holism and reductionism A03 Flashcards
practical value
P) One limitation of the holism approach is that it may lack practical value.
E) Holistic accounts of human behaviour tend to become hard to use as they become more complex. This can present researchers with a practical dilemma. If we accept, from a humanistic perspective, that there are many different factors that contribute to depression (the person’s past, their present relationships, their job and family circumstances) then it becomes difficult to know which is most influential.
E) It is then difficult to know which to prioritise as the basis of therapy, for instance.
L) This suggests that holistic accounts may lack practical value (whereas reductionist accounts may be better).
scientific approach
P) One strength of reductionist approaches (and limitation of the holistic approach) is that they often form the basis of a scientific approach.
E) In order to conduct well-controlled research we need to operationalise the variables to be studied - to break target behaviours down into constituent parts.
This makes it possible to conduct experiments or record observations (behavioural categories) in a way that is objective and reliable.
E) For example, research on attachment (the Strange Situation) operationalised component behaviours such as separation anxiety.
L) This scientific approach gives psychology greater credibility, placing it on equal terms with the natural sciences.
counterpoint - scientific approach
Reductionist approaches have been accused of oversimplifying complex phenomena, leading to reduced validity. Explanations that operate at the level of the gene or neurotransmitter do not include an analysis of the social context within which behaviour occurs - and this is where the behaviour may derive its meaning. For instance, the physiological processes involved in pointing one’s finger will be the same regardless of the context. However, an analysis of these will not tell us why the finger is pointed - it might be to draw attention to some object or person, as an act of aggression, etc.
This suggests that reductionist explanations can only ever form part of an
explanation.
higher level
P) one limitation of reductionism is that some behaviours can only be understood at a higher level
E) Often, there are aspects of social behaviour that only emerge within a group context and cannot be understood in terms of the individual group members. For instance, the effects of conformity to social roles in the prisoners and guards in the Stanford prison study could not be understood by observing the participants as individuals.
E) It was the interaction between people and the behaviour of the group that was important. There is no conformity ‘gene (that we know of) so social processes like conformity can only be explained at the level at which they occur.
L) This suggests that, for some behaviours, higher level explanations (or even holistic ones) provide a more valid account.
