Issues And Debates: Holism And Reductionisim

Question 1

Holism

Answer 1

An Argument/theory which proposes that it only makes sense to study an indivisible system rather than its constituent parts

Question 2

Reductionism

Answer 2

The belief that human behaviour is best explained by breaking it down into smaller parts

Question 3

Levels of explanation in psych

Answer 3

Different ways of viewing the same thing
Some are more reductionist than others

Question 4

Levels in ocd

Answer 4

Socio-cultural level: Repeated washing of your hands is seen as being odd or irrational
Psychological level: it’s seen as the experience of having obsessive thoughts
Physical level: it’s seen as a sequence of movements
Physiological level: hypersensitivity of the basal gangila
Neurochemical level: underproduction of serotonin
It’s a difficult debate but each one is more reductionist than the one before

Question 5

Levels for schiz

Answer 5

Social cultural level: hallucinations (talking to them selves)
Psychological level: hearing things
Physical level: talk or fight their hallucinations
Physiological level: lack of activity in superior temporal gyrus
Neurochemical level: excess dopamine in the brain

Question 6

Levels of explanations in psych

Answer 6

Sociology
Psych
Bio
Chem
Physics

Question 7

Biological reductionism

Answer 7

We are biological organisms made up of physiological structures and processes
All behaviour is at some level biological and can be explained through neurochemical, neurophysiological, evolutionary and genetic influences

Question 8

When has bio red been good

Answer 8

• This assumption of the biological approach has been successfully applied to number of different areas in psychology
• The affect of antipsychotics on the brain improving symptoms in schizophrenia by changing the dopamine levels
• Can allow us to explain the causes of the illness

Question 9

Environmental reductionism

Answer 9

Behaviourist approach is built on environmental reductionism
• Observe learning only and break up complex learning into simple stimulus-response links that are measurable
• Its only interested in behaviour at a physical level
• Ignores mental processes that occur at a psychological level

Question 10

Case for holism

Answer 10

Sometimes social behaviour needs to be looked at as a whole and not broken down into parts

For example Zimbardo’s prison experiment needed to be analysed as whole and not broken down into the behaviour of individuals

Question 11

Interactionist approach

Answer 11

Takes a more holistic view on psychology
Think back to the diathesis stress model in
schizophrenia
How they argue we should treat it - combo of bio therapies and psych treatments eg therapy CBT

Question 12

Case against holism

Answer 12

They don’t tend to use rigorous scientific testing
It can become vague and speculative
If we accept higher levels of explanations and combine different perspectives it may be difficult to establish which is the most influential

Question 13

Case for reductionism

Answer 13

Forms the approach of scientific research
• You can break down your variables and operationalise them
• Allows you to record behaviours (behavioural categories) in way that is reliable
• Allows complex behaviour to be broken down into a simplified form
• Gives psychology more credibility and to move lower down the hierarchy

Question 14

Case against reductionism

Answer 14

• Oversimplifying complex behaviours
• Means you lack/lose validity
• Take for example we say men are more aggressive then females because of the levels of testosterone
• What else could have caused aggression?- their upbringing and identified w aggressive father so aggressive role model