Holism and reductionism

Question 1

Holism

Answer 1

• Believes that human behaviour can be explained through a range of experiences, not just on one idea
• Looks at all the interactions of all the influences (e.g social, biological, cognitive)

Question 2

Reductionism

Answer 2

• Believes that human behaviour can be explained in simple concepts
• Based on the scientific principle of parsimony – all events should be explained with basic principles

Question 3

Biological Reductionism

Answer 3

• A type of reductionism that tries to explain social and psychological phenomena at a biological level

Question 4

Environmental Reductionism

Answer 4

• A type of reductionism that tries to explain behaviour based on stimulus-response association chains

Question 5

Levels of Explanation

Answer 5