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Language and learning: the cognitive revolution at 60-odd.

Johan J Bolhuis^1,2, Stephen Crain³, Ian Roberts⁴

¹Cognitive Neurobiology and Helmholtz Institute, Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society

|January 31, 2023

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The cognitive revolution transformed psychology, shifting focus from behaviorism to mental processes. This paper argues that understanding learning and language requires a cognitive perspective, viewing the mind as a computational system.

Keywords:

behaviourism cognition cognitive revolution language language acquisition learning mind syntax

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Linguistics
Philosophy of Mind

Background:

Behaviorism dominated psychology, viewing learning as reinforcement-driven behavioral changes.
The cognitive revolution proposed that behavior reflects internal mental representations and computations.
Debates persist regarding the cognitive underpinnings of language and learning.

Purpose of the Study:

To examine the current status of the cognitive revolution in psychology.
To address the contentious issues of language and learning within the cognitive framework.
To advocate for a cognitive perspective in understanding these domains.

Main Methods:

Review of contemporary theories in learning and language acquisition.
Analysis of empirical evidence supporting cognitive approaches.
Philosophical argumentation for a computational view of the mind.

Main Results:

Learning theory has largely adopted cognitive principles.
Language study shows a trend towards empiricist, neo-behaviorist explanations.
Evidence supports language as an autonomous cognitive system.

Conclusions:

A cognitive perspective is essential for a proper understanding of learning and language.
The mind should be viewed as a biologically based computational system.
The cognitive revolution has fundamentally reshaped our understanding of the human mind.