| Alexander Luria |
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Information AboutAlexander Luria |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT ALEXANDER LURIA | |
| 1902 births | |
| 1977 deaths | |
| russian physicians | |
| georgian psychologists | |
| jewish scientists | |
| psychologists | |
| alumni and faculty of moscow state university | |
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In 1923 , his work with reaction times related to thought processes earned him a position at the Institute of Psychology in Moscow. There, he developed the "combined motor method," which helped diagnose individuals' Thought Process es, creating the first lie-detector device. This research was published in the US in 1932 and in Russian for the first time only in 2002 . In 1924 , Luria met Lev Semionovich Vygotsky , who would influence him greatly. Along with Alexei Nikolaevich Leont'ev , these psychologists began developing a new type of psychology. This approach, coined "cultural," "historical," and "instrumental" psychology, dealt with human psychological processes, with a heavy emphasis on Language . Luria's work truly began in the 1930 s, when he explored Central Asia , investigating various psychological changes (including perception, problem solving, and memory). He also studied Identical and Fraternal Twin s in large residential School s to determine various factors. In the late 1930s, Luria went to medical school (partly to escape the Great Purges being carried out by Josef Stalin ). He specialized in the study of Aphasia , focusing on the relation between language, thought, and cortical function. He focused considerable attention on the development of compensatory functions for aphasia. During World War II Luria lead a research team at an army hospital looking for ways to compensate psychological disfunctions after injuries. His work resulted in creating the field of Neuropsychology. Following the war, Luria continued his work in Moscow. For a period of time, he was removed from the Institute of Psychology, mainly as a result of a flare of Anti-Semitism . He studied Mentally Retarded children for much of this time. In the late 1950 s, Luria was allowed to return to work, where he remained until his death from Heart Failure in 1977. His two main case studies, both published a few years before his death, described a man with an exceptional yet idiosyncratic memory ( 1968 ) and a man with a traumatic brain injury ( 1972 ). These case studies illustrate Luria's main methods of combining classical and remediational approaches; these methods form the basis of late- 20th-century Cognitive Science . Luria has helped start the Psychology department of the Moscow State University , and was one of its key professors. Luria's work is frequently and favorably mentioned in the popular books written by Dr. Oliver Sacks on neurological disorders, which has lead to greater recognition of Luria's accomplishments. He is also known for having studied the enigmatic case of S.V. Shereshevskii , a Russian journalist with a seemingly unlimited memory. LURIA-NEBRASKA NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TEST The Luria is a standardized test based on the theories of Luria regarding neuropsychological functioning. There are 11 scales: motor functions, rhythm, tactile functions, visual functions, receptive speech, expressive speech, writing, reading, arithmetic, memory, and intellectual processes. It is used with people who are 15 years or older; however,it may be used with adolescents down to 12 years old FURTHER READING |
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