Understanding Biopsychology and Cognitive Neuropsychology

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Biopsychology is the branch of psychology that studies the relationship between physiological events (biology) and psychological processes (behavior) (Kuther & Morgan, 2012). If human behavior is studied in the framework of biopsychology, cognitive processes such as perception, memory, speaking, thinking, etc., are studied within the scope of cognitive neuropsychology. Cognitive neuropsychology is situated at the intersection of cognitive psychology and biopsychology, studying the human mind as the information processor (Kuther & Morgan, 2012). As the research-oriented branch of psychology, cognitive neuropsychology has its applied counterpart: clinical neuropsychology (Kuther & Morgan, 2012).

Biopsychology and Cognitive Neuropsychology within the Field of Psychology

Biopsychologists study how various factors, such as genetics, social experiences, or hormones, influence human behavior. They work mostly in the research and academic settings, developing the theoretical base for the applied science (Kuther & Morgan, 2012). Cognitive psychologists study various processes of the human brain, such as calculation, reading, thinking, etc. They also investigate the differences between the ways these processes progress in the brains of different people. Similar to biopsychologists, cognitive psychologists are involved in research activity and are employed by universities, pharmaceutical companies, and research institutes (Kuther & Morgan, 2012).

Levels of Education

In order to work in the spheres of biopsychology and cognitive neuropsychology, one should achieve a certain level of education. Students with a bachelor degree in psychology might be science, psychiatric, clinical laboratory, and pharmacy technicians. These positions offer an opportunity to apply the general knowledge that students obtained during their studies as well as to learn more about the specialty area.

Graduate degrees increase the number of job opportunities. Students with a masters degree will be welcomed in the teaching and research spheres, and a doctoral degree allows them to do the applied work (Kuther & Morgan, 2012).

Jobs and Incomes

Technicians with a bachelor degree can work in scientific, clinical, and biotechnological laboratories, assisting scientists in their research, maintaining laboratories and equipment, monitoring experiments, and recording data. Such jobs offer a comfortable work environment; however, the salaries are low (approximately $27,705 per year), and career progression is limited (Kuther & Morgan, 2012).

Research and academic settings offer more opportunities and higher wages. However, there is the problem of the expensive laboratory experiments. To obtain money for the equipment, scientists should be engaged in a great deal of paperwork in order to win grants from the government. However, this distracts them from their primary projects (Kuther & Morgan, 2012).

Applied work offers public recognition and the highest salaries. According to Kuther and Morgan (2012), the average annual income of biopsychologists and cognitive neuropsychologists that are occupied both in the research and applied settings starts at $80,000, with a rise to six figures expected in a short period of time (p. 93). An applied career presupposes employment in medical settings and private practices.

Possible Career

Personally, I am interested in cognitive neuropsychology. I was always curious about the relationship between brain activity and language. What is original: thinking or speaking? Should the science consider thought and speech as two different mental activities or one indivisible unit of cognition? Cognitive neuropsychology addresses this issue. That is why the research activity seems to be the most attractive. The studies in cognitive neuropsychology allow for contributing to the sphere of knowledge that has been developing already and will be developing in the future, after we are gone.

Interesting Facts

Previously, I did not think that clinical neuropsychology offered a wide range of opportunities. Clinical neuropsychologists can save peoples lives because their knowledge allows for operating on patients with severe brain damage. They can share their experience while training the interns and consulting with their colleagues. They can perform various research activities, making important discoveries and elaborating on the scientific theory. Clinical neuropsychologists may be involved in the theoretical and the applied sciences, making significant contributions to both branches.

Everyday Experience

Currently, people have become more concerned with the issue of brain training, especially memory development. Natural cognitive decline due to aging is a challenging problem. There is a common belief that brain training games are helpful in this situation, but unfortunately, the studies have shown that these games do not help to develop and train cognitive abilities (Britt, 2010). Indeed, after my grandfathers stroke, many people advised him to solve Sudoku puzzles to retrain his mental activities that had become slightly inhibited. However, this only helped him to solve the Sudoku puzzles better and did not affect his cognitive abilities in any other way.

In spite of our expectations, the brain training games fail to perform their function. However, it does not mean that all psychological tricks are pointless for our brains and minds. For example, to decrease the number of car accidents on city streets, we may employ the works of 3D artists (Britt, 2015). It has been found that the image of a child on the road makes people slow down their cars more effectively than the special road signs. It seems to be a rather useful finding of cognitive neuropsychologists since it can be employed in everyday life.

Hot Topic

Neuropsychologists from the University of California, Irvine found how the two- to three-year cosmic flight to Mars that will take place in 2017 might adversely affect the cognition processes of the cosmonauts. Mastroianni (2016) reports that the exposure to highly energetic charged particles will lead to various performance decrements, memory deficits, anxiety, depression and impaired decision-making (para. 3). The consequences of such radiation may progress throughout life. For this reason, the same research team is looking for a drug that can prevent these consequences (Mastroianni, 2016). This is the example of how neuropsychology as a study of such cognitive processes as perception, memory, speaking, learning, and thinking may find its application in a wide range of other studies, saving peoples lives not only on the operating table but in outer space.

Conclusion

Biopsychology and cognitive neuropsychology are important and challenging branches of psychology. They are connected with many other sciences, for example, neuroscience and biology. The findings of biopsychologists and cognitive neuropsychologists may be applied in different spheres of human activity, from traffic control to space exploration.

References

Britt, M. (Presenter). (2010). Episode 128: Do brain training games work? Web.

Britt, M. (Presenter). (2015). Episode 252: How psychology gets you to slow down while driving. Web.

Kuther, T. L., & Morgan, R. D. (2012). Careers in psychology: Opportunities in a changing world (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Cengage Learning.

Mastroianni, B. (2016). Astronauts heading to Mars could risk chronic dementia. CBS News. Web.

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