This document summarizes and discusses the work of Alexander Luria, a Russian neuropsychologist. It discusses his model of the functional units of the brain: 1) the first unit is attention, 2) the second unit involves simultaneous and successive processing, 3) the third unit is planning. It also discusses his work distinguishing implicit and explicit processes in long-term memory and working memory.

1. J.P Das, PhD. C.M (Order of Canada) and
FRSC (Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada)
J.P Das Centre on Developmental and Learning Disabilities
University of Alberta, Department of Educational Psychology
j.p.das@ualberta.ca

3. My grandfather didn’t go beyond
primary school; however, the
local magistrate of the
government consulted with him
to resolve conflicts and
complaints in the village . . .
I asked my father, why is grandfather so well
respected?
My father explained that grandfather
had an uncommon ability to plan and
make decisions.

4. In a southern village in India,
a remarkable sculptor creates
images. This artisan offers
lessons to the people in his
village in which he teaches
his craft (sculpting). However,
this man was born deaf and
without the ability to speak . . .
Was he intelligent?

5. If intelligence is a cultural universal, it must
be the ability to plan and structure ones
behaviour with an end in view. The end is
to achieve common good.

6. My guru, my teacher H.J., Eysenck
University of London

7. A.R. Luria University of Moscow

8. Like a machine, different parts of the
brain have different functions.
They are separate but dependent. . .

9. “The brain consists of a
great many modules that
process information more
or less independently of
each other. It seems likely
that it will be easier to
discover how one of those
modules works than to
explain the functioning of
the brain as a whole.”
C., Firth( 1997)

10. Alexander Luria 1972
Image courtesy of: neuropsychotherpist.com

11. First Functional Unit
•Attention
Second
Functional
Unit –
•Simultaneous
and Successive
Third
Functional
Unit –
•Planning
Luria, A. R. (1970). The Functional organization of the brain. Scientific American, 222, 66-78.

12. Planning
A planning process by which a
person determines, selects,
uses, and evaluates solutions
(i.e. using novel approaches to
solving problems and self
correction)
Attention
A mental process by which a
person selectively attends to
stimuli and ignores others (i.e.
shifting attention and resisting
distractions)
Simultaneous Processing
A mental activity by which the
person integrates stimuli into
groups
• Stimuli is seen as a whole,
•Each piece must be related to
the other
Successive Processing
A mental activity by which a
person integrates stimuli in a
specific serial order
•Stimuli form a chain-like
progression
•Stimuli are not inter-related

13. IMPLICIT EXPLICIT
 Tacit
 Experiential
 Spontaneous
 Instructed
 Formal
Working Memory (WM) is actively used in PASS
 Long term memory is accessed in PASS both implicitly
and explicitly

14. LTM
But. . .Who is the knower?
And . . . Is there a Homunculus?

15. Reaction Time Test “Real Life” Reaction time
Usain Bolt, 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing

16. Muhammad Ali doges Frazier March 1971, photo courtesy of: http://www.dailymail.co.uk

17. SOP
MN_RT
PC_RT
PLAN
E3
E4
MAT_RT
VSR_RT
SIM
E6
E7
EA_RT
ND_RT
ATT
E8
E9
WS_RT
SQ_RT
SUCC
E11
E12
Intelligence speed
• Cognitive processing
not speed is equivalent to
intelligence.
4 different SPEEDS NOT ONE
• PLAN speed
• SIM: speed
•ATT: speed
•SUCC: speed T.Papadopoulos

18. Joan Miró (1940) Nocturne.

19. Awake
Dream
Deep Sleep

21. Salvador Dalí.(1944). Dreams caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second
before awakening

22. Buddhist tradition says that
Buddha's mother, Maya,
dreamt of an auspicious white
elephant.

24. What is it like to
experience
consciousness?
Pablo Picasso, 1937, The Weeping Women

25. ≠

26. What is it like to
experience
Weeping?
Pablo Picasso, 1937, The Weeping Women

27. “Self Comes to Mind” Antonio Damasio

28. Ned Block

30. 1. Is there a self?
2. Does consciousness exist
outside the body?
3. Do we have free will?
4. Can we separate emotion
from reasoning?

31. ≠

33. OM Shantih ! Shantih !
Shantih ! !