PASS theory

How can we alternate between perspectives, in the understanding of a diagnostic case, and move back and forth between looking at the case from PASS theory viewpoint, to looking at it from CHC viewpoint?

Part one.

Is it possible to analyze a diagnostic case from (at least) two different theoretical viewpoints? Certainly!

In order to do that, we have to be familiar with different theories of intelligence.

In this post I'll write a little about the PASS theory, which is a development of the Luria theory, on which the Kaufman test is based.  In a subsequent post we'll see how we can "translate" concepts from PASS language to CHC language and vice versa, and we'll see the problems in such a "translation".  I hope to present in one of the upcoming posts an example of a case analyzed from both CHC and PASS viewpoints.  This will enable us to see the different interventions that result from each viewpoint. 

A little about PASS theory

PASS is an acronym for Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, Successive.  This theory was developed by Das, Naglieri and colleagues as an extension of the theory of the renowned soviet neuropsychologist  Alexander Luria.  The PASS is a cognitive theory, and thus it emphasizes systems and processes, in contrast with psychometric theories (like CHC) that emphasize structure.  Luria developed the theory qualitatively on the basis of research with brain injured people (among them 800 WWII soldiers with bullet wounds in various parts of the brain).  Das and Naglieri added a quantitative statistical aspect to the theory.  This is in contrast with the CHC theory which was initially developed as a statistical model.

According to PASS theory, there are three processing units/systems in the brain:  the arousal and attention system, the information processing system (via successive or simultaneous means), and the planning system.  Every time we perform a cognitive task, we use these three systems.

The arousal and attention system:  this system allows us to pay attention selectively to things that are important to us, and to resist distractions. 

The information processing system: this system is responsible for receiving, processing and retaining information from the outside world, through simultaneous and successive processing.

Simultaneous processing: the integration of stimuli to form a whole and the ability to understand the relations between stimuli (draw a triangle above a square that is to the left of a circle that is under a cross).  Classifying things we perceive into groups.  Holistic processing.  Simultaneous processing is related to the organization of information in a holistic pattern that can be viewed  and thought about all at once, in its entirety.

Successive processing – the processing of stimuli arranged in a linear sequence, like a chain.  The elements follow each other in time, are processed one after the other and it's impossible to view the entire sequence in any point in time.  The elements of the stimuli are not necessarily related to each other in a systematic way, but can acquire meaning as a result of understanding the whole sequence. 

The processing mode is not tied up with modality.  Simultaneous processing can be done with visual or verbal stimuli.  For example, reading comprehension requires simultaneous processing.  The information is verbal and it is flowing in a sequential way, but we organize it holistically in order to see the big picture, and understand the whole story.  Successive processing can likewise be done with visual or verbal stimuli.  The "hand movements" test in the KABC2 battery in an example of a sequential process done with visual stimuli.

Luria's approach encourages looking qualitatively on the work process.  We know that sometimes, in tasks like "object assembly", the child tries to fit the parts in a "blind" way, without seeing what the object he is working on is.  Sometimes only when the task is done or almost done, the child suddenly understands, suddenly sees, what the object is.  In the RCFT test we can see such a style of work when the child copies the design line by line, without noticing the main elements in the design.  This working style is related with poor simultaneous processing.  Focusing on parts and copying segments is the child's way of using successive processing  to compensate for poor simultaneous processing.   As for RCFT we know that the whole design, the gestalt is poor in right hemisphere damaged people (poor simultaneous processing).  Details are omitted by people with left hemisphere damage (low sequential processing). 

Sometimes we see children drawing a hasty conclusion about the meaning of a visual stimulus from one part of it (and not because of impulsivity).  This can result from difficulty with simultaneous processing.  This difficulty can arise in these children with non visual stimuli as well.  For example, they may draw conclusions about the meaning of a text based on a specific element without taking the rest of the information. into consideration.

The planning system:  this system is responsible for synthesis of information from the outside world, and for making decisions and solving problems, performing   new activities, creating . new narratives and so on.  This system includes planning, monitoring and regulation, problem solving and impulse control.  This system controls the arousal and attentional system and regulates the allocation of the finite attentional resource.

The three systems rely on the skill and knowledge base.  They  affect it and are affected by it.  The skill and knowledge base is not a psychological processing system.  It is a product of the processing systems.

Successive  and simultaneous processes in everyday and academic functioning

Successive	Simultaneous
Nonword decoding	Reading comprehension
Phonological and spelling skills	Grammar, understanding relations between words
Learning to sound out new words	Understanding social situations and body language
Finding words in the dictionary	Listening comprehension
Following a sequence of directions	Automatic reading of whole words
Perceiving rhythm and music	Geometry problems
Sequences of movement in dance and sports
Mathematical procedures (like long division)
Leaning the sequence of number words