Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary approach that emerged as psychologists began to cooperate with scientists from other fields, such as anthropology, linguistics, computer science, and neuroscience. Spurred by the cognitive revolution, the influence and prominence of this interdisciplinary perspective continue to resonate in modern-day psychology.

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Emerging in the 1950s, the cognitive revolution was a movement that revived scientific interest in the mind. This shift was driven by new disciplinary perspectives in linguistics, neuroscience, and computer science, which collectively redirected psychological inquiry back toward mental processes after a prolonged period dominated by behaviorism's focus on external behavior.

Cognitive Revolution (1950s)

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Traces the sequences of the different operations within the mind - similar to how a computer is broken down into memory units, an input processor, etc.

Information-Processing approach

Ulric Neisser was a key figure in the cognitive revolution, best known for publishing the first textbook on the subject, titled 'Cognitive Psychology,' in 1967. His book became a foundational text for cognitive psychology courses across the United States, helping to solidify the discipline's place in academia.

Ulric Neisser

Noam Chomsky (1928–), an influential American linguist, played a pivotal role in the early days of the cognitive revolution. Dissatisfied with behaviorism's dominance in psychology, he argued that its exclusive focus on external behavior was short-sighted. Chomsky advocated for re-incorporating the study of mental functioning into psychology to provide meaningful contributions to understanding behavior. He is also known for conceptualizing the notion that language arises in part from innate structures in our brain (Universal grammar).

Noam Chomsky

Behaviorism's influence was significantly stronger in American psychology than in European psychology. The cognitive revolution played a crucial role in bridging this gap by helping to re-establish communication between psychologists in Europe and their American counterparts.

Impact of the Cognitive Revolution on Transatlantic Psychology

Cognitive Science as an Interdisciplinary Field

Imagine two psychologists are studying how a rat learns to navigate a maze. The first psychologist, working in the 1940s, focuses exclusively on the rat's speed, number of errors, and the specific sequence of turns it makes. A second psychologist, working in the 1960s after a major shift in the field's dominant perspective, would be more interested in which aspect of the rat's performance?

The cognitive revolution provided the primary impetus for the emergence of cognitive psychology by redirecting the field's focus from purely observable behavior to the scientific study of the mind and its underlying mental processes.

Causal Link Between Cognitive Revolution and Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach grounded in the idea that a person's thoughts directly dictate their emotions and behaviors. By helping clients identify and alter dysfunctional thought patterns, therapists aim to alleviate emotional distress and foster more logical, rational interpretations of situations.

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