Holsim & Reductionism

Question 1

Holism

Answer 1

Approach that looks at behaviour as an indivisible system needed to fully understand complex behaviour. The sum of the parts is not equal to the whole

Question 2

Reductionism

Answer 2

The belief that the best way to research and understand behaviour is by reducing it all down into smaller consituent parts - focusing on one aspect at a time

Question 3

Internationalist approach

Answer 3

Uses more than one reductionist theory at a time, not the same as holism but gives a fuller picture

Question 4

Parsimony

Answer 4

Suggests all phenomena should be explained using the most basic principles

Question 5

Levels of explanation

Answer 5

Different ways of viewing the same behaviour, higher levels are less scientific and lower levels are more reductionist and scientific

Question 6

Higher levels of explanation

Answer 6

Social and cultural explanations eg how groups affect behaviour

Question 7

Middle explanations of behaviour

Answer 7

Psychological explanations eg schizophrenia involves though disorder

Question 8

Lower levels of explanation

Answer 8

Biological explanations eg hormones and genes

Question 9

Levels of explanation examples - OCD

Answer 9

Higher - OCD produces behaviours that in most contexts would be seen as unusual or irrational
Middle - OCD involved obsessive thoughts
Lower - under production of the neurotransmitters serotonin may be involved

Question 10

Reductionist heirachy

Answer 10

Disciples in terms of most general to most specific

Sociology, psychology, biology, chemistry, physics

Question 11

Examples of holism

Answer 11

Humanistic psychology - subjective experience can only be understood by considering the whole person, the person needs to feel a sense of wholeness to feel mentally healthy eg Rodgers client centred therapy

Question 12

Examples of reductionism

Answer 12

Biological, environmental, experimental

Question 13

Biological determinism

Answer 13

Reduces social and psychological behaviour to biological units eg genes and hormones

Question 14

Environmental reductionism

Answer 14

Reduces complex behaviours to units of stimulus response - links that are learned thought experience

Question 15

Experimental reductionism

Answer 15

Reduces complex behaviour to a firm or unit that can be studied, variables are isolated manipulated and measured

Question 16

Example of internationalist

Answer 16

Diathesis stess explanation of schizophrenia how different levels of explanation can interact at the same time. Low levels - genetic predisposition. High levels - stressor eg starting new job

Question 17

Weakness holistic approach

Answer 17

Not scientific, holisitc theories use higher levels of explanation, should focus on whole experience, lack testibility and can’t be operationalised

Question 18

Strength reductionist approach

Answer 18

They are scientific, lower levels of explanation to argue you should focus on basic principles. Eg OCD influenced by basil ganglia, thalamus and prefrontal cortex which can be operationalised

Question 19

Weakness reductionist approach

Answer 19

Biological reductionism can lead to errors of understanding. Ignores complexity of human behaviour eg treating ADHD with drugs doesn’t tackle actual cause of behaviour

Question 20

Interactionlaist approach strength

Answer 20

Gives greater insight than reductionist alone, reductionist gives narrow view of complex behaviour comparing to interactionalist that looks at more than one explanation at a time eg diathesis stress model. Internationalist greater validity and therefore more meaningful