ISSUES AND DEBATES - reductionsim and holism

Question 1

reductionism

Answer 1

Analysing behaviour by breaking it down into its constituent parts

Question 2

what principle is reductinosim based on

Answer 2

scientific principle of parsimony

Question 3

what is parsimony

Answer 3

the idea all phenomena should be explained using the simplest principle

Question 4

what are Levels of explanation

Answer 4

the idea theres several ways to explain behaviour

Question 5

what does the lowest level of explanatin consider

Answer 5

physiological/biological explanations

Question 6

what does the middle level of explanation consider

Answer 6

psychological expanations

Question 7

what does the highest elvel of explanation consider

Answer 7

social and cultural expaantion

Question 8

whats the cornym ass acronym we use to remeber the 6 levels of explantion

Answer 8

sarah - cunch
peed
pon
erica /balegdes
pretty
niece

Question 9

state the levels of explanation from least to most reductionsit

Answer 9

-socio cultural level
- psychological level
- physical level
- environmental/behavioural level
- physiological level
- neurochemical level

Question 10

in terms of OCD give me an example of the socio cultural level

Answer 10

OCD interrupts social relationhips

Question 11

in terms of OCD give me an exmaple of how it may be stood at a psychological level

Answer 11

the persons experience of anxiety

Question 12

int erms of OCD give me an exmaple of how it may be understood at a physical elvel

Answer 12

movements e.g washing ones hands

Question 13

give me an exmaple of how something may be understood at the environmental/behavioural level

Answer 13

learning experiences

Question 14

give me an example of how the physioligical level may be understood in terms of OCD

Answer 14

abnormal functioning in frontal lobes

Question 15

give me an example of how ocd may be understood at the neurochemical level

Answer 15

Underproduction of serotonin

Question 16

which of the level of explanations provides the best explanation is a matter of

Answer 16

debate

Question 17

each level goign down is more

Answer 17

reductionsit than the one before

Question 18

psychology can be placed in a hierachy of science how would researchers who favour reductionsm see psychology

Answer 18

being replaced by explanations derived from those sciences lower down the hierarchy(natural sciences)

Question 19

define biological reductionism

Answer 19

a form of reductionsim which attempts to explain behaviour at the lowest biological level

(in terms of the actions of genes, hormones etc)

Question 20

what does biologicla reductionism include

Answer 20

neurochemical and physiological levels
Also evolutionary and genetic influences

Question 21

iologicla reductions is based on the premise we are

Answer 21

biological organisms

Question 22

biological reductionsim is based on the premise we are biological organims therefore

Answer 22

all behaviour is at some level biological

Question 23

biological reductionism arguments often work

Answer 23

backwards

Question 24

bioligicla reductionim arguments often work backwards give me an expantion of this using an example

last oint : we’ve reduced OCD to

Answer 24

drugs that increase serotonin been found to be effective in reating OCD

so working backwards low serotinin may be a casue of OCD

weve reduced ocd to the level of neurotransmitter activiy

Question 25

define environemntal reductionisim

Answer 25

attempt to explain all behaviour in terms of stimulus response links that have been learned thorugh experience

Question 26

environemtnal reductionism aka

Answer 26

stimulus repsposne reductionism

Question 27

what approach is built on environemtnal reductionsim

Answer 27

behavioural approach

Question 28

the behavioursit approach is built on environemtnal reductionsim , proposing that

Answer 28

all behaviour is learned and acquired through interactinos with the environment

Question 29

behaviourst explain behaviour in terms of conditioning which is focused on

Answer 29

stimulus resposne links , reducing behaviour to these basic elements

Question 30

give an example of environemtnal reductionism fro attachment

Answer 30

learning theory of attahcment

reduces the idea of love between babay and feeder

to a learned association between the person doing the feeding (NS) and food (US) resulting in pleasure (CR)

Question 31

WHAT ARe the evaluations for this spread

Answer 31

Limitation - holism : may lack practical value

Strenght of Reductionist Approach (limtation of holism )- often form basis of scientific approach
Counter - accused of oversimplifying complex phenomena

Strength - reductionsim - some behaviours can only be understand at higher level

Question 32

explain limitaiton of holsitic approach may lack value

May lack x value

Holistic accounts of human behaviour tend to become x to use as they become more x .
This can present researchers with a practical x

E.g if we accept from a x perspective there are many x factors that to depression such as the persons x,presnet x , job then it becomes x to knw which is most x

It then becomes x to know what to x as the basis of therapy , for instance

This suggests holistic accoutns may lack x value wherease x accounts may be better

Answer 32

May lack practical value

Holistic accounts of human behaviour tend to become hard to use as they become more complex .
This can present researchers with a practical dilemma

E.g if we accept from a humanistic perspective there are many different factors that contribute to depression such as the persons past ,presnet relationships , job then it becomes difficult to knw which is most influential

It then becomes difficult to know what to prioritis as the basis of therapy , for instance

This suggests holistic accoutns may lack practical value wherease reductionsit accounts may be better

Question 33

strenght of the reductionsit pproach / limitation of holsitic - scientific approach

is they often form x of a x approach

To conduct well x research we need to x the variables to be x - to break x behaviours down into x parts

This makes it x to conduct x / record x in ways thats x and reliable

E,g research on attachment (xx) operationalised x behaviours such as x anxiety

This scientific approach gives psychology greater x
placing it on x terms with other x sciences

Answer 33

is they often form basis of a scientific approach

To conduct well controlled research we need to operationalise the variables to be studied - to break target behaviours down into constituent parts

This makes it possible to conduct experiments / record observatinos in ways thats objective and reliable

E,g research on attachment (strange situation) operationalised component behaviours such as separation anxiety

This scientific approach gives psychology greater cerediblity
placing it on equal terms with other natural sciences

Question 34

counterpoint of scientifc approach - oversimplifying

Reductionsit approaches accused of x copmlex x lading to x vaiddity

Explanations that x at teh level of the gene/ x dont include an x of the social x within which the behaviour x - which is x the behaviour may x its meaning
E.g x process involved in pointing ones x will be the same regardless of x

However an analysis of x wont tell us why the finger is x - it might be an act of x

This suggests redctionsit explanations can only ever form x of an explanation

Answer 34

Reductionsit approaches accused of oversimplifying copmlex pehenima lading to reduced vaiddity

Explanations that operate at teh level of the gene/ nt dont include an analysis of the social context within which the behaviour occurs - this is where the behaviour may derive its meaning
E.g physiological process involved in pointing ones finger will be the same regardless of context
However an analysis of these wont tell us why the finger is pointed - it might be an act of aggression
This suggests redctionsit explanations can only ever form part of an explanation

Question 35

higiher level - limtation of reductionism

Limitation some behaviour can only be understood at a x level

Often theres x of x behaviour that only emerge within a x context and canot be therefore x in terms of x group members
E.g the effects of conformity to x roles in the x and x in the x prison study could not be understood by x the particpants as x

It was the x between x and the behaviour of teh group that was x

Theres no conformity x that we know of so x processes liek conformity can only be explained at the x in whihc they x

This suggests for some x , higher level x or even holistic x provide a more x account

Answer 35

Limitation some behaviour can only be understood at a higher level

Often theres aspects of social behaviour that only emerge within a group context and canot be therefore understood in terms of indi group members
E.g the effects of conformity to social roles in the in the prisoner and guards in the stanford prison study could not be understood by observing the particpants as individuals

It was the interaction between people and the behaviour of teh group that was important

Theres no conformity gene that we know of so social processes liek conformity can only be explained at the level inwhihc they occur

This suggests for some behaviours , higher level explanations or even holistic ones provide a more valid account