Historical Context of the Cognitive Revolution and Behavioral Criticism

The Cognitive Revolution and Its Origins

• Therapeutic Development and Timeline     * The therapy in question emerged as a significant development following the founder's studies in the mid-$1960s$.     * The period following these studies is historically characterized as the "cognitive revolution."

• Role of Albert Bandura     * The cognitive revolution is closely associated with a series of studies conducted by Albert Bandura.     * These studies served as a catalyst for shifting the focus of psychology toward cognitive processes.

Behavioral Foundations and the Contrast of John Watson

• The Behavioral Mandate of $1913$     * The speaker references a foundational history lecture and an influential essay written by John Watson in $1913$.     * Watson's work was a reaction against the study of the mind, establishing a strict behavioral paradigm.

• Exclusion of Internal States     * Watson argued that psychology should not waste time investigating intangible internal states.     * The specific elements Watson declared should be ignored include:         * Hopes         * Wishes         * Dreams         * Expectations

• Focus on Observable Behavior     * Watson maintained that the discipline of psychology must focus exclusively on the observable behavior of the subject rather than internal mental phenomena.