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The Organization of Behavior: A Neuropsychological Theory
Donald Hebb’s 1949 theoretical book links behavior with the organization of neural networks. The reissue’s publisher description identifies the cell assembly, Hebb synapse, and Hebb rule among its ideas.
- Author and origin
- Donald O. Hebb (Canada / United States)Original language: English. First published in 1949 (Open Library lists Wiley among the publishers). Psychology Press reissued it in 2002; Routledge's page says the original edition had been unavailable since 1966.
- Genre and form
- Academic (Scholarly monograph)Foundational scholarly monographs, experimental treatises, and theoretical volumes written for researchers and students.
- Pairing and evidence
- Primary scholarshipA foundational academic book or treatise. Each profile states what was inspected and whether a research paper is paired.
- Sources inspected
- 1 text/abstract inspected, 1 metadata checked (of 2)1 with the primary text or archive/edition record checked, 0 with an indexed abstract read, 1 with bibliographic metadata checked, 0 not verified.
The work and edition history
The book first appeared in 1949 and was reissued by Psychology Press in 2002. The description and table of contents used here come from the 2002 edition's publisher page, so they describe the reissue. A catalog record for a library copy lists xix and 335 pages.
Psychological reading
The 2002 publisher description presents a framework connecting behavior with the organization of neural networks. Its contents include learning and perception, motivation, and intelligence. Ask how experience could leave a lasting trace in a network of cells, and how the available methods would affect a test of such an idea in 1949 and today.
Why it earns inclusion
The book is a bridge between psychology of learning and perception and the study of the nervous system. It is the source the publisher ties to terms such as the Hebb synapse and the Hebb rule, and it shows them in their original theoretical setting.
Academic pairing and claim scope
No journal article is paired. A neuroscience paper on synaptic change would test a later version of the idea and would need the book's own statement of it, which was not read.
Limits and controversies
Based on the 2002 publisher page and catalog records, not the 1949 text. The contents described belong to the reissue; no comparison with the original was made. A theory’s influence does not establish how well it describes real synapses.
Evidence behind the claims
Routledge's page for the 2002 Psychology Press edition says the book was first published in 1949 and that the original edition has been unavailable since 1966.
The publisher presents a theoretical framework relating behavior to synaptic organization and names the cell assembly, Hebb synapse, and Hebb rule among its ideas.
The 2002 contents include perception and learning, the growth of the assembly, phase sequence, motivation, and intelligence.
Open Library lists 1949 as the first publication year of The Organization of Behavior, names Wiley among the publishers and records LCCN 49050182.
Authors and researchers
- Donald O. Hebb. Psychologist; author of The Organization of Behavior.
In the Psy101 course
- OpenStax Psychology 2e, section 3.2: Cells of the Nervous SystemChapter 3, Biopsychology. Concept. Suggested conceptual background; a mention of this work in the section has not been verified.Connects to chapter coverage of neurons and synapses.
- OpenStax Psychology 2e, section 6.1: What Is Learning?Chapter 6, Learning. Historical context. Suggested conceptual background; a mention of this work in the section has not been verified.Connects the book's account of learning to the chapter's introduction to what learning is.
Educational reading guide only, not clinical diagnosis or treatment guidance. This course map indicates introductory curriculum relevance rather than clinical proof.See the full course map.
Sources and inspection
Of 2 cited sources, 1 had primary text or archive/edition records checked, 0 had an indexed abstract read, and 1 had bibliographic metadata checked (0 unverified). Literary works and memoirs are distinguished from empirical research studies.
- [1]Hebb, D. O. (n.d.). The organization of behavior: A neuropsychological theory (psychology press, 2002). Psychology Press (Routledge). https://www.routledge.com/The-Organization-of-Behavior-A-Neuropsychological-Theory/Hebb/p/book/9780805843002Publisher or bibliographic record. Work, edition, or catalog record.Bibliographic metadata or reference record checkedPublisher page read on 2026-10-23: description, table of contents and original-publication statement for the 2002 edition. No page of the book itself was read.
- [2]Hebb, D. O. (1949). The organization of behavior (open library work record). Open Library (Internet Archive). https://openlibrary.org/works/OL2399623WArchive or library record. Work, edition, or catalog record.Edition, title-page, or archive record checkedOpen Library search results read on 2026-10-23, with a Wellcome Collection record listing xix and 335 pages. catalog-level only; Wiley is a listed publisher for the work, not confirmed on a 1949 title page.