Differences between Psychology and Neuropsychology

These two disciplines share some objectives, but they also have substantial differences.

Psychology is the science that studies and intervenes in the cognitive, affective and behavioral processes of people.

It is a discipline that covers various fields and has many branches; one of them, neuropsychology, is the science specialized in the diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of cognitive and behavioral alterations caused by brain damage.

We will now take a look at what these two disciplines we will see what these two disciplines consist of and what are the main differences between them..

Psychology: definition and characteristics

Psychology is a discipline with a number of specialtiesAmong the best known are: clinical psychology, which focuses on psychological problems that affect people's quality of life; educational psychology, which focuses on the treatment of learning difficulties; and organizational and work psychology, which aims to apply psychological techniques in the workplace.

In addition to having multiple specialties, psychology, in its clinical specialty, also has various "schools" or orientations, each with different methodologies, although they all have in common the objective of improving the lives of the people being treated.

However, the cognitive-behavioral orientation is the one that currently has the most scientific evidence of its effectiveness and efficacy in the vast majority of psychological disorders.

Neuropsychology: definition and characteristics

Neuropsychology represents a specialized discipline within the field of psychology that focuses primarily on cognitive processes (memory, attention, executive functions, etc.) and their relationship to the effects of brain injury and disease. (memory, attention, executive functions, etc.) and their relationship to the effects of brain injury and disease.

The main function of a clinical neuropsychologist is to understand how psychological processes relate to specific brain structures. Neuropsychological assessment determines which cognitive functions are impaired and which are preserved so that neuropsychological intervention, including rehabilitation of the impaired functions, can be undertaken with the goal of returning the individual to normal social functioning.

Differences between psychology and neuropsychology

Psychology and neuropsychology share a common goal, which is to improve the quality of life of the clients or patients they treat..

Both are two disciplines that work with people who need to improve some aspect of their lives, either because of a psychological problem (in the case of clinical psychology) or because of acquired brain damage (if we are talking about neuropsychology). But they also differ in several aspects. Let us see which ones.

1. Differences in training

Currently, in order to practice as a psychologist, it is necessary to have the corresponding university training: a 4-year degree in psychology and a master's degree that qualifies you, if you want to work in the field of health. To work in the public sector, the only way is to access through the internal resident psychologist system or P.I.R., a period of 4 years of hospital residency in different training areas.

With regard to working as a neuropsychologist, in Spain this profession is not recognized as such; that is, to be able to work in the field of neuropsychology what is usually required in the private sector is a postgraduate training that proves that you have the necessary knowledge to work in this field.

On the other hand, training in neuropsychology focuses more on higher cognitive processes and a more detailed study of the brain and its neuroanatomy, as opposed to psychology, which prioritizes the study of more general psychological processes.

2. Differences in assessment

Another difference between psychology and neuropsychology lies in the way the patient is evaluated.. A clinical psychologist evaluates the person's history, intellectual abilities, academic abilities and personality traits. However, this type of evaluation does not include tests to obtain data on the difficulties associated with the different cognitive functions.

The neuropsychologist will focus on the preserved and impaired cognitive functions, and will perform a comprehensive assessment of memory, attention, language, executive functions, praxias and gnosias, among others. This type of evaluation is focused on the elaboration of a comprehensive rehabilitation program that takes into account all the cognitive deficits observed.

Although neuropsychology also takes into account contextual factors when assessing a person, it is true that general psychology covers more of these elements, such as present and past personal experiences, traumatic events, subjective effects of certain relationships, etc.

3. Differences in intervention

When it comes to intervention, the differences between psychology and neuropsychology are also evident.. In the clinical setting, the psychologist will work with tools such as psychotherapy, a process that includes verbal and cognitive-behavioral techniques that help the patient to understand and modify his or her way of thinking and perceiving his or her own difficulties.

In the field of neuropsychology, interventions usually focus on the use of cognitive rehabilitation techniques involving: the restoration of altered functions by training them; compensation or alternative skills training; and the use of external aids (e.g., diaries and alarms for people with memory problems).

Neuropsychologists, on the other hand, often specialize in neurodegenerative disorders and alterations resulting from brain damage (e.g. dementia, epilepsy, stroke, etc.), unlike psychologists, who are more focused on psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, phobias, relationship problems, addictions or sleep disorders, among others.

4. Differences in research

In the field of research, there are also differences between psychology and neuropsychology.. Neuropsychology focuses more on discovering new information about the functioning of the brain and the various associated pathologies, with an interdisciplinary approach that draws on other neuroscientific disciplines.

Research in psychology, on the other hand, addresses multiple fields that include the study of aspects such as human learning, thought processes, emotions, behavior or cognitive biases, to give just a few examples.