holism vs reductionism

Question 1

what is the difference between this debate compared to others?

Answer 1

there is no continuum, its about preference for either a reductionist or holistic approach

Question 2

what is reductionism?

Answer 2

the belief that human behaviour can be explained by breaking it down into simpler component parts. its based on parsimony: a complex phenomena that should be explained in its simplest form

Question 3

which approaches are reductionist?

Answer 3

biological approach
behaviourist approach

Question 4

what is holism?

Answer 4

the idea that human behaviour should be viewed as a whole, integrated experience. what we see only makes sense when we consider the whole image.

Question 5

what approaches are holistic?

Answer 5

humanistic approach

Question 6

what is biological reductionism?

Answer 6

all behaviour can be reduced down to a biological basis so it can be explained by genetics and neuro-chemical influences.

Question 7

why are biological explanations of behaviour usually reductionist?

Answer 7

they attempt to explain behaviour by looking at a specific gene, part of the brain, neurotransmitter or hormone.

Question 8

what is environmental reductionism?

Answer 8

this is linked to the behaviourist approach and occurs when behaviour is reduced down to a stimulus-response influence. cognitive and social factors are ignored

Question 9

what are the levels of explanation?

Answer 9

explanations vary from those as a lower/fundemental level focusing on basic components or units to those at a higher more holistic multivariable level

Question 10

what are the 3 levels of explanation?

Answer 10

social
psychological
biological

Question 11

what is the social level of explanation?

Answer 11

the highest level considers social and cultural explanations, where behaviour is explained in terms of the influence of social groups

Question 12

what is the psychological level of explanation?

Answer 12

the middle level considers psychological explanations (e.g. cognitive and behavioural)

Question 13

what is the biological level of explanation?

Answer 13

the lowest level considers physiological explanations, where behaviour is explained in terms od neurochemicals, genes and brain structure

Question 14

what is an example of the levels of explanation in terms of criminality?

Answer 14

social: peer pressure, poverty, media
psychological: Eysenck, maternal deprivation
biological explanations: candidate genes, brain abnormalities

Question 15

AO3: how is ‘oversimplicity’ a limitation to reductionism in the holism-reductionism debate?

Answer 15

reductionist explanations may oversimplify complex behaviours. this is a problem as it reduces the validity of an explanation as it fails to consider the social context which is important to fully understand the meaning behind behaviours.

Question 16

AO3: how is ‘more scientific’ a strength to reductionism in the holism-reductionism debate?

Answer 16

the reductionist explanations are often seen as more scientific as it breaks down behaviour. this allows us to operationalise variables and test them using scientific methods. therefore, this is an advantage when compared to holistic approaches because it provides practical applications to treat behaviour. for example, SSRI drugs to alter serotonin levels.

Question 17

AO3: how is ‘more detailed’ a strength to reductionism in the holism-reductionism debate?

Answer 17

reductionist explanations gather lots of detail relating to specific variables/factors influencing behaviour. this is beneficial because if we can break down behaviour into its constituent parts and scientifically test them. this means that the cause of behaviours can be tested more easily. however, an issue with this is that it oversimplifies behaviours that other factors aren’t considered that could influence behaviour

Question 18

AO3: how is ‘difficulty establishing cause and effect’ a limitation to holism in the holism-reductionism debate?

Answer 18

it may be difficult to establish cause and effect and which factor is the most influential. this is an issue because it considers a range of possible influences of behaviour, which therefore makes it difficult to prioritise which treatments to use. therefore, reducing the practical value of this approach.

Question 19

AO3: how is ‘more complete understanding of behaviour’ a strength to holism in the holism-reductionism debate?

Answer 19

holistic explanations allow us to gain a more ‘all round’ and complete understanding of human behaviour. therefore, the holistic explanation attempts to blend different levels of explanation which provide a more complete and realistic understanding of human behaviour.

Question 20

AO3: how is ‘less scientific’ a limitation to holism in the holism-reductionism debate?

Answer 20

holistic approaches may be seen as less scientific. this is because it is difficult to scientifically test due to the complex nature of the approach and range of possible influences. therefore, it is difficult to establish how much each individual factor contributes to any particular behaviour and the explanation is often seen as unsatisfactory