Scientists

Franz Gall

Developed phrenology: the idea that if a particular trait was well developed, then the part of the brain responsible for that trait would push on the skull and cause a bulge--you could measure psychological attributes by feeling or measuring the skull

Pierre Flourens

- first person to study functions of major systems of the brain
- used extirpation on rabbits and pigeons--various parts of the brain are surgically removed and behavioral consequences are observed
- found that removing one part of brain weakens whole bra

William James

Theories helped form functionalism--system of thought in psych that studied how mental processes help individuals adapt to their environment

John Dewey

Also helped functionalism...believes psych should focus on study of organisms as a whole as it functioned to adapt to the environment

Paul Broca

- first to show that specific functional impairments could be linked to brain lesions
- found that a man who'd been unable to talk was unable to do so because of a lesion on a specific area of his left brain...called Broca's area

Hermann von Helmholtz

- first to measure speed of nerve impulse
- credited with transition of psych into a field of natural science

Sir Charles Sherrington

- first inferred existence of synapses
- only 1 of his conclusions was wrong--he thought synaptic transmission was an electrical process, but we know its chemical