Holism and Reductionism Flashcards
the holism and reductionism debate
whether holism or reductionism is better approach to use in order to understand human behaviour. the holistic approach is about studying the ‘whole’. as soon as you start to break down the holistic approach, it isnt holistic anymore. therefore there is no continuum between holism and reductionism. this debate is more about a preference for either holism or reductionism and the different approaches in psychology take sides. for example humanistic psychologists take a holistic approach whereas behavioursits are reductionists . within reductionist approach there is a continuum0 the levels of explanation
what does holism mean?
With respect to a behaviour such as memory or mental disorder, perceiving the whole experience rather than the individual feature and or the relations between them. Gestalt psychologists suggest that ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts’ and so it
does not make sense to break down target behaviours into their constituent parts, but rather study behaviours as part of an indivisible system.
what does reductionism mean?
An approach that breaks complex phenomena into more simple
components and implies that this is desirable because complex phenomena are best understood in terms of a simpler level of explanation. This is in contrast with holism. For example, a reductionist explanation of depression would be the consequence of low levels
of serotonin in the brain. This is biological reductionism and a neurochemical viewpoint.
levels of explanation
These are different ways of viewing the same phenomena in
Psychology e.g. socio-cultural, psychological, physical, physiological and neurochemical.
Reductionism suggests that lower-level explanations will eventually replace higher-level explanations, according to the reductionist hierarchy of science i.e. Sociology, Psychology, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (from top to bottom). Explanations begin at the highest
level and progressively reduce down to the bottom of the hierarchy.
levels of explanation: highest level
Cultural and social explanations of behaviour e.g. depression being
explained by a withdrawal from social activities, low energy levels and insomnia, which is
viewed as odd by society.
levels of explanation: middle level
—Psychological explanations of behaviour e.g. depression being explained by Beck’s Cognitive Theory (the product of the cognitive triad of automatic negative thoughts, faulty information processing and negative self-schemas) and Ellis’ ABC model (an activating event produces an irrational belief which leads to an emotional or
behavioural consequence).
levels of explanation: lower level
Biological explanations of behaviour e.g. depression being explained by the action of candidate genes (e.g. 5HT1-D beta controlling the efficiency of synaptic serotonin transport) and neural factors (e.g. abnormal functioning of the left
parahippocampal gyrus and the lateral frontal lobes).
types of reductionism: biological reductionism
Reducing behaviour to biology as it is based on the premise than
we are biological organisms. i.e. depression can be explained biochemically as a result of
low levels of serotonin in the synaptic gaps between neurons. A characteristic feature of
the biological approach.
types of reductionism: environmental reductionism
Behaviourist explanations suggest that all behaviour can be
explained in terms of simple stimulus response links, i.e. phobias are obtained and
maintained using classical and operant conditioning (through repeated pairings between
the unconditioned stimulus and the neutral stimulus to produce an unconditioned response, and then leading to a conditioned stimulus producing a conditioned response, as shown through Watson and Rayner’s study of Little Albert).
example of levels of explanation: OCD
-socio-cultural level: e.g OCD interrupt relationships
-psychological level: e.g the persons experience of anxiety
-physical level: movements e.g. washing hands
- environmental/behavioural level: learning experience
-physiological level: abnormal functioning in the frontal lobes
-neurochemical level: e.g underproduction of seritonin
becomes more reductionist as you go down
what are the evaluations of holism and reductionism?
- practical value of the holism approach (limitation)
- scientific approach and reductionism (strength)
- limitations of reductionism (limitation)
- limitation of holistic explanations (limitation)
Practical Value of the Holism Approach (AO3)- limitation
Limitation: Holistic accounts can lack practical value.
Holistic views of human behavior become complex, making it hard to identify the most influential factors (e.g., in treating depression).
Researchers may struggle to know what to prioritize for therapy, limiting its real-world application.
Conclusion: Holistic approaches may lack practical use, while reductionist approaches may be more effective in certain cases.
Scientific Approach and Reductionism + Counterpoint (AO3)- strength
Strength: Reductionist approaches enable scientific study by breaking behavior into measurable components.
By operationalizing variables, they make experiments more reliable.
Example: Strange Situation study, which measures attachment behaviors like separation anxiety.
This scientific approach enhances credibility and aligns with methods used in natural sciences.
Counterpoint: Reductionist explanations risk oversimplifying complex phenomena.
They may lack validity by ignoring social contexts, leading to partial explanations of behavior.
Limitations of Reductionism (AO3)- limitation
Higher-Level Explanations: Some behaviors can only be understood at a higher level.
Social behaviors like conformity cannot be explained solely by genes or neurotransmitters.
Example: Stanford prison study – the behavior of prisoners and guards was influenced by group dynamics, not individual traits.
Conclusion: For some behaviors, higher-level (or even holistic) explanations are more valid.
Limitation of Holistic Explanations: (AO3)- limitation
Holistic explanations are difficult to investigate due to the many differing types and levels of explanations involved.
This complexity makes it challenging for researchers to identify the most influential factors, hindering the ability to base treatment on the most effective explanation.
As a result, holistic approaches may not lead to effective treatments for mental health disorders.
