PSYC 409 Lecture Notes - Carl Stumpf, James Mckeen Cattell, Analytical Psychology
Document Summary
Phrenology began as organology, a theory of brain structure developed by the german physician, franz joseph gall (1758 1828). He argued that the larger each of these organs are, the greater the power of the corresponding mental trait. Further, he argued that one could detect the sizes of the organs in a given individual by feeling the surface of that person"s skull. Gall"s ultra-localizationist position with respect to the brain was soon attacked, most notably by french anatomist pierre. Flourens (1794 1867), who conducted ablation studies (on chickens) which purported to demonstrate little or no cerebral localization of function. Although gall had been a serious (if misguided) researcher, his theory was taken by his assistant, johann gaspar spurzheim (1776 . 1832), and developed into the profitable, popular enterprise of phrenology, which soon spawned, especially in britain, a thriving industry of independent practitioners.
