Holism and Reductionism

Question 1

Holism

Answer 1

Argument which proposes that it only makes sense to study an indivisible system rather than its constituent parts
- Humanistic psychologists use qualitative methods to investigate the self where themes are analysed rather than breaking the concept into component behaviours

Question 2

Reductionism

Answer 2

The belief that human behaviour is best understood by studying the smaller constituent parts

Question 3

Levels of explanation

Answer 3

The idea that there are several levels that an be used to explain behaviour
- Lowest level = Biological explanations
- Middle level = Psychological explanations
- Highest level = Social and cultural explanations
- Each level is more reductionist than the one above

Question 4

Levels of explanation - worked example

Answer 4

• OCD
• Social and cultural level = producing behaviour e.g repetitive hand washing, that most people would consider irrational
• Psychological level = Having obsessive thoughts
• Biological level (Physiological) = hypersensitivity of basal ganglia
• Biological level (Neurochemical) = Underproduction of serotonin

Question 5

Biological reductionism

Answer 5

Attempts to explain behaviour at the lowest biological level (in terms of genes and hormones)
- Bio reductionism includes physiological and neurochemical levels
- For example Bio reductionism in OCD suggests all behaviour can be explained through neurochemicals, genes and brain structure - Certain psychoactive drugs are used to increase serotonin levels of people with OCD

Question 6

Environmental reductionism

Answer 6

Attempts to explain all behaviour in terms of stimulus-response links that have been learned through experience
- Behaviourist approach is built on environmental reductionism (ER) - all behaviour is acquired through interactions with the environment
- For example - Learning theory of attachment reduces idea of love to a learned association between the person doing the feeding and food resulting in pleasure

Question 7

H+R - evaluation - strength

Answer 7

• Strength of reductionism
• Forms the basis of scientific research
• To create operationalised variables it’s necessary to break target behaviours down into constituent parts
• Makes it possible to conduct experiments or observations in a way that is meaningful and reliable
• Seen in behaviourist approach - lab experiments used to break learning down into stimulus-response links

Question 8

H+R - evaluation - limitation

Answer 8

• Limitation of reductionism
• Accused of oversimplifying complex experiences = loss of validity
• Biological reductionism - doesn’t include an analysis of the social context within which behaviour occurs
• Means reductionist explanations can only ever form one part of an explanation