On Reconciling the “Multidimensional” and “Unitary” Concepts of Brain Damage

Abstract

One major area of continuing controversy among psychologists attempting to develop useful techniques for diagnosing organicity is that involving the “unitary” and “multidimensional” concepts of brain damage (BD). Some of the sources of this apparent conflict were reviewed in order to clarify the points of contention. A rationale for a conceptual system and a research methodology were developed, in an attempt to reconcile the two notions; these were based on research literature ‘indicating that the specificity of deficits in the performance of BD patients is a function both of the locus, extent, and type of lesion and of the “complexity” of the test task itself. The Canter Background Interference Procedure was suggested as a potentially fruitful instrument with characteristics which hold promise for furthering the reconciliation between the two concepts.