Introduction to Psychology
Fields

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Neuropsychology

Neuropsychology studies relationships between brain function and behavior, with roots in clinical study of brain injury and a long debate over localization.

Interdisciplinary fieldBrain and cognition

Type of entry
Interdisciplinary fieldAn area that draws on psychology together with other disciplines. Types are editorial labels, not an official classification.
Cluster
Brain and cognitionMind, brain, perception, language, emotion and animal behavior.
Sources opened
3 of 30 read as a full page, 3 as selected text or an abstract, 0 not verified.
Independent review
Admitted after correctionsClaude Code reviewer agent, separate from the writer, 2026-10-21. 8 claims checked against 3 sources opened by the reviewer.

What it studies

The International Neuropsychological Society describes itself as an organization that enhances communication among disciplines studying brain-behavior relationships, and its mission refers to advancing the science and practice of neuropsychology and related brain health professions. An editorial notes that the field is changing disciplinary boundaries in neurology, psychiatry, psycholinguistics and clinical psychology.

History and people

An editorial on speech and language neuropsychology traces wide and fundamental changes since Paul Broca's 1863 work on aphasia, and describes work by Broca, John Hughlings Jackson and Carl Wernicke to identify neuropathological sources of selective language impairments. It says activity increased after the two World Wars, with isolated brain lesions in World War I veterans giving new insights, and it describes a contribution on Kurt Goldstein and Adhémar Gelb. A century after Broca, interest in earlier ideas resurged with new approaches from Wilder Penfield and Norman Geschwind.

People and documented roles

  • Paul Broca. Author of 1863 work on aphasia credited in the editorial
    • His 1863 work on aphasia is the starting point the editorial uses for later changes in speech and language neuropsychology. [2]
  • John Hughlings Jackson. Clinician in Great Britain credited in the editorial
    • Credited with work to identify neuropathological sources of selective language impairments. [2]
  • Carl Wernicke. Clinician in Germany credited in the editorial
    • Credited with work to identify neuropathological sources of selective language impairments. [2]
  • Kurt Goldstein. Clinician named for work with war veterans
    • Named for clinical and psychological work with war veterans. [2]
  • Adhémar Gelb. Clinician named for work with war veterans
    • Named for clinical and psychological work with war veterans. [2]
  • Wilder Penfield. Canadian researcher named in the editorial
    • Named as initiating new approaches when interest in earlier ideas resurged about a century after Broca. [2]
  • Norman Geschwind. United States researcher named in the editorial
    • Named as initiating new approaches when interest in earlier ideas resurged about a century after Broca. [2]
  • William Osler. Physician credited with first use of the word neuropsychology
    • Credited by the BRAIN page with first use of the term. [3]
  • Karl Lashley. Psychologist whose use of the term is credited with bringing it into psychology
    • The term entered psychology nomenclature after his use of it. [3]
  • D. O. Hebb. Author of the 1949 book The Organization of Behavior: A Neuropsychological Theory
    • Used the term in the book's subtitle without defining it. [3]

The editorial covers speech and language work only, so the list reflects that scope. Women and scholars outside Europe and the United States are not documented in the sources opened.

Dated milestones

  • 1863Research report. Year.Broca's work on aphasia, the starting point the editorial uses for later changes in speech and language neuropsychology. [2]
  • 1913Name adopted. Year.Osler is credited with first use of the word neuropsychology; one professional page, not a settled attribution. [3]
  • 1936Name adopted. Year.The term entered psychology nomenclature after Lashley's use, according to one professional page. [3]
  • 1949Publication. Year.Hebb's book The Organization of Behavior: A Neuropsychological Theory uses the term without defining it. [3]
  • 1967Society or organization formed. Year.The International Neuropsychological Society was founded; this is a society date, not the start of the field. [1]

Methods

The editorial describes the study of veterans with isolated brain lesions and notes that the research area has continued to grow with the increasing use of neuroimaging. It does not give a methods overview, and the other sources opened do not either, so this profile lists no further techniques.

Training and applications

The International Neuropsychological Society says it advances the science and practice of neuropsychology. Clinical practice and its credentials are covered under clinical neuropsychology in this guide. Where a title or license is involved, regulators in each jurisdiction set it, not this guide. The sources opened do not establish a training route.

Boundaries and limits

One professional page credits William Osler with using the word neuropsychology in 1913, says it entered psychology after Karl Lashley used it in 1936, and says D. O. Hebb used it in a 1949 book title without defining it. The sources do not settle who coined the term. The editorial covers speech and language work in Europe and North America and calls the debate between localizationists and holists long-standing.

Evidence behind the claims

  • INS says it was founded in 1967 as a scientific and educational organization to enhance communication among disciplines studying brain-behavior relationships, and describes its mission as advancing the science and practice of neuropsychology and related brain health professions.

    What it studiesThe organization's own descriptionSource: [1]Where: History paragraph and mission text

  • The editorial says there have been wide and fundamental changes in speech and language neuropsychology since Paul Broca's 1863 work on aphasia, and describes work by Broca in France, John Hughlings Jackson in Great Britain and Carl Wernicke in Germany to identify the neuropathological sources of selective impairments in language.

    History and peopleDocumented in the sourceSource: [2]Where: Section on the origins, 1860s to 1890s

  • The editorial says activity increased in the wake of the two World Wars, that isolated brain lesions in World War I veterans gave rise to new insights into speech and language disorders, and it describes a contribution on Kurt Goldstein's and Adhémar Gelb's clinical and psychological work with war veterans.

    History and peopleDocumented in the sourceSource: [2]Where: Section on the World Wars

  • The editorial describes a long-standing debate between localizationists and holists in the field of neuropsychology.

    Boundaries and limitsDocumented in the sourceSource: [2]Where: Central theme paragraph

  • The editorial says that one hundred years after Broca, interest in the earlier ideas resurged when new approaches were initiated by individuals such as Wilder Penfield in Canada and Norman Geschwind in the United States.

    History and peopleDocumented in the sourceSource: [2]Where: Section on the twentieth-century revival

  • The editorial says the research area has continued to grow with the increasing use of neuroimaging and is changing the disciplinary boundaries in neurology, psychiatry, psycholinguistics and clinical psychology.

    What it studiesDocumented in the sourceSource: [2]Where: Closing paragraph on modern developments

  • The BRAIN history page credits Sir William Osler with the first use of the term neuropsychology in 1913.

    Boundaries and limitsDocumented in the sourceSource: [3]Where: Entry for 1913

  • The same page says the term entered psychology nomenclature after Karl Lashley used it in 1936, and that D. O. Hebb used it in the 1949 book The Organization of Behavior: A Neuropsychological Theory without defining it.

    Boundaries and limitsDocumented in the sourceSource: [3]Where: Entries for 1936 and 1949

Where it appears

University examples

Professional contexts

Examples show documented structures. They are not a ranking, a census, or a statement about admission or licensing.

In the Psy101 course

This is course relevance only. It is not evidence for the historical or practice claims on this page.See the full course map.

Sources and inspection

3 of 3 sources were opened and read at the level shown. A source marked as not verified supports no claim on this page by itself.

  1. [1]
    About INS - The International Neuropsychological SocietyInternational Neuropsychological Society, undated. Professional association. Supports a statement about practice.Selected text readRead an extract with the 1967 founding statement and the mission wording; the page did not define neuropsychology and no revision date was visible.
  2. [2]
    Editorial: Changing perspectives in speech and language neuropsychology, 1863-2023Frontiers in Psychology 16:1592313 (Eling, Longman, Stahnisch, Tremblay), 2025. Review article. Supports the history.Selected text readRead an extract of the HTML editorial, published April 11, 2025, covering Broca, Wernicke, wartime lesion work, Penfield and Geschwind and the localization-holism debate; it is limited to speech and language.
  3. [3]
    History of NeuropsychologyBRAIN (brainaacn.org), credited to Rob Davis, 2016. Professional association. Supports the history.Selected text readRead an extract on the first uses of the term; the 2016 year rests on unlabeled January 2016 dates on the page, and the cited primary texts were not checked.

Independent source review: Claude Code reviewer agent, separate from the writer, 2026-10-21. Verdict: Admitted after corrections. Of 8 claims checked, 4 were supported as written, 4 were reworded and 0 were removed.