Reductionism and holism

Question 1

Levels of explanation

Answer 1

The idea that any behaviour can be explained at different levels of reduction
At the very top is the holistic level- sociocultural level of explanation (explanation in terms of the interactions between the social environment and cultural influences).

Next level down would be psychological level (explanation in terms of structure of the brain)

The lowest level is physics or biochemical reduction where everything is reduced to atoms or chemical substances in the brain

Question 2

Levels of explanation types

Answer 2

Biological- all can be explained in terms of the working of the brain
Evolutionary- all can be explained by referring to the evolutionary adaptations that lead to a behaviour
Behavioural- all can be explained with reference to learning processes
Cognitive- all can be explained by understanding the information processing that happens.
Environment/ social- all can be explained by understanding the things that happen in the social environment

Question 3

Reductionism

Answer 3

The idea that complex behaviours can be fully explained by looking at the components at a lower level than the make up of that behaviour.

Question 4

Biological reductionism

Answer 4

Refers to the way that biological psychologists try to reduce behaviours at a psychological level, explaining it in terms to neurons, neurotransmitters, brain structures, hormones etc…

Question 5

Environmental reductionism

Answer 5

An attempt to explain all behaviours in terms of environmental interactions, especially learning.
The most extreme form of reductionism is behaviourism, as it believes that all behaviours can be completely explained by the environmental interactions (conditioning) that preceded it.

Deregowski (1972) sugested that the learning achieved through interaction with the environment was enough alone to explain behaviour.

Question 6

Holism

Answer 6

The idea that humans are complex individuals whose behaviours cannot be fully explained by reducing them to explanations at lower levels, but must be explained at the highest, holistic level.

Holism has been used by the humanist approach to psychology. Maslow suggested that the entire human is more than just the collection of biology or cognitions or learned behaviours as those things do not capture our individuality or the emotional aspects of our existence.

The humanistic approach gave rise to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

Question 7

Evaluation of reductionism

Answer 7

Strength:
Allows for complicated behaviours to be broken down to small parts and be scientifically tested. Scientific study requires the isolation of variables to make it possible to identify the causes of behaviour.

Biological reductionism has led to the development of biological therapies, such as drugs. Atypical drugs help to reduce symptoms of sz.

Limitation:
All forms of reductionist approach feel like they leave something important out, this is because to reduce all behaviour to one kind of casual influence oversimplifies the human mind and appears to minimise the importance of complexity.

Some psychologists argue that biological reductionism can lead to errors of understanding because it ignores the complexity of human behaviour.

Question 8

Evaluation of holism

Answer 8

Strength:
The main strength of holism is that it argues for all aspects of existence (biological, psychological and social) having an important role in explaining behaviour.

Limitation:
However, there is not much evidence to support this point of view.
It would not allow for scientists to study individual variables.