas
yneitheryusedynorydefinedyinytheytext.yToytheyextentythatytheyydidyuseytheyterm,y
however,ytheseywriters,ywhoyspecializedyinytheystudyyofybasicybrainyfunctionyin
yanimals,ywereyrecognizingytheyemergenceyofyaysub-
,ydiscipliney ofy investigatorsy whoy specializedy iny humany researchy andy wouldy fin
d
theyanimalyresearchyrelevantytoyunderstandingyhumanybrainyfunction.
1
,
