reductionism vs. holism Flashcards
(14 cards)
What is reductionism?
breaking behaviour down into small component parts and studying each individual part separately
What is holism?
examining how different factors interact as a whole
What factors does a holistic view take into consideration that reductionists do not?
emergent properties
What is an emergent property?
properties that arise as a result of the interaction of multiple components
What are the two types of reductionism?
1- environmental
2- biological
What is biological reductionism?
the suggestion that a behaviour is a direct result of a single biological component such as low levels of serotonin being the cause of depression
What is environmental reductionism?
the suggestion that environmental factors have direct impact on behaviour such as a stimulus response bond formed by the phobic object and fear response
What are the strengths of reductionism?
- very scientific = accurate and valid measurement
- find causes for behaviour and provide treatment (practical applications)
What are the weaknesses of reductionism?
- over simplistic - ignores complex interactions
- behaviour cannot be predicted - individual differences
What are the strengths of holism?
high in ecological validity - does not rely on artificial settings (reductionist experiments usually take place in high control lab settings)
What are the weaknesses of holism?
overcomplicated and too complex = decrease in reliability
What areas of psychology are reductionist?
- biological area
- behaviourist perspective
- cognitive area
- developmental area
What areas of psychology are holistic?
- psychodynamic perspective
What areas of psychology are neither reductionist or holistic?
- individual differences area
- social area
