14 Facts About Neuropsychology

Neuropsychology is a relatively new discipline within the field of psychology.

The first textbook defining the field, Fundamentals of Human Neuropsychology, was initially published by Kolb and Whishaw in 1980.

Neuropsychology believed the heart to be in control of mental processes, and looked on the brain, due to its inert nature, as a mechanism for cooling the heat generated by the heart.

Neuropsychology drew his conclusions based on the empirical study of animals.

Neuropsychology found that while their brains were cold to the touch and that such contact did not trigger any movements, the heart was warm and active, accelerating and slowing dependent on mood.

Neuropsychology was one of the earliest to use the words 'neurology' and 'psychology'.

Neuropsychology theorized that higher structures accounted for complex functions, whereas lower structures were responsible for functions similar to those seen in other animals, consisting mostly of reactions and automatic responses.

Neuropsychology was particularly interested in people with manic disorders and hysteria.

Neuropsychology's research constituted some of the first times that psychiatry and neurology came together to study individuals.

Neuropsychology theorized that personality was directly related to features and structures within the brain.

Neuropsychology was once sent a cast of Rene Descartes' skull, and through his method of phrenology claimed the subject must have had a limited capacity for reasoning and higher cognition.

Neuropsychology's work is considered crucial to having laid a firm foundation in the field of neuropsychology, which would flourish over the next few decades.

Neuropsychology was one of the first to use larger samples for research although it took many years for that method to be accepted.

Neuropsychology called this mass action and he believed that it was a general rule that governed how brain tissue would respond, independent of the type of learning.