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Issues and debates: how psychology has changed over time
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Research on the brain shows clearly how psychology has changed: from careful observation of individual patients to powerful scanning technology.
Early methods: case studies and post-mortems
Phineas Gage (1848): his doctor described his personality change; ideas about the damage were based on observation.
Broca (1861): examined the brain of a patient who could only say one word ('tan') after his death, and found damage to an area of the left frontal lobe, now called Broca's area, linked to speech production.
These were important but based on single cases and could not show the living brain at work.
Experiments and new technology
EEG (from the 1920s) records the brain's electrical activity through the scalp.
Brain scans such as CT, MRI and fMRI (developed from the 1970s onwards) let researchers see the structure and activity of the living brain.
Damasio et al. (1994) used computer modelling to revisit Gage's skull, giving a much more precise account of his injury than was possible in 1848.
Later research built on Sperry's work, for example by investigating sex differences in lateralisation using brain scans.
What has changed?
Ideas have been refined: from broad ideas about 'the front of the brain' to precise areas such as the ventromedial prefrontal cortex.
Ethics have changed too: treatments once used, such as the lobotomy (cutting connections in the frontal lobes), were widely performed in the mid 20th century but are now regarded as harmful.
However, case studies are still useful, and technology has limits (for example, scans show activity, not thoughts).
Compare how Gage's injury was understood in 1848 and in 1994.
- In 1848, his doctor relied on observing his behaviour; the exact damage was unknown.
- In 1994, Damasio et al. used measurements and 3D computer modelling of his skull to locate the damage precisely.
Answer: Understanding moved from observation to precise, technology-based analysis, showing psychology becoming more scientific.
Brain research shows psychology changing from case studies and post-mortems (Gage, Broca) to experiments (Sperry) and technology such as EEG, brain scans and computer modelling (Damasio et al.). Psychology has become more scientific, precise and ethical.
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