Reductionism/Holism Flashcards
reductionism
the scientific view that human behaviour is best explained by breaking it down into simpler constituent parts. Based on parsimony.
biological reductionism
the way that psychologists reduce behaviour to its psychology and explain behaviour in terms of genetics, neurotransmitters, hormones and biological structures.
environmental reductionism
reduces behaviour to a simple stimulus response.
parsimony
the idea that complex behaviour should always be explained in its simplest parts.
holism
the argument that human behaviour is too complex to be broken down into simple parts. Considers the whole individual as a ‘sum’.
explain the levels of reductionism.
refers to the extent of how reductionist something is based on what it considers.
MOST REDUCTIONIST
biological level- neurochemical, genetic, brain structure etc.
psychological level- cognitive, behavioural, environmental.
social and cultural- influence of social groups on behaviour, SLT.
LEAST REDUCTIONIST
topic examples in holism/ reductionism
biological reductionism- most of biopsych, biological explanations of OCD and SZ, genetic and neural explanations of forensic crimes, mirror neurons.
environmental reductionism (part of psychological level) - attachment cupboard love, two process models of phobias.
psychological level- Beck depression, forensic HAB/ moral development, SZ dysfunctional thinking, meta representation, central control dysfunction.
socio cultural level- forensic differential association.
holism- humanistic approach considers humans subjective experience and all of their context.
positive implications of the debate
reductionism
supports psychology being a science- breaks down behaviour into manageable variables for experimental manipulation and measurement. This approach has yielded empirical support for psychological theories and highlights how simplifying complex behaviours into singular factors aids in scientific investigation by being more objective and supports theoretical explanations using parsimony.
also has implications for treatment as if variables are isolated targeted treatments can be administered.
negative consequences of the debate
reductionism
biological reductionism oversimplifies human behaviour, neglecting other factors and leading to incomplete understanding, especially in complex conditions like schizophrenia and OCD. Some argue it leads to a loss of the sight of behaviour in context. if we don’t understand the full extent of behaviour explanations lack validity.
positive implications of the debate
holism
a holistic approach incorporating psychological and interactionist perspectives provides more comprehensive insights into conditions and therefore could to be argued to be more valid. It helps us better understand those who are struggling better and provides a more considerate imput.
negative consequences of the debate
holism
when 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. It also faces criticism for its untestable nature and the challenge of objectively evidencing behaviour. Reductionists suggest that understanding the whole person requires initially breaking down behaviour into measurable parts.
