Issues and Debates: Holism and reductionism Flashcards

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1
Q

What is Holism

A
  • It argues that behaviour cannot be understood in terms of the components that make them up.
  • This is commonly described as ‘the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.’
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2
Q

What is reductionism

A
  • The theory that all complex systems can be completely understood in terms of their components.
  • Biological and behaviourist perspectives.
  • analysis and reduction of the whole to its simplest parts in order to understand the whole
  • E.g. depression can be explained biochemically as a being a result of low levels of serotonin.
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3
Q

What is the holistic approach to depression

A
  • Consider the whole person’s experience, e.g:
    -> Cognitive
    -> Emotional
    -> Environmental
  • Deal with person holistically.
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4
Q

What is the reductionist approach to depression (biological, behaviourist)

A
  • Consider major systems involved:
  • Biological: serotonin system.
  • Behaviourist: learned behaviours; stimulus, response.
  • Treat symptoms according to involvement of each system.
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5
Q

(+) Explain the benefits of holism

A
  • Provides a more complete understanding of behaviour.
    -> This is beneficial because it is a lot more reflective of how humans behave.
  • Accepts and deals with the complex nature of
    behaviour.
  • Behaviour is influenced by many factors, so holistic explanations may be more useful.
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6
Q

(-) explain the limitations of Holism

A
  • Cannot be rigorously tested this means that reliable research can’t be gathered to support theories.
  • More hypothetical – not based on empirical evidence.
  • Lacks predictive power of more scientific explanations.
  • Neglects importance of biological influences.
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7
Q

(+) what are the benefits of reductionism

A
  • Recognises the importance of biological explanations in human behaviour which is a positive as there is a lot of evidence for the influence of biology on behaviour.
  • Consistent with the scientific approach.
  • Breaking phenomena down into smaller components means the empirical method can be used.
  • High level of predictive power.
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8
Q

(-) What are the limitations of reductionism

A
  • May oversimplify behaviour so therefore other factors are not considered that could influence behaviour.
  • Ignores complexity of behaviour and can be oversimplified.
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