LoF

• Petersen (et al. 1988)


  Localisation of function - strength:

  Brain scan evidence showing Wernicke's area as active during a listening task, and Broca's area active during a reading out loud task.
• Tulving (et al. 1994)


  Localisation of function - strength:

  Brain scan evidence from research into long term memory, shows that episodic and procedural memory are located in different parts of prefrontal cortex.
• Dougherty (et al. 2002)


  Localisation of function - strength:

  Neurosurgical evidence; 44 OCD patients underwent cingulotomy, and found 32 weeks after that third fully met success criteria of response to surgery, and 14% partially met criteria.
• Lashley (1950)


  Localisation of function - limitation:

  Removed 10-50% of cortex areas in rat brains, who were learning a maze. Found process of learning required every area of cortex; no area was more important. Suggests higher cognitive functions are not localised but distributed more holistically.
• Law of equipotentiality


  Lashley's idea of brain reorganising after damage/loss to a function; surviving brain circuits contribute to achieve same neurological action as before.
• Phineas Gage (1848)


  Localisation of theory - strength:

  Case study of man whose left frontal lobe was damaged by an explosive projecting a metre-length metal pole through his left cheek, behind left eye and exited skull at top taking most of his left frontal lobe. Survived, but personality changed; from calm and reserved to quick-tempered and rude. Suggests frontal lobe responsible for regulating mood.