In the context of cognitive psychology, the cognitive revolution created an impetus for which of the following developments in psychology?

• A. An increased focus on psychoanalytic theories and the unconscious mind
• B. A greater emphasis on the biological basis of behavior through neuroimaging techniques
• C. A shift from behaviorist approaches to the scientific study of mental processes such as perception, memory, and problem-solving
• D. The exclusive use of introspection as the primary research method

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the historical context of the cognitive revolution, which occurred around the 1950s and 1960s as a response to the limitations of behaviorism in explaining complex mental processes.
2. Step 2: Recognize that behaviorism focused primarily on observable behaviors and largely ignored internal mental states, while the cognitive revolution emphasized studying internal mental processes scientifically.
3. Step 3: Identify that the cognitive revolution led to a shift toward investigating mental functions such as perception, memory, language, and problem-solving using experimental methods.
4. Step 4: Note that this shift did not prioritize psychoanalytic theories or introspection as primary methods, nor was it exclusively about biological bases like neuroimaging, but rather about scientifically studying cognition.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the key development was moving from behaviorist approaches to a scientific study of mental processes, marking a foundational change in psychology's focus and methodology.