Psychological Concepts of Activity Theory in Child Neuropsychology

Abstract

Neuropsychology is the part of psychology, which studies the relation between psychological and brain level of organization of human activity. It is possible to identify specific mechanisms or components of psychological processes related to the functioning of special brain zones. Such a study can be based on different general psychological theories. From the point of view of activity theory approach these components can be understood as psycho-physiological structural and systemic mechanisms of actions and operations fulfilled by a subject in the context of one or another general activity. In other words, neuropsychological level of analyses could be understood as the elementary level of human activity. Neuropsychological analysis can be organized as assessment of actions and not of isolated functions. The present study shows how functional disorders of psychophysiological mechanisms can affect the fulfillment of the same actions of children with learning disabilities. The discussion stresses the importance of inclusion of the terms of activity theory to the practice in neuropsychology.