Issues and Debates- Holism and Reductionism

Question 1

What is reductionism?

Answer 1

The scientific view that it should be possible to explain complex things by reducing them to their most simple structures or processes

Question 2

What does reductionism mean in psychology?

Answer 2

Explaining behaviour by boiling theories down to some basic principles

Question 3

What is holism?

Answer 3

The argument that human behaviour is more complex than the processes that other sciences study

Question 4

How should things taking a holistic approach be viewed?

Answer 4

As the product of different influences which all interact

Question 5

What is the view of the psychodynamic approach?

Answer 5

Relatively holistic- considers unconscious forces and childhood experiences and emphasises that personality is the result of interaction between different components

Question 6

What is the view of the biological approach?

Answer 6

Biological reductionism- all behaviours can be explained as the product of biological influences like genetics, brain structure and brain chemistry

Question 7

What is the view of the cognitive approach?

Answer 7

Machine reductionism- brain’s cognitive processes are compared to the working of a computer, doesn’t explain why humans function differently to computers

Question 8

What is the view of the behaviourist approach?

Answer 8

Environmental reductionism- all human behaviour is shaped by the environment through the processes of classical and operant conditioning

Question 9

What is the view of the humanistic approach?

Answer 9

Holistic- studies the individuals in context and tries to understand their subjective experience