Holism & Reductionism

Question 1

Holism-Reductionism Debate

Answer 1

Debate over which position is preferable for psychology - study the whole person (holism) or component parts (reductionism).

Question 2

Holism

Answer 2

Proposes it only makes sense to study a whole system - can only be done by analysing the person/behaviour as a whole.
–> whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Question 3

Reductionism

Answer 3

Based on the scientific principle of parsimony - all phenomena should be explained using the simplest principles.

Question 4

Levels of Explanation

Answer 4

(Highest to Lowest):
E.g. OCD may be understood in different ways:

1) Socio-Cultural level - behaviour most ppl would regard as odd (repetitive handwashing)
2) Psychological level - individual’s experience of having obsessive thoughts.
3) Physical level - sequence of movements involved in washing one’s hand.
4) Environmental/Behavioural level - learning experiences (conditioning)
5) Physiological level - abnormal functioning in frontal lobes.
6) Neurochemical level - underproduction of serotonin.

Can argue about which is the best explanation, but each level is more reductionist than previous level.

Question 5

Biological Reductionism

Answer 5

Suggest all behaviour can be explained through neurochemical, physiological, evolutionary and/or genetic influences.
E.g. Drugs that increase serotonin are used to treat OCD - so low serotonin may be a cause of OCD –> we have reduced OCD to the level of neurotransmitter activity.

Question 6

Environmental Reductionism

Answer 6

Proposes all behaviour is gained through interactions with environment, e.g. behaviourist stimulus-response links.
E.g. learning theory of attachment reduces idea of love to a learned association between mother (NS) & food (UCS) resulting in pleasure (CR).

Question 7

Limitation of Holism

Answer 7

LACKS PRACTICAL VALUE:

1) Holistic accounts of behaviour become hard to use as they become more complex –> if many factors contribute to say, depression, it becomes difficult to know which is most influential & which to prioritise for treatment.
–> Suggest holistic accounts may lack practical value.

Question 8

Strength of Red

Answer 8

ITS SCIENTIFIC STATUS

1) To conduct well-controlled research, variables must be operationalised –> makes it possible to conduct experiments or record observations in an objective & reliable way.
–> This scientific approach gives psych greater credibility.

Question 9

Limitation of Red

Answer 9

FOCUSES ONLY ON 1 LEVEL OF EXPLANATION

1) Some aspects of social behaviour only emerge in a group context & can’t be understood in individual terms.
E.g. Stanford Prison study couldn’t be understood by observing pps as individuals, it was group behaviour that was important.

–> Shows for some behaviours, higher levels of explanations provide a more valid account.

Question 10

Holism Overall

Answer 10

+ Provides a more complete picture
+ Accepts and deals with complex nature of behaviour
- More hypothetical - not based on empirical evidence.
- Lacks predictive power of more scientific explanations.

Question 11

Reductionism Overall

Answer 11

+ easier to explain behaviour in concrete & concise terms
+ high level of predictive power
- ignores complexity of behaviour
- focuses only on one level of explanation.