holism and reductionism evaluations

Question 1

what is a limitation of holism

Answer 1

P- it lacks practical value. holistic accounts of human behaviour may be hard to use as they are more complex

E- if we accept the humanistic perspective, that there are many factors influencing this disorder (the person’s past, job, family circumstances etc., this makes it difficult to find the most influential one

E- This could then make it harder to find the basis of therapy

Question 2

what is a strength of reductionism

Answer 2

P- often takes a scientific approach to research

E- well controlled scientific research is conducted by operationalising the variables being studied hence breaking them down into their component parts e.g low serotonin is considered to be genetic basis for OCD

E-this makes it possible to conduct experiments or record observations in a reliable, objective way. Therefore allowing psychologists to infer cause and effect relationships

E- gives psychology greater credibility as it uses experiments to produce objective data, placing it on the same terms with natural sciences.

Question 3

counterpoint

Answer 3

P- tends to oversimplify complex behaviour

E- although some disorders can be treated using medications, it doesn’t always mean genetics/biology is the cause of this behaviour e.g a chemical imbalance may not be the cause of depression

E- this shows that behaviours cant only be explained at a biological level as it ignores the context in which it occurs, which therefore lacks meaning

E- this decreases the validity of reductionism in psychology a

Question 4

what is a limitation of reductionism

Answer 4

P- some behaviours can only be understood at a higher level

E- stanford prison study where the interaction between individuals and as a group was more important than the behaviour of the individuals by themselves

E- shows that there are some aspects of behaviour that only emerge within a group context and can’t be understood in terms of individual group members

E- decreases the validity as it shows for some behaviors a higher/holistic explanation is needed to provide a more valid account