Holism And Rductionsim

Question 1

What is holistic

Answer 1

Assumption that human behaviour should be viewed as a whole integrated experience and not as separate and distinct parts

Question 2

What is reductionism

Answer 2

• Human behaviour can be explained by breaking it down into simpler component parts
• based on scientific assumptions of parsimony ( complex behaviour should be explained in the simplest terms possible)

Question 3

Explain levels of explanations

Answer 3

reductionist approach suggest different levels of explanation
- lowest levels biological explanations for behaviour
- middle level considers psychological explanations
- highest level considers social and cultural explanations for behaviour

Lower the level = the more reductionist
Higher the level the more holistic

Question 4

2 types of reductionism

Answer 4

Biological reductionism and environmental reductionism

Question 5

What is biological reductionism

Answer 5

Refers to the way biological psychologists try to reduce behaviour to a physical level and explain it in terms of neurons, neurotransmitter, hormones and brain structures

Eg depression and OCD explained as the results of genetic pre disposition of imbalances neurotransmitter

Question 6

What is environmental reductionism

Answer 6

All behaviour an be reduced to stimulus response associations

Eg behaviourist reduces attachment behaviour down to learned associations between mother and pleasure from feeding

Question 7

Strengths of holism vs reductionism

Answer 7

Scientists ten to use Reductionist explanations of behaviour as it can be studied effectively through simple experiment = allows researchers to establish casual relationship = not possible is studied all of the factors influencing behaviour at once

Reductionist Have practical applications = eg discover of depression in terms of neurochemistry led to the development of SSRIS, helps Atkins t improve their mood

Holistic = takes different levels of explanation’s into account, provides a more complete and realistic approach for human behvaiour
HOWEVER
Holistic explanations not considered scientific as Cannot establish causation because cannot exile behaviour in terms of variables that can manipulated and measured

Question 8

Weaknesses of holism vs reductionism

Answer 8

• Reductionist explanations are taken in isolation = behaviour may be overlooked because it ignores the complexity of human behaviour
• leads to fundamental errors in understanding
• eg treating depression with drugs in a belief it’s due to imbalances of neurotransmitters however may have arisen from envirmentl issues which makes purely reductionist explanations inadequate