I+D - Reductionism vs holism

Question 1

what is reduc vs hol debate

Answer 1

the extent to which behaviour is better studied individually or as a sum of its parts

Question 2

what is reductionism

Answer 2

• explaining behaviour by breaking it down into its basic component parts
• works on scientific principle of parsimony
• compatible with science

Question 3

what is parsimony

Answer 3

the simplest possible explanation

Question 4

what are the types of reductionism

Answer 4

• biological
• environmentalism -> stimulus-response
• machine -> ignore emotion and motivation
• experimental -> isolate complex behaviour down to 1 variable to test

Question 5

topic examples

Answer 5

• schemas
• working memory model
• attachment types
• biological explanations of OCD, schiz

Question 6

what is holism

Answer 6

looks at higher levels of explanations and shows how many aspects can interact together to provide a complete picture of behaviour

Question 7

topic example of holism

Answer 7

• client centred therapy
• Jahoda deviation from ideal mental health
• attachment - AISM

Question 8

how do level of explanations helps develop behaviour

Answer 8

‘the whole is better than the sum of its parts’
- simple behaviours on their own do not make sense but as they build up it all starts to work together
- centres around the extent to which each stance offers the most effective understanding of behaviour

Question 9

example of building up behaviours - OCD

Answer 9

psychological, physical, neurochemical, physiological and societal

Question 10

AO3: strength of reductionism is that it is scientific

Answer 10

• increases the internal validity and credibility
• allowed for the strange situation
  BUT oversimplifies behaviour so decreases the external validity as variable cannot be operationalised
• loses sight of the bigger picture

Question 11

AO3: strength of reductionism is that it has practical application

Answer 11

• biological reduc leads to development of drug therapies
• decrease in institutionalism as it is a more humane approach
  BUT don’t treat the cause only the treatment

Question 12

AO3: limitation of reductionism is that it uses animal testing

Answer 12

Pavlov’s dogs, Skinner’s box
- humans are more complex
- have high intellectual functions
- animals are too simples and lacks cognition and emotion

Question 13

AO3: strength of holism is that it allows for more complex study of behaviour

Answer 13

e.g. Zimbardo: conformity to a social role in Stanford prison experiment for prisoners and guards could not be understood only by observing the individual
- study of interaction and social processes which isn’t possible with reductionist views