Issues And Debates: Holism and Reductionism

Question 1

Define Holism

Answer 1

Process to study things in an indivisible system rather than breaking it down into constituent parts

Question 2

Define Reductionism

Answer 2

Studying human behaviour by breaking it into smaller constituent parts

Question 3

Define Types of reductionism

Answer 3

1. Biological Reductionism
   Explains behaviour interns of neurons, hormones brain structure etc
2. Environmental Reductionism
   Reducing behaviour into building blocks and stimulus-response

Question 4

Define Levels of explanation in psychology

Answer 4

Different ways of viewing the same phenomena

1. Socio-culrutral level (behaviour)
2. Psychological level (individual experience)
3. Physical level (movement)
4. Physiological level (brain activity)
5. Neurochemical level (hormones)

Question 5

Evaluation of holism

Answer 5

+ provide more complete level of understanding

- if we look at everything its hard to say what is most influential

Question 6

Evaluation of reductionism

Answer 6

+ More scientific, allows us to study each thing

• Oversimplifying phenomena
• Only gives partial explanation