PSYC 309 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Fine Structure, Behaviorism, Cognitive Psychology
Document Summary
Your overall goal in reading this chapter is to gain some historical perspective on cognitive psychology as described by one of the founders of the field in a book that had an enduring influence on psychologists. You should gain a general understanding of the historical events that led to the creation of cognitive psychology as a field, and the new field"s goals and methods. You should also be able to think about some of the challenges and limitations neisser believed was facing cognitive psychology when he wrote this (the book was published in 1976) and whether these are still valid today. A seminal psychological theory can change the beliefs of a whole society, as psychoanalysis, for example, has surely done. This can only happen, however, if the theory has something to say about what people do in real, culturally significant situations.
