Debates-Reductionism and Holism

Question 1

Define Holism

Answer 1

Investigating multiple factors at lots of different levels that all interact.

Question 2

Reductionism

Answer 2

Investigates the most basic underlying reasons behind human behaviour.

Question 3

How is Loftus and Palmers’ study reductionist?

Answer 3

critical question in experiment one-They were focused on the speed estimate made by the participant (based on the verb used in the critical question)

critical question in experiment two-They were focused on the false memories given by the participant (based on the verb used in the critical question)

Question 4

What are the benefits of Loftus and Palmers’ study being reductionist?

Answer 4

You can identify the effect of the critical question on the DV (establish cause & effect)

You can use this as a starting point for further research on other factors into eyewitness testimony

Question 5

What are the drawbacks of Loftus and Palmers’ study being reductionist?

Answer 5

The procedure lacked ecological validity as in a lab environment to test the effect of the IV

It is hard to reduce memory down to a single-factor explanation

Question 6

Strengths of Reductionism

Answer 6

Taking a reductionist approach allows psychological research to be more scientific (as it allows researchers to test the impact on behavior of one factor at a time)

Studies which take a reductionist approach make it possible to draw more than one conclusions about cause and effect because they tend to be more highly controlled

As studies which take a reductionist approach are so highly controlled, they are often replicable,enabling researchers to repeat studies to see if there is a reliable (consistent) effect

Question 7

Weaknesses of Reductionism

Answer 7

Human behaviour is often to complex to be reduced down to single-factor explanations

Reductionist research can therefore lack construct validity in the conclusions drawn about the explanations for behaviour

Studies which take a reductionist approach are often highly controlled experiments and, as such, can lack ecological validity

Reductionist research can encounter the ‘decoupling problem’ of isolating a factor (e.g. a complex process such as memory) to be able to study it on its own, when real life is always operates in conjunction with other cognitive, social processes.

Question 8

Strengths of Holism

Answer 8

Taking a holistic approach can lead to explanations of behaviour that are high in face value because all factors are considered.

Holism can account for ‘emergent properties’ that only appear through interaction of different factors but would not present in any single component part.

Question 9

Weaknesses of Holism

Answer 9

It can be difficult for researchers to pin down which, out of many different factors, is having the greatest effect

Holistic explanations can end up being quite vague, including levels of explanations that may not be necessary. This can undermine the claim of psychology being a science.

May be of limited use as it means it will be difficult to make predictions

Question 10

How is Piliavin Holistic?

Answer 10

It draws on a range of different approaches to explain behavior.
Social influence:
Presence of others
State of the victim
Presence of a model
Cognition:
Arousal Cost-Reward
Analysis
Biology:
Gender
Race