Holism vs reductionism ID

Question 1

holism

Answer 1

it is inappropriate to divide the human experience into separate components because they loose meaning

Question 2

reductionism

Answer 2

the belief that human behaviour is best understood by studying the smaller constituent parts

Question 3

levels of explanation

Answer 3

The idea that there are several ways that can be used to explain behaviour

Question 4

Biological reductionism

Answer 4

a form of reductionism which attempts to explain behaviour at the lowest biological level

Question 5

environmental reductionism

Answer 5

The attempt to explain all behaviour in terms of stimulus-response links that have learned through experience

Question 6

humanistic approach

Answer 6

holistic

Question 7

behaviourist approach

Answer 7

reductionist

Question 8

holism explanation

Answer 8

• Looks at behaviour as a ‘whole’
• Gestalt psychologists: ‘whole is greater than the sum of its parts’
• Humanistic psych focuses on the individuals experience as a whole by using qualitative methods to investigate themes rather than breaking behaviour down into components

Question 9

reductionism explanation

Answer 9

• Breaks behaviour into constituent parts
• Parsimony: all phenomena should be explained using the simplest principles, being economical

Question 10

biological reducitonism examples

Answer 10

• Neurochemical, physiological, evolutionary and genetic influences
• Arguments often work backwards

Question 11

environmental reductionism examples

Answer 11

Behaviourist approach: all behaviour is learned through interactions with the environment and conditioning

Question 12

high levels of explanation

Answer 12

many, more complex, wider, holistic

Question 13

low levels of exlpanation

Answer 13

fewest, simplest, smallest, narrower, reductionist

Question 14

levels of explanation order

Answer 14

• Socio-cultural level (society, media, peers, family)
• Psychological level (mind eg cognitive and psychodynamic approach)
• Physical level (actions/observable behaviours eg conformity)
• environmental/behavioural level (stimulus-response eg conditioning)
• Physiological level (eg localisation of function)
• Neurochemical level (neurotransmitters)

Question 15

practical value

limitation

Answer 15

• Holistic accounts of human behaviour are more complex and hard to use
• Eg in regards to depression, there are many factors, so which is most influential?
• It is then difficult to know which to prioritise in therapy
  Holistic accounts may lack practical value

Question 16

scientific approach - reductionist

strength

Answer 16

• Experimental reductionism
• Operationalise variables ie break them down
• Possible to conduct experiments/observations in a reliable and objective way
• If you have an IV and a DV you can claim cause and effect
• Eg strange situation is operationalised eg stranger anxiety
  Gives psychology greater credibility with natural sciences

Question 17

counterpoint to scientific

limitation

Answer 17

• Reductionist approaches oversimplify complex theories, reducing validity
• Biological explanations do not include analysis of the social context where the behaviour occurs
  Reductionist explanations can only form part of an explanation

Question 18

higher level - Reductionism can’t explain behaviours at a higher level

limitation

Answer 18

• Aspects of social behaviour only emerge in a group context
• Eg the effects of conformity to social roles in the stanford prison experiment
• Interaction between people and group was important
• No ‘conformity’ gene
  Higher level explanations provide a more valid account