holism + reductionism Flashcards
holism
holism focuses on systems as a whole rather than individual parts
reductionism
involves breaking a complex phenomenon (like behaviour) down into simpler elements/ component parts
- highest level: cultural + social explanations
- middle level: psychological (behavioural) explanations
- lowest level: biological explanations
environmental reductionism
behaviour can be reduced to a simple relationship between behaviour and event
= complex emotions of attachment is reduced to a set of probabilities
AKA stimulus response reductionism = behaviourists assume that all behaviour can be reduced to S-R stimulus response associations + com
biological reductionism
= reduces human behaviour to the level of the action of neurons, neurotransmitters, hormones etc..
e.g. SZ caused by excessive activity of dopamine = drugs block this neurotransmitter, reduce SZ symptoms
levels of explanations
explanations vary from those at a lower or fundamental level focusing on basic components or units (reductionist) those at a higher more holistic multivariable level
lowest level of explanations
biological explanations of behaviour
= e.g. someone with OCD may have low levels of serotonin
middle level of explanations
psychological (behavioural) explanations of behaviour
= e.g. the experience of obsessive thoughts when an individual may suffer from OCD
highest level of explanations
cultural + social explanations of how our social groups affect behaviour
= e.g. an individual with OCD may constantly be washing their hands and others will see this as odd and irrational
ads of reductionism
- scientific
- biological therapies e.g. drugs
disads of reductionism
- bio reductionism = simplistic
- enviro reductionism = non-human animals
- enviro reductionism = overlook true meaning of behaviour
+ve = scientific
both bio + enviro reductionism = scientific
- breaking complex behaviours into small constituent parts, means that they can be scientifically tested + over time explanations of behaviour based on scientific evidence will emerge.
+ve = biological therapies e.g. drugs
bio reductionism has led to the development of biological therapies e.g. drugs
= e.g. SSRI’s are more effective than placebos @ treating symptoms of OCD = reduce symptoms for up to 3 months after treatment
= helped reduce anxiety associated with OCD, providing some relief for patients
-ve = bio reductionism = simplistic
some psychs argue that bio reductionism = lead to errors of understanding
= simplistic + ignored complex interaction of many factors in determining behaviour
e.g. to treat ADHD with drugs is to believe that the condition consists of nothing more than neurochemical imbalances + overlooks other causes
= Ritalin may reduce symptoms, but different factors not addressed
= success rates of drug therapy = high + low, bio understanding is not enough
-ve = enviro reductionism = non-human animals
research supporting enviro reductionism used non-human animals (Pavlov + Skinner) = can we generalise this to human behaviour?
- humans are in a social context w/ hard-to-measure factors r.g. cognition, emotion, intentionality
= reductionist explanations are not enough
-ve = enviro reductionism = overlook true meaning of behaviour
enviro reductionism can mean that true meaning of a behaviour is overlooked
= psych treated a woman who had a phobia of insects w/ systematic desensitisation, but no improvement
- turns out her husband (not getting along with) had an insect nickname
- phobia was not the result of classical conditioning, but expression of her martial difficulties
