Gall’s six assumptions
Gall’s six assumptions of phrenology have similarities with the assumptions of contemporary neuroscience. In this discussion, you will be demonstrating how an assumption of Gall’s phrenology is similar to an assumption in neuroscience. Follow steps below.
Step 1: Identify an assumption of Gall’s phrenology and explain how it is similar to an assumption in neuroscience. (Max 150-170 words)
Step 2: Reply to the post below, evaluating another student’s response and extending the discussion. (Max 50-80 words)
The concept that specific brain processes and functions occur in distinct parts of the brain, referred to as localisation and lauded by the early phrenologists, remains a controversial mainstay of neuroscience. The reality is that much of modern neuroscience built upon the foundations of older methods of studying the brain that also informed localisation – including the case studies of brain injuries and their corresponding effects on function and behaviour (Finger, 2010). Even the later competing theory of equipotentiality still suggested the localisation of most base functions, in contrast to the interconnectedness of higher-level functions (Hunter, 1930). That said, the concept of localisation has not remained the same; many who posit localisation today argue for a more nuanced version that takes into account many of its criticisms (Hubbard, 2003). Another likely reason for the longevity of the localisation perspective into modern neuroscience could be that when conceptualising the brain and its physical structures, the simple notion that different parts relate to different functions was a more intuitive than that of a more fluid, interconnected brain with little clue to how to untangle its properties (Uttal, 2001).
