Issues and Debates: Holism vs Reductionism

Question 1

What is Holism?

Answer 1

Proposes we should examine individuals complex behaviour by taking into consideration all aspects of their experience, including culture

Question 2

What is a topic holsim can be linked to?

Answer 2

Peers and family can place COW on a person and thses can be influenced by cultural factors

Question 3

What is reductionism?

Answer 3

Examines complex human behaviour by breaking it down into smaller basic units

Question 4

What is an example of reductionism?

Answer 4

The biological approach

Question 5

What is biological reductionism?

Answer 5

Explains complex human behaviour by narrowing it down to basic biological systems (genes)

Question 6

What is the topic that biological reductionism links to?

Answer 6

Effects of psychoactive drugs on the brain contribute to much of our understanding of neural processes and the fact it explains mental illnesses such as OCD, depression and Sz

Question 7

What is environmental reductionism?

Answer 7

Simplifies complex human behavious down to learning through stimulus-response association

Question 8

What is a topic environmental reductionsim can link to?

Answer 8

Classical Conditioning

Question 9

What does relationships link to?

Answer 9

Evolutionary explanations of partner preferences is biologically reductionist, it implies that there is some genetic transmission of that behaviour
Argues that people choose their behaviour due to their biological make-up

Question 10

What does Sz link to?

Answer 10

Family dysfunction as an explanation for Sz is a more holistic explanation
Considers effect of how family interacts on developing Sz

Question 11

What does Addiction link to?

Answer 11

Risk factors vary in how reductionist they are
Genetics is a risk factor, biologically reductionist, someone is likely to become addicted due to their genetic makeup

Question 12

What are the levels of explanation?

Answer 12

Social and cultural explanations
Psychological explanations
Biological explanations

Question 13

What is social and cultural explanations?

Answer 13

The influence of social groups on behaviour
Holistic

Question 14

What are psychological explanations?

Answer 14

Cognitive
Behavioural
Environment

Question 15

What are biological explanations?

Answer 15

Neurochemical
Genetic
Brain structure
Reductionist

Question 16

What is a topic that can be linked to levels of explanations?

Answer 16

OCD
Social and cultural - society would regard as repetitive hand washing as abnormal
Psychological - due to obsessive thoughts
Neurochemical - due to low levels of serotonin

Question 17

What is some AO3 for the holistic approach?

Answer 17

Doesn’t use scientific methods to investigate human behaviour, unlike research from reductionist approach
As explanations become more complex and more holistic, they become more vague, so unable to test scientifically
Unlike reductionist approach like biological approach which uses empirical and objective measures to establish cause and effect
Reductionist increases internal validity

Question 18

What is some AO3 for the reuductionist approach?

Answer 18

More likely to lead to practical applications
Studying basic units of behaviour (chemical involved) leads to effective treatment for that disorder
E.g., Dopamine is a key neurotransmitter in Sz development which has led to antipsychotics which regulate dopamine levels and reduce Sz symptoms
Important part of appleid psychology