Final answer:
E.C. Tolman is the researcher associated with latent learning and cognitive maps.
Step-by-step explanation:
The researcher associated with latent learning and argued that organisms create is E.C. Tolman. Tolman's experiments with rats demonstrated that organisms can learn even if they do not receive immediate reinforcement. He proved that the rats were making a representation of the maze in their minds, which he called a cognitive map. This showed the power of cognitive learning in animals.