Mainstream neuropsychology is often built upon mechanistic materialism, formal logic, analytical decomposition, and reductionism, assumptions that shape its methods and interpretations. In their latest study, Nigrini and Llorente, from the Comparative Minds Research Group at the Universitat de Girona, and Dr. Federica Amici (University of Leipzig), critically examine these assumptions, contrasting them with alternative perspectives from Vygotsky’s cultural-historical psychology and Holzkamp’s critical psychology.

Their analysis reveals how mainstream neuropsychology tends to isolate psychological processes within the brain, whereas dialectical approaches emphasize the interaction between the brain, body, and environment. The authors argue that a more integrative methodology, grounded in dialectical materialism, could lead to a deeper understanding of the evolution, development, and organization of cognitive functions.

This work challenges conventional views and opens new pathways for interdisciplinary research in neuropsychology. Read the full article here.