Holism Vs Reductionism Flashcards
what is holism
behaviour viewed as complex and whole, not as separate parts
appreciates the complexity of many parts of behaviour
doesnt deny scientific influences but states human behaviour has multiple internal factors that need to be considered (complex)
what is a positive EV for holism
led to useful practical applications (society + psychology) - person centred therapy, non-directive and collaborative process that idvs benefit from
- offers conditions of empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regards.
- conditions + therapeutic rship developed = effective + greater sense of acceptance
far reaching benefits
promote more realistic interactionist approach to explain behaviour - multiple explanations all have relevance and difficult to establish exp with best expl power for each behaviour
- phobias are more likely to be learnt whereas others (with no exposure) may be explained through adaptive mechanisms.
- comprehensive and complete understanding of behav
what is an example of holism appreciating the complexity of human behaviour
MASLOW’s hierarchy of needs - highlights there are at least 5 diverse motivators in our behaviour - from biological, safety, love, esteem needs to self actualisation
what is meant by reductionism and the idea of parsimony
when behaviour is explained by simplifying the reasons for behav to the underlying principles which cause it - BREAKS DOWN COMPLEX BEHAVIOURS INTO MORE SIMPLE COMPONENTS
- behaviour is caused by single variable - SZ (too many D2 receptors)
parsimony = favours the simplest explanation - MORGON - there was no need to explain behaviours in complex process, should be as simple as possible
what does the reductionist approach state about levels of explanation
that explanations begin at the highest level and progressively REDUCE to consider behaviours at component elements
- lowest level are biological explanations where behaviour is explained in terms of genes, hormones, brain structure
- middle level are psychological explanations (cognitive and behavioural)
- highest level are cultural and social explan where behaviour is explained
what are examples for each level of explanation in terms of memory and attachment
cultural and social
- different cultures emphasise types of caregiving which may shape attachment types (German mothers - promote independence = TYPE A)
- memory - cultural expectations affect what we remember and how we recall information
psychological
- cross all cultures infants show separation anxiety at 8months to a lesser/ greater extent (meta-pelet)
- elaborative rehearsal
- diff types of memory such as episodic
biological
- memories are stored in the hippocampus and damage can cause memory problems
what is environmental
(stimulus - response) reductionism
can be used to explain and measure behaviour in terms of ‘learned associations’ used by behaviourist theorists (operant + classical conditioning)
- complex behaviours are a series of stimulus response links
- only OBSRVABLE behaviour should be studied
- all behaviour can be broken up into stimulus- response links that take place in a person’s environment which are measurable within a LAB
- DOENST RECOGNISE PSYCHOLGICAL LEVELS OF EXPL - eg cognitions, mind is regarded as a black box and whatever goes in and out of it is irrelevant because we cannot observe it and therefore cant study it
what are two environmentally reductionist methods used in Psychology
Skinners lab - rats and pigeons
Watson - controlled experiments
what are positive EV for reductionist debate
biological reduc is more precise and simpler explanation - stating behaviour, physiological structure - GENETIC APPROACH - COMT regulates DA and SERT which affects transport of serotonin
- SCIENTIFIC = creation of nomothetic laws
- tend to follow principle of parsimony - easier to see one variable affecting another
bio reduc = useful biological treatments (practical applications) - ADs increase serotonin levels in OCD patients - SANDRE found that it was 80 % effective (successful)
- practical applications can have useful impacts on society, esp mental illnesses
- reduc approaches produce treatments quicker
= approach in practice can reach wider audience
negative EV reductionism
both biological and environmental reductionism are simple and seen as a FLAW - inadequate in explaining the complexities of behaviour
- 31% DZ twins shared OCD, 37% MZ twins shared OCD - largely due to genetics but if solely due to genetics then concordance rate would be 100%
- environment has a factor in explanation
= reductionist explanation can be limited in explaining behaviour
negative EV for holism
not considered scientific and make research very challenging
- science typically seeks cause and effect rship to explain behaviour and to do this you need to isolate key factors/ variables in behaviour
- holistic ideas arent compatible with goal of science - refuse to isolate variable and over emphasise the complex interacting nature of multiple factors
= struggle to provide general nomothetic laws in behaviour
