Holism vs Reductionism

Question 1

Holism

Answer 1

People and behaviour should be studied as a whole system

Gestalt psychologists believed breaking up behaviour is inappropriate as we can only be understood if we are studied as a whole

This view is shared by Humanistic psychologists

Question 2

Reductionism

Answer 2

Breaking down behaviour into smaller parts to analyse

behaviour should be explained using the most basic, lowest level and simple principles

Question 3

Level of Explanation: Socio-Cultural

Answer 3

Behaviour is explained in terms of the influence of social groups on behaviour

Question 4

Level of Explanation: Psychological

Answer 4

Behaviour is explained in terms of Cognitive/ Behavioural/ Environmental factors

Question 5

Level of Explanation: Biological

Answer 5

Behaviour is explained in terms of neurochemicals, genes and brain structure

Question 6

Biological Reductionism

Answer 6

Biological psychologists try to reduce behaviour to a physical level and explain it in terms of neurons, neurotransmitters, hormones, brain structure, etc.

Question 7

Environmental Reductionism

Answer 7

It is also known as Stimulus-Response reductionism.

Behaviourists assume that all behaviour can be reduced to the simple building blocks of S-R associations and that complex behaviours are a series of S-R chains.