Phineas Gage was a railroad construction foreman who lived in the mid-19th century. On September 13, 1848, he survived a severe brain injury when a tamping iron, a long rod used to compact soil and gravel in railroad construction, accidentally penetrated his skull. This event is considered one of the most famous cases in the history of neuroscience, as it provided insight into the role of the frontal lobes in personality and behavior.
Gage was 25 years old at the time of the accident, and he was described as a hard-working and responsible employee. He was known for his intelligence, punctuality, and ability to manage his crew. However, after the accident, Gage's personality underwent a dramatic change. He became impulsive, irresponsible, and prone to outbursts of anger. He was no longer able to hold a job or maintain relationships, and he eventually died 12 years later, in 1860, at the age of 37.
The tamping iron that injured Gage entered through the left side of his skull and exited through the top of his head, causing extensive damage to his frontal lobes. At the time, it was believed that the brain was a fixed and unchanging organ, and it was not understood how such a severe injury could have such a profound effect on personality. However, the case of Phineas Gage helped to change this perspective and sparked a new era of research into the function of the brain.
Today, Gage's case is considered a classic example of the role of the frontal lobes in personality and behavior. The frontal lobes are responsible for a range of functions, including decision-making, problem-solving, and emotional control. Damage to these areas can lead to changes in personality, as was the case with Gage.
In the years following the accident, Gage's case was widely discussed and studied by scientists and medical professionals. It was featured in numerous articles and books, and it continues to be a topic of interest in the field of neuroscience. The case of Phineas Gage has also been used as a cautionary tale, illustrating the importance of safety in the workplace and the potential consequences of brain injuries.
Phineas Gage: Biography, Brain Injury, and Influence
He survived but it is said that his personality changed as a result, leading to a greater understanding of the brain regions involved in personality, namely the frontal lobe. The subject was the man for the case. The text popularizes the field of evolutionary psychology, in which knowledge and principles from evolutionary biology are applied in research on human brain structure. At the same time, the world around the developing child exerts its influence on growth, and, at critical points, can alter the way these genetic characteristics are expressed. Harlow's famous case: the "impossible" accident of Phineas P. Severity of Gage's Brain Damage In a 1994 study, researchers utilized neuroimaging techniques to reconstruct Phineas Gage's skull and determine the exact placement of the injury.
The Phineas Gage information page : The University of Akron, Ohio
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The top of the head appeared somewhat like an inverted funnel, as if some wedge-shaped body had passed from below upward. The Blackwell Dictionary of Neuropsychology. Countway Library of Medicine. He develops an influential therapy based on this assertion, using free association and dream analysis. In this program, you'll explore how psychologists study the origins of self-identity, self-esteem, and the social determinants of self-concepts. This program discusses the basic principles of how we learn; classical, instrumental, and operant conditioning; and the role that stimuli and consequences play in learned behavior and habits.
History of Psychology: Timeline
The labor invested in setting each blast, the judgment involved in selecting its location and the quantity of powder to be used, and the often explosive nature of employer-employee relations on this type of job, all underscore the significance of Harlow's statements that Gage had been a "great favorite" with his men, and that his employers had considered him "the most efficient and capable foreman in their employ" prior to the accident. . Partial paralysis of the left side of the face. Swetland; Doug Sweetland, eds. Harlow states that Gage "went home to his mother" before he died, but the US census for June 1, 1860 seven days after Gage's death lists as empty the San Francisco house shared by Hannah Gage, her daughter Gage's sister Phebe, Phebe's husband David Dustin Shattuck, and their young son Frank. Led by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow, who publishes Motivation and Personality in 1954, this approach centers on the conscious mind, free will, human dignity, and the capacity for self-actualization.
