Holism vs Reductionism Flashcards
What is reductionism?
Trying to explain complex behaviours using the component parts that make them up. It breaks down complex phenomena into more simple components, implying that this is desirable because complex behaves are best understood at a simpler level of explanation.
What is parsimony?
When there is more than one explanation for an event, the simplest one is preferable. Sciences reduce complex ideas down to simple variables.
The simplest explanation is the best explanation.
What is holism?
When we look at behaviour we should judge the whole rather than one specific part. It appreciates the complex interaction of many factors of behaviour. They do not deny influences but they feel that human behaviour is far more complex and multiple interacting factors need to be considered.
What are levels of explanation in psychology?
Suggests there are different ways of viewing the same phenomena in psychology. The reductionist approach argues explanations begin at the highest level and progressively reduce to consider behaviours at component elements.
What are the levels?
Higher level of reductionism - Cultural and social explanations of how our social group affects our behaviour
Middle level of reductionism - psychological explanations of behaviour
Lower level of reductionism - Biological explanations
What are biologically reductionist measures in psychology?
Monitoring and recording NT levels by sampling cerebrospinal fluid to make assumptions about the cause of mental disorders.
Monitoring and recording brain activity using fMRI to assess localisation of brain function
What is biological reductionism?
Based on the premise that we are biological organisms made up of physiological structures and processes. Behaviour is therefore at some level biological and can be explained through neurochemical activity, neurophysiology genetics and evolutionary influences.
What is environmental reductionism?
Suggests that only observable behaviour should be studied, and that all behaviour can be broken up into stimulus response links. Because of this assumption, behaviourists do not recognise psychological levels of explanation such as the role of cognitions
What are environmentally reductionist methods?
Using experiments such as Skinner’s lab experiments with rats and pigeons
Using controlled observations like Watson and Rayner’s Little Albert study
HOLISM AND REDUCTIONISM - Biological reductionism is more parsimonious
Genetic explanation is clear for OCD as it suggests that the COMT gene regulates the production of dopamine.
Therefore reductionist approaches could be considered more scientific and allow for the creation of nomothetic laws. They follow parsimony.
Therefore we produce a plausible general law.
HOLISM AND REDUCTIONISM - Biological reductionism can lead to useful biological treatments
Antidepressants like tricyclics can be used to treat OCD as they block the reuptake pump in the synapse, meaning that there is more serotonin and noradrenaline in the synapse. Reductionist approaches can produce treatments better as a biological treatment has been found to target the problem
HOLISM AND REDUCTIONISM - Environmental reductionism is easy to test
Little Albert study tested stimulus-response link by making him acquire a phobia of a white rat. Therefore it can be tested in a controlled manner which provides evidence that environmental factors cause behaviour
HOLISM AND REDUCTIONISM - Simplicity of reductionist explanations may not explain complex human behaviours
It can be short sighted to just focus on OCD as due to genes only as concordance rates are not 100% so the environment must also have a part to play. Therefore it helps our understanding to consider an interaction between many factors, not just one exclusively.
HOLISM AND REDUCTIONISM - Reductionist explanation may mean that other explanations are ignored and underplayed
This could lead to a recurrence of mental illness if all factors have not been considered. If you treat phobias with medication, relapse can seem inevitable when the medication stops. Therefore a more holistic way to understand behaviour may be more beneficial for treatment of disorders that have a number of causes.
HOLISM AND REDUCTIONISM - Holism can be praised for appreciating the full complexity of human behaviour
There are different approaches to explain human behaviour so looking into a wide range of explanations means that we can look at several aspects. Therefore we get a more complete explanation by looking at how different explanations come together to fully explain human behaviour.
