Debates - Holism/reductionism (GREY) Flashcards
What is the reductionism vs holism debate about?
At what level should we seek an explanation for behaviour?
Holistic=highest level
Reductionist=lowest level
What is holism?
The theory that the parts of any whole cannot be understood except in their relation to the whole.
What is reductionism?
Looks for the most focused, simplified factor to explain behaviour.
What is biological reductionism?
The belief that all human behaviour and characteristics can be attributed to a specific, basic, biological source eg. hormones, genes, neurotransmitters.
What is environmental reductionism?
All behaviour can be explained in terms of specific, basic, environmental factors eg. stimulus-response links, either classical or operant conditioning.
What is experimental reductionism?
Experiments focusing on one narrow, measurable cause for behaviour.
What are the reasons for holism?
- Many phenomena cannot be understood at the individual level
- Conformity to social roles can only be meaningful studied at the socio-cultural level because we are studying an individual interacting with others in a social context, they cannot be studied in isolation.
What are the reasons against holism?
- Less scientific because the wider the explanation the harder it is to study - lots of variables interacting
- Some holistic approaches are theoretical and largely untestable which makes them unscientific
- There are therefore fewer applications
What are the reasons for reductionism?
- Scientific
- The most time and cost effective way of explaining behaviour
- Allows us to predict behaviour, prevent and treat, so has applications
What are the reasons against reductionism?
- Ignores social context so may be less full and therefore less valid
- The methodology used means it may lack ecological validity, so may be less applicable to real life
