Holism and reductionism Flashcards
Reductionism
Refers to the idea that human behaviour is best explained by breaking it down into its smaller constituent parts.
It’s based on the scientific principle parsimony which means all phenomena should be explained using the simplest explanation.
Levels of explanation
Socio-cultural level
Psychological level
Physical level
Physiological level
Neurochemical level
Levels of explanation for schizophrenia
Socio-cultural: behaviours most people would regard as odd (hearing noises)
Psychological: the individuals experience of having deluded thoughts
Physical: the lack of movement results in avolition
Physiological: enlarged ventricles
Neurochemical: lack of dopamine
Biological reductionism
The belief that all behaviour can be explained through neurochemical, physiological, evolutionary and/or genetic influences.
Example: drugs that increase serotonin are used to treat OCD therefore low serotonin may be a cause of OCD
Environmental reductionism
The belief that all behaviour is acquired through interactions with the environment via stimulus-response links.
Example: the learning theory of attachment decreases the idea of love between the baby and mother
Machine reductionism
The belief that all behaviour can be broken down into information processing systems like a computer.
Example: multi-store model reduces memory down into basic functions
Reductionism is scientific
P: A strength of reductionism is its scientific.
E: This is because reductionism leads to clearly defined variables and can be operationalised and observed objectively which allows for the inference of casual relationships (establishing a cause and effect relationship).
T: Therefore the reductionist approach is seen as highly credible and held in high scientific esteem by many psychologists.
Reductionism is useful
P: The reductionism approach is useful as it has practical application as it has allowed for the development of certain treatments.
E: For example, by reducing OCD to the neurochemical level of reduced serotonin, we can create treatments to combat this such as SSRI’s.
T: Developing treatments is useful as it increases the patients quality of life and boosts the economy.
Reductionist explanations lead to the loss of meaning
P: A weakness of reductionist explanations is that it leads to the loss of meaning.
E: Reductionist explanations do not add up to reflect whole experience. For example, it can only tell us low dopamine causes schizophrenia, it does not tell us what it’s like to have sz, or others factors that might influence a patients schizophrenic experience.
T: Therefore, reductionism loses the richness of human experiences.
Reductionism can’t explain all human behaviour
P: A final limitation of reductionism is that it can’t explain all human behaviour.
E: Some behaviour only occurs within a social context, such as crowd behaviour.
T: Therefore, a reductionist approach is a limited one, as it can’t account for all human behaviour. In certain cases, a holistic approach to explaining behaviour would be more appropriate.
Holism
The belief that human behaviour is best understood by accounting for the whole person. Rather than breaking behaviour down into its constituent parts, it looks at the combination of all influences - whether they be social, biological, genetic or other factors.
It’s based on Gestalt’s psychology.
Gestalt’s psychology
The belief that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts
Example of holism
Humanistic approach
Combination of research methods
Psychological examples: Johoda’s 6 elements of ideal mental health are an example of a holistic approach to defining abnormality
One strength of holism
P: One strength of holism is that it can explain all human behaviours.
E: This is because some behaviours only occur in certain environments.
T: A holistic approach can explain all behaviours.
One limitation of holism
P: One limitation of holism is that it’s not scientific.
E: It can’t clearly define variables which can be operationalised and observed objectivity.
T: Therefore, it lacks credibility.
