Which of the Following Illustrates the Controversy About the Exact

question 373

Multiple Choice

Which of the following illustrates the controversy about the exact details of the sad case of Phineas Gage?

• A)No one can really know the exact location of the brain damage since Gage was cremated and it was not possible to exhume his skull for scientific study.
• B)Since Gage died within three weeks of the accident it was not possible for his physicians to make long-term observations of the effect of the injury.
• C)No one is really sure what Gage was like before his accident and the doctors may have exaggerated the extent of his personality transformation.
• D)Since Gage was paralyzed after his injury it was difficult to determine which aspects of his behavior were due to the accident and which were due to depression.

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Definitions:

Reasonably Stable Patterns

Regular or consistent behaviors, thoughts, or emotions that remain relatively unchanged over time.

Personality

The combination of emotional, attitudinal, and behavioral response patterns of an individual that is distinct from one another.

Emotions

Complex psychological states that involve physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience.

Psychodynamic Theories

Theories that emphasize the influence of the unconscious mind and childhood experiences on personality and behavior.