Reductionism + Holism

Question 1

reductionism

Answer 1

= the scientific view that human behaviour is best explained by breaking it down into simpler component parts

Question 2

biological reductionism

Answer 2

= refers to way psychologists reduce behaviour to its physiology (physical) + explain it in terms of genetics, neurotransmitters, hormones, biological structures

Question 3

environmental reductionism

Answer 3

= reduces behaviour to simple stimulus-response (e.g. conditioning)

Question 4

parsimony

Answer 4

= idea that complex behaviour should always be explained in simplest parts

Question 5

levels of explanations

Answer 5

= Rose (1976):

– highest level (more holistic) = social + cultural explanations
– middle level = psychological explanations
– lowest level (more reductionist) = biological explanations

Question 6

holism

Answer 6

= argument that human behaviour is too complex to be broken down into simpler parts - consider ‘whole’ individual as sum of its parts

Question 7

reductionism - assumptions…

Answer 7

…behaviour best understood if we explore parts contributing to system

– based on scientific assumption of parsimony - similar to concept of Occam’s Razor which argues answer to any problem is often the simplest explanation

Question 8

bio reductionism - Sz…

Answer 8

…theory that Sz caused by excessive activity of neurotransmitter dopamine is reducing Sz to the single biological component of dopamine

Question 9

environmental reductionism - behaviourists…

Answer 9

…support concept of classical conditioning - assumes behaviour can be reduced to stimulus-response (S-R) where behaviour shaped by learnt associations

– complex behaviours explained by series of S-R chains

Question 10

enviro reductionism - attachment…

Answer 10

…infant responds w/ pleasure when CG feeds them - learnt association formed + CG becomes CS who creates CR of pleasure in infant

Question 11

levels of explanations - examples…

Answer 11

…bio = explained in smallest parts e.g. genetics, neurochemicals + bio structures

– psych = e.g. cognitive + behavioural (machine reductionism etc)

– social + cultural = e.g. influence of social groups

Question 12

levels of explanations - memory…

Answer 12

… 1. S+C = Barlett’s schema theory - culture - socially learnt schemas affect what we remember + how we recall

2. P = theoretical models such as multi-store model of memory - evidence from Miller + Peterson and Peterson
3. B = memory found to be localised in areas of brain e.g. hippocampus

Question 13

levels of explanations - gender…

Answer 13

… 1. S+C = Mead conducted research into cross cultural differences in gender roles + found gender was shaped by social factors + cultural norms

2. P = Kohlberg explains gender develops as child progresses through stages of cognitive intellectual development
3. B = gender explained as result of action of sex hormones e.g. higher levels of testosterone in males which has not been used to explain masculine behaviour

Question 14

holism - assumption…

Answer 14

…human behaviour should be viewed as a whole integrated experience + not through separating its parts

Question 15

holism - supported by…

Answer 15

…Gestalt psychology - explores how we perceive something in real world as a whole rather than as collection of pieces

– only make sense of + perceive world accurately through considering whole image - therefore by separating human behaviour into parts this means complex behaviour can be easily misunderstood

Question 16

holism - humanism…

Answer 16

…supports holism as argue that humans experience stimuli as a whole

– humanists like Maslow propose theories like ‘hierarchy of needs’ that consider all contributors to human behaviour - use qualitative methods

Question 17

R - implications - facilitates scientific enquiry…

Answer 17

…by breaking behaviour into manageable variables for experimental manipulation + measurement - approach has yielded empirical support for psych theories + highlights how simplifying complex behaviours into singular factors aids in scientific investigation by being more objective + supports theoretical explanations using parsimony (simplest explanation is best)

Question 18

R - implications - treatment…

Answer 18

…has implications for treatment as if variables are isolated targeted treatments can be administered

Question 19

R - consequences - bio reductionism…

Answer 19

…oversimplifies human behaviour, neglecting other factors + leading to incomplete understanding especially in complex conditions like Sz + OCD

– some argue it leads to loss of the sight of behaviour in context - if we don’t understand the full extent of behaviour, explanations lack vaildity

Question 20

H - implications - comprehensive insights…

Answer 20

…holistic approach incorporating psychological + interactionist perspectives provide more comprehensive insights into conditions + therefore could be argued to be more valid

Question 21

H - implications - subjective…

Answer 21

…aims to comprehend human behaviour by considering all levels of explanation, advocating for a holistic view that encompasses subjective experience, free will + motivation

Question 22

H - consequences - treatment
difficulty…

Answer 22

…as we acknowledge that there are a plethora of contributors to behaviour the more complex it becomes + the more difficult it is to target therapy or treatment

Question 23

H - consequences - untestable…

Answer 23

…faces criticism for its untestable nature + the challenge of objectively evidencing behaviour - reductionists suggest that understanding the whole person requires initially breaking down behaviour down into measurable parts