what is cognitivism

Cognitivism is a theoretical framework for understanding the mind that gained popularity in the 1950s as a response to behaviorism). Behaviorism acknowledged the existence of thinking but identified it as a behavior. Cognitivists argued that the way people think impacts their behavior and therefore cannot be a behavior in and of itself). Cognitivism has two major components, one methodological and the other theoretical. Methodologically, cognitivism has a positivist approach and says that psychology can be fully explained by the use of the scientific method). The theoretical component of cognitivism is based on the idea that knowledge acquisition occurs when learners actively engage in problem-solving activities. Cognitivists believe that humans learn from thinking and that knowledge is considered an internal process rather than a product. The cognitive theory believes that the human mind functions like an information processor or computer. Therefore, the cognitivist approach looks beyond noticeable behavior, considering learning as an internal mental process. In summary, cognitivism is a theoretical framework that focuses on the internal mental processes of the learner and how they acquire knowledge.