Essay on Cognitive Neuropsychology

The significance of neuropsychology lies in its use as a treatment for medical, neurological, and psychiatric conditions. As a psychological element, the effectiveness of neuropsychology and the assessments used on individuals from different backgrounds is different. This is mostly due to socioeconomic and sociocultural differences. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the purpose and principles of neuropsychological assessment and the challenges faced in diverse communities such as South Africa as a case study. Neuropsychology has developed over the years in line with its growing significance in society. Closely related to the aspect of deficit identification is the aspect of treatment. Neuropsychological assessments were also used to develop treatments to some of the deficits identified. Clinical psychologists understanding of the brain from a clinical perspective gave them the ability to develop treatment processes based on the outcomes of neuropsychological tests.

The psychologists would use the same neuropsychological assessments to evaluate the progress of their patients (Harvey, 2012). Forensic determination is an additional element that contributed to the significance of neuropsychological assessments. Neuropsychology is often affected by environmental factors as it uses these factors in analyzing assessments. As a result, tests carried out on people in different parts of the world give wide variations. Neuropsychology shows that the brain development process is one that is environmental-dependent as an individual matures. Studies also show that environmental-expectant development, which mostly depends on the neuron and gene connections is much common in infant stages (Gluckman et al. Neuropsychological assessments are carried out neuropsychologists. The diagnosis section contains significant information of one’s deficit, either cognitive or emotional, and the impact it has on their behavior.

Neuropsychological assessments employ a norm-referenced assessment approach. A norm-referenced assessment is one where individual’s performance is compared with other individuals of the same age or level of education. The assessment in statistical terms is based on the bell curve. Various argument in favor of and against norm-referenced assessments have been proposed. As a result, group dynamics provide a large variation of results based on standardized aspects such as age, gender, level of education, location, race, and even religion. These variations allow an individual to understand their strengths and weaknesses in the available standardized aspects. The individual can institute treatment process to improve their functionality in areas where they consider themselves weak. This shows the significance of presenting the assessment data in a norm-referenced approach.

Neuropsychological assessments cover various aspects. Neuropsychology in South Africa began in the 1950 and has continued to develop in line with the country’s growth. The discipline received a major boost in 1980 with the development of the South African Clinical Neuropsychological Society (Watts, 2016). South Africa experiences a large variation in the social, economic and cultural dynamics of the country. The remnants of racial segregation in the country still divide sections of the population. In addition, the economic disparity between individuals fuels the divide. Some scholars such as Nicola Taylor have disagreed with Shuttleworth-Jordan view. Taylor argues that norms used in the neuropsychological tests are not based on an individual’s background. The author is of the view that the norms apply to a general population as standardization factors such as the quality and level of education are considered (Taylor, 2016).