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What caused people to discount Behaviorism and start the Cognitive revolution?

User Jaliza
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Final answer:

The Cognitive revolution in psychology arose as limitations of Behaviorism became evident, driven by figures like Noam Chomsky and pivotal developments across linguistics, neuroscience, and humanistic psychology. Ulric Neisser's publication and Edward C. Tolman's studies on latent learning underscored cognitive processes' significance. The movement led to an interdisciplinary approach and a reconnection with European psychological thought.

Step-by-step explanation:

The move to discount Behaviorism and embrace the Cognitive revolution in psychology was multifaceted. Behaviorism, which emphasized observable behaviors over unobservable mental processes, began to be questioned as various disciplines highlighted the significance of cognition. Notable figures such as American linguist Noam Chomsky critiqued the limitations of behaviorism, advocating for the reintroduction of mental functioning into psychological study. The Cognitive revolution gained momentum in the 1950s with the convergence of insights from linguistics, neuroscience, computer science, and humanistic psychology, illustrating a renewed interest in understanding the mind scientifically.

Ulric Neisser published the landmark textbook Cognitive Psychology in 1967, further cementing the field's focus. Meanwhile, European psychologists, less ensnared by behaviorism, facilitated a transatlantic dialogue with American psychologists, establishing a more global view of cognitive sciences. The interdisciplinary nature of this movement broadened the domain of psychology to include cooperation with other scientific fields, resulting in a more holistic approach to understanding human cognition.

Behaviorist Edward C. Tolman's research, particularly on latent learning with rats, provided evidence of cognitive processes, challenging the then-dominant behaviorist view that all learning requires immediate reinforcement. Such findings, along with the work of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung on the subconscious, and European structuralism, gestalt psychology, and Freudian theory's focus on inner experiences, argued for a more comprehensive understanding of psychology that could not ignore the role of the mind.

User Caspert
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