Holism And Reductionism*

Question 1

Define holism

Answer 1

An argument or theory which proposes that is only makes sense to study an indivisible system rather than its constituent parts.
‘The whole is greater than the sum of its parts’

Question 2

Define reductionism

Answer 2

Belief that human behaviour is best explained by breaking it down into smaller constituent parts

Question 3

Define biological reductionism

Answer 3

Form of reductionism which attempts to explain social and psychological phenomena at a lower biological level (action of genes, hormones etc)

Question 4

Define environmental reductionism

Answer 4

Attempt to explain all behaviour in terms of stimulus-response links that have been learned through experience

Question 5

Who said that ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts’?

Answer 5

Gestalt psychologist; a group of German researcher in the 1920s and 30s
This view is the basis of holism

Question 6

What is the basis of holism?

Answer 6

That any attempt to breakup behaviour and experience is inappropriate as this can only be understood by analysing the person or behaviour as a whole

Question 7

What is the basis of reductionism?

Answer 7

The analysis of behaviour by breaking it down into its constituent parts.
Based on the scientific principle of parsimony; all phenomena should be explained using the lowest level principles (simplest, easiest and most economical explaination)

Question 8

What does the idea of ‘levels of explaination’ suggest?

Answer 8

There are different way of viewing the same phenomena in psychology; sociocultural context, psychological level, physical level, physiological level, neurochemical level
Each level more reductionist than the one before

Question 9

Explain OCD using the levels of explaination

Answer 9

Sociocultural context; repetitive behaviours (eg hand washing) are considered odd or irrational
Psychological level; experience of obsessive thoughts
Physical level; sequence of movements involved in hand washing
Physiological level; hypersensitivity of the basal ganglia
Neurochemical level; underproduction of serotonin

Question 10

What is the hierarchy of science?

Answer 10

Sociology
Psychology
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
More general sciences at the top, gets more precise as you go down

Question 11

What would researchers who favour the reductionist approach see psychology being replaced by?

Answer 11

More reductionist explainations derived from sciences lower down on the hierarchy

Question 12

What is biological reductionism based on?

Answer 12

That humans are biological organisms made up of physiological structures and processes, so all behaviour is at some level biological
Explains through neurochemical, neurophysiological, evolutionary and genetic influences

Question 13

What is biological reductionism seen in?

Answer 13

Biological approach
The effects of psychoactive drugs contributed to understanding of neural processes and the suggestion the serious mental disorders, eg OCD, depression and schizophrenia, can be explained at a neurochemical level

Question 14

What level does environmental reductionism analyse behaviour at?

Answer 14

Physical level

Doesn’t concern itself with the cognitive processes at the psychological level

Question 15

Eval

The case for holism

Answer 15

Holistic explainations provide a more complete and global understanding of behaviour then reductionism
>aspects of social behaviour only emerge within a group and can’t be understood by looking at an indvidual
>conformity to social roles and de-individuation of participants in the Stanford prison experiment
»can’t be understood looking at individuals, interaction and group behaviour most important

Question 16

Eval

Case against holism

Answer 16

For some real world problems, lower level explainations may be better
>can be vague and speculative, not easy to scientifically test
>humanistic psychology; critisised for lack of empirical evidence
>explainations with lots of perspectives cause a dilemma; if it is accepted that lots of factors contribute to depression makes it difficult to decide which is most important to base therapy on

Question 17

Eval

Case for reductionism

Answer 17

Credibility; puts psych on equal terms with the natural sciences
>forms basis of scientific research; creating operationalised variables
>easier to conduct experiments and record findings in a meaningful way
>behaviourist approach

Question 18

Eval

Case against reductionism

Answer 18

Reductionism can only ever form part of an explaination
>accused of over simplifying phenomena; loss of validity
>bio reduction doesn’t consider social context behaviours occur in
Eg physiological process of pointing a finger will always be the same but this won’t tell us why it was pointed

Question 19

Eval

Interactionist approach

Answer 19

Diathesis-stress model
>explains onset of mental disorders as an interaction of predisposition and the environment
>more holistic approach, combining drug treatments with family therapy for schizophrenia