History of the Cognitive Revolution

How a paradigm shift reshaped our understanding of the mind.

The cognitive revolution of the mid‑20th century fundamentally transformed psychology and laid the foundation for cognitive science. It marked a departure from behaviourism’s focus on observable behaviour and a return to studying the mind as an information‑processing system. This article traces the origins, catalysts and consequences of this intellectual upheaval.

Pre‑Revolution Psychology

In the early 20th century, behaviourism dominated American psychology. Pioneered by John B. Watson and later popularised by B. F. Skinner, behaviourism asserted that psychology should restrict itself to observable stimuli and responses, rejecting mental entities like thoughts and intentions as unscientific. While behaviourism produced valuable insights and rigorous methods, it struggled to explain phenomena such as language learning, problem solving and mental imagery.

Seeds of Change

Several developments across disciplines sowed the seeds of the cognitive revolution:

The Rise of Cognitive Science

As psychologists embraced mental representations and information‑processing models, scholars from other fields joined forces. Computer scientists working on artificial intelligence, linguists exploring grammar, philosophers analysing mind and language, and anthropologists studying culture formed an interdisciplinary community. The term cognitive science was coined by Christopher Longuet‑Higgins in 1973. In 1979, the Cognitive Science Society held its first conference, signalling the formal emergence of the field.

Impact and Legacy

The cognitive revolution had profound effects:

While the revolution was not a sudden overthrow but a gradual shift, its impact endures. Behaviourist methods remain valuable, but cognitive science dominates contemporary psychology and neuroscience. Debates continue over the relative merits of symbolic and connectionist approaches, the role of embodiment and the integration of biology and computation.

Continuing the Revolution

Today, cognitive science is evolving again. Advances in deep learning, neuroimaging, genetic sequencing and big data are expanding our understanding of cognition. Emerging paradigms like predictive processing, extended mind theories and embodied cognition challenge traditional assumptions. As we build on the cognitive revolution’s legacy, we move closer to a unified science of mind and intelligence.