<p>The field of cognitive science is sort of a response to behavioral science. Behavioral science focuses on the behavior, or the "output", of an organism. It is based more on observation as a general rule, and attempts to make formulations based on what can be observed. Its methods can be found most often in certain types of therapies and treatments for certain disorders, such as PTSD or phobias. In any case, its primary emphasis is on behavior and behavior change.</p>

<p>Cognitive science, on the other hand, focuses on cognitive processes -- namely, mental states, or the study of the mind. Thus, while behavioral science as a field focuses on animals as well as humans, cognitive science is mostly oriented towards humans. Within cognitive science, we have a bunch of different yet related technological sub-fields: artificial intelligence, computer vision, and robotics, to name a few. To formally study cognitive science, it is helpful to draw from experience in a variety of other subjects (namely formal logic, linear algebra, statistics, computer science, linguistics) that may seem unrelated at first, but actually lend insight into how the mind works as both a biological and computational system.</p>

<p>In the end, behavioral science (for the most part) focuses on the "output" of the organism, and cognitive science (for the most part) focuses on both the "input" and the "output", but it is a bit more curious about the input and what happens in between. If behavioral science emphasizes <em>behavior</em>, then cognitive science emphasizes <em>perception</em>. Cognitive science is also a bit more theoretical than behavioral science, though there are practical applications, and such applications are made apparent in breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and even psychological counseling. I think that behavioral science lost traction after the "cognitive revolution" in the 1950s...presumably because people realized that cognitive science indeed had practical applications in science and technology, and wasn't all empirical hogwash. :)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-08T08:11:11.460Z
2015-05-08T08:11:11.460Z
Sydney Maples
<p>Is cognitive science a part of behavioral science or vice versa? </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-08T08:09:03.550Z
See this very similar question: [Is cognitive science a concentration of psychology](http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/8682/is-cognitive-science-a-concentration-of-psychology/8710)
Jeromy Anglim
<terminology>
What is the difference between behavioral science and cognitive science?
Meghna
# What is the difference between behavioral science and cognitive science?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-05-08)

Is cognitive science a part of behavioral science or vice versa?

**Tags:** terminology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: See this very similar question: [Is cognitive science a concentration of psychology](http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/8682/is-cognitive-science-a-concentration-of-psychology/8710)  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-05-08. Score: 2

The field of cognitive science is sort of a response to behavioral science. Behavioral science focuses on the behavior, or the "output", of an organism. It is based more on observation as a general rule, and attempts to make formulations based on what can be observed. Its methods can be found most often in certain types of therapies and treatments for certain disorders, such as PTSD or phobias. In any case, its primary emphasis is on behavior and behavior change.

Cognitive science, on the other hand, focuses on cognitive processes -- namely, mental states, or the study of the mind. Thus, while behavioral science as a field focuses on animals as well as humans, cognitive science is mostly oriented towards humans. Within cognitive science, we have a bunch of different yet related technological sub-fields: artificial intelligence, computer vision, and robotics, to name a few. To formally study cognitive science, it is helpful to draw from experience in a variety of other subjects (namely formal logic, linear algebra, statistics, computer science, linguistics) that may seem unrelated at first, but actually lend insight into how the mind works as both a biological and computational system.

In the end, behavioral science (for the most part) focuses on the "output" of the organism, and cognitive science (for the most part) focuses on both the "input" and the "output", but it is a bit more curious about the input and what happens in between. If behavioral science emphasizes *behavior*, then cognitive science emphasizes *perception*. Cognitive science is also a bit more theoretical than behavioral science, though there are practical applications, and such applications are made apparent in breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and even psychological counseling. I think that behavioral science lost traction after the "cognitive revolution" in the 1950s...presumably because people realized that cognitive science indeed had practical applications in science and technology, and wasn't all empirical hogwash. :)


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