Arthur Lester Benton (October 16, 1909 – December 27, 2006) was a neuropsychologist and Emeritus Professor of
Neurology
Neurology (from el, νεῦρον (neûron), "string, nerve" and the suffix -logia, "study of") is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the brain, the spinal ...
and
Psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries between ...
at the
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...
.
Biography
He received his A.B. from
Oberlin College in 1931, his A.M. from Oberlin College in 1933 and his Ph.D. from
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
in 1935. He acquired his training as a psychologist at the Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic of New York Hospital. Early in 1941, Benton volunteered for service in the U.S. Navy and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the medical department. His active duty lasted until 1945, followed by many years of service in the U.S. Navy Reserve, retiring at the rank of captain. In 1946 Benton accepted an appointment as associate professor of Psychology at the University of Louisville. In 1948, he moved to the University of Iowa as professor and director of graduate training in clinical psychology. In 1958 he became professor of psychology and neurology, retiring in 1978, at which time the Benton Laboratory of Neuropsychology in the Division of Behavioral Neurology was dedicated. At Iowa he supervised 46 doctoral dissertations and 24 master's theses. He was the author of numerous books and the creator of a number of neuropsychological testing instruments, including the
Benton Visual Retention Test
The Benton Visual Retention Test (or simply Benton test or BVRT) is an individually administered test for people aged from eight years to adulthood that measures visual perception and visual memory. It can also be used to help identify possible le ...
(BVRT).
He was the husband of the late Professor Rita Benton, Professor of Musicology at the University of Iowa, and father of Raymond Stetson Benton, Abigail Benton Sivan, and Daniel Joseph Benton.
Awards and honors
*Distinguished Professional Contribution Award from the
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 133,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. It ha ...
(1978)
*Outstanding Scientific Contribution of the International Neuropsychological Society (1981)
*Samuel Torrey Orton Award of the Orton Dyslexia Society (1982)
*Distinguished Service and Outstanding Contribution Award of the
American Board of Professional Psychology
The American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) is the primary organization for specialty board certification in psychology.
Mission statement
"The mission of the American Board of Professional Psychology is to increase consumer protectio ...
(1985)
*First speaker in an annual series of lectures initiated by the New York
Neuropsychology Group and the Psychology Section of the
New York Academy of Sciences
The New York Academy of Sciences (originally the Lyceum of Natural History) was founded in January 1817 as the Lyceum of Natural History. It is the fourth oldest scientific society in the United States. An independent, nonprofit organization wi ...
, featuring important figures in the development of neuropsychology, subsequently named The Arthur L. Benton Lecture in his honor.(1986)
*Distinguished Clinical Neuropsychological Award of the
National Academy of Neuropsychology (1989)
*Gold Medal Award for Life Achievement in the Application of Psychology from the American Psychological Foundation, for which the citation reads: "For lifetime contributions that include pioneering clinical studies of brain-behavior relations. He introduced novel and objective psychological assessment techniques that expanded our understanding of the difficulties manifested by neurologically compromised patients. He broadened the applications of psychology and in the process opened up a new field of study and practice, clinical neuropsychology." (1992)
See also
*
Judgment of Line Orientation
Judgment of Line Orientation (JLO) is a standardized test of visuospatial skills commonly associated with functioning of the parietal lobe in the right hemisphere. The test measures a person's ability to match the angle and orientation of lines i ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benton, Arthur L.
1909 births
2006 deaths
Deaths from emphysema
Respiratory disease deaths in Illinois
American neurologists
20th-century American psychologists
Oberlin College alumni