Final answer:
Social scientists like Ivan Pavlov, B.F. Skinner, Edward Thorndike, Albert Bandura, and John Garcia have contributed to behavioral and cognitive psychology through concepts like classical conditioning, operant conditioning, the law of effect, social-cognitive theory, and research on taste aversion and conditioning limits.
Step-by-step explanation:
Contributions of Social Scientists to Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology
Social scientists have played a pivotal role in shaping our understanding of behavioral and cognitive psychology. One noteworthy figure is Ivan Pavlov, who developed the concept of classical conditioning, demonstrating how a reflex could be elicited by a neutral stimulus after being associated with an unconditioned stimulus.
Following Pavlov, B.F. Skinner greatly advanced the field of behaviorism through his work on operant conditioning, showing how behaviors could be increased or decreased through reinforcement or punishment.
Edward Thorndike introduced the law of effect, asserting that behaviors followed by satisfying consequences tend to be repeated, while those with unpleasant consequences are less likely to be repeated.
Albert Bandura contributed significantly with his social-cognitive theory, which emphasized the role of observational learning, self-efficacy, and reciprocal determinism in personality development.
Finally, John Garcia challenged the behaviorist perspective by demonstrating that certain associations are learned more readily than others, which has implications for the study of taste aversion and the limits of conditioning.
These pioneers have helped us appreciate the important role of behaviorism in psychology's history, understand basic tenets of humanism, and recognize the cognitive revolution's shift back to the mind in psychological studies.