Why was the advent of the computer so important for the development of cognitive psychology? psychologists could now use the computer to analyze data. psychologists surmised that the brain is roughly analogous to a computer and could be studied in a similar manner. computer technology allowed psychologists to develop useful tools and software programs to run complex experiments that were not previously possible without computers. the computer supported the behaviorists' claim of a "black box," where information goes into the brain and a specific behavior is output with no need to study mental events.