In the development history of American psychology, the development of cognitive load theory has always been restrained by behaviorism. Behaviorism pays attention to motives and the single way of study, so step by step its limitation becomes obvious, with the result that neobehaviorism focuses on complex study problems using cognitive load theory. Cognitive load theory provides systematic ways for teaching theories and teaching methods, but there still exists some other problems, such as how to test cognitive load, how to identify germane and extraneous cognitive load. Neuroscience's research on the relationship of pupil dilation and vascular constriction, imaging methods for monitoring changes in cognitive load, provide methods for problems mentioned above. Specifically speaking, pupil dilation and vascular constriction could be a standard and alternative of testing cognitive load;the methods of event-related potentials (ERPs), magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can discover the basic course of brain, identifying the working model of brain as well. In future, researchers should step away from our century-long dispute and become open to the insights offered by past and future advances in cognitive psychology and neuroscience. Meanwhile, we should carefully use these methods and look for alternative hypotheses when we progress. Our ultimate goal is to achieve a unified theory that bridges the gap between cognitive psychology and neuroscience.%在美国心理学的发展历史上，认知负荷理论的发展长期以来一直受到来自行为主义理论的抑制。行为主义注重强化学习动机和强调学习的简单形式，凸显出越来越明显的研究局限，最终使得新行为主义者利用认知理论来研究复杂的学习问题。认知负荷理论虽然为教学设计与教学实践提供了具体而系统的教学方法，但也存在认知负荷如何测量、相关负荷与外在负荷的来源如何确定的问题。神经科学关于心理负荷与瞳孔放大的研究，以及对监测认知负荷变化的成像方法的研究为解决这些问题提供了思路和实验证据。具体而言，瞳孔放大与血管收缩可以作为心理负荷测量的标准和替代方法；借助于神经科学和生物科学的脑成像方法（如事件相关电位（ERPs）、功能性磁共振成像（fMRI）等）能够揭示大脑工作记忆的基本过程，记录大脑活动的差异，甄别大脑加工活动的模式。在未来，研究者应保持一种开放的心态来看待认知心理学和神经科学在过去与未来取得的进步，并谨慎地应用各种神经科学研究方法来深入地研究作为认知负荷基础的神经和认知机制。我们的最终目标是寻找一个能在认知心理学和神经科学之间架起桥梁的统一理论。
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