Psy 3317 Biopsychology, Cognitive Neuropsychology, and Clinical Neuropsychology

October 10, 2017

PSY3317

1. What is the difference between biopsychology, cognitive neuropsychology, and clinical neuropsychology?

Biopsychology is a branch of psychology that analyzes how the brain, neurotransmitters, and other aspects of our biology influence our behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. In addition, bio psychologists often look at how biological processes interact with emotions, cognitions, and other mental processes. Cognitive neuropsychology introduces the information processing perspective methods of cognitive psychology and methods of conduct experiments and physiological methods of neuroscience. Clinical neuropsychology diagnoses and evaluate patients who have cerebral and functional impairment caused by neurological disorders, mental disorders, and neurological disorders. In addition, as clinical neuropsychology is a field of neuropsychology, they treat patients and conducts research related to rehabilitation. Furthermore, there are many opportunities in biopsychology, cognitive neuropsychology, and clinical neuropsychology with a bachelor’s degree and graduate degree for students. Career opportunities of bachelor’s degree are science technician, psychiatric technician, clinical laboratory technician, and pharmacy technician. Career opportunities of graduate degree are pharmaceutical and biotechnology research, and practice.

2. What are the opportunities in these fields with a bachelor's degree?

There are many students who interested in biopsychology, neuropsychology, or cognitive psychology. Even if these are requiring a high- level, there are several career opportunities for students of bachelor’s degree such as science technician, psychiatric technician, clinical laboratory technician, and pharmacy technician. First is science technician. Science technicians are involved in laboratory research and use the principles and theories of science and mathematics to solve problems in research and development. In addition, in collaboration with biologists, biological technicians study living organisms and may be involved in medical or pharmaceutical research, microbiological or biotechnological laboratories (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010). Psychiatric technician is also career opportunity with a bachelor’s degree. Psychiatric technician is assisting psychiatrists or mental health professionals or emotionally disturbed patients. Next career opportunity is clinical laboratory technologist or technician. They play vital role in detecting, diagnosing, and treating disease through their work analyzing a patient’s physical samples (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010). Pharmacy technician is work in retail pharmacies, and they help pharmacists distribute medication and information to customers.

3. What are the opportunities in these fields with a graduate degree?

If students are interested in biopsychology, neuropsychology, or cognitive psychology, there are several career opportunities for graduate degree such as pharmaceutical and biotechnology research, and practice. However, some opportunities require the master’s degree holders. First opportunities in these fields with a graduate degree is pharmaceutical biotechnology research. Many students who major in bio psychologists, clinical neuropsychologists, and cognitive neuropsychologists want to be research career in pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies. They work to develop medications and evaluate the effectiveness of existing medicines in pharmaceutical company. In addition, they make products to benefit the human race such as food products and medicines in biotechnology company. Practice is also opportunities in these fields with a graduate degree. The most common practice of clinical neuropsychologists is neuropsychological diagnostic assessment to identify the extent of brain damage or severity of impairment (Kuther, T. L & Morgan, R. D.2013). The clinical neuropsychologists identify a neurological disorder between different neurological conditions.