Final answer:
Damage to the inferior prefrontal cortex can cause personality changes and affect planning, judgment, reasoning, and working memory, as evidenced by the case of Phineas Gage, who experienced substantial personality shifts after his injury but later adapted to become a stagecoach driver.
Step-by-step explanation:
Individuals with damage to the inferior prefrontal cortex are likely to show a range of behavioral and cognitive difficulties. This area of the brain is associated with functions such as planning, judgment, reasoning, and working memory. For example, the case of Phineas Gage - a railroad worker who experienced a severe injury to his prefrontal cortex - illustrates such effects. Following his accident, Gage's personality was reported to have changed significantly; from a hardworking and amiable individual to someone who was irritable, temperamental, and lazier. This suggests that damage to the prefrontal cortex can result in personality changes, although the brain does have some capacity for recovery and compensation, as indicated by Gage eventually functioning as a stagecoach driver.