Reductionism vs Holism

Question 1

Biological

Answer 1

Highly reductionist, reducing behaviour to biological factors, such as genetics, neurochemistry, and brain structure. Critics argue this approach overlooks the complexity of psychological and environmental influences.

Question 2

Behaviourist

Answer 2

Highly reductionist, breaking behaviour down into stimulus-response associations or reinforcement patterns. Behaviourists believe complex behaviours can be understood by examining basic learning processes.

Question 3

SLT

Answer 3

reduce to imitation, identification and vicarious reinforcement. stimulus and response

Question 4

Cognitive

Answer 4

Machine reductionism; it likens the human mind to a computer, reducing mental processes to input, processing, and output. No human emotion

Question 5

Psychodynamic approach

Answer 5

Interactionist, combining biological drives with unconscious processes, but still somewhat reductionist due to its focus on repressed childhood conflicts. Freud’s model simplifies personality into the Id, Ego, and Superego structure.

Question 6

Humanistic

Answer 6

Holistic, viewing individuals as whole beings whose experiences cannot be reduced to components. It values the entire person’s subjective experience, personal meaning, and interconnectedness of thoughts, emotions, and behaviour.