holism and reductionism

Question 1

whats is holism?

Answer 1

a way we can explain behaviour by considering multiple factors and individuals as a whole

Question 2

what is reductionism?

Answer 2

when we explain behaviour by taking complex things and breaking them down into a simpler explanation

Question 3

what are the three levels of explanations

Answer 3

highest level: social and cultural
middle level: psychological
lowest level: biological

Question 4

what is biological reductionism?

Answer 4

reduced behaviour down to a physical level.

for example, low levels if serotonin reduce symptoms of depression

Question 5

what is environmental reductionism?

Answer 5

reduces behaviour down to responses to events in the environment

Question 6

two strengths to reductionism.

Answer 6

measuring variables:
-only focusses on one factor so it makes it easy to control variables.
-this increases reliability and internal validity and establishes a cause and effect.
-more credible.

practical applications:
-focus down on specific cause if behaviour
- helps develop interventions
-treatments

Question 7

two weakness for reductionism.

Answer 7

misses complexity of behaviours:
-environmental reductionism is largely based on animal studies
- human behaviours are influenced by social context, cognitive and emotional
-doesn’t give us a true reflection

fails to take context of behaviour:
-ignores meaning behind behaviours
-may give people treatments they don’t actually need

Question 8

two strengths for holism.

Answer 8

accounts for social influences:
-research shows that behaviour is influenced by our interactions with others
- not all behaviours can be explained by individual factors
- Zimbardo

accounts for cognitive influences:
- looks at the bigger picture to fully understand behaviour
-for example, way schemas developed and depression
- looks at the whole individual

Question 9

two weakness of holism.

Answer 9

hard to test:
- difficult to isolate variables
- vague
- hard to generalise findings
- questions how useful holism is

hard to practically apply:
-holism looks at all influencing factors which makes it difficult to apply ways to change behaviour
- makes it difficult to decide which factors need treating first