Final answer:
Jane Goodall, along with Dian Fossey and Birutė Galdikas, were pivotal figures in the study of primate behavior, influencing a deeper understanding of complex social structures and the roles of female primates. They laid the groundwork for future research in primatology and shedding male-centric biases.
Step-by-step explanation:
The individuals primarily responsible for pioneering the study of primate behavior in the wild were Jane Goodall, along with her contemporaries, Dian Fossey and Birutė Galdikas. These researchers were significant in shifting the understanding of primate behavior from a male-centric narrative to one that recognizes the complex social structures and roles of both genders in primate societies. For instance, Jane Goodall's groundbreaking research on chimpanzee behavior contributed extensively to our understanding of these animals, far beyond the earlier simplistic views that emphasized male aggression and competition. This work helped dispel the notion that females were simply passive participants in primate societies. In addition, studies such as those by Linda Marie Fedigan and Laurence Fedigan in 1989 explored the immense role of females in primatology, pointing out how forgetting or marginalizing the contributions of female primates to social structures was an oversight.
This shift in perspective also aligns with changes in psychological research, where feminist critiques by scholars like Naomi Weisstein have pushed for the removal of male cultural biases in the study of women psychology. Early contributions by women in psychology, such as those by Margaret Floy Washburn and Mary Whiton Calkins, also reflect the undervalued yet impactful role women have had in advancing our understanding of psychology, despite facing institutional gender barriers.