Holism + Reductionism Flashcards
What is reductionism?
An approach that breaks complex phenomena into more simple components.
Why is reductionism desirable?
Because complex phenomena are best understood in terms of a simpler level of explanation.
What are the 3 types of reductionism?
Biological, environmental and experimental.
What is biological reductionism?
When behaviour is reduced to the action of neurons, neurotransmitters and hormones.
What is environmental reductionism?
When behaviour is reduced to stimulus-response links.
What is experimental reductionism?
When behaviour is reduced to isolated variables.
What is holism?
When a behaviour such as memory or mental disorder is perceived as a whole experience rather than the individual features and/or the relations between them.
What is Gestalt psychology?
An approach favoured by German psychologists at the beginning of the 20th century, which focuses on perception.
Which approach favours holism?
Humanistic psychology.
Which one does cognitive psychology favour?
Holism - connectionist networks are used to understand memory.
What are the 3 different levels of explanation?
Sociocultural, psychological and biological
What are the 4 AO3 points of holism + reductionism?
1) Lower level explanations = dangerous
2) RWA of biological reductionism
3) Use of animal studies in support for environmental reductionism
4) Experimental psychology is limited
If lower levels of explanation are taken in isolation, what may happen?
The meaning of behaviour may be overlooked
In the case study of the woman with the phobia of wasps, what was the cause of her phobia?
Her husband gave her an insect nickname
What has biological reductionism lead to a development of?
Drug therapies
