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What Is Positive Neuropsychology?

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Positive Neuropsychology

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Abstract

While the field of positive psychology has gained considerable momentum and empirical support over the past two decades, related principles have been inconsistently adopted by clinical or academic neuropsychologists. For example, despite significant growth in the neuropsychological literature during the same period, relatively few studies seem to address the study and promotion of brain and cognitive health. In the present chapter, I discuss reviews of three prominent neuropsychological journals over a 20-year period to clarify broad research themes and the relative frequency of studies that address cognitive wellness. These reviews indicated that while earlier studies primarily focused on documenting cognitive deficits in neuropsychiatric populations, a small proportion of recent work has examined factors associated with promoting brain and cognitive health. In this context, the present chapter defines and elaborates on an overarching orientation to neuropsychological research and practice—positive neuropsychology—that incorporates positive psychology principles and aims to promote brain and cognitive health through various means. Areas within positive neuropsychology are briefly summarized here and are explored in more detail throughout this volume.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA

    John J. Randolph

  2. Randolph Neuropsychology Associates, PLLC, Lebanon, NH, USA

    John J. Randolph

  3. J. Randolph Consulting, LLC, dba Engaged Brain, Lebanon, NH, USA

    John J. Randolph

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    John J. Randolph

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Randolph, J.J. (2022). What Is Positive Neuropsychology?. In: Randolph, J.J. (eds) Positive Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-11389-5_1

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