William James, the father of American psychology, once wrote the following: "Thinking is for doing." What did he mean by this?
A)The human brain probably developed its current cognitive abilities in large part to enable effective decision making and to facilitate behavior.
B)People typically engage in conscious thought only when engaged in a task (e.g., only when solving a puzzle, trying to construct an argument, or making a decision about something).
C)Every behavior that a person engages in implies a particular thought or set of thoughts; researchers can therefore infer thoughts from behaviors.
D)Because the primary role of thoughts is simply to plan behaviors, the proper focus of study for psychologists is behaviors themselves (and not thoughts).

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

James's statement suggests that the evolution of thinking was driven by practical needs, particularly the need to make decisions and guide actions, rather than thinking being an end in itself.

William James, the Father of American Psychology, Once Wrote the Following