Luria: The influence of Pavlov and Vygotsky

Hatfield FM. Analysis and remediationof aphasia in the USSR: the contribution of AR Luria. J Speech and Hrg Disorders46: 338-47, 1981.

[blogger note: these notes on article are not considered close to a complete discussion of subject. readers take note of the point]

Luria credits Sechenov(1863) and Pavlov with physiological studies of localization of cerebral function. Pavlov's explanation of localization of function (1949) is the cornerstone of Luria's explanationas well. Anokhin also was involved in the idea of "functional systems." Centers and complete equipotentiality of cortex are rejected. Author described a "Hegelian" synthesis of debate between localizationists and antilocalizationists.

The writing debate and "Exner's center" was specifically rejected and subjected to detailed elaboration of a functional system for writing. Sechenov/Pavlov "reflexes" were so called because they "reflected" the outside world.

Luria uses Pavlov's idea of "cortical analyzers" which are primary sensory projection areas in the cortex. The "second signalling system" referred to the first signalling system, which were conditioned reflexes including verbal symbols. The acquisition of speech was the second system, and a new and the highest regulator of human behavior. Pavlov believed, according to Luria, that the "laws of conditioning are quite different in animals and man."

On a personal level, Pavlov is said to have rebuked Luria after his first book, after which Luria was "purged" and did not publish again for well over a decade. When he did publish, some of his material was anti-Pavlovian.

Vygotsky:

Luria's mentor, wrote that thought and language were successively higher levels of consciousness, and based in social origin. Inner speech is egocentric speech, which might include shorthand, condensed and predicative. It is the basis of thought.

Author reviews Luria's classifiction of aphasias and tests of cortical function. Author stresses Luria's involvement and training in psychology, neurology, medicine, linguisitcs and founding involvement in neurolinguistics and neuropsychology. He was among the first to include phonemics, syntax, Jakobsen's schema, differential destructionof the "linguistics context" and the "linguistic code." He borrows from Chomsky with the model of deep and surface syntactic structures.