Acquired brain injury: combining social psychological and neuropsychological perspectives

Abstract

This theoretical paper reviews an emerging literature which attempts to bring together an important area of social psychology and neuropsychology. The paper presents a rationale for the integration of the social identity and clinical neuropsychological approaches in the study of acquired brain injury (ABI). The paper begins by reviewing the social and neuropsychological perspectives of ABI. Subsequently, theoretical and empirical studies that demonstrate the social influences on neuropsychology and the inherently social nature of mind are considered. Neuropsychological understandings of social identities and their potential relationships to the variability in ABIs are also discussed. The values of these understandings to ABI rehabilitation are then examined. The paper concludes by suggesting an agenda for future research that integrates the social identity and neuropsychological paradigms so that psychology might grow in its store of applicable knowledge to enhance support and rehabilitation for those with ABI.

Impact of rehabilitation on self-concept following traumatic brain injury: An exploratory systematic review of intervention methodology and efficacy

“…Particularly relevant to conceptualisation of self in the wider brain injury literature is recent work on the impact of brain injury on one's social identity (Jones et al, 2010;Walsh, Fortune, Gallagher, & Muldoon, 2012) -that part of the self derived from one's membership of meaningful social groups (e.g., family, work, community, sporting, and leisure groups). A key notion in Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979;Turner, 1982) is that we define ourselves not just in personal (as "I" and "me"), but also in social (as "us", Taylors or cyclists) terms.…”

A Longitudinal Study of Relationships between Identity Continuity and Anxiety Following Brain Injury

“…SCT has a focus on the shift behind individuals’ self-categorisation as distinct individuals to self-categorisation as members of collective groups. SCT is focused on how ‘we’ behave and how ‘others’ behave toward ‘us’ as a consequence of our group memberships, of our social identities (Walsh et al, 2012). …”

“…We also examine whether strength of identification with two distinct types of self-categorisations, those related to inclusion in social groups and those contingent on engagement with activity (Walsh et al, 2012), impacts on levels of anxiety.…”

Social cognition and executive functioning predictors of supervisors’ appraisal of interpersonal behaviour in the workplace following acquired brain injury

“…It can be a marker of continuity if there is a return to a pre-injury role and/or the possibility of a new meaningful opportunity if it is a transition from unemployment and inactivity to vocational engagement. As such a vocational role is a vital building-block within the ongoing task of identity reconstruction post-injury (Walsh et al, 2014). A range of psychological, social and financial gains for survivors and relatives follow from a successful resumption of vocational activity (Mills & Kreutzer, 2015;Tyerman, Tyerman & Viney, 2008).…”