Neuropsychology
Raising neuropsychology
My special interest sits where psychology — the study of the mind and of human behaviour — meets cognitive neuroscience, the study of how the brain works. I always need to know why. Why, why, why. When somebody tells me that humans typically develop and behave like this, or that these people's behaviour differs from the norm, I need to know what the brain is doing.
I always look at the whole picture, though, and I cannot understand people who stay inside their own specialism without taking anything from the others. It makes even the most experienced and knowledgeable “expert” narrow-minded and, frankly, stupid. So I look at anthropology, sociology, biology, physiology, and any other field that helps explain what I am looking at.
My studies are for my own autonomous benefit. I do choose to organise them in a structure that can be recognised externally, at an academic standard. My unschooled, autonomous masters degree covers both a scientific and an artistic focus, across several specialisms.
Broad areas of study
Neuropsychological development
The study of neurological and psychological development in humans, from conception through maturation and into ageing.
Neuropsychological function
The study of neurological structure and cognitive neurological function, and how both affect human development, thought and behaviour.
Neurodiversity and mental health
The study of how divergent neurological make-up and development affect cognition, behaviour and mood.
Sociology and anthropology
The study of human behaviour in relation to how communities work naturally, and how the society we have built affects us.
Specific areas of interest
Autonomous motivation
I want to understand where human behaviour fundamentally comes from, and how motivation can be supported.
Play, exploration and curiosity
I want to properly understand the human appetite for development, exploration and discovery. The many functions of play and exploration fascinate me.
Secure attachment and caregiving
How far secure attachment and our instinct to care for others are essential to healthy development, cognition and experience of society.
Adverse experiences and resilience
Understanding, deeply, how adverse experiences shape human behaviour, and how neuropsychological resilience can mitigate them.