Holism And Rductionsim Flashcards
What is holistic
Assumption that human behaviour should be viewed as a whole integrated experience and not as separate and distinct parts
What is reductionism
- Human behaviour can be explained by breaking it down into simpler component parts
- based on scientific assumptions of parsimony ( complex behaviour should be explained in the simplest terms possible)
Explain levels of explanations
reductionist approach suggest different levels of explanation
- lowest levels biological explanations for behaviour
- middle level considers psychological explanations
- highest level considers social and cultural explanations for behaviour
Lower the level = the more reductionist
Higher the level the more holistic
2 types of reductionism
Biological reductionism and environmental reductionism
What is biological reductionism
Refers to the way biological psychologists try to reduce behaviour to a physical level and explain it in terms of neurons, neurotransmitter, hormones and brain structures
Eg depression and OCD explained as the results of genetic pre disposition of imbalances neurotransmitter
What is environmental reductionism
All behaviour an be reduced to stimulus response associations
Eg behaviourist reduces attachment behaviour down to learned associations between mother and pleasure from feeding
Strengths of holism vs reductionism
Scientists ten to use Reductionist explanations of behaviour as it can be studied effectively through simple experiment = allows researchers to establish casual relationship = not possible is studied all of the factors influencing behaviour at once
Reductionist Have practical applications = eg discover of depression in terms of neurochemistry led to the development of SSRIS, helps Atkins t improve their mood
Holistic = takes different levels of explanation’s into account, provides a more complete and realistic approach for human behvaiour
HOWEVER
Holistic explanations not considered scientific as Cannot establish causation because cannot exile behaviour in terms of variables that can manipulated and measured
Weaknesses of holism vs reductionism
- Reductionist explanations are taken in isolation = behaviour may be overlooked because it ignores the complexity of human behaviour
- leads to fundamental errors in understanding
- eg treating depression with drugs in a belief it’s due to imbalances of neurotransmitters however may have arisen from envirmentl issues which makes purely reductionist explanations inadequate